DUO, Miami BYO American Pinot Noir dinner
DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida
Tasted March 12, 2007 by markellen.foodies@gmail.com with 935 views
Introduction
Maria Frumkin's wondeful post-Sideway's/Hitching Post & Au Bon Climat dinner. Menu Amouse Bouche Shredded rabbit rillettes w (fig tapenade?) -delicious; ist course:Risotto Arancini, Meyer lemon, Pomegranate; 2nd course - Diver scallops w corn pastel, saffron sauce; 3rd course - Galette de pommes de terre, raclette melting cheese, onion marmalade; 4th course - Pacific Northwest sockeye dalmon filet w Oregon forester mushroom ragout; Dessert - Orange Souffle w Dark chocalate sauce!!
Attendees: Maria & Sergio Gonzales Arias; Deirdre Conley(Mommessin); Roberta & David Ehrenreich; Ellen & I(Mark & Elllen Friedman); Charlie Frumkin(DUO); Ira Grifel; Abe Horowitz; John Kohl; Elda & Richard Villalobos; and Craig von Teuber.
Welcome back Craig, and congratulations on the birth of your first born, Ava!
Flight 1 (3 notes)
Red
1998 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Flight 1, #1. My wine. Rated it #2 to Willaims Selyem 98 Allen V, and aheead of 99 Ferrington.. My blind comments were good nose, Cali profile(?). This wine is finally beginning to evolve from its sleep. It was super when first released in 2000, but had shut down, and the last bottle we had a year and half ago was disappointing. I decanted for half an hour in am and rebottled. The wine still has years left, and tempts me to begin trying my other 98 Oregon disappointments. Doug Tunnell had warned me to cellar it, but neither he nor we realized for how long.
Red
1998 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Flight 1, #2. David and Roberta's contribution. Reticent, good cherry flavor. Blnd definitely Cali. Preferred it slightly to the 98 Brick House, and the 99 W-S Ferrington. After 10-15 minutes all wines showed well.
Red
1999 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Flight 1, #3. David and Roberta's contribution. Slight brett and fizz, which disappated over 10 minutes. Offputting at first but became quite enjoyable. Mature Burgundy profile, developing secondary flavors. The only wine of the night, I thought might be Burgundy. To my normal taster "buds", was the only wine of 14 which showed evidence of Brett, although Ellen attributed mustiness or funk to another of the nights wines. Also the only wine which showed its age, and probably should be consumed over the next year or so.
Flight 2 (3 notes)
Red
2004 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Pommard Les Vignots
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard
Flight 2, #1. Richard and Elda's contribution. The whole flight was Burgundy, and I could have sworn they were all American. The wine is young and unevolved. There was nothing negative about it, but nothing that would have me using Winesearcher to find. Didn't compare to Craig's 02 V Girardin Chambertin Clos de Beze, we had in November.
Red
2004 Mommessin Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
Flight 2, #2. Richard and Elda's contribution. WOTF. Cali syled fruit forward wine. Really quite good, and I looked unsuccessfully to find it on Wine-Searcher and Wine Zap. It amazed me that none of this flight were stylistically different than their American cousins. Deirdre commented it is the result of global warming.
Red
1999 Hospices de Beaune Pommard 1er Cru Louis Berrier
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Flight 2, #3. Ira's contribution. Cali styled wine, like many 99 Burgundies not yet developed. I am not particularly a fan of Pommard, as the wines to me lack the fragrance I seek in Pinot, and especially Burgundy. The entire flight were Burgundy ringer's in a sideway's American Wine Tasting, and there was nothing about them that set them apart!
Flight 3 (2 notes)
Red
2005 De Loach Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Flight 3, #1. Deirdre and John's contribution(a wine they distribute, or Mommessin own's.) David commented that De Loach had gone bankrupt several years ago, when it was noted for its Zin's. Really enjoyable, and quaffable Cali PN. An extraordinary value, and a good weekday wine. Ripe fruit, good palate, and decent finish.
Red
2004 De Loach Pinot Noir OFS
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Flight 3, #2. Deirdre and John's contribution(mommessin apparently owns De Loach, following its bankruptcy). Richer and deeper than its RRV brethren, a clear step up in quality. Quite good, but not = to our house wine, the 02 Belle glos Clarke & Telephone(a Cellar Tracker favorite) at the same price point.
Flight 4 (3 notes)
Red
2002 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Flight 4, #1. Our(Marik&Ellen) wine. 2nd to Kosta Browne, but I still love this wine. Great bouquet, palate, and lingering finish. Our house PN, which I picked out of The United Way/Mercy Hospital tasting 2 years ago. While we Cellar Trackers are unaminous in our praise, it is only in subsequent vintages that the pundits have climbed on board. (I just wish they would get rid of the damn rubberized wrapping!)
Red
2004 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Flight 4, #2. Our(Mark&Ellen) Wine. I brought this because, I wanted the group to experience the HOT,HOT KOSTA BROWNE's that wine merchants get a sixpack of, and dole it out one bottle limit to their GOOD,GOOD Customers(on the condition that they won't tell anyone where they got it.) IT WAS THE WOTN. Very fruit forward, with excellent bouquet. I hope this wine will evolve to equal the heavenly 99 Talley Rosemary's V, I had last year. The wine is very, very good, but not in a league of its own vs the evenings wines. Much better than ST's, but not = to WS exalted praise!
Red
2004 Bergström Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Flight #4, #3. Segio and maria's contribution. Sergio hadn't had it before. Suffered from comparison to Kosta Browne and Belle Glos. Also from my experience w Oregon PN may be in a dumb stage. Everything about this wine was reticent, and underwhelming. The group seemed to agree.
Flight 5 (3 notes)
Red
2001 Arcadian Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Flight 5, #1. Abe's contribution. Most of us really liked this wine. Shows the traditional heft of the Gary's V, and was well evolved. I tend to really like Gary's V wines from all producers.
Red
2002 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Flight 5, #2. Sergio & Maria's contribution. I didn't care for this wine. Seemed to lack the fruit, I seek in American Pinot. On balance, I am finding Oregon Pinot's to be very particular about when to drink. It is a puzzzlement?(I own many, and have been scratching my head about when the 98 and 99's will resurface- Tonights experience with my own Brick House leads me to hope that the time is near!)
Red
2004 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Flight 5, #3. Craig's Contribution(He should have brought Champagne to celebrate the birth of Ava(?). I thought the wine was well balanced, but was slightly saccharine, as it tasted of Smith Bros. cherry cough drops. I still liked it, but it didn't have the minerality or complexity I associate with Sonoma Coast Pinot's.
Closing
The meal wa superb. Thank you Maria. Virtually all of the wines were quite enjoyable, however there were no "ethereal wines" of which Pinot Noir is capable. In the past year I have enjoyed the incredible bouquet, secondary an tertiary development from Talley Rosemary's V 1999; Jacques Prieur Musigny 1999, somewhat from Gary Farrell Hambrecht V 1999. For the most part these wines were too young to achieve these ephemeral goals. What is noteworthy today, is the incredible number of quality Pinot Noir wineries now extant in the US. Just think of all the great wineiries that weren't in our line-uo; Martinelli, Merry Edwards, Seasmoke, Kistler, Pisoni, Gary Farrell, Loring. AP Vin, Pali, Peay, Testarossa, Au Bon Climat, Copain, Hanzell, Calera, Marcassin, Talley, et al;and that doesn't reflect Oregon
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