WCC Oregon Pinot Noir Tasted Blind
Salty's Pub, Clifton Park, NY
Tasted August 6, 2009 by kenv with 766 views
Introduction
My regular Albany-area tasting group met to taste Oregon Pinot Noir (with one bad Napa ringer). No one in our group has a special interest in this area, so I'm not sure why it was chosen or how knowledgeable people view these particular wines.
Only the organizer knew what the wines were. The rest of us only knew what we brought, but not which one it was.
The food at Salty's was excellent as usual.
These notes have been posted with food pictures on Wine Berserkers:
http://www.wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?p=117299#p117299
Flight 1 - Flight 1 (4 notes)
Mushroom Tart with Goat Cheese and Roasted Fennel. (The filling was fresh and delicious. The crust tasted frozen.)
Flight 2 - Flight 2 (3 notes)
Slow Roasted Salmon with Sliced Beets and Stewed Leeks & Shallots. (The Salmon was excellent.)
Flight 3 - Flight 3 (4 notes)
Sliced Duck Breast with Sautéed Spinach & Arugula and Cassoulet. (A very special dish. Terrific unadorned duck complemented the Cassoulet brilliantly. The Cassoulet was served in a cute little iron fry pan.)
Flight 4 - Flight 4 (3 notes)
Braised Beef Short Ribs in Pot-Roast Style with Veal Sweetbreads, roasted root vegetables, and Gnocchi. (Killer dish. The short ribs were so tender and flavorful. The sweetbread delicate and delicious. The gnocchi were a little chewy.)
Closing
Overall, I was not that impressed, but I'm not a big Pinot fan. Still, there were several that were eminently drinkable. Specifically, the Stangeland seems like a very good value and the Ken Wrights are excellent. The Torri Mor and Beaux Frères are excellent wines with less Pinot character.