Meats on the grill and Pinot vs. Pinot: Argentina vs. New Zealand With My Good Friend Carlos

The Pinot Noir grape has a reputation for being difficult to grow and even more difficult to produce into a great wine. Since I’ve never had the chance to grow or make a Pinot, I can only go by the variability in the quality of Pinot Noir at certain price points. Across the board Pinot Noir’s are the most unpredictable wines when it comes to quality and value. Generally speaking, you have to spend two to three times more than you would for any other wine to get a good Pinot Noir.

With this in mind, Kim and I invited our friend Carlos (pictured above with Kimmy, and his leg is pictured next to the food below!) to come over, sit outside on the gravel that is our patio under renovations, and drink a few Pinots in the blind format. We wanted to evaluate the wines on their own, as well as with a variety of foods. I fired up the grill and threw on some lamb rib chops, a porterhouse steak, and a spicy marinated duck breast, as well as sides of pancetta-wrapped asparagus and spicy marinated eggplant. Overall the food went well with all three wines. Read more

Bin 604 Pinot Noir Tasting Recap - August 23, 2007

This week’s tasting titled “Perfectly Pinot Noir” offered a wide variety of Pinot’s from around the world. The selection was quite diverse, with a few very good bottles at good prices. Below are a list of the wines we tasted, with notes and retail pricing.

1. Domaine de Regusse Pinot Noir, Provence, France, 2006 ($9.99) This Pinot comes to us from Southern France. It was very light, with raspberry and cherry notes, as well as some strawberry that came out on the finish. Not much structure or body, but drinkable. - My rating: 83 pts

2. The Jibe Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2006 ($15.99). Marlborough is well known for quality Sauvignon Blanc and is recently making a statement in the pinot noir production. This 2006 pinot has nice acidity and some interesting fruit notes consisting of cherry, strawberry, and a hint of vanilla. The pepper and earth tones were nice, but not well integrated with the rest of the wine. Overall, I thought it was OK, but Kim really enjoyed this one. -My rating: 85 pts

3. Capitain Gagnerot Ladoix, Burgundy, 2005 ($25.99) - The only pinot on our list from Burgundy, this 2005 was very good. The fruits were distinguished and complex, with a light mineral undertone and mild acidity. The finish was very elegant and memorable. An excellent value of a great vintage Burgundy! My rating: 92 pts.

4. J. Hoffstatter “Meczan” Pinot Nero, Alto Adige, Italy, 2005 ($21.99) . A very good example of the pinot noir grape with good berry and cherry fruits and a fine texture. Complex and elegant, fresh, intense and quite satisfying - all from a region better known for it’s white wines! My rating: 91 pts.

5. Lemelson Pinot Noir, 2005 ($35.99) - From the well-known Willamette Valley in Oregon, this pinot provides a good example of a well integrated and structured wine. Mild oak, crisp, mild acidity paired with cherry, plum and vanilla notes. Spices appear on the finish that outline the earthieness and texture quite nicely. Maybe overpriced, but it’s very good. -My rating: 89 pts.

6. Cambria Pinot Noir “Julia’s Vineyard”, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2005 ($21.99) - I didn’t have much written down about this basic pinot from the Santa Maria Valley. There was some nice spice notes, with strawberry and cherry, but it was rather unremarkable. My rating: 84 pts.

7. William James “Gary Ranch Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2005 ($35.99). In the glass the William James Pinot is very pleasant with outstanding color and a very impressive bouquet of pomegranate and cherry, as well as floral notes. Smoky and expressive, the velvety texture leads into layers of herbs, cherry and pomegranate. The alcohol content is perfectly matched with the acidity and the tannins, leading to an outstanding finish. The wine took some time to open up and will definitely only get better in the bottle for a few years. - My Rating: 90 pts

8. Dierberg Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2005 ($44.99). Our third wine in a row from the Santa Maria Valley, this 2005 Dierberg was a bit bigger than the others. The dark cherry and raspberry nose showed hints of lavender. Good acidity with silky and complex tannins, the wine took some time to open and may do well in the bottle for another couple years. -My rating: 89 pts