Burgundy Schmurgundy--2011 Wind Gap Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

WINE TALK
21

This is a great post and thought as I have long been an advocate of “and” rather than “either/or.” I really enjoy (certain) California pinots as well as Burgundy and I (gasp) enjoy California cabernet as well as Bordeaux. It does seem as if the Board has become a bit Burg-centric of late and that is fine…However, I wish there was a bit more discussion of California pinots as well. I have to admit that I am as guilty of this omission as the next guy but maybe Frank can lead this crusade! [berserker.gif]

Cheers! [wink.gif]
Marshall

22

Fred, I have visited Pax a couple of times and enjoy/support what he is doing. I would encourage you to visit there and you should contact him via the website to hook up with him. Don’t mention me, as that might get you drinking only the topper wine. [rofl.gif]

Marshall, good to see you posting up in here. Open a CA pinot this weekend and buck the trend. [truce.gif]

23

This is an interesting wine from Wind Gap, but I don’t see anything in the wine that makes me think time will be favorable for it, which is of course fine, but I’d be careful about laying it down very long. The bottles I’ve had (which are few) have seemed built for early consumption.

24




Frank; I always open them…the problem is that I don’t post about them.…that is the part that must be remedied.

Cheers! [cheers.gif]
Marshall

25

Have a 2006 Rhys Alpine Hillsides on slow-ox for a dinner with the wife at Playground. I promise to make an effort to remember some details and report back.

Only had one glass of CA pinot in the past few months, a 2010 Cabot AV which was reliably tasty. A nice medium-weight AV Pinot with a equal bits of fruit, funk, and spice, and a small dash of heat that did not annoy. A steal at $24 from Hi time, at least until Velebil HAD to out the stash and it disappeared immediately.

26

I’ll second this. Definitely worth a visit, if you dig the style. We enjoyed our visit quite a bit. So casual and relaxed, especially at the old apple barn in Forestville, which we found quaint and rustic. I think they have since moved to a new facility in Sebastopol.

27

Andrew, with all you endured the past several months, you go enjoy that Rhys with that terrific wife of yours and have a great dinner at Playground. Funny, the chef/owner there was on Chopped this past week, a new episode, and he placed second. The guy who won, while very talented, had a lack of modesty and was so full of himself that it was hard to watch. I dig that place.

Anyway, celebrate buddy and drink some CA pinot tonight–you earned it.

28

Why on earth are you so defensive about the wines you like. I can tell you this. No burgundy thread on this board mentions California Pinot or even thinks about California Pinot one way or the other. I don’t understand why you have to put down one wine just because you like a different wine. This is getting old.

29

Howard, I’m not setting out to create defensive. There used to be more talk about CA pinot then there is these days and I want to change that. If you interpreted I wanted to put down one area over another, that was not my intent. I own Burgundy, yet I find it hard to put it into my cellar given the pricing and a budget I try to stay within. I found some wines I liked that thrilled me, I am passionate about wine.

And don’t call me old!

30

Howard-your post was way more defensive than Frank’s. Are you worried he’ll tarnish your beloved Burgundie$?

31

LOVE this producer and very much agree with you sentiment wrt to Burgundy vs. CA.

32

How exactly does a post tarnish a wine?

33

Going to get all literal on me?

34

There are clearly a lot of people on the board who like earthy, acid-driven pinot. Many of them, it seems, don’t stay from France. Those who stray farther afield get excited when they find a great wine at a great price. I don’t think it’s disparaging Burgundy. It’s acknowledging that Burgundy is the gold standard for these wines, and pointing like-minded people to a satisfying alternative that can be cheaper.

Michael

35

Appreciate the note and would like to try the wine if I see it, but there’s an abundance of good Burgundy in the $30-37 range. I’m not ready to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

36

Frank - Thanks for your post. It struck a chord with me as I am a pinot lover first and foremost. I experienced and collected most Americans before Burgundy. I have purchased and collected Anthill, Rhys, Peay, Mt. Eden, Wind Gap, and Cameron from Oregon. I did this because it was what I was first introduced to and they were accessible and easier to understand, taste and ultimately develop my palate. Lately, I have tasted and purchased a variety of Burgundy. The cost is more, but have had some wonderful experiences - Comte Armand, Fourrier, Faiveley. I continue to purchase and enjoy both and go back and forth between the two regions. While Wind Gap and a few others can be called “old world” Styles, I tend to enjoy both styles - and find they can be hard to differentiate at times. I.E., Pommard and Volnay, to me my limited palate, seems more similar to the old world Cali producers than let’s say a Cote de Nuits. The bottom line is a well made wine is a well made wine and I hope to always have a palate and a budget for both, but am very happy to enjoy the great American Producers who continue to produce excellent wine at a reasonable price.
Cheers!

37

frank, i am with you here. for me there are too mant great pinots still waiting to be tasted.

I dont think I have ever had a wine with more distinct styles than ca pinot. Perhaps I am nieve, but we just finished a debiase 2009 that could easily pair with red meat, as opposed to a 2007 ST innocent last night that was much lighter but with a smoky flair.

If I was forced to only drink one varietal. it would be cali pinot.

38

Well-said, Alex.

39

Sonoma Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains, Anderson Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Rita Hills, Russian River Valley.

Clearly there is a striking diversity in terroir and styles. It’s gone past the “experimental” stage to the point where some remarkably successful and world-class sites and producers have clearly arrived. But the “gold rush” for great, affordable Pinot Noir continues in California, and it is a joy to follow.

40

So not to break my promise…loved, loved, loved Playground. Although we’ve tried multiple times to get there, we hadn’t been back since last summer, since this isn’t exactly a good place for an active, two year-old boy. We definitely made up for lost time! Although we enjoyed our last visit, it didn’t quite blow us away. Tonight made up for it as everything seemed to click. Like with wine, there are no great restaurants (wines), only great meals (bottles).

Remember the 2006 Rhys Hillside Pinot? Oh, yeah. We were so enraptured by our meal that we had to remind ourselves to come up for air and wine. First time with this bottle, but third 2006 Rhys from the Alpine vineyard. Spicy (ah, the 2006 Rhys vintage stems) dark fruits that weren’t as full as others have noted, with moderate acidity and a bit of latent heat that was noticeable but didn’t detract.

Before opening, I was concerned the stems might be in a tug-of-war with the fruit, but these elements were playing nice. My concern moving forward would be that the stems might eventually outlast the fruit, particularly for relatively young vines, although the stems were more resolved than anticipated. A thoroughly enjoyable pinot that provides an old world subtlety and sense of place, which is undoubtedly California. I am glad to have sat on my Hillside bottles for several years. I plan to drink a second bottle sooner rather than later, since I would rather sell high than guess that these would improve rather than simply evolve. I might save my third bottle as an experiment, as I’ve done with the 2006 Alpine.