Last week we went to a wine tasting sponsored by the company that manages many of Greenville’s fine dining establishments. It was billed as a Pinot Smackdown where the merits of old world vs. new world were discussed. Most of the wines were from California, but coming from various regions and wine making styles. A couple of old world wines were mixed in to show the similarities (if any) to the old world styles from California. Here are the wines – though I don’t recall the order.
(1) Siduri Sonoma County 2007 – soft and elegant with a bit of spice, just enough acidity that it would go well with food. I think this is the best $20 Pinot I’ve had. 2nd time I’ve had this wine.
(2) Lucia Garys’ Vineyard 2006 – I am a big Lucia fan, and this is not the first time I’ve had the 06 Garys’. While I think this is going to be a good wine, it is going to need some time. It is disjoined - sometimes I get heat, sometimes I get acidity, sometimes I get a funk, but nothing is working in harmony at this time. Considering the winery and vineyard, don’t give up on this wine – but put it away for 2-3 years.
(3) Matinelli Bella Vigna RRV 2005 – My first Martinelli, and hopefully not my last. This was absolutely delicious. The perfect blend of sweet red fruits (strawberry, cherry, raspberry), earth, spices, and maybe a tiny cola note. There was a very nice balance between elegance and richness. My WOTN
(4) Siduri Sonatera Sonoma Coast 2005 – An absolutely stunning nose on this wine, very floral scents jump out of the glass. Definitely a bigger style of Pinot, but very nicely balanced with a touch of spice (cinnamon?) and funk (just a touch). This was my wife’s WOTN, and I enjoyed it very much. It is in a perfect place right now.
(5) Calicaro “Poinsett” Haley Vineyard, Anderson Valley 2007 – this was the most balanced and elegant wine of the night. Beautiful aromatics, a lightweight feel on the tongue, and the perfect balance of Cali fruit, earthiness, and acidity, this wine will go great with food. This was the overall WOTN – some of the new world people voted for bolder Cali wines, and some old world people voted for the Burg that I am getting to – but in the context of the discussion we were having – this wine pleased everyone. Mine and my wife’s #2 WOTN. (PS – CaliCaro = California/Carolina, as the wine is the product of a Greenville guy – David Ball)
(6) Grosjean Valle D’Aoste 2006 – Pinot from Italy, and it is good! My first pleasant experience with Italian Pinot Noir. In the glass, this smells exactly like a Chianti, a rustic earthy/leather/tobacco smell that I really love. The first sip tastes like Chianti to me, but then I get notes of what I would consider Pinot Noir – subtle spices and red fruits, and something floral, that I cannot pin down. This is delicious wine.
(7) Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard 2004 – this wine was brought because Arcadian is such an old-world style of California Pinot Noir. However, we all had a good laugh because of the selection itself. This is probably the biggest Arcadian ever made, at 15.9%. Regardless of that, the wine was delicious, with black fruits and an underlying earthiness to it. The wine held the alcohol very well.
(8) Arcadian Sleepy Hollow 2005 – This was not part of the lineup, but was brought out after just to show what Joe Davis goes for usually. Much lighter in color, with quite a bit more earth on the nose and palate, very floral nose, and good acidity. A hint of white pepper, or something similar. This wine needs food and will improve with time. Very nice.
(9) Michel Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis Les Chaffots 2005 – I hope I got that name right, I have admitted many times to being terrible with French wine labels. We cannot discuss old-world without a Burg, right? I am a self-proclaimed new-world guy, but this was delicious. A bit more rustic than anything except the Italian wine, though in a very different style than that bottle. A very earthy dirt component with a touch of mushroom and meat, and the fruit is definitely old world – not as bright, not the first component you notice. But still very good. I went back and forth between this and the Siduri Sonatera and my #3 WOTN, not sure I ever decided. But for a new-world guy, I really liked it.
(10) Loring Clos Pepe 2007 - After the event, a few extra bottles came out, and this is the 2nd time I’ve had this. Always a favorite, this is the classic Loring Pinot. Bigger in style, but impeccably balanced and delicious.
(11) Beaux Freres Belles Soeurs 1999 – this came out after the event as well, and I don’t have notes, and hope I got the name right. This wine was past its prime, and some thought it had gone downhill. I personally thought it was incredibly interesting, with a lot of mature characteristics that were not present it the other wines. Some menthol/reductive notes – but not so much that it was a negative – IMO. Very good.
Overall, a very fun night!