Virtual Tasting Series For Charity--Week 1 for Laura's House: Pinot Noir (11/20-11/29)

[Frank_Murray_III]

I can’t believe we have been doing this for 12 years. Time moves quickly, yet doing the work remains both vital and important. I’m grateful that we can do this another year, and that I can partner with the Berserkers here to raise money for my charity, Laura’s House.

This has been my charity for a long time. My wife did her internship at Laura’s House more than 20 years ago, and it’s how she got started in building her practice. We owe Laura’s House a debt for supporting Jill’s entry into the people-helping profession, and the organization is deeply important to me and to my wife.

For Laura’s House, their mission is pretty simple: give women and families a place to flee, shelter, recover and start over who have been the victims of domestic violence. Year after year I have had heard the stories of women who fled, who were threatened, beaten and in some cases fled just prior to being murdered. Laura’s House intervened, gave them a place to go, a chance to breathe and feel safe. They clothe, feed and then go to court to be the voice of protection for these women, their children, for their futures. All of us know someone who was/is being abused, and it’s for this reason we keep up this work to do our part to raise money for the Laura’s House mission. Here is their website if you want to see the breadth of their efforts: www.laurashouse.org

So how do you help? Well, two ways. You can do both if you like.

Open a bottle of Pinot Noir and then post a note in this thread. It can be Pinot Noir still AND/OR Pinot Noir champagne (must be 100%). When you post your note, I will donate $5 to Laura’s House for each tasting note. If you post a pic of yourself, I will donate another $20 to Laura’s House. Why the photo? To humanize this forum. Too much division and dehumanizing of each other exists today in the world we share so if you want to make me donate more, then post a photo and let’s be human again.

The other way you can help is match me. Right out of the chute, I already have a matching donor who has helped me going on 10 years now. This person remains anonymous but their big heart and care for Laura’s House matches my own. So, everything is doubled. Want to do more? Match some or all of what is posted. Be another matching donor, do something here to help me help Laura’s House. Step up. Don’t want to match? Then donate something extra to Laura’s House–whatever you like.

My week will run 11/22 - 12/01. Now it’s up to you to help me and my matching donor do our part. Let’s go! And happy holidays to everyone, and thank you for whatever you will do in this thread.

@Margaret_Bayston

[Margaret_Bayston]

Laura’s House is celebrating 30 years of service to victims of domestic violence this year. We are proud to have supported over 8,000 people during this time at our emergency shelter. Many of them arrive with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. They are afraid and traumatized because they have been constantly told that nobody will believe them and if they try to leave their abusive partner they will find them and kill them.

I know this all sounds very dramatic but it’s the horrific reality that we often hear from our clients.

If you choose to participate in Frank’s challenge, you will be giving hope, resources and the opportunity to end the vicious cycle of domestic violence for future generations.

This is life changing work and there is still so much more to do and we cannot do it without you.
On behalf of all of us at Laura’s House, particularly the clients who can’t tell you themselves, I thank you for your generosity and ongoing support.
Happy holidays all.

Margaret
CEO-Laura’s House.

[Frank_Murray_III]

Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate you adding the perspective, from the pov of where the work is being done. We, the community here, will do our best to lend your work some help.

We got 10 days to do this work everyone, starting on 11/22. Let’s do it.

[Frank_Murray_III]

Bump for a few reasons. The tasting challenge starts tonight so let’s get it going!

Since we are kicking off tonight, I still would like to see a few more folks come aboard as matching donors. In a few past years, we had this kind of teamwork and we raised a lot more money. So please, if you are in the giving spirit and you have some connection emotionally to the domestic violence topic, please sign on with me and my matching donor.

@ToddFrench @brigcampbell will you please sticky this thread now, and then we can unstick it on 11/30. It will be easier for people to see, find and potentially sign on to help with tasting notes and/or speical donations.

[Chris_Seiber]

I’ll add an extra $5 for every note that has a photo of the poster.

Thank you Margaret and Frank.

[ToddFrench]

@Frank_Murray_III

@ToddFrench @brigcampbell will you please sticky this thread now, and then we can unstick it on 11/30. It will be easier for people to see, find and potentially sign on to help with tasting notes and/or speical donations.

Pinned until 11/29 at midnight

[Frank_Murray_III]

YES! I love it. Thank you Counselor.

[David_Bu3ker]

Bottle opened 30 minutes ago. Ready to get this party started! Note and photo forthcoming.

[Frank_Murray_III]

Thank you for that. On our end, we’re doing some champagne tonight at the local Indian restaurant so I’ll have a few Pinot Noir notes to share tomorrow to help too.

[larry_schaffer]

I’ve got one slated for this evening as well - and NO it’s not one of mine

Cheers!

[David_Bu3ker]

2018 Vincent Pinot Noir ‘Tardive’ (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

What can I say about Vincent’s wines that has not already been said. The level of quality at a near bargain price is always astounding. This particular cuvée is deeply flavored yet bright in expression. The fruit tones are a bit darker than I would normally expect, but there’s no impression of heaviness or thickness. Alcohol is completely in the background. I don’t know the composition of the wine, but the structure doesn’t feel like Ribbon Ridge. That said I would suspect there is some in there, just not a significant proportion of the blend.

Anyway - too much analysis. The wine is delicious and drinking well now, but with more than enough depth for at least several years of cellaring. Good thing, as I have two more bottles, and don’t quite know where they are!

[brigcampbell]

Just finished the puzzle without her, the warden is gonna be pissed! LOL

I can hear it now “I did all the blue pieces! You SOB!”

Community Tasting Note - 2019 Our Wines Pinot Noir

[larry_schaffer]

2021 Beuregard Pinot Noir - Coast Grade Vineyard; Ben Lomond Mountain AVA; Estate
An OG of the Santa Cruz Mountains and now into their fifth generation of Beauregards since its founding in 1945; this 17 acre site sits at about 1300 ft elevation and is 3 miles from the ocean.

Pretty light in color, the wine is full of vibrant cranberry and light cherry notes along with an uplifted herbal quality; the flavors continue in the palate as well - cranberry, a touch of oak, cracked pepper, herbal goodness. Drinking well now but I can see this aging beautifully; 13.5%

And here’s a picture of my mug sitting at a table in front of our 2 year old’s playhouse/mansion

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

2022 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge Vineyard

A perennial favorite. Translucent ruby color that extends to the rim. Perfumed raspberries, sour cherries, dried rose petals, dry autumnal leaves, and a touch of espresso and Indian spices on the nose. Flavors of darker fruits including ripe plums and black cherries with underlying bass notes of wet soil, sandalwood, and espresso. I particularly like how fresh, and in a way playful, this wine on the palate, with fine acidity that brightens up the dark stone fruit notes. Gentle polished tannins provide a pleasant, light grip on the finish.

Cheers @Marcus_Goodfellow and @Megan_Joy for the holiday release today as well!

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

2021 Vincent Temperance Hill Pinot Noir

PnP-nice dark garnet color, nothing opaque or inkky here, very much Pinot Noir. The nose is red apple, dark earth, and hint of stock. Underneath everything is a rocky kind of nuance that reminds me of being at the top of Mt. St. Helens. You can climb the summit now and there’s a lot of mild activity in the caldera. Steam, cracking rocks, occasional rock falls. And the smell of the rocks up there is what this is reminding me of. It’s very Temperance Hill as well, tension, non fruit qualities, and the underlying backbone that goes with that vineyard. Excellent balanced acidity, serious wine but in no way punishing, very vinous, savory, ready for food.

Excellent work @Vincent_Fritzsche

[David_Bu3ker]

Excellent note. Vincent nailed it in 2021.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

We’re in again Frank.

For every TN on a Pinot Noir made by a member of the Deep Roots Coalition member Goodfellow will donate $5 to Laura’s House.

The Deep Roots Coalition is a group of wineries that got together to promote farming without irrigation, and while based in the Willamette Valley we do have some California membership (Frog’s Leap and Mt. Eden Vineyards) as well. The website has a list of members, and many of the wineries will be very familiar to Berserkers.

Thanks again Frank!