Pinot Noir Archives - Page 3 of 3

January 2, 2020

Leaping Lizard Pinot Noir from Sonoma and Willow Crest Viognier from Washington

Leaping Lizard Pinot Noir from Sonoma and Willow Crest Viognier from Washington “This weekend is not about me. It is about you. I’m gonna show you a good time. We’re gonna drink a lot of good wine. We’re gonna play some golf. We’re gonna eat some great food and enjoy the scenery and we are going to send you off in style, mon frere.” And so Miles and Jack set off on their most excellent adventure in Sideways, the 2004 film that by some accounts was single-handedly responsible for a 10% increase in sales of pinot noir.

Leaping Lizard Pinot Noir 2005

This pinot noir hails from the cool and foggy Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California. The Russian River has long been home to winemakers serious about pinot noir, and Leaping Lizard joined their ranks in 1996.

The winemaker is Harry Parducci Jr. He is yet another quality winemaker to come from a family better known for its jug wines, as some Gallos and Martinis are as well.

This wine is a lovely garnet color. There’s plenty of fruit, dominated by bright cherry and rich strawberry. It’s quite well balanced, though, and definitely dry with good supporting tannins and just a hint of oak.

Planked salmon is a classic pairing with pinot noir. (Yes, reds can be quite delicious with fish, especially richer species such as salmon, tuna, and swordfish.) Roast turkey or duck, fruit-glazed pork chops, and grilled barbeque ribs would work well also.

And now for something completely different: we head north to Washington state, and Willow Crest winery’s Yakima-grown viognier (vee-ohn-yay).

This varietal originated in the Rhone area of France, and continues to be extensively cultivated there. In the ‘90s, California’s so-called Rhone Rangers helped to bring it to attention here in the States.

Like Leaping Lizard, Willow Crest is a relative new-comer. After growing grapes for other winemakers in the Yakima Valley for more than a decade, David Minick realized a long-time dream of producing his own wine when he opened Willow Crest in 1995. Most of Minick’s 185 acres of grapes are sold to other winemakers, but he now also retains a small amount of his annual harvest to craft about 3,000 cases of premium wines in his own style, primarily pinot gris and syrah.

Willow Crest Viognier 2005

Viogniers can range from the highly floral and fragrant to a lighter, more balanced aperitif-style, such as this one. It offers delicate aromas of citrus and pear, with a palate that adds melon and apple to the flavor mix. The wine should be only slightly chilled; otherwise its nuances will be masked. Like most viogniers, this is a limited-production wine.

Excellent with white seafood of all kinds. Try it with scallops, whitefish, or sole in a light butter sauce, or pair it with appetizers.

https://www.willowcrestwinery.com/tasting-rooms/

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December 26, 2019December 31, 2020

Clos Pegase Pinot Noir Mitsuko’s Vineyard 2016 and a Salmon Souffle

A Christmas Souffle

There are few things as elegant, or as easy to make, as a souffle. My stepdaughter and her partner dropped by for Christmas, and he mentioned that, even though he is 45, he had never had a savory souffle, much less made one. I assured him it was really simple, so I whipped up one with salmon. The recipe is below if you want to make one as well. But first, the wine.

Clos Pegase Pinot Noir Mitsuko’s Vineyard 2016

This wine pours a jewel-like ruby red into the glass. The nose greets you with aromas of vanilla and ripe red cherries. Those cherries come forward on the palate, along with hints of cinnamon and clove. There is harmonious balance between the oak, acid, and tannins. It’s all rounded out by a nice medium finish. it paired quite nicely with:

Salmon Souffle 2019

I first learned to make souffles from The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, and that was the starting place for this one.

3 Tbl butter
3 Tbl flour
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 C milk or half and half
4 eggs, separated
Salt and dry mustard to taste
2 Tbl teriyaki sauce
14 oz. can salmon

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the mushrooms until lightly browned.
3. Stir in the flour and blend with a wire whisk. Meanwhile, drain the salmon into a 1 cup measure. Add enough milk to come to 1 cup. Bring the milk to a boil, and add all at once to the butter-flour mixture (aka a roux), stirring with the whisk until thickened and smooth. Let cool.
3. Beat in, one at at time, the four egg yolks. Season with salt, mustard, and teriyaki sauce.
4. Flake the salmon, and blend well into the white sauce and egg mixture.
5. Using a rotary beater or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks. Do not over beat. Fold the whites gently into the salmon mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, being careful not to overblend.
6. Pour into a 1-1/2 quart souffle dish, which may be greased or ungreased. Place in oven and bake thirty to forty minutes. Serve with Hollandaise sauce.

https://www.clospegase.com/

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December 4, 2019December 22, 2020

Migration Wines Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Migration Wines Duckhorn Portfolio is the umbrella corporation of an expanding wine mini-empire. First came the flagship Duckhorn Vineyards, established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn to pioneer and feature premium Napa Merlot. (Duckhorn has a “second growth” label named Decoy, as well.) Next came Paraduxx in 1994, specializing in Zinfandel-based blends. This was followed by Goldeneye, which began making Pinot Noir in 1996. Migration was established in 2001 to focus first on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Unlike the estate-centered efforts of the other labels, Migration is dedicated to going beyond its Anderson Valley origins and exploring Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from many of California’s cool-climate appellations, including the Russian River Valley.

Migration was initially guided by young rising-star winemaker Neil Bernardi. A native of northern California, Bernardi studied at the University of California, Davis, the academic epicenter of California viticulture.

After taking degrees in Italian and enology, Bernardi set off for New Zealand and found work with three famous wineries there, including Kim Crawford. Once back in the States, he became assistant cellarmaster at Quintessa, and then joined the Duckhorn family as enologist at Goldeneye. Bernardi became Migration’s winemaker in 2009. He has stated, “Traditionally the character of a particular wine is connected to a specific place. Migration offers a different paradigm. We are starting with a clearly defined style and exploring how that style can be expressed in different regions.” Following his success at Migration, Neil is now Vice President & General Manager – Kosta Browne, Canvasback.

in 2017, following her tenure as the winemaker for Decoy, Dana Epperson became the winemaker for Migration, where she has established a reputation for a style of winemaking that seamlessly balances vibrancy and finesse.

Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2008

This first-ever Migration Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay, sourced from Green Valley, an especially cool region of the Russian River Valley, and three other vineyards. It matured for 10 months in 100% French oak barrels.

The wine introduces itself with a light gold color and lemony nose. The palate features citrus, stone fruit, custard, and a hint of licorice, supported by good acidity and subtle oak. This unique and harmonious combination is both zippy and mellow.

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2007

The dry winter and cool summer of 2007 in Anderson Valley was particularly suited to Pinot Noir, allowing the grapes to ripen super-slowly and evenly.

This Pinot Noir is 100% varietal, and matured for 16 months in 100% French oak. This deep-garnet, medium-bodied wine opens on the nose with blackberry and strawberry notes. The palate is dry, silky, and dominated by tart dark cherry, and supported by a backbone of oak, blackberry, and well-balanced tannins. It ends with a medium-length finish.

https://www.migrationwines.com/

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November 28, 2019January 31, 2024

Mossback Winery

The Russian River AVA sits in the center of northern California’s Sonoma County, and is characterized by a generally cool climate, with sunny days bracketed by fog early and late. This encourages the slow-ripening of fruit, particularly suitable for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, like these selections from Mossback Winery.

John Giguiere, with his wife Lane and brother Karl, started R.H. Phillips Winery in 1983 on land that was part of their family farm in the Dunnigan Hills of northwestern Yolo County, 30 miles east of the more-famous Napa. Over the course of 20 years, the Giguieres grew R.H. Phillips from a family winery of 10 acres and a few cases into a publicly-owned behemoth producing 900,000 cases of wine on 2500 acres, including the best-selling Toasted Head and EXP as well as R.H. Phillips.

When John and Lane left the company in 2005 to return to more-personalized winemaking, they were joined by Dan Cederquiest to found Crew Wine Company, which produces a variety of wines, including Matchbook.

Mossback is an old-fashioned term for “farmer,” and is an homage from the Crew trio to the farmers on which they rely to supply the fruit for their Russian River offerings.

Mossback Russian River Valley Chardonnay2009

The impression of this wine is as understated as its pale yellow color would suggest. Made in the style of a French Chablis, the wine is 80% cold fermented in stainless steel to retain acidity and as much of the character of the fruit as possible.

The delicate nose presents citrus notes, and the taste features green apples, baked honey, and a hint of melon. 1,093 cases were bottled of this 100% Chardonnay.

This food-friendly wine would pair nicely with Grilled Scallops Wrapped in Proscuitto, Grilled Salmon Burgers, or Hoisin Honey-Glazed Chicken.

Mossback Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2009

This elegant Pinot Noir is 97% Pinot Noir with 3% Syrah added for additional structure. The fruit was sourced from three well-regarded Russian River Valley vineyards. After fermentation, the juice was aged in French oak for nine months.

In the glass, the color is a pleasing cherry red. There is almost no nose, but don’t be discouraged by that. On the palate, the fruit displays plenty of tart cherry and strawberry, supported by a bit of cream and vanilla. There is a medium finish, with no bitterness or aftertaste.

Enjoy this Pinot with Grilled Turkey Burgers with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce, Salmon Fillets with Sesame Crust, or Vegetarian Shish Kabobs.

https://www.matchbookwines.com/

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November 11, 2019November 24, 2019

Landmark Winery

A Landmark Opinion

Since its founding in 1974 by Damaris Deere Ford, great-great granddaughter of John Deere, Landmark Vineyards has called Sonoma County home. Originally located in Windsor, California, in 1989 Landmark moved to the heart of Sonoma valley to escape the encroaching urbanization to the north.

In 1991, Landmark decided to focus primarily on Chardonnay. This effort was reinforced in 1993 when they retained the highly-regarded winemaker and consulting enologist Helen Turley, who has also worked for wineries such as Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin, and Blankiet. Turley is credited for being one of the first people in the early 1990s to see Sonoma’s potential for world-class wines, particularly Chardonnay. The work came together nicely in 1997, when Landmark’s 1995 Overlook Chardonnay landed a spot on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List, the first of seven such appearances.

Landmark sources its Chardonnay fruit from a variety of growers in Sonoma valley, allowing them to take advantage of a dozen microclimates and growing conditions. Landmark also maintains a modest 11-acre organically-farmed estate vineyard, planted to traditional Chateauneuf du Pape varietals—Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Viognier.

Overlook Chardonnay 2010

After harvest and pressing, the juice for this wine is racked into French oak barrels. There, indigenous yeasts carry out the primary fermentation. This traditional practice allows a medley of yeast species to each contribute its own unique flavor components to the wine. Next comes a second malo-lactic fermentation. The wine then spends eight to ten months in barrel sur lees, after which it is finally blended.

In the glass, this wine is a pale gold tinged with green. The nose offers aromas of grapefruit and preserved lemon. The citrus theme continues on the palate, abetted by good acidity and just enough oak to temper and mellow the flavors.
Serve this up with Chicken Breasts with Artichokes and Mustard Sauce, or Sea Bass with Gingered Broth.

Grand Detour Pinot Noir 2010

This Pinot Noir shows that Landmark has a way with reds as well as whites. Grand Detour is sourced from five vineyards in the cool-climate Sonoma Coast appellation. The climate of this region allows the wine to mature at a leisurely pace to improve structure and develop tannins.

This wine is medium brick in color, with a nose of wild strawberries and plums. The taste follows through with plum and other stone fruits. There is plenty of body (especially for a pinot noir) supported by tart tannins.

Salmon en Papillote would be a classic pairing with this wine. Also consider Veal Scallopine with Lemon and Capers or Roasted Pork Loin with Apricot-Armagnac Compote.

https://www.landmarkwine.com/

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