And that's what we did. What made it special was that I decided to make this a Pinot Noir tasting of from some of the wineries I have had the pleasure of visiting. The line-up included wines from Michel-Schlumberger, Seghesio Family Vineyards, John Tyler Wines and Chamisal Vineyards. Perhaps not an extensive list but a really nice line-up of seven different wines.
Now usually I'm killing myself with preparing the hors d'oeuvres and other preparations but Saturday was filled with a cooking class (look for an upcoming post!) so it was enough trying to get the house clean and organized.
Thank goodness that I can just close the back bedroom door!
In order to take full advantage of the time tasting and pouring, I made a trip to Costco and walked through the freezer section and picked out some really nice (and easy) appetizers to bake in the oven before the guests arrived.
I had already made a trip to the Cocoa Bean in Geneva for some macaroons and for the cake. If you're in the Chicago area and looking for a great place fabulous french bakedry goods, the Cocoa Bean is the place. Not only is their food wonderful, but they are a friendly bunch!
For the evening, I began by serving the Michel-Schlumberger 2009 Pinot Noir (Le Fou). This was a great starting point. Michel-Schlumberger is located in Dry Creek Valley and features both hillside and benchland terroir. This unique terroir produces an elegant wine full-boidied but not overpowering.
This was followed by two excellent offerings from Seghesio. Those who have read my blogs know that I have a special affinity for the wines and people of Seghesio. I love the way that Winemaker Ted Seghesio is able to get the most from every blend or varietal. In this case we were tasting the 2006 Costiera and the 2008 Peter's Vineyard Pinot Noirs.
One of the first comments from this tasting was how much you could smell the fruit on this wine. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the aging or that these grapes came from the coastal region of Sonoma County (hence the name Costiera).
While Seghesio has moved toward becoming an estate winery, there are times they purchase grapes from growers equally committed to the high quality they've come to be known for.
I have to say that while there wasn't a bad Pinot in the bunch one of my top wines was from the 2008 Peter's Vineyard Pinot. It continues to amaze me how different a wine from the same varietal can be depending on the winemaker, the terroir of the land it's grown on and the difference in location and temperatures.
The Peter's Vineyard is a single vineyard production that really touches on the quality and care put into creating a subperb bottle of wine.Thsee grapes com from ggrape grower Randy Peters. According to my friends at Seghesio, Randy is one of those rare growers that match their commitment to quality.
His Pinot Noir vineyard is located in the western Russian River Valley and was planted in 1973 to Pommard clones. The Goldridge soil and benchland vineyard contribute to keeping the yields low. This wine is a prime example of what has become a signature of Seghesio Family Vineyards and winemaker Ted -- to create excellent wines that represent the best of the vineyard and the grapes from a unique location.
I also think it's fun to see how an Italian winemaker approaches a French clone.
And that's exactly what the next Pinot Noir was as well. Well sort of. From the Bacigalupi family and one of my favorite new finds on my recent trip to Sonoma (you can read about the trip in the previous posts from the end of July and August) and winemaker Tyler Heck (a fourth-generation winemaker with a heritage from Alsace) this Pinot Noir was a real treat.
We first found this wine when we did a tasting at the new John Tyler tasting room with Nicole.
While talking the benefits and drawbacks of being twins (Nicole has a twin sister Katey, I am a twin and my partner has a pair of 24 year-old sons), I got to taste some truly delicious wines. But more than that, we got to learn about one of the historic grape growing families of Sonoma County.
The 2008 Pinot Noir is no exception. Rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine this was a real treat for the evening. My wine cellar was already full when I noted in a recent tweet that I would like to buy some of this (and their 2008 Zinfandel) but I didn't have room. Nicole reminded me that the holidays were coming up and I couldn't have too much wine on hand.
I'm not sure that that's true or not because if Hurricane Sandy hits Chicago I'll be able to go a couple of months without having to restock my wine supply.
But I was glad to have this wine in the Pinot line-up. A delicious wine that shows how different clones create differeent aromas and flavors. Winemaker Tyler Heck does a fabulous job with this wine and its 92 rating is well deserved.
The last three wines for this tasting came from my recent visit to Chamisal Vineyards. With special assistance from Andrea, Michael and Alyssa, I came home with three unique expressions of their Pinot Noirs.
First up was the 2010 Edna Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is made from all ten of the clones found on the estate. When leaving the vineyard I picked up a couple of shirts that reflect the winemaking at Chamisal (My Pinot is bigger than your Pinot). I'm not sure what this is a play on but . . . this is a big wine.
One of the unique characteristics of all Chamisal wines is the distinct spice that seems to find its way into everyone of their wines.
I could tell you what the wine label says about the flavors but this is truly wone of my new favorite wines. Ok along with the John Tyler, the Seghesio and the other wines tasted. It was a little bit of a transition from the John Tyler approach to Pinot Noir. Delightful none the less.
Next up was the 2009 Califa Pinot Noir. The Califa blend of the top three clones from a particular vintage give it a unique profile year after year. This comes from the Chamisal website:
Every year the final blend of our Califa Pinot varies based on whichever clones have performed best that vintage. For 2009, it was a blend of 3 core clones: 114, 667 and 777. Clone 114 is full of lovely dark berry fruit. 667 has spice, power and structure, a great all-around performer. 777 provides powerful, ripe black and red fruit characters.When I served this the other week to some friends at the office, I believe one of them used the phrase "This wine changed my life." But as delicious as this wine was, the winner for the night was the 2010 Monologue.
The 2010 Monologue features the Clone 777. I'm not sure but I think that this wine changed my life. It's a big, big offering. While I couldn't tell you the fruit flavors, the fruit is very distinct in this offering. This is a wine I can imagine pairing with everything.
I wish I could say that I thought things through on the food more but fankly I didn't. And, I don't think it matters as much as I used to think. At the end of theday, everyone went home with a little more appreciation of the uniqueness of each offering showcasing the best of the winemaker's skill and the unique terroir of the respective vineyards.
Now if you've had these wines yourself, I'd love to hear your perspective. Just leave me a note below. And to my friends Nick and Annie, well, you left too early!
A special note to Nicole at John Tyler Wines, Brandye at Seghesio or Brooke and Michael at Chamisal, feel free to leave a note about each of your fabulous wines that describes them perhaps better than I can. Thanks for all you do in making and promoting some of my very favorite wines!
No comments:
Post a Comment