A tale of two Pinots

Pinot Noir calls the Burgundy region of France "home".  However, pinot noir grapes are planted in regions all over the world. The U.S has become a major Pinot Noir producer, with some of the best regarded coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon (yay!) and the Sonoma County Russian River Valley region in California.

 

While I have not tried French Pinots, and as I write this I suppose that is something I defnitely need to do sooner rather than later, I do not have a taste for California Pinots at all!  The Willamette Valley is at the same latitude as the Burgundy region in France and has a similiar climate where these grapes seem to thrive.  Odds are I just may enjoy a Burgundian Pinot.

(Note to self: add French Pinot to list)

 

Regardless, there is no doubt, and I am proud to say, that I am

a self-proclaimed

Oregon Pinot Noir snob!

 

With that being said, I will TRY other Pinots, of course, but I'm not likely to ever purchase one from outside of Oregon without tasting it first. Rest assurred, I definitely won't purchase a California Pinot.

 

An Oregon Pinot Noir was the first red wine that I ever tried and could "fathom"way back then. Granted, I needed chocolate, but it didn't take long for me to enjoy it without my favorite crutch. Actually, back then, eating chocolate with red wine was like riding a bike with training wheels. It just helped guide me until I was a big girl and could do it on my own! It actually took longer than one might think but once it did I was full speed ahead!

 

In the August monthly wine club at my happy place, there was a California (gasp) Pinot Noir. I belong to a different wine club there but Dad and the Evil Red Genius each received one of these.  I first tried it a few weeks ago at the Evil Red Genius' house and then tried it again at the beach house two weekends ago.

 

While Dad and she both think highly of this wine, and while I admit it was drinkable and richer than most from California, it's still

"just a California Pinot" to me.

 

Hailing from Napa (there's something it's got going for it!),

the

2012 Steele Canyon Cellars

Pinot Noir

 

has a grassy, backyard smell coupled with plum, berries and a smoky tobacco-esque finish.

This particular California Pinot did not have the overwhelming cherry taste that most have which is my biggest turn-off.  Paired with dark chocolate sea salt almond bark, a dark berry flavor was released with a tad bit of spice on the finish. This is a wine that I would have a glass of if there was already an open bottle and chocolate was nearby.

 

 

 

One Pinot down; one to go......

 

 

"Consistently well-made wines that represent the essence of Oregon"

That is what A to Z Wineworks says on their website. I'd have to agree with this statement.

 

 

 This Pinot has aromas of earth, hay, grass, berries and clove. The smell made me smile and the following exclamation was made, "We like dirty wine!"  I immediately said I wanted to make this smell a "plug-in" fragrance in my home. Flavors of dark cherry (which I love; it's the other cherry I can't stand. You know the one that tastes like Chloroseptic throat losenges. Yeah, that one)

 plum, blueberry, cocoa and green tea give way to a slightly tangy finish. 

 

What came to mind next?

This taste is what happens when a dark cherry and plum roll around in dirt together.

Yum!

I do not recall the vintage of the first A to Z Pinot that I tried but I fell in love with it and A to Z still makes one of my favorite Oregon Pinots. I did not know until researching that the 2012 vintage is one that could stand a few years of cellaring. However, after drinking it, it makes perfect sense now. I wasn't by any means disappointed but it didn't "take me back" to that first time I tried it. However, that was about seven years ago and odds are the vintage was 1-2 years prior to that even.

 It also could very well be that I prefer "bigger" red wines now; and will hardly ever choose a Pinot over a Merlot, Cab or red blend.

 

Still, neither of these were wasted.......

 

 

 

Two simple wines. Two simple labels. Two of my favorite wine regions.

 

 

 

Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair described pinot noir as

"the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic."