Saurus Pinot Noir 2007

i think this is the first pinot noir i have tried from patagonia, argentina. never thought i would be talking about a pinot from argentina, and really liking it. the nose has some nice vanilla and berry aromas, along with just a subtle hint of earth. the palate is a nice, light mixture of cherry and floral violet notes. a little earth and some slightly spicy flavor in the finish rounds out this subtle beauty. a nice price of $17 on this one makes it a worthwhile wine to try. excellent wine for salmon (a go to with most pinot noir) or chicken in mushroom sauce.

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Villages Cuvée 2009

nothing like a good willamette valley pinot noir to go with a salmon dinner. the comely brunette and i enjoyed this on recently after having it recommended by my local wine store (thanks pete!). i stray from the budget wines every once and a while and this one is a bit more than i usually spend. it retails for about $35, but it can be found quite a bit cheaper than that on-line. the nose has lots of cherry, strawberry, floral notes and some spice. the palate is a delicate blend of cherry and red raspberry, with some nice floral notes and a beautiful spicy, peppery finish. the wine definitely needed to be decanted first for about an hour. well worth a try if you can find it. it is popular and sells out quickly.

Apollo Creek Pinot Noir 2009

this is a first for me. a wine from moldova. formerly a part of the soviet union, moldova is now a separate nation and has a rich wine growing history. this one sells for about $8 and is a very light bodied, dry wine. the nose has berries and some slight earthy notes. the wine took a little time to bloom after opening, so if you try this, decant it first. the palate had lots of berry flavors, including strawberry, raspberry, a little cherry and an interesting green pepper note in the finish. only a little earthy flavor in this one. interesting and very subtle, i will have to revisit this one in the future, and look for more wines from this country, as they export quite a bit of it. we enjoyed this with salmon and salad dinner.

Hob Nob Pinot Noir 2008

had dinner with the family at a local restaurant chain before my recent move. i was ordering salmon so a pinot noir was my first choice for wine. never tried this one before and it flies in the face of the typical hard to read chateau this or that from france. fun name. so i said why not!? selling for about $8, it was hard to believe that this is really in that price range. the nose was cherry and floral, with some spice notes and vanilla too. the palate was fruit forward, with more cherry and some violet and spice notes. also has some nice earthy flavors that are usually present in french pinot noirs. this went very well with the salmon i had and will be a definite try at home bargain wine. well worth a look by you pinot noir lovers out there.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

i have had the pleasure of tasting quite a few vintages from styring, and this might be the last of the 'wit' line. it comes from one of the oldest ribbon ridge vineyards, ridgecrest vineyard. the same area in oregon that styring is located. the nose is loaded with blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and spice notes. a little earth on the nose also. the palate has black cherry, spice and vanilla flavors in a long finish. excellent for sipping alone, but try this with the obvious choice of salmon or maybe some grilled tuna. sells for $55 and worth every penny. and this will lay down for some time.

Saint Gregory Pinot Noir 2006

i have tried this pinot noir in the past and got to revisit it at a recent tasting at my local wine store. this wine is from the umbrella of selections from graziano wines, and comes from 4 vineyards in 3 distinct appellations in mendocino county. a burgundian style wine, this pinot has a nose of black cherry, some spice, and some nice earthy notes. the palate is very velvety and has flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, and earth. medium tannins and a long finish. for the nice price of $18-19 (my purchase was on sale for $15), this is worth a try. and get out the grill and pick up some salmon to pair with this one.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2005

i enjoyed a wine tasting last evening of several offerings from styring vineyards, from oregon. wine wife kelley styring was on hand to describe the wines and food pairings. the 05 "wit" was the first wine we enjoyed. i have written about this one previously, describing it as a sexy wine. it still holds that description quite well. we also tried the premier estate pinot from 2006, the first estate grown pinot from styring, which was a beautiful wine as well. i will be writing on this one soon. and yes, the comparison to the italian i tried a day ago was not even close. styring makes some amazing wines, including some nice white wines and a very interesting cab. visit them on line at http://www.styringvineyards.com/

Folonari Pinot Noir 2008 Delle Venezie

i am going to do a little bit of an unfair comparison. i am starting first with this italian pinot noir boxed wine which i recently purchased for about $17 for the box. that works out to a little over $4 a bottle in this 3 litre format. later tonight i am going to be at a wine tasting featuring styring vineyards pinot noir from oregon. and i am pretty sure the styring pinot will blow this italian out of the water. as for the italian? nice nose of black currants, spice and a little forest floor. the palate was somewhat dry with raspberry and black cherry notes. a little vanilla and some earth as well. not bad for the price. drinkable, but a bit thin. i don't think it is earthy enough to stand up to a salmon dish, but this would work with lighter summer fare, like salads and cheese. or just as a nice patio sipper. i am looking forward to comparing this to the oregon pinot tonight!

Delatour Cuvée Premier Pinot Noir 2007

french pinot noir is a bit different from the u.s. variety in that it tends to be much more subtle and a little more fruit forward, lighter bodied, and to some, maybe a bit less complex. i tend to think that the french pinots are  just more subtle and you have to train your palate to appreciate the difference. finding a bargain priced french pinot can be a bit difficult as well. i discovered this one at a wine store for the really nice price of $8. the nose was filled with red raspberry and cherry, along with some nice dirty earth aromas. the palate was fruity ripe strawberry, more of the raspberry, along with some subtle herb and earthy forest floor notes. this wine comes from languedoc, a southern french region, long lightly regarded as the source of simple table wines, more recently gaining recognition for wines of interest and value. nice grilled salmon wine, or maybe some cheese and salad fare. nothing too over the top, just a nice subtle pinot.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2005

this is the third and final wine of my vertical tasting. this pinot is mainly sourced from the yamhill-carlton ava. the nose was very earthy and sexy, with black fruit, wet forest floor, and a little spice as well in the aroma. when i think of oregon pinot noirs, this is the nose that would come to mind. the palate is dominated by a lush, earthy fruit of blackberry and black cherry, with the earthy quality being more than just a subtle hint. this is one sexy wine. far less spicy than the previous two vintages, this wine is beautifully delicate, yet extremely complex. on the second day, the wine added a very nice mocha-like finish that was only a subtle hint the day before. this vertical tasting was a true joy for me. all three of these wines were very different and enjoyable with the 05 coming away as my favorite. an extremely sexy, sensual wine. sells for $38 and will work well with a nice salmon dinner, but really is quite beautiful all by itself.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2004

on to the second offering from styring, the 04 pinot noir. this red's grapes are from the forest grove area of the willamette valley in oregon. so how did the 04 compare to the 03? the first thing i noticed was the nose, which had little of the earthy quality of the 03. the 04 was very spicy on the nose, with fruit was of raspberry and blackberry. on the palate the first thing i got was very gripping tannins and spice. much more spice than the 03. black cherry fruit was very evident. this is not a wimpy pinot. it hits you right in the mouth. on the second day the tannins had relaxed quite a bit allowing the fruit to come through. i got some blackberry as well and a little less spice. i also picked up some subtle vanilla notes from the french oak. sells for $38.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2003

i actually opened all three wines at the same time, pouring a glass of each, smelling and then leaving them site for about 20 minutes, then going back and swirling smelling and tasting them in order. the first one i will write about is the 2003, from the dundee hills region of willamette valley. the nose was very nice, with an immediate earthy tone of wet forest floor, followed by some black cherry, plum and spice notes. i am a big fan of earthy nosed wines and this came through nicely on that front. on the palate, the wine had a spicy wood and blackberry quality. the spice was a little stronger than i remembered it being the first time a tried this wine, but this is not a delicate flower. it had a very nice mouth feel and medium tannins. i sampled the wine again after a day and the tannins had mellowed quite a bit, allowing the blackberry fruit to shine through more and there was a nice earthy and mocha notes in the finish that i didn't get the first day. overall a very nice pinot. this vintage is no longer available, but sold for about $38.

Domaine Chêne 2007 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

i wrote about the 2005 vintage on this wine some time back and decided to do a comparison with the 2007 vintage. very similar nose on the 07, with strawberries and spice notes. i picked up a hint of the earthy aroma, but the spice was a little stronger this time. i also picked up some nice rose petal notes as the wine sat in the glass. the palate was also very similar to the 05 vintage. strawberry flavors were very strong up front. i wasn't getting as much red raspberry as before, but the spicy clove notes was there, along with some nice floral notes. nice medium tannins and once again a good overall impression. sells for about $12 and works well with salmon or a good roast.

Erath Estate Selection Dundee Hills 2006 Pinot Noir

every once in a while i have to go above my budget and pick up something a little different, maybe a little nicer than the typical grocery store wine. i went to my local wine store and asked them to recommend a sexy pinot noir. something that would really knock me out and i gave them a max price point of about $30-35. erath from oregon was their choice. they said i wouldn't be disappointed. for that price you don't want to be wasting your money. the results? a nose of cherry, lavender and a smokey, earthy note. on the palate, a delicate, well balanced wine with flavors of plums, vanilla, some interesting meat notes and a little anise. very silky in the mouth. the comely brunette and i drank this without pairing with food, but a nice salmon dinner would be a welcome companion. and i was not disappointed.

Domaine De Rugusse Pinot Noir 2008

i tried this pinot noir from france at a recent wine tasting. the nose was fruit forward but was not as expressive as other pinots i have tried. very subtle, with some slightly green notes. on the palate, plenty of cherry and raspberry fruit, but it was a bit thin. not much substance. subtle hints of spice and maybe a little earth. i was a bit disappointed as a pinot noir lover. it sells for about $12. i have had other pinot noirs in this price range that i have liked more. could be this one just needs more bottle time and may be worth a revisit in a year.

Alice White 2008 Pinot Noir

australian pinots can be interesting and fun wines. and you can find nice bargains also, like this one for $8. the nose is strawberry and raspberry with some vanilla notes as well. the palate was not bad with flavors of cherry and toasted oak. i also picked up a little tobacco as well. tannins were medium and the finish was medium in length. a drinkable every day pinot noir that will pair well with many foods. if you are trying to impress someone, this would not be the wine i would buy. just want an easy drinking red on a budget, this is worth a look.

Matteo Braidot Pinot Noir 2007

pinot noirs are a real love and finding a good one at a $10 price point like this is rare. when you take into consideration that this pinot comes from italy, it makes it even more rare. i tried this one at my local wine merchant at a recent tasting. thanks t! nice selection. the nose is black cherry, raspberry, vanilla and a little cocoa. a little floral note at the end after the wine had opened up. the palate was fruit driven with flavors of black cherry, but there was also some nice spice notes leaning towards black pepper mixed in with medium tannins. the finish had some chocolate and tobacco notes. all in a well balanced, beautifully structured wine. very impressive at this price. enjoy this with red meats or a nice dish with mushrooms.

Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 2007

i recently had dinner while traveling with the comely brunette and tried this pinot noir from oregon. the nose was spicy with hints of earth and fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry. the flavor was an excellent mix of raspberry and spice, with some subtle hints of herbs and earth. this is a bit different than other oregon pinots i have tried, especially in the spice area. more like root beer than most. very tasty with the lobster ravioli i enjoyed for dinner. sells for about $16 and is a very worthy red at that price.

Ventisquero Reserva Pinot Noir 2007

i tried this pinot noir from chile (yes, i said from chile) and i was very impressed. the nose was earthy leather with aromas of strawberry and cherry and a little plum. the palate was very soft with strawberry and cherry flavors and some really nice tobacco and earth notes. i got some nice vanilla and coffee notes as well. this was a complex yet subtle pinot with very nice soft tannins and a long finish. sells for about $13 and is definitely worth a try.

HRM Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir (NV)

low priced pinot noirs that are worth drinking are hard to come by. i have heard a great deal about this one from friends and fellow wine drinkers and finally bought a bottle for about $7. the nose was red berries, mainly strawberry and a little earthy note. as the wine opened a bit i got some nice licorice and spicy cinnamon aromas as well. so far so good. on the palate, i got an immediate burst of fruit with lush strawberry and cherry flavors coming through. this was followed by some nice vanilla and earthy flavors, along with a hint of spice. silky, smooth tannins and a medium length finish rounded out the whole experience. nothing pretentious about this wine at all. just a nice, every day pinot at a very nice price.