Pinot Noir

This is a medium bodied, very accessible Pinot Noit that seemed to be a crowd favorite.  It is ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, raspberries and is a bit candied.  With air, a bit of sour cherries come thru.  This has a lot of ripe fruit.  Cherries and black cherries, raspberries all coat the palate.  This is easy drinking and enjoyable.  Not about complexity or contemplation.  Good finish.  This is probably better on its own but should work with roasted fowl.  It should be consumed in the next few years.  

Dosage is 8 grams per liter.  Silvery light gold in color.  A nice amount of smaller bubbles.  The nose has seltzer and gun powder.  On the palate, this is lively. Plenty of a (red) apples with a tart sourness that is very nice.  A reasonably long finish.  This is an affordable Champagne that is very user friendly.  It will work well on its own and with just about any foods but especially salty foods.  This should be consumed within the first few years of release.  There was no disgorgement date on this bottle so purchase from stores with good turnover.  

Wow.  Stunning showing and WOTN at our tasting group's annual holiday party.  This seems to be about at peak, but it also has some youth so perhaps it will get better.  Ruby in color, if a bit flat.  The nose is gorgeous with cherries, cinnamon, slight wet tobacco notes and just a bit of woodiness.

Yowza.  This is certainly a step up from the 2000 P2 and the regular 2002 version of this wine.  The P2 signifies that is saw about another 8 years of bottle ageing (under cork) before its final dosage.  The dosage is also less sugar than the regular version.  Just a stunning and youthful wine.  Light golden in color.  The nose is great.  It has this quality not too unlike homemade pie dough.  Not yeasty but doughy.  Also some tart lemons and minerals.  On the palate, this has a lemon candy quality with minerals underneath.  Tart lemons on the finish.  This is persistent and lengthy and see

From an Oregon winery, Peter Rosback can't sit still, so he makes wine in New Zealand during the Oregon winters.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries and sandalwood.  On the palate, this is fruit forward with cherries and some cherry pie qualities.  It drinks very easily on its own.  It would work with roasted fowl.  This won't get better and should be consumed in the next five years or so.  Screw capped!

This is a reasonably priced Sparkling Rosé from California (prior versions carried a Napa designation).  It is non-vintage.  Off the top, it is nice that it is the same price as the white version.  It makes no sense that so many sparkling wines charge a premium for a Rosé.  The packaging is quite nice. It is a blend of 65 percent Chardonnay and 35 percent Pinot Noir. The wine is light golden in color.  Not that color is critical, but everyone tasting this commented that it had, maybe, just the slightest shade of pink.  Maybe not.  I called it light gold.  Nevertheless, it has a nice mousse

Franciacorta's are serious sparkling wines from Italy.  They are not to be confused with Prosecco's or some of the other lighter sparkling wines that are very popular these days.  The best Franciacorta's hold their own against sparkling wines made anywhere in the world.  Light golden in color.  There are a log of tiny bubbles.  The nose has toast, lemon and slight lanolin.  On the palate, this is slightly crisp.  Full bodied.  Nice, persistent lemon/lime notes.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with all but the meatiest of dishes.  It should probably be consumed in th

TFL is a cuvee of some of the best barrels of Pinot Noir in the cellars.  This is deep ruby in color.  The nose has sour cherries, dust, cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has light tannins.  Sour cherry fruit.  This is young, of course, but delicious.  It will work well with fowl or heavier sea foods.  It is only bottle in a 375ml format, so ageing is not a long term option.  Still, these will certainly last another five to seven years and probably more.  

This is drinking very well right now.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sour cherries, a damp forest floor and slight baking spices.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a juicy texture.  Black cherry fruit, slight sour cherries with a bit of forest floor.  Deep, complex and layered.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is at peak and this will be there for the next five to seven years before slowly fading.  It goes well with roasted fowl and vegetable dishes.  

Light ruby in color.  The nose has bright cherries and a slight earthiness.  On the palate, this is light bodied.  Thin with tart cherry fruit.  There is some earthiness on the palate as well.  Long finish.  This is easy drinking and refreshing.  Drinks fine without food.  It will work with light foods too.  Drink over the next couple of years.