We've been enjoying good food and wine -- and conversation -- with our old friends, the Hefferns, this weekend. Amy, Jack and Donna picked up a bunch of seafood (salmon, halibut, tuna, crab and clams) at Pike Place Market on Friday, and we've paired these with a selection of wines over the weekend. We determined that Sauvignon Blanc (DiStefano, 2002) goes better with crab than Pinot Noir, but confirmed an earlier preference for Pinot Noir over white wines (in this case the Sauvignon Blanc and McCrea Viognier) with salmon.
We tried three different Pinot Noirs over the weekend -- all bought for $15-20 from Fine Wines, and each one progressively "bigger" (and so, in our estimation, better). Our first was the 2001 DeLoach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, which had a light color and medium body.
The 2003 Edna Valley Paragon Pinot Noir, was a bit darker and had more spice and body. The winemaker notes say "The 2003 Edna Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir shows rich black cherry and strawberry fruit, backed by caramel and vanilla notes, a full, viscous palate, soft tannins and a lingering, smoky finish."
Our favorite was the 2003 Willakenzie Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, which their tasting panel describes as follows:
The wine’s deep, clear garnet color is an indication of the intensity of the 2003 vintage. The aromas give an initial impression of fresh, bright red and black fruits, enhanced by subtle floral tones and an appealing touch of earthiness. The flavors follow the aromas with lively red and black cherry, blackberries and currants and a hint of violets. The mid-palate is full of ripe fruit, framed by good acidity and round, well-integrated tannins. The overall impression in the mouth is generous, balanced and very pleasing. The finish is long with licorice, spice and a touch of pepper. This is a wonderfully approachable wine, which is ready to drink now and will continue to improve for the next 2- 3 years.
I will pick up more of the Willakenzie, compare it to the 2002 Hartford Pinot Noir, which was our favorite in another comparative tasting we had a few weeks ago (same price range) ... and perhaps post an update.
Comments