I cooked a standing rib roast for family last night and opened a PN and a CS, both from the Russian River Valley.
A. The roast was good.
B. The PN was very good indeed!
Porter Creek Hillside Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Estate Bottled Pinot Noir 2001. I didn't note the price when I bought it at the winery in July 2003, but I paid (AAUGH!!) $65 for a bottle of '04 last July. 12.8% alcohol.
A very forward wine on opening, with lots of ripe black fruit, some leather and garrigue, and a very smooth mouth feel. After a couple of hours, gained even more of its already good length and developed a pleasant woodsy (not woody) aroma. Really good!!
C. The CS was, given time to open, even better than the PN.
Joseph Swan Trenton Estate Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon 1998. $27.50 when I bought it at the winery in August 2004. 12.7% alcohol.
Opened with a bit of the stemmy, leafy quality typical of CS and not much aroma. Good balance, though. The black fruit and tannin came out after a couple of hours and it was a real treat – dark color, serious length. Still started with a bit of the herbage, but moderate tannins appeared in the mid-palate and lingered to the finish. I think I get over-analytical with CS. This was much slower to come forth than the Porter Creek, but I think a somewhat "better" wine in the end. Certainly longer and more complex.
D. The apple pie was good.
E. We had spaghetti tonight for a change from turkey, leftover turkey, and roast beef.
De Lorimier Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled Sangiovese 2002. $20.00 at the winery in February 2004. 14.1% alcohol. 265 cases.
California ripeness with an acid balance. Nice and bright, belieing the deep color and ripe initial taste. Medium long. Better with food than by itself. Tastes a lot like my memories of Zin in the late 60s and early 70s.
F. Now we get leftover roast beef.
