WTN: Tastings of three wines with dinner in Raleigh

At Enoteca Vin in Raleigh I had the 1.5 oz tastings of Bedford Road Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand near Cloudy Bay vineyards) and 2001 Eric Ross "Saralee" Pinot Noir with an appetizer of warm hazelnut crusted chevre goat cheese with Belgian endive salad and pomegranate-banyuls vinaigrette. With the entree of braised shortribs with roasted root vegetables and kale (which I asked to have substituted for collards) and apples, I had a 3 oz. serving of 1998 Del Bondio "Bella Oaks" Cabernet Sauvignon.

2005 BEDFORD ROAD SAUVIGNON BLANC, NEW ZEALAND

Dim lighting made it difficult to assess the color of the wines.
This delicious S. B. has a tangy citrusy nose, very fragrant. Juicy grapefruit and lemon come across on the palate. Matched very well with the chevre cheese and salad.

2001 ERIC ROSS "SARALEE'S" PINOT NOIR, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, SONOMA, CA

Somewhat transparent in the glass.
Nose of black fruits and woodsy notes. Fragrant nose and powerful presence on the palate--a red counterpoint to the fragrant and full white wine from New Zealand. Some peppery spice and a little burn on the lengthy finish. I have a bottle of this at home but will have to think about a pairing. It did not match very well with the appetizer and went somewhat better with the short ribs.

1998 DEL BONDIO "BELLA OAKS" CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Grape growers for three generations, the Del Bondio brothers produce small quantities of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in Rutherford, Napa Valley, CA. This was frothy around the rim when first poured. Suggestions of red and black currants. Much darker than the Eric Ross Pinot Noir. Smooth and nicely integrated, this went well with the braised shortribs and root vegetables. The full-flavored Pinot Noir from Eric Ross also held up with the ribs. (I saved a sip or two until the entree arrived to test this.) The Del Bondio was mellow tasting with the shortribs but still tannic if held in the mouth for awhile. It seems docile if sipped and swallowed a bit faster. Straightforward and tasty even in an iffy vintage. Probably better in '99 or '01. I have a bottle of this at home but not certain of the vintage.

I finished with a crusty firm cow's milk cheese (lots of flavor) and cappucino.

The pinot noir in Saralee's vineyard is a young planting on a hillside that faces north and east. Most of Saralee's is on bottomland just below the hill.
With young vines and a fairly warm vintage in 2001, the light color and heat don't surprise me a whole lot.

I have a couple of bottles of '00 Joseph Swan PN from Saralee's -- the vineyard is just around the corner from the Joseph Swan winery, and Rod has been helping with the PN vines.

I guess I'll have to open a bottle one of these days.

Thanks for the info. I'd be interested in seeing your note on the Joseph Swan Saralee Pinot Noir.

John is giving you great---and well informed---info on Saralee's Vineyard, JC.

Perhaps a better indication of the quality and style of that particular vineyard is in the Syrah releases from different wineries, most notably the Arrowood Saralee's Vineyard Syrah if you can find any. Great stuff...and the Syrah vines are older, with more track record.

An interesting take might be to get some wines from Saralee's Vineyard, some SB from the Hanna Slusser Road Vineyard (directly across the street from Saralee's, some Chard from Sonoma-Cutrer's The Cutrer Vineyard (adjoining Saralee's Vineyard from the north side, and perhaps the estate Pinot from Russian Hill Winery, which butts up against both Saralee's Vineyard and The Cutrer. You could have good quality SB, Syrah, Chard, and Pinot, all from excellent vineyards that are, quite literally, touching each other!

(And John's right about Swan---far worse wines to drink than those )

Good suggestion, Hoke. I've enjoyed The Cutrer Chardonnay several times in the past and I'm still exploring California Syrahs--my favorites of this varietal lately have been from Washington State (or France).
(I'm going to an Elyse wine dinner tomorrow in Raleigh where we will taste "L'Ingenue" [a white Rhone blend] from Naggiar Vineyard, Pinot Noir from Wild Horse Vineyard, Zinfandel from Eagle Point Ranch Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon from Tietjen Vineyard and a Petite Sirah from Rutherford district.)

>> I'd be interested in seeing your note on the Joseph Swan Saralee Pinot Noir.

So will I, when I Get A Round Tuit!