From a restaurant visit
2005 Steele Pinot Blanc, Santa Barbara
With crispy calamari with lemon and garlic aoili
Dim lighting so hard to check the color--probably quite pale. Nicely chilled. Crisp and refreshing--would be a nice summery drink. Some acid and tingle but finely blanced. Medium to long finish. I thought it could give some of the Oregon Pinot Blanc a run for the money.
2005 Steele Carneros Pinot Noir
With shitake wontons in ginger plum sauce and duck breast with sesame-coated asparagus
Immediate impression is that this is more full-bodied than past vintages I've had. Dense and opaque dark purple red (in dim lighting). Pleasant dark fruits on mid-palate; slight "heat" on the finish with some pepper notes but also a bit flowery. Hothouse orchids? Nice match to the sauce on the duck breast (plum ginger)
Nice presentation--the sauce was drizzled in a petal pattern on the dish and the slices of duck breast were fanned out around the sesame asparagus, also edamame on the plate.