Pinot Noir | Wannabe Wino Wine Blog

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR company for the brand.

Eenie meanie miny mo, which Pinot should go? Tonight it was the 2011 Star Angel Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The Star Angel has a real cork closure and retails for about $27. It hails from the Santa Rita Hills in California, though the Star Angel brand is the invention of the winemaker for the Montes brand from Chile.

Four takeaways from this wine:

1.) Serve this at cellar temperature or slightly below.

2.) As it warmed I found the wine a bit soft.

3.) I served this with salmon, one of my go-tos for Pinot. I think I’d serve it with a vinegar based BBQ sauce given a 2nd chance.

4.) Overall, the wine is ripe and plush and would be a crowd pleaser for those “I don’t like red wine” folks.

On the nose I got spice, pepper, strawberry, and smoke. In the mouth I found strawberry jam, raspberry, and other plush red fruits. There was some acidity on the finish.

Filed under: California, Pinot Noir, Red, Wine | Comments Off on

Two Nights Two Pinots

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the winery.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, I managed to pluck the same wine from two different vintages two nights in a row from my basement. Let’s just say the Pinot Noir called my name this winter and the two Rodney Strong ones that were lurking (that sounds ominous, I promise it’s not) in my cellar got caught up in a few day Pinot fury. Had I actually realized I had both of them down there, I would have done a side-by-side comparison. On night one we tried the 2010 Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. More on night two’s wine, the 2012, another day. The 2010 had a real cork closure and likely retailed for about $25 originally.

Four takeaways from this wine:

1.) Overflowing on the nose with red, red fruit.

2.) Pair with a roaring fire and a cozy couch.

3.) Or with an herbed, roast chicken. That would work as well.

4.) Once again, Rodney Strong comes through with a solid offering for a great price point.

On the nose I found raspberries, red cherries, spice, mint, herbs, and sage. (Yes, I’m well aware that sage and mint are herbs, but there were more than just those there, more of an overall herbal note.) In the mouth I got pomegranate, raspberries, spice, and other red fruit. Overall the wine has acidity to spare and a long finish.

Filed under: California, Pinot Noir, Red, Rodney Strong, Wine | Comments Off on Two Nights Two Pinots

In the Willamette

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the winery.

Harkening back to our trip to Oregon this summer, Mr. Wannabe Wino and I popped the cork on the 2010 Cornerstone Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. If you haven’t yet had a chance to get to Cornerstone and connect with Craig Camp you are totally missing out. Especially if you haven’t stopped by their tasting room to do a tasting paired with local cheeses. The 2010 Pinot Noir has a real cork closure, clocks in at 13.5% alcohol by volume, and retails for $50 a bottle.

Four takeaways from this wine:

1.) I would pay $50 for this wine, no questions asked.

2.) Expanding their OR offerings would make me love Cornerstone even more.

3.) My notes for this wine say “Excellent.” I couldn’t describe it better.

4.) If you like dusty earth, dried violets and cherries, and baking cocoa in your Pinot, this one is for you.

On the nose I got spice, pepper, herbs, cedar, smoke, berries, dried cherries, dried violets, dusty earth, and dried raspberries on the nose. As the wine opened in my glass I kept diving back in and finding more good things to smell. The palate echoed the nose with cocoa notes, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and herbs. All the fruits tasted a bit dried to me and very concentrated. Overall the wine had excellent acidity and long finish. A very complex and well done wine for the price point, that over-delivered.

Filed under: Cornerstone Cellars, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Red, Wine | Comments Off on In the Willamette

In the Clouds

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Sonadora

*Brad gave this wine to me. He makes this wine. So I guess I need to disclose that. Does anyone really care?

At the Wine Blogger Conference in Portland this year, I ran into Brad. Who was running around with a case of his wine, the 2009 Black Cloud Altostratus Pinot Noir. I of course accepted his offer of a bottle and off it went into our case of wine that got packed to come home to VA with us. Which is awesome because it’s from Canada and I’m super excited to try some Canadian wines in anticipation of the 2013 Wine Blogger Conference. Also, I tried Brad’s 2006 vintage and he is way more super duper excited about this one, so that’s always fun. The 2009 clocks in at 13.2% alcohol by volume and has a real cork closure.

Four takeaways from this wine:

1.) British Columbia. Drink wine from there.

2.) Especially drink Pinot Noir from there.

3.) And particularly if it is from Black Cloud.

4.) The Black Cloud is an amazing violet-y, floral, caramel-y, black cherry glass of deliciousness.

On the nose I got violets, spice, sweet spun sugar, dusty notes, florals, perfume, caramel, roses, blackberry, and black cherries. In the mouth I found black cherry, black raspberry, blackberry, spice, slight coffee, and earth. I found the wine to be juicy with great acidity, nice structure, and fine tannins. My overall notes say “lovely.”

Filed under: Pinot Noir, Red, Wine | Comments Off on In the Clouds