Had some Banshee Pinot Noir last night with dinner here in Baton Rouge and thought it to be pretty good.

Somebody that likes both cabs and pinots contrast them for me. I'd like to learn to enjoy pinot, but have yet to try one that didn't seem... word are difficult here... "insubstantial" I guess. What does one look for in a good pinot?

I'm thinking part of your problem is that you've been drinking so much big Cabernet that Pinot is going to taste very light to you. You're not the only one, as most of my friends that drink big cabs dont like Pinot either. They are just two very different grapes made in very different styles. If you want to find Pinot that is going to work for you, look for something from the Russian River Valley from 2009.

the cali/napa pinots are going to have a lot more umph than the oregons.

the oregons are much more delicate - more likely to pair with fish or chicken than steak. id think of them as lighter merlots. whereas a RRV PN can roll with a steak or pork no problem.

i picked up a marimar pn (RRV) off wtso a few weeks ago and it fit the bill perfectly. that we've been drinking more pns lately, i find my palate needs food to counter the cabs - while the pns i can drink sans-food all night.

How about drinking temperature? PN cooler than cab?

Just killed a 2009 Kirkland Signature Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee de Nalys. Very good for $20, anyone had the 2011 yet? The 2009 got a 91 rating (Wine Spectator).

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How about drinking temperature? PN cooler than cab?

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Same temperature as cab.

I have the opportunity to purchase a few bottles of different wines from a private seller. I personally have not tried any of these wines but hear great things about most if not all of them. From my understanding, they are all mailing list only wines hence why I can't find them in stores. Big, powerful cabs are my preference and I'm sure that's what most of these are but am looking for a second opinion for ya'll wine genious'.

2007 Araujo Estate Altagracia II Napa Red Wine

2005 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Château Filhot 375ml

2009 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

2009 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

2010 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2008 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Ètain Cohn Ranch

2009 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Ètain Cohn Ranch

2007 Sean Thackrey Orion Eaglepoint Ranch

2009 Sean Thackrey Orion Rossi Vineyard

I've had the Rivers-Marie Sonoma and thought it was a bargain, high QPR. Loved the 08-09 tinman also, depends on the price.

quote:

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I have the opportunity to purchase a few bottles of different wines from a private seller. I personally have not tried any of these wines but hear great things about most if not all of them. From my understanding, they are all mailing list only wines hence why I can't find them in stores. Big, powerful cabs are my preference and I'm sure that's what most of these are but am looking for a second opinion for ya'll wine genious'.


2009 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

2009 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

2010 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2008 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Ètain Cohn Ranch

2009 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Monsieur Ètain Cohn Ranch

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I know these wines well and would buy them again if the price was right. That Rivers Marie Pinot is one of the best values in America.

quote:

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the cali/napa pinots are going to have a lot more umph than the oregons.

the oregons are much more delicate - more likely to pair with fish or chicken than steak. id think of them as lighter merlots.

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That corresponds with the Argyle I mentioned last page. The Oregon pinots are almost an alternative to white white, maybe as a good alternative if the white needs more punch. For instance, if I were to make a white fish, I would stick with white wine. If I were to grill salmon, the lighter pinot noir might be an interestign choice. Same with chicken. Poached, I would try white. Skinless grilled chicken breast I would go pinot. Bar-b-que chicken you might want more tannins and opt for a zinfindal.

For the home cook (which I am), the fun is experimenting and finding your preferred combinations.

M. Etain is pretty good juice. $125 a bottle from the winery.

quote:

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the cali/napa pinots are going to have a lot more umph than the oregons.

the oregons are much more delicate - more likely to pair with fish or chicken than steak. id think of them as lighter merlots. whereas a RRV PN can roll with a steak or pork no problem.

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This pretty much nails it. I didn't drink pinots until our last trip to Napa. Like you, I mostly enjoyed the bigger cabs. However, I've really grown to appreciate the pinots and find them much more versatile, pairing nicely with almost anything.

The Carneros/Russian River Valley pinots are bigger and noticeably darker than their Oregon cousins. I really don't have a preference. I find both to be unique in their own way. But if you're a bigger cab guy than you might start with some of those California pinots. Might I suggest EnRoute Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley.

These are the notes from my last club shipment.

Argyle really sealed my perspective on things. There's light, very light, then argyle. I was pretty disappointed when I got into that one - no fault of the wine, just my taste coupled with what i had been expecting. That said, simple grilled salmon would work outstandingly with it. Just not the pork chop i had on the plate at the time... $20 lesson

Try the Argyle Nuthouse or Spirit house Pinot's, they are a bit more flavorful but still have that Oregon lightness to them. The Nuthouse is one of my favorite non-California pinots.

the idea that a pinot is a cold alternative to a white wine is way, way, way off base.

the pinot grape is not as tanic as a cab, but just as flavorful, IMO, and a well structured mature pinot can have the body of a cab, although in general you think of a pinot as a slightly more delicate wine.

often time burgundy reds and oregon reds (and some cali offerings) will have some funk on the nose that disguises the complex fruit on the palate.

i do love pinot and find it much more food friendly that a big cali cab.

I don't understand what you mean by "cold alternative". I would agree that pinot is more food friendly than big cabs, but of course you can't make absolute statements with something subjective like wine pairings.

Opened a bottle of aglianico from campania last night. I think is was Mastroberardino but I know it is from 2008. Had that licorice smell that is the wife and I's favorite descriptor. More body than some chianti we've had lately.

This is my favorite thread on Texags. But unfortunately, here is a cross post that I'm sharing with the people on my second favorite topic, the beer thread:

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!  Fatherhood is truly a wonderful thing and I'm lucky enough to have the most beautiful son that I could ever imagine.  

I won't be drinking much anymore because of a serious and unexpected health condition but as I've said many times in this thread, life is good, really good.  And for me, it is more and more beautiful every day.  So to everyone here, I toast my glass of ice water with a lemon wedge to you and say cheers, gig 'em, and God bless.

BSD

[This message has been edited by Bsd (edited 6/16/2013 3:38p).]

best of luck BSD! totally understand if we dont see as much of you as we used to - you've offered some great recommendations, as well as insight (and occasionally sparked a bit of envy). Gig 'em.

In other news, landed an '09 Franciscan Stylus from the folks for Fathers Day - fair swap for the 15yr Balvenie we got grandpa!

Haven't posted on here before, but had an awesome bottle of wine I got from work (at Coppa in Houston, where I wait tables for the time being-- and can buy wine for myself at the restaurant's pre-markup price) and felt like sharing.

We have a few wines from Forlorn Hope, including two cases of the six in Houston of their 2007 100% Petit Verdot, "Gascony Cadets." It was excellent and I highly recommend coming in to try some while we have it in. Because of the limited availability it's probably going to stay off the wine list and be hand-sold by managers and some of the better servers, so if you haven't been to Coppa an experienced our ridiculous wine prices, you should come in soon.

If you don't know what I mean by our prices-- I'm talking (just as a few well-known examples) $48 Veuve Yellow Label Champ., $50 Far Niente Chardonnay, $90 Silver Oak, and many bottles between $20-45 in every category.

Sorry if this comes off like advertising, but I love our wine program and figured some Houston folks on this thread might appreciate it as well!

BSD, sorry to hear of your health issue. I hope that all goes well, and if no wine means better health I guess the positive thing is that you can have better health...

...Now, if you need to move some inventory, keep me in mind! Just kidding... sort of.



[This message has been edited by cecil77 (edited 6/17/2013 11:22a).]

Inspector Facetime, wow, from the prices you posted and the ones on the website menu that I'm familiar with, you are at most 50% over HEB prices and the same as HEB on some. That is incredible for a restaurant! Thanks for the heads up.

Inspector, Coppa is one of my favorite restaurants based on the wine list alone! Not to mention the delicious food! Seriously, I a checked Specs website while ordering a bottle there once and it was actually cheaper at Coppa! I'll miss the wine there! But I'll still go for the food.

Thanks Ron and Cecil. I'll get a glass on special occasions so you can fully expect it to be a special glass to keep me happy. The good news is that I'm asymptomatic and otherwise very, very healthy and I should be around for a long time. I was hoping the "one glass a day keeps the heart healthy" thing would come into play but not for this condition. Severe alcohol intake can actually cause this so they dont want to worsen it with extra toxins (but that isnt the reason I got this disease, I dont drink that much, i just drink well!). This was caught through a regular physical after my birthday 2 weeks ago so I urge you all to get one done if you dont already do it...and make sure you get an EKG!

But hey, life throws curveballs. I learned that the hard way when I was very young. That's why I have worked my ass off and enjoyed life like I have. This is a kick in the face, but I'm alive, I have a great family and great friends, and I'm sure my next adventures will be just as exciting, and I'll probably remember them now!

As far as helping with my inventory, I no longer have a need for 750 bottles so I am in the process of showing it out to friends right now before I go out to the general public. It's mostly Cali wine so if you have an interest, my email is in my profile.

Cheers!

I am interested, however we're going to Napa for just the second time in August for seven days (first time was just three) and I have vowed to myself I'm going to save my wine dollars for then, since it's pretty much a given that I'm going to get stupid while I'm there.

From what I know of your collection I would dearly love to relieve you of some, so I hope there's some left in a couple of months!

And kudos to your attitude. Here's a song that speaks to that. It's by The Tejas Brothers: I'm a Rich Man

BSD, prayers sent.

Your posts on wine were my favorite posts on Texags but I applaud your taking care of yourself.

You are a true gentleman and scholar sir.

God Bless!

Thanks, Dermdoc. I appreciate the kind words. I'll be sure to stay active here and post on those rare occasions that I do get to have a glass.

And Cecil, we are still going to Napa in October. I've been waiting til I turned 40 for French Laundry but I may have to reconsider that plan and move it up a few years. We also have friends out there that we want to see so I'm sure we'll taste their wine. But that is it for me, just a taste and then quick spit. ("Haha, he's a spitter" protected)

BSD: wishing you the best, out of all of the active posters on this thread, I relate to your taste preferences the most. I would be very interested in procuring some gems from your list, should you decide to part with them. Email sent.

A2

BSD or anyone else: Know anything about Jericho Canyons? http://jerichocanyonvineyard.com/

We are tasting Heidi Barret's La Sirena there and I'm wondering if I should spring for the Jericho Canyon tasting as wel...

Cecil - I visited Jericho Canyon a couple of years ago and receive shipments from their club.

BTW y'all, in Napa right now set up with private tours all day... Glorious!

Cecil, based on the winemaker alone I would absolutely jump on the chance to taste those wines!

http://jerichocanyonvineyard.com/home-2/people/jericho-team/

It's done. We're tasting both La Sirena and the Jericho Canyon wines. August 21 if anyone else is going to be in the area...

...and porchdawg, leave some for the rest of us, please.

Cecil, you won't regret those choices. We did try to drink it all, but alas.. we were unsuccessful, there is some left for the rest of you!

BTW.. Only TWO wineries? :-)

Gem of the day - Aonaire. Book it.