Tag Archives: Pinot Noir

Nov13

Wither Hills 2008 Pinot Noir and Three Pairings

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Wither Hills 2008 Pinot Noir and Three Pairings

Wither Hills 2008 Pinot Noir is – to the critically-minded sip ‘n’ spit – a fine example of New World Pinot Noir, more concentrated than its old world brethren, more fruit-forward yet maintaining a finesse and lightness of foot and that signature racy acidity.

What takes the 08 Wither Hills to another level is one of the pairings to follow. Something that shouldn’t have been there, but landed on my palate like a fairytale freight train of magic and make believe. Disneyfied, you say? How about “Pinofied”!

We paired the Pinot with three very different foods – not all of them expected to perform to perfeciton, but to test the pairings. And the reactions.

First came the guacamole and tortilla chips, that staple of Tex Mex appies. Avocado works well with the citrus acids of limes, but when you’ve got all that mixed up to make some creamy, green goodness, a racy Pinot Noir like Wither Hills screams in the mouth. The guacamole brings out the pucker like a motherf— oh, never mind.

Up next was the grilled steak. The elegant and silky juice was no match for the brute force of a slab of red meat, but played along nicely in a second fiddle sort of way, not clashing with the harmony but on the inside, yearning to be… well, first fiddle, or at least equal parts in a menage-a-fiddles.

Third at the plate (literally) was a forest mushroom medley sauteed in cream sauce. It should be said that traditionally Pinot Noirs pair well with forest floor fungi, but what hit me was unexpected, a rush of toasty, chocolaty mocha that caffeinated sweet dreams are made of. And it lingered with such a long and silky finish that I was left stunned. I have seriously never experienced such an interesting result as Mushrooms + cream + Pinot Noir = mocha. This must be the Pinosity they talk about at Wither Hills. The magical moment a kid must feel meeting Mickey. Truly a magic moment.

 

About Wither Hills

Established in 1994, Wither Hills is named after the imposing Wither Hills ranges, a dramatic backdrop to their vineyards. The operation is located in the Wairau valley. This is in Marlborough, at the northeast tip of the South Island of New Zealand, and is the largest winemaking region, with around 110 wineries and over 12,000 hectares planted in grapes. The region produces about 79% of New Zealand’s's wine output.

Wither Hills 2008 Pinot Noir is from fruit from the Taylor River (directly behind the Wither Hills winery) and Benmorven (a 100% clay site tucked into the foothills of the Wither Hills range) vineyards.

Oct1

Tasting Notes: A Duo of Cedar Creeks

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Tasting Notes: A Duo of Cedar Creeks

With summer stretching into September and hopefully beyond, we recently took a couple summer sippers from Cedar Creek Winery for a whirl, the 2011 Riesling and 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé.

 The 2011 Riesling, a 2012 All Canadian Wine Championships Gold Medal Winner, is all citrus and minerals, and in a very good way. There’s a zippy acidity that’ll almost make you pucker – this isn’t the flabby, sweet-ish Riesling some new world producers are bottling. But that’s no surprise to Canadian drinkers as the Okanagan Valley is quickly gaining a name for itself as a growing area for fantastic Rieslings.

The Wine Diva recommends this with fish tacos, and that has my mouth watering already.

 

The 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé is a blend of all nine of the estate’s Pinot Noir blocks. In the glass, it’s an approachable, pretty candy pink. On the nose, it’s a field of ripe summer strawberries. In the mouth, there’s a silkiness that’s not not complex or overly serious, and the strawberries keep on coming. There’s a hint of sweetness. This rosé is a crowd-pleaser and the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer day or an easy evening with friends. If you’re going to push some food onto plates to go with it, some west coast smoked salmon would do in a pinch. This rosé also won a Gold Medal at the 2012 All Canadian Wine Championships, and a Best of Varietal award at the 2012 Okanagan Spring Wine Festival.

Both the Riesling and Rosé are priced right at a couple bucks under a twenty, and we recommend trying both at least once. Though the rosé is already sold out at the winery so hurry up if you want to get a bottle before they’re gone.

Keep up with the goings on at the winery on the Cedar Creek Winery Blog.

 

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For more on wines from the Okanagan valley, these are the best books I know.

Apr25

How I Met Your Cabernet: Clos Du Val’s Rise to TV Stardom

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How I Met Your Cabernet: Clos Du Val’s Rise to TV Stardom

Shortly after visiting the Clos Du Val Winery in the Stags Leap District of California’s Napa Valley, we noticed one of their bottles on an episode of Two and a Half Men. There was a pointed finger or two and a happy “Hey!” on our couch, and then time passed. But over the next few months, that same bottle with its easily identifiable terracotta-colored label with the squiggles appeared on How I Met Your Mother, Entourage, and several other shows. Turns out Clos Du Val’s product placement had been some time in the making.

As far back as 2004, both the LA Times and Decanter declared Clos Du Val the winner (or perhaps A winner) of the product placement game. Apparently back then at least “no one tracks wine placements in films and television programs, but Aaron Gordon, president of the Set Resources entertainment marketing firm in Santa Monica, believes that Clos du Val appears in more shows than any other brand”, according to the piece.

This aggressive PR push came on the heels of Clos Du Val having in the past couple years fallen from the elite group of must-have Napa wines. The prominent placements combined with national ratings and reviews, new branding and a price push proved to be a winning combination. Even Wine Spectator, who had gotten down on Clos Du Val for not adapting to the fruit bomb era that customers wanted, praised Clos Du Val in an article titled Napa Mavericks for defying trends.

So now, almost ten years since this change in direction, Clos Du Val is going strong with a vibrant, recognizable brand and a solid product in the bottle. Personally, we are perennial fans of the Carneros Chardonnay and some other delightful discoveries have been their uniquely-branded and old-world leaning Primitivo, which I believe hasn’t been made since 2009, as well as the Carneros Pinot Noir. And the brand, well yes, it is in the back of our heads and catches our eye every time I spot the squiggles and terracotta on TV or at the movies.

With all this visibility, I dare say some of us should get into a long-term drinking game with this. If you spot a Clos Du Val bottle, pour yourself a glass of Cab or Chard in the California fashion!