Halloween! Fall is in the air ... what better time to enjoy Pinot Noir.
Wonderful treat to compare the 2004 and 2005 Kanzler side by side... inimitable expression of terroir... 2004 was the first vintage produced (note the one-off first vintage label ! , true collector's item). Lovely earthy fruit with forest floor, even a bit of anise... gotta love what Steve & Lynda Kanzler do with their vineyard ;-D
Martinelli pinots are always among my favorites... the 2001 Moonshine Ranch is drinking nicely... very smooth, luscious fruit with signature style ... there's a subtle thread that runs through all the Martinelli pinots ... perhaps Helen Turley's influence...
Compare with the gorgeous classicism of Girardin's 1999 Pommard Les Rugiens... I have never met a Pommard that I didn't like. Fascinating Burgundian complexity that trumps pinots from anywhere else in the world... limestone underpinnings provide refreshing acidity with mushroom earthiness on the front end and finishing with mouth-watering sour cherry fruit ... the 1999 vintage from the Cote de Beaune will be a long-lived one! Perfect paired with Dijon chicken or a nice Havarti ..
The outlier for the evening was a 2005 Rioja made in the modern style .. quite quaffable, but a bit too oaked for me...
cheers!
