Cameron Hughes Lot 125

Last week Pris and I were looking for a mellow red to go with a nice light dinner of flank steak, brown rice, and a light salad.  Pris selected Cameron Hughes' Lot 125 a 2007 Pinot Noir from Napa and Carneros.  This was the last of our Cameron Hughes Pinots, and one of our few remaining Cameron Hughes wines.

We were looking for a lighter wine, and Pinot is usually a fairly safe bet for this, but Lot 125 was not a light wine.  The nose was full of deep rich red berry and spice.  On the palate, this wine was full of rich ripe fruit with cherry, strawberry, and raspberry all making an appearance.  The rich fruit is underlined by subtle oak, spice, and earthy notes on the mid-palate.  Soft tannins allow for a gentle and earthy finish.

Definitely let this wine breathe for a bit or decant it prior to drinking, as it needs time to breathe and open up.  On a similar note, this wine needs to be finished in two days tops.  I don't know if it was the age of the wine, or the ravages of shipping it during the summer but on the third day, it turned on us.  Alas, it went before its time.  Fortunately there was only about a glass let, but its still a shame to let perfectly good wine go to waste.

Unfortunately Lot 125 is sold out online at Cameron Hughes website (www.chwine.com), but you may still find a bottle somewhere in circulation.  If you find it and you're looking for a good richer Pinot, this is your wine. It went exceedingly well with the flank steak, and is heavy enough to pair well with richer meals.  If you do find it, enjoy it and finish it off expediently.

Heron: A Pinot for all Occasions

Back around Thanksgiving I picked up a few Pinot Noirs to have some variety in what we selected to go with the turkey.  One of the wines I picked up from Jones Liquor was a 2010 Heron Pinot Noir from Sonoma County.  A few days ago Pris and I decided to crack it open since we were looking for a mellow wine to sip while working on some crackers and cheeses.

The Pinot was everything we've come to expect from Mike Jones' recommendations.  Mellow, fruitful, and easy to drink.  Smooth aromas of cherries and dark berries are the first thing you notice with this Pinot.  On the palate the Heron is all smooth rich berries with a touch of vanilla and oak.  This Pinot had great structure and a nice mild acidity.  The Heron finished much like it started, with a good fruitful flavor that finishes smoothly and doesn't linger too long.

This was a mellow and easy to drink wine that would pair pretty well with just about anything due to its mild flavors and drinkability.  Once more Mike Jones did not steer us wrong on a wine recommendation.

We bought the Heron Pinot Noir at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville.  It costs $19 a bottle, but is worth the slightly higher price tag.  You can find out more about Heron wines at:  http://www.heronwines.com/

O Me O My Meiomi

Saturday night was another shut in night for Pris and I.  We had a wedding downstairs, albeit one that ended at 10, so we had to settle in early.  In order to properly provision us I picked up a Spanish platter, some pork loin, baba ganoush, and hummus from Feldman's Market Center.  I also grabbed a bottle of Belle Glos Meiomi 2010 Pinot Noir.  I wanted a lighter wine to go with the food, and while a Rioja of some sort would've been great, we just reviewed a Spanish red. 

The Meiomi Pinot was everything I expected, fruity but not jammy, and all ripe red berry.  The nose was ripe raspberry and blueberry with just a touch of earthy mineral tang to keep the fruit in check.  This Pinot was mild on the palate with the same raspberries and blueberries making a good showing.  Undercurrents of vanilla and oak balance out this fine Pinot.  Towards the back of the palate a nice bit of spice and heat make its presence known.  Like a number of lighter wines, the finish is shorter, but refreshing.  Strong tannins provide a good bite to go with the heat making for a strong finish.

Meiomi's Pinot is a nice medium bodied wine that will go with any number of dishes.  It went well with the various chesses, cured meats, and dips that we grazed on Saturday night.  But it really shined when we paired it with a tomato bisque.  The fruit and spice of the wine was the perfect compliment to the acidic and herbal tomatoes.  I finished off the last of the Meiomi with tonight's dinner of chicken parmesan with a lemon, dijon, caper sauce.  Again, the acid and savory in the sauce went incredibly well with the fruit and spice in the wine.  This really is a versatile Pinot.

Full disclosure, the price was what really drew me in on this particular wine.  Listed for $33, the Meiomi was priced at $14 for Feldman's card holders.  At over half off I could not pass it up, and I'm glad I didn't.  At the price its a great everyday wine, but get them quick before the sale ends or the wine runs out.  For more information on Meiomi wines you can visit: http://www.meiomiwines.com//

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Valley...of the Moon Pinot

Thanksgiving day means family, football, and loads of turkey and sides.  Up until recently it was also a day for drinking beer due to the aforementioned football.  However, Pris has always insisted on wine and she's slowly swung me around to her way of thinking--at least for dinner. The after dinner football is all beer time.

We looked around at what the best selections were for turkey day, and almost everyone brought up Pinot Noir, Lambrusco, or Reisling.  There were a of couple places suggesting rosé or rosé champagne.  That would've been interesting, but Pris doesn't like rosé and I can't drink champagne and stay sober to save my life.  So we went with the Pinot since we like it and haven't really had that much on hand lately.

I grabbed a few different Pinots at Jones Liquor last week and this week so we'd have some variety to choose from.  Of course I went with Mike Jone's suggestions since we've liked pretty much every single one of them.  After a quick sampling in the store, I was set on the Valley of the Moon's 2009 Pinot Noir.

The wine had an excellent fruitful and complex aroma dominated by sweet plum and cherries.  Like most Pinot's it was soft on the palate, and loaded with ripe red fruit.  There is a nice oaky backbone to the Valley's Pinot.  This is tempered by the fruit and a hint of vanilla.  Soft tannins round out the wine and allow for lingering and robust finish.

One of the great things about Pinot is that it will pair well with just about everything, unless its a big steak or some equally big and rich meal.  Turkey is not that bold and this smooth wine paired perfectly with the it.  I was a little worried since the turkey was slightly sweet from the maple/bourbon glaze I cooked it in.  However, the combination of savory and sweet turkey with the fruity and smooth wine were great complements.

I picked the Valley of the Moon 2009 Pinot Noir up at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville for about $19.  You can find it there for sure, if Mike Jones has any left after the Thanksgiving weekend.  I've also seen their wines at H.E.B., but for full disclosure, I can't remember which varietals.  For more information on the Valley of the Moon winery and its wines you can visit:  http://valleyofthemoonwinery.com/main_scaled.html

Bogle Vineyard's Pinot Noir

Monday night I offered Pris a couple different dishes for dinner.  Unfortunately for her the one she wanted took about an hour and a half to cook.  On the plus side we had a lot of time to pick a wine and let it decant. Dinner was a whole roasted chicken that was rubbed with goat cheese and cilantro under the skin and stuffed with garlic and lemon.  Towards the end of the roasting the chicken was glazed with honey and crushed red peppers.  To go with this great rich meal Pris and I selected a 2009 Bogle Vineyards Pinot Noir.

The Bogle Pinot had a great complex nose that was loaded with berry goodness.  As the wine crossed the palate it was full of ripe fruit.  Towards the end there was a nice bit of mineral bite and a touch of spice.  The Pinot ends with a nice lingering finish.  This is a well balanced wine with nice herbal undertones that is mellow enough to go with almost any type of food.

The Bogle Pinot went really well with the roasted chicken and salad.  The chicken was a mix of creamy rich cheese, sweet and spicy glaze, and the sharp tang of the cilantro and lemon.  The meal was accompanied by a salad with a champagne vinaigrette with the remainder of the goat cheese and cilantro.  The mellow fruit of the Bogle Pinot went great with the rich flavors of the chicken and salad.

I picked up the Bogle at World Market while I was in Corpus Christi for a conference last week.  It runs about $11 a bottle, and its a great mellow everyday wine to keep on hand.  I kind of wished I'd picked up a couple more bottles since our Pinot selection is somewhat limited.  For more information on Bogle and its wines you can visit:  http://www.boglewinery.com/home.php