2016 Mud House Central Otago (New Zealand) Pinot Noir, 2016

 

An early review in Wine Enthusiast found this Central Otago Pinot Noir to be a bit too oaky. After a few years in the cellar, the oak impression is less obvious to me and the fruit flavors come through nicely.

Medium deep ruby. The bouquet (perhaps oak influenced) is lovely at this point. Flowers, fruit, spice. Red raspberry shading to cranberry on the palate. Also some citrus zest. Central Otago is squarely in the middle of the Southern Alps with high altitude and cool climate so the wine has ample acidity. For $13 a few yeares ago, this was an excellent value for a Central Otago Pinot.

Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir, 2017

When tasting both the Pinor Noir and Gamay Noir at the winery every year, I always prefer the Gamay and remark that it tastes more like Pinot Noir than Gamay. The person doing the pouring nearly always agrees with me. With this 2017, after a few years in the bottle the comparison with Pinot is less obvious, but this still ranks as my favorite Michigan red.

Medium dark color. Similar to that of the New Zealand Pinot beside it at the table. Intense smells and flavors of red raspberry and tart cherry. Sweet fruit framed by lots of black pepper. Reminds me of a good Southern Rhone, and I like that.
 

Couloir Roma's Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2007

Like the Etna Rosso (below), this is a wine I bought in quantity more than a decade ago and have enjoyed again and again with increasing pleasure. It is probably my all-time favorite Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

Medium light ruby, shading to amber at the rim.All four of us at the table are immediately drawn to the intense bouquet. Berries galore: red raspberries, fresh and ripe. Cherries too with a fine acidic edge. Silky texture and flavors that come at the tongue from all directions. Both sweet and savory. Beautiful finish, beautiful wine. Even after the excellent Etna Rosso, all four of us chose this Pinot Noir as the wine of the night.
 

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso, 2008

I bought a case of this Etna Rosso 13 years ago from D&W Market in Kalamazoo on the recommendation of Penny Ross and Roz Mayberry. The next to last bottle, this is clearly the best so far. 

I have always thought of this wine as similar to a fine Pinot Noir, and tonight, drinking it alongside a very good Anderson Valley Pinot, the comparison is spot on. Looks like a Pinot, although maybe a tad darker. Smells like a Pinot with complex tones of flowers, fruit and spice. And it has that lovely texture of Pinot, fine grained and silky smooth. Cherries, spice and minerals, fully developed. Long, deep and complex finish. I am ready for the next case.
 

Amalie Robert Heirloom Cameo Willamette Valley Chardonnay, 2011

We had several bottles of the 2011 Amalie Robert Her Silhouette Chardonnay, a wine produced with no oak  or malolactic fermentation. This Heirloom Cameo takes the opposite approiach. It was fermented and aged in French oak puncheons, given full malolactic fermentation and spent considerable time resting on its spent yeast cells. Nevertheless, the Dijon clones and the Willamette Valley terroir has kept it fresh and silky as well as luxurious 13 years after the vintage.

Medium deep yellow. A wide range of smells and flavors: white flowers, lemon zest, pineapple, cilantro, almonds. Leesy acidity, silky texture and a long, rich finish.
 

Domaine de Couron Cotes du Rhone, 2020

60% Grenache, 40% Grenache from vines averaging 47 years 45 miles northwest of Avignon.

Darker ruby than a traditional Cotes du Rhone. Also bigger and more tannic. Perhaps some oak, but maybe that's because of the relatively high proportion of Syrah in the blend. Dark cherries and blueberries. Somewhat rough on the mid-palate but a pleasing level of acidity and intensity on the finish. Not the traditional Cotes du Rhone style I loved during the 1980s and 1990s but a good wine that I would buy at $10 to $12 a bottle.
 

Bouchard Aine & Fils Heritage du Conseiller Chardonnay, 2022

We have enjoyed some delicious bottles of Bouchard Pouilly Fuisse, and I was delighted to spot this bottle with the majestic Bouchard label on the shelf at Costco for only $11. The Pouilly Fuisse, of course, sells for more than twice that price. This Heritage du Conseiller, however, is not Pouilly Fuisse; nor is it even from the Maconnais. It is a humble Vin de France, meaning that the grapes can come from anywhere in France. They were, though, apparently well chosen and well handled.

Medium deep yellow. Fresh scents of flowers and fruit. Bright flavors of lime, peach and yellow apple. Medium to light bodied with more acidity and lesss sweetness than a New World Chardonnay. For $11 to $15, this is an excellent every day choice. And if you see Bouchard's Pouilly Fuisse for a comparable price, please let me know.