By Amy Reiley
 Pinot
Envy, May 2007
Many consider Pinot Noir to be the sexiest of all wine grapes. Like many of the
world’s greatest aphrodisiacs, Pinot is one of the most fragile and prized
grapes. On the vine, Pinot likes to be enveloped in fog and caressed by the
breeze - a sensualist even in infancy.
Although Pinot’s favorite growing conditions are rare in
California, an enclave of sensualists resides in Sonoma County’s Russian
River region. Here the fog sweeps down the path cut by the river to curl around
the vines each morning, protecting them from California’s intense sunshine.
2004 Halleck Vineyard Estate Grown Pinot
The perfect aperitif, this wine almost sparkles with lively, red fruit aromas
and flavors. An underlying earthiness gives Halleck’s Pinot a hint of something
sexy.
2004 Davis Family
If you have any doubts about the aphrodisiac powers of Pinot indulge in just one
sip of this wine and you’ll get it. I promise. Sexy yet restrained, it is one of
those rare wines that seems to meld with and enhance any dish with which it is
served.
2005 Kosta Brown Russian River
A rich and serious wine, Kosta Browne’s Pinot showcases the grape’s masculine
side. Aromas and flavors are typical Pinot - cherry, cola, plum and a hint of
spice - but in structure and body it is powerful, dazzling, anything but
typical.
2004 J Vineyards and Winery Robert Thomas
This wine plays a little hard to get, (if only the winery could produce more!)
But if you spot a bottle, buy it. Smokey yet sweet, it is silky on the tongue
and surprisingly elegant.
2004 Gary Farrell Sonoma County
I have an extreme fondness for this wine. As a child, I loved white wine. But it
wasn’t until I first visited Sonoma County and experienced this Russian River
Pinot that I developed a longing for reds. Approachable yet age able, it teases
the tongue with a ripe, berry sweetness and a mere hint of spice. It is a wine
to turn anyone into an aficionado of reds.
2005 Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir
Although it lacks some of the sensual elements of the aforementioned wines,
Rodney Strong’s Estate Pinot is one of Russian River’s best buys. Approachable
with red fruit and rose petal aromas and flavors, it's the kind of wine that
will please the whole crowd. |
