My Brother-In-Law is in town for the weekend, so I had the family over for dinner last night. The dinner details are posted here:Fanily Dinner
Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noir NV - I bought this at Ch. Ste. Michelle while on my trip to WA last month. While visiting the winery I enquired about PN and was told "We leave that to the folks from Oregon". So when I saw this in their tasting room, I asked where they obtained the grapes for this and was informed thethad a small PN vineyard in the Columbia Valley used solely for this wine. Generous "pop" from the cork, very effervescent and a gentle copper hue. Brut - not very yeasty, but good fruit showing and a long finish. Very nice bubbly and complemented the Mushrooms stuffed with mild Italian sausage nicely.
1999 Joseph Drouhin Laforet Chardonnay - I don't recall when or where I bought this or the price. I found it in the wine rack in my cellar yesterday (I don't keep records). The oak seemed to dominate this. Slight hints of medicine in the nose. Somewhat thin and acidic, but a medium finish the went well with the Chicken Scalopine.
2006 Hart's Un-Oaked Chardonnay - I don't think it's appropriate to post TNs on my own wines, but there wasn't enough of the Drouhin to go around, so I opened this. The dinner guests preferred it.
2005 Pinot Noir Glace Noir - Niagara Escarpment - This wine was made by Warm Lake Estate, about 10 miles from my home, and is a very unusual wine. About $17/375ml - 17% ABV - 10% RS - oak aged 3 months. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a Port or an Ice Wine. Color of a Rose with copper hues. Intense PN aromas with the oak very noticeable. The sweetness is balanced nicely with acidity and tannins. I believe Robin didn't care much for this when we visited there during NiagaraCOOL '06, but I found it unique and paired up nicely with out dessert of Baked Apple topped with raisins in rum sauce and vanilla ice cream and coffee.
It was a nice dinner, with some fun wines and family.
