WTN: 2004 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Pinot Noir (Sonoma County)

To accompany an entree of veal schnitzel at Nana's Restaurant in Durham I debated whether to have Riesling, a Brun Beaujolais Old Vines or a Pinot Noir (in Germany I probably would have ordered a Mosel Riesling). I tried a sip of the 2005 Loosen Brothers Riesling (too sweet for an entree course) and a sip of the Pinot Noir and went with the above Pinot.
Nana's Restaurant prepared the thin veal schnitzel slices with a lemon-butter caper sauce and served them with walnut spaetzle, bits of goat cheese, cooked turnips and pearl onions. Wonderful! It transported me back to Europe although the spaetzle (like little delicate dumplings) were not quite like I have had this dish in Germany.

Now the 2004 Pellegrini Olivet Lane Pinot Noir
Heady nose. Rather like a black cherry liqueur with no cola (thankfully) in sight (or smell and taste). Considerable body. Legs on side of glass. Elegance, smoothness, tastes of mature vines. Soft tannins on the finish. A hint of clove and possibly mocha. This may hold for several more years. I really like this!!

I had just been reading about Pellegrini's Olivet Lane vineyard in the book "North American Pinot Noir." This vineyard furnishes P.N. grapes to Gary Farrell, Merry Edwards and Williams Selyem wineries--not a bad list!!

I declined dessert but had an Irish coffee. I first asked for it without whipped cream but realized this was a mistake and had to reverse course. It is just not the same drink without whipped cream.

Another great dinner at Nana's where Scott Howell presides in the kitchen.

[James Roscoe]

JC
I've always thought German food gets a bad rap from the foodies. I am a little biased as my father is German. But the German cuisine is more than just sausages. Heck , if it was just the sausages, their contribution to the food world would be pretty significant. Being Bavarian, my family generally served beer with most meals, but a nice pinot (don't the Germans call it a Spatsburgunder?) would do well with your schnitzel and spaetzle. You've made me hungry for some jaeger schnitzle and spaetzle. I guess I'm going to have to visit Mom and Dad this summer.

The Germans do call it Spatburgunder (no second 's'). I also enjoy sauerbraten, red cabbage, salads with celeriac (celery root), fruit torten desserts, maultaschen (a Schwabische speciality soup with meat dumplings), Baden-style schneckensuppe (snail soup), Nurnberger wurstchen (little sausages with spices), french fries without the grease, rouladen, etc. And I enjoy veal or pork schnitzel in at least a dozen preparations--jagerschnitzel, rahmschnitzel, with fried egg on top or with asparagus on top, zigeunerschnitzel, etc. One thing I never really acquired a taste for was some of the cakes which seemed far too dry to me. I like moist cake.

Hey JC --

Thanks for the notes. I couldn't quite tell: is Pellegrini the owner of Olivet Lane Vyd, or are they just one among several who buy fruit from it? I've had the Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Pinots (though not recently; I am sitting on my last bottle from... 99?) and enjoyed them, but I don't have a clear sense of the vineyard.

cheers,

Patchen

[James Roscoe]

"One thing I never really acquired a taste for was some of the cakes which seemed far too dry to me. I like moist cake"
JC
My grandmother Roscoe's recipe for chocolate cake is the moistest cake you'll ever have. I should say she was Pennsylvania Dutch and married a Bavarian immigrant after WWI (He fought for us, his brothers fought for them.) Anyway, I will always think of German cakes as moist. My wife continues to make this cake and it's a big hit. (My wife likes it with champagne, I like it with port or banyuls.) It includes a heavy does of coffee. Your response doesn't fit with my limited experience. Of course, I've never been to Germany and you have, so I bow to your experience, but it seems weird.
Cheers!
James[/quote]

I couldn't quite tell: is Pellegrini the owner of Olivet Lane Vyd

They do indeed, Patchen.

I'm not sure subject lines are as visible as they used to be, so again: thanks!

cheers,

Patchen

Bucko beat me to it. Yes, Pellegrini owns Olivet Lane Estate which produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. They own other vineyards which grow Zinfandel, etc. There is also a Pellegrini family on Long Island as part of the New York wine industry--I don't know if they are close relations to the California family or not.

Forgot to add that the Pellegrini (of CA) website says the Olivet Lane vineyard was established in the 1970's.

To James Roscoe,
I don't think of German chocolate cake, which I love, as being dry. I was thinking of the typical Schwarzwalderkuchen or white cake and others I have had in Germany.

Thanks, JC! I will keep my eyes open for this.

cheers

Patchen