You've never seen two people so happy at an airport as Bob and I last night at about 9:00 p.m. when, after a long flight from Atlanta, we found that not only was the most excellent Vino Volo wine bar at SeaTac still open, it would stay open until 10:30 which was about when we'd have to go queue up for our commuter hop home. Bliss! We settled into two brown leather armchairs, sighed happily, and ordered these two flites.
Oregon pinot noirs:
2007 Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve, Willamette Valley, $45
Medium red color, a bit lighter than Bergstroms I've had in the past. Red cherry and rhubarb on the nose, more cherry with tomato skin and roasted sweet potato on the palate. At best medium bodied. A nice enough wine but overpriced and oversold as a Reserve bottling at $45.
2007 Soter North Valley Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, $48
This wine has the concentration the Bergstrom lacked without being overstuffed or inelegant. More toward black cherry with maybe a touch of boysenberry, forest floor and asian spice. Fine-grained tannins ease into a silky finish. Bob's favorite. Excellent.
2005 Beran Vineyards Pommard Clone Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $33
These Berans are so Burgundian! I've had the '05 Dijon Clone, and now the Pommard Clone seals the deal. Medium bodied with cherry and berry fruit, earth, mushrooms and spice bolstered by nice acidity. Great value, and my favorite.
Washington blended reds:
2005 Di Stefano Merlot/Cabernet "Domenica", Columbia Valley, $33
Blackberry/raspberry fruit with tobacco and green bell pepper on both nose and palate, a feature I expect to integrate with time in the glass but instead it becomes sharper and more prominent. I like green pepper so I'm not especially bothered by that, but in this high a dose it's a caricature of what was once thought to be Why Washington Wines Won't Sell and must be considered a flaw. Otherwise it's a nicely made wine with good concentration and mouthfell. Our least favorite of the three. Good, but.
2005 Fallobst Winery Cabernet/Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, $36
Sweet black cherry, plums, a bit of spice and velvet tannins make this the most immediately attractive of the three wines. After a long day, it's just so effortless. But there's just a bit too much oak on this wine, which adds a touch of vanilla pudding to the finish. A crowd pleaser among normal folks, but less successful as a geek beverage. Good.
2006 Bunnell Family Vineyards Syrah/Mourvedre "Vif", Columbia Valley, $39
Juicy blackberry fruit with roasted meat and black coffee notes on the nose, all the same with an attractive hint of fresh basil on the palate. White pepper develops in waves, and ample acidity gives this wine cut and precision. Not as traditional as the Cayuse I described in another tasting note today, but I can't imagine a wine geek who wouldn't think this wine didn't stand well apart from and ahead of the pack of thick, gobby syrahs Washington turns out in droves. Outstanding.