I went over to my brother's for dinner Sunday night - salmon with a rub (I'm guessing rosemary and sage, with other herbs), spinach, and odds and ends.
I took a bottle of
Porter Creek PN, Hillside Vineyard, Estate bottled, 2001, 12.8% alcohol.
Cost me around $20. One heck of a bargain!
It's coming around. Too bad that old-vines vineyard was torn out for condominiums after the '01 vintage. What a very tasty bottle of wine! Ruby color, somewhat muted nose, on the ripe side but not jammy, beautifully balanced with just a hint of tannin. Good length, even taste across the tongue, developed some smoke and earth later on.
Porter Creek is a Russian River Valley house, across the river and downstream about half a mile from Joseph Swan. I bought a couple of bottles at the tasting room in July 2003. The other one needs to be ignored for two or 3 more years. I hope it'll redevelop the nose -- IIRC it was a lovely bouquet at the tasting room, and certainly the time in cellar has integrated this wine.