With our Monday night dinner with Dave this week we had a 2005 Lemelson Vineyards “Stermer Vineyard” Pinot Noir. Nancy and I had picked up this wine when we took a vacation in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2007. Nancy made Rolled Pork Florentine with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and Asparagus. She also made a nice gravy from the pan drippings from the pork. Everything turned out very well and the wine paired well with the pork. I think it was some of the earthiness in the wine and the little bit of bacon in the stuffing for the pork that really brought it all together.
The wine was a medium dark ruby color, still fairly young looking. There was earthiness and dark fruit in the nose. It didn’t just come out and say “I’m a Pinot” like some do but you could find the Pinot characteristic in the nose if you analyzed it carefully. The flavors were a combination of cedar and spice and dark fruit with a little dark cherry. A real burst of spice when it first entered your mouth. The body was light with very light and smooth tannins and plenty of acid. Nancy thought the finish was short but Dave and I thought it was medium in length.
