2009 Thanksgiving Dinner

THANKSGIVING DINNER - Dietra's House, Portland OR (11/26/2009)

Event photos on Flickr.

Thanksgiving dinner at Dietra's, with Dietra, Dave, Steve & Kirsty, Jason, Phil, Woody, Liz & Scott, and LeRae (+1), Chris and her daughter left before dinner, and Trish & Ian, Brian & Emy, and Didi & his sister showed up after dinner for board games. Dinner was roast turkey, stuffing, butternut squash gratin, mashed sweet potatoes, Crescent rolls, butternut squash salad, dumplings, cranberry, and a number of other things I'm either forgetting or didn't get a chance to eat. Several tasty appetizers and desserts were also present, including the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, the remains of which I took home with me (pumpkin pie for breakfast...yum!).

Before Dinner Wines

• - 2002 Leonetti Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  While I have had some so-so wines from Leonetti this year, the Walla Walla Reserve has been a consistent hit. Even from the tough, overly hot 2002 vintage, this wine is drinking at absolute peak right now. Everything is integrated perfectly, and the fruit is lush and mouth-coating. Big blackberry and vanilla flavors. So delicious...No decant on this one, just a pop-n-pour before Thanksgiving dinner. It was an instant hit with all present, and was the first bottle to be finished. At $90/bottle, not a very good QPR, but for a special occasion wine it worked nicely. Sad it was my last, but glad I was able to share it with friends. (93 pts.)


• - 2002 Hazyblur Shiraz Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Pop & Pour. This wine was a joy to drink. Like pouring ink into your glass, it was black-purple in color, and very thick. Heavy pepper to go with the huge blackberry fruit, and perhaps some smoked meat and earth. Very tasty, and a crowd pleaser all around. Apparently, I can't lose with 2002 vintage wines from South Australia! (93 pts.)


• - 2005 Cakebread Cellars Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
  Pop & pour. This wine should have been decanted. Even after several hours of being open, the wine was closed and unforgiving. Tannic finish, and the fruit was lurking in there somewhere under the leather and tar, but not overly apparent. I detected some raspberry and maybe a hint of cherry, but the fruit was quite sour and disappointing. Needs time or a serious decant at this point. (86 pts.)


• - 2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Decanted 6 hours. First sip right out of the bottle was like getting hit in the face with a hammer. The aroma of red and black fruits was intoxicating, but the huge slathering of fruit flavors, followed by the wall of tannins was almost too much. Even after 6 hours in the decanter, and several more with the bottle open on the counter, it was still very, very young. The WE drinking window on the is 2011+, and I'd have to say AT LEAST 2011. Maybe 2015...but I digress. Back to the wine: Lots of huge cassis, blackberry and cola (or is it mocha?) flavors. This wine is just immense, and oh-so tasty. I love the purity of the fruit, but elegant this wine is not. Too 'in your face' with the fruit and tannins. Speaking of the tannins, they are still fairly harsh on the finish, even after 8 hours. Yikes. Put this one away for another 3 to 5, and you will be rewarded. (94 pts.)


• - 2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  Steve's wine, no decant. Very elegant Cab...great dark fruits, tobacco & earth. A bit tannic at first, it started in integrate after about 3 hours, and ended up being one of my favorites of the night. I would like to revisit this wine in about 3 or 4 years. (92 pts.)


• - 2005 Grgich Hills Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Steve's wine, no decant. This one wasn't as enjoyable as the 2005 Groth or 2005 BV Georges de Latour. Seemed somewhat closed in comparison. Cherry fruit with lots of earthiness and cedar wood. Enjoyable, but not as much as I had expected. (89 pts.)


• - 2003 Fireblock Grenache Old Vine - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
  Phil's wine, no decant. This one was an anomaly. People either loved it (LeRae) or were very disappointed (Phil). I fell somewhere in between. It was nice and fruit, as expected from an Aussie Grenache, certainly not over the top. Muted and restrained, it started drinking much better toward the end of the night. Not sure if this is because the air time improved the wine, or our level of intoxication and palate fatigue rendered us unable to tell the difference (or care, for that matter...) (85 pts.)

Wines with Dinner

• - 2001 Monte Antico Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  From magnum, popped & poured. This actually was quite popular at dinner, as it paired decently with all of the different foods, including the turkey. Smooth and simple, the flavors of cherry and earth, as well as the wine's softness, just worked with everything. Sad when a Cakebread Syrah is outscored by a $10 Tuscan table wine. (87 pts.)


• - 2006 Cameron Pinot Noir Arley's Leap - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Pop & pour. This is the wine I brought as a pairing to the turkey, and it did so quite well, even overshadowing the bird somewhat. Quite big and fruity for a Pinot, 2006 vintage non-withstanding. Deep garnet in color, with a beautiful raspberry and saddle leather nose. Flavors of cherry, leather and a nice earthiness, finishing with a bit of sweetness that was surprising. This wine is so well-integrated, it was enjoyable to drink. I ended up kidnapping the bottle over to our table and spent more time enjoying the wine than eating my dinner. Nice work, John Paul. (91 pts.)


• - 2003 Anam Cara Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  Very dark and thick, almost like a port. Huge blackberry and raspberry fruit, with just a touch of earthiness under the raisiny port-like sweetness. Enjoyed by all. (90 pts.)

Unfortunately, there were many more wines present (18 bottles in all!) that I either didn't get to taste, or forgot my notes.
HUGE thanks to Dietra for hosting the event, AND doing most of the cooking. The turkey, stuffing and butternut squash gratin were all amazing, as always! Our foray into into the world of board games ended in hilarity, and fun was had by all. Sorry about the camera Steve...or rather the contents of the camera.

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Carlton Wineries

THANKSGIVING WINE TASTING - Carlton, OR (11/28/2008)

Our annual tasting excursion to Oregon wine country via limo service. In attendance: Robert, Dietra, Trish, Lisa, Phil, Jason, Andreas and Trude'.

Lenne Estate Winery
Pouring their own Lenne Pinot Noir wines, as well as "friend wines" from ZanZibar Cellars and Owen Roe. All were quite delicious, with the Owen Roe wines being my favorite of the day.

• 2006 Zanzibar Cellars Chardonnay Playa Sol - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Nice chardonnay, with beautiful fruit, nice earthiness and acidity. DuBrul vineyard was the source for this wine. (92 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Riesling DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  Consistent with prior tasting notes. Floral, sweet, with nice citrus fruit. (87 pts.)


• 2007 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Le Nez - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Seemed quite young and disjointed. Not very integrated yet...I liked the 2006 much better! Fruit was muted, earth was prominent. Tannins light, but present. Give this one another 6 months to a year in the bottle for it to shine. (86 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "The Kilmore" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  This one seems very young to me. Fruit from Lenne Estate vineyard, as well as another about 10 miles from Lenne (can't remember the name). nice earth, acidity and light tannins. Fruit is hiding at the moment. Give it 6-12 months to show. (88 pts.)


• 2007 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Much like the Le Nez before this. Muted fruit, but nice earthiness. Give it 6-12 months to integrate. (87 pts.)


• 2006 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Much tastier than the 2007. Fruit has come around and is shining nicely. Earthiness is still there as well, and integration is complete. Tasty wine! (89 pts.)


• 2006 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Karen's Pommard Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Now THIS is how I like my Pinot Noir! Wow...fruit exploding on the palate, with dark raspberries and earth, with some strawberry and leather as well. Excellent wine! Price is a bit out of my range, but if I had the scratch, would be buying much of this. (92 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Syrah "Lady Rosa" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  First time I've tasted this Syrah, and frankly, I wasn't impressed. The Ex Umbris, at half the cost, is better in my opinion. While thick and dark, the fruit really didn't shine like I expected it to. Blackberries and earth, chewy and thick. Mild tannins, and a long fruity finish. Nice, but not $45 nice. (90 pts.)


• 2006 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  As always, this blend is one of my favorites. Just released a couple months ago, this wine is still showing its youth. Needs another 6-9 months before I'd consider opening a bottle, preferrably a year or two. If you have the 2005, drink it now and cellar this one for another year. Excellent integration of raspberry fruit, earth, acidity and tannins. Built to last 10 years, but enjoyable in the short term as well. If you drink it now, prepare to decant for a couple hours at least. (92 pts.)


• 2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  Wow...delicious! This definitely needs a year to come around. Tight, tannic, and somewhat backward at the moment. Spent much time swirling this in my glass to get it to loosen up, and was rewarded with big blackberry fruit, saddle leather, tobacco, and a floral component. Very happy that I already have two bottles in my cellar, thanks to the Market of Choice on Terwilliger! (95 pts.)


• 2004 Madrone Mountain Late Bottled Port - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
  Very interesting port-style wine. The first time I've seen a Bordeaux blend as a dessert wine before: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Much too sweet for my palate, but that's what this wine is all about. Chunks of sediment in everyone's glass too. Not a wine for me. (80 pts.)

Ken Wright Cellars

• 2007 Ken Wright Pinot Blanc - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Nice sweetness that I wasn't expecting. Pineapple, honeydew melon, with a touch of raisin. (85 pts.)


• 2007 Ken Wright Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Gorge
  A delicious chardonnay! Nice acidity, but could use another 6 months in bottle to integrate better. Good granny smith apple and citrus flavors. (90 pts.)


• 2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Canary Hill - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
  Barrel sample. Green, green, green! Admittedly, this has only been in barrel for about a month. Bitter green pepper flavors prevail. Some fruit in there, but just barely. Harsh tannins as well. Can't see the potential in this wine yet. No rating.


• 2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Savoya - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Barrel sample. Another very green, harsh example of just harvested fruit. Lots of olive characteristics in this wine. Tannins are less pronounced than the Canary Hill sample, but fruit is just as hidden. No rating.


• 2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
  Barrel sample. Now THIS wine has potential! Even though it has only been in barrel for a month or so, fruit is already showing nicely, and tannins are prominently appearing on the finish. My favorite of the three barrel samples we tasted by a long shot. Case purchase requirements kept me from buying futures of this wine...No rating.

Tyrus Evan (no winery website available)

• 2007 Tyrus Evan Chardonnay Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
  One of the best examples of Southern Oregon Chardonnay I've tasted to date. A bit over-oaked for my tastes, but really nice pear and canteloupe fruit. (89 pts.)


• 2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Nice blend of Red Mountain fruit. Earthiness, surrounded by outstanding raspberry fruit. Bright acidity keeps the fruit and tannins in check. (91 pts.)


• 2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Strawberries, with nice earthiness and minerality. Way different than the Ciel Du Cheval Claret, as this one is 25% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. (90 pts.)


• 2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Yum! Plummy, with serious chocolate and coffee flavors. Very happy I have a bottle of this in the cellar! (92 pts.)


• 2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
  Big cherry notes, deep earth flavors and a nice sweet finish. Just released a couple months ago, this wine is rockin! (92 pts.)

Scott Paul Wines

• 2006 Philippe Chavy Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
  Highly acidic, but with nice pear and citrus fruit coming through. Very intense flavors, seemingly searing my palate with citric acid. (86 pts.)


• 2006 Jean-Marc Millot Côte de Nuits Villages - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages
  Cherry fruit, but with an underlying barnyard/poop flavor. Not enjoyable. (77 pts.)


• 2007 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir Cuvée Martha Pirrie - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Cherry fruit again, but not the barnyard of the previous wine. Flavorful, and showing its youth for sure. Give this one another year to really shine. (86 pts.)


• 2006 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir La Paulee - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  One of the only Pinots today that I've been able to taste the oak. It's nice in this wine, giving it structure and strength. Raspberry fruit, with a black cherry component. Leather flavors are also present, making this one of the more interesting Pinots of the day. (89 pts.)


• 2007 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir Audrey - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Wow. This wine is young and green, but with a LOT of promise. Showing some cherry fruit, but overshadowed by the green olive and tannins. This hasn't been released yet, and for good reason. Another year will serve this wine well. I expect it will rock the house eventually... (88 pts.)

Raptor Ridge Winery

• 2007 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Black cherry, saddle leather, and a mineral component. Tasty! (87 pts.)


• 2007 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Adolfo's Block - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  Much more flavor than the regular Willamette Valley cuvee. Black cherry, tobacco and earth flavors swimming around in the mouth. (88 pts.)


• 2006 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Much bigger than the other two offerings. More fruit--raspberries, leather and dirt, mixed with a nice floral component. The additional year definitely served this wine well, as the two 2007 wines seemed too young to be very enjoyable. (89 pts.)

Carlton Cellars

• 2007 Carlton Cellars Pinot Noir Roads End - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Weak showing. Not much fruit, and a somewhat bitter green finish. I'm not impressed, even with such a young example. (80 pts.)


• 2007 Carlton Cellars Pinot Noir Cape Lookout Russell-Grooters Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Much better than the 2007 Roads End Pinot. More cherry fruit showing through, with some plum and bittersweet chocolate on the finish. Still quite young however. Give it another 6-12 months before thinking about drinking this one. (85 pts.)

Cana's Feast Winery

• 2007 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Rosato - USA, Washington
  Probably the second best rose wine I've ever had. Great fruit and acidty integration. This would be an excellent summer sipper! (88 pts.)


• 2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Nice sangio blend, with strawberry fruit and a touch of earth. (87 pts.)


• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Sangiovese Bricco - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Just released. Good fruit - raspberry, plum and some earthiness as well. Needs a bit more time to integrate the tannins and acidity with the fruit. Still a bit tight. (88 pts.)


• 2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco Two Rivers - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Very tannic...surprising. Blackberry fruit with an asphalt component. I like the 2004 much better. (85 pts.)


• 2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Syrah Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Black pepper and blueberries are what this wine is all about. Lovely, and my favorite of the tasting. (92 pts.)


• 2004 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Pinot Noir Cana's Feast Cuvée G Willamette Valley - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Such a lovely Pinot! Big cherry fruit, with earth, leather, pepper and black olive flavors. Tasty! (88 pts.)


• 2003 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Cana's Feast Red Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Great blend, with excellent integration. Oak is present, but not overpowering. This wine just 'works'. Everything is in place and it all comes together nicely. Blueberry and blackberry fruits, with nice earth and a floral component as well. Long finish with fine tannins. (91 pts.)

Gino Cuneo Cellars

• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Tre Nova Secopassa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Not sure on the varietal(s) used in this wine, but this is an Amarone-style wine with big flavors of black fruit and sweet figs. Needs more time, but showing some nice potential! (90 pts.)


• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Pinot Noir Tre Nova Dolcepassa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Very sweet and smooth. Made from pinot noir grapes (!), the wine is made in a "Recioto" or Amarone style, with the grapes being dried for 3-4 months. (85 pts.)

Photos of our crazy group are available on Flickr.

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Thanksgiving Dinner

THANKSGIVING DINNER - Jeff McHugh's condo (11/27/2008)

A selection of wines for an unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner with great friends: Jeff, Mark, Dave, Steve, Jill, Jake, and Amy.

• 1988 Château Clos des Jacobins - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
  Decanted 1 hour, mostly due to cork and sediment issues. Cork was wet halfway through, but no seepage. My first 20 year-old wine. Nose just blows my mind...very complex, with tobacco, red raspberry fruit, pencil lead, and a vegetal component I can't place. Complexity follows to the palate...huge flavor explosion! Earthy, with tobacco leaf, tomatoes (the vegetal component on the nose, I think), raspberries, pencil lead, just delicious! Finish goes on for a good minute, with flavors swimming all over my tongue. Tannins are very soft, and this is drinking very well. I feel that it is probably at the end of it's drinking window, but showing quite well tonight. An outstanding bottle of right bank Bordeaux! (95 pts.)


• 2003 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Decanted 4 hours. Darkest wine I've seen in awhile, and very thick, like blackberry syrup. Coating my decanter, glass, mouth, teeth...Nose is beautiful. This is going to be something special! Aromas of dark blackberry fruit with a touch of vanilla and earth. In the mouth, very thick and coating, with blackberries, blueberries, a bit of vanilla 'oakiness', and tasty earthiness that I love. Not to hot, acidic or tannic, and the fruit, while prominent, isn't exploding like a fruitbomb. This is integration! Finish goes on for a minute or more...Astounding wine that makes me wish I'd bought more. (95 pts.)


• 2004 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  Decanted 1 hour. Steve's wine. Much too young (I see the CT drinking window OPENS in 2013...) even with an hour+ decant. Was just starting to open up towards the end of the bottle. Nice earthiness, old world and very tasty, but the fruit remained hidden behind a wall of tannin. (90 pts.)


• 2003 Nicolis Angelo e figli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
  Steve's wine. I typically love Valpolicella wines, Amarone in particular, and this one was somewhat of a disappointment. Could be palate fatigue, as we had tasted many wines prior to this, but the flavors fell somewhat flat for me. I didn't get a chance to poll other tasters, but I got some fruit, and a nice earthiness, but the wine seemed to be missing the signature sweetness that comes from most Amarone I've tried. (88 pts.)


• 2006 Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Decanted 4 hours. Very dark purple color, coating the glass. Nose of blueberries. A bit hot. Sweet on the palate, but with an overabundance of alcohol heat. Very mouthcoating, with a long bittersweet finish and light tannins. At $47 at WTSO, a terrible QPR. This drinks like many $20 bottles of Shiraz I've tried. Not impressed. (91 pts.)


• 2005 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Decanted 2 hours. Steve's big wine, and big is the correct word. Big price, big bouquet, big fruit...and big oak. The over-oaked taste was what kept this wine from being wine of the night. I usually don't mind some oak in my cabs, but this went a bit too far for me. Even with the oak, serious gobs of concentrated raspberry fruit and earth showing. Tannins were present, but not bothersome, only lightly drying the mouth on the finish. Color was somewhat lighter than I expected for a Cali cab. All in all, a nice showing, but overshadowed (for me at least) by the 20 year-old St. Emilion, and the Mitolo shiraz. (92 pts.)


• 2007 Torzi Matthews Shiraz "Schist Rock" - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
  Decanted 4 hours. This is the youngest wine of the bunch, and even with a 4 hour decant, is showing it's youth. Very pretty bouquet of strawberries and vanilla. Lots of oak...picking splinters out of my tongue. Needs a year or two to integrate. Big fruit, big oak, big acid, but not too tannic. My least favorite so far. (88 pts.)


• 2005 Dominio IV Tempranillo Midnight Skies - USA, Oregon
  Decanted 2 hours. Nose of blackberries, smoked meat and earth, following to the palate, and ending in a sweet finish, about 30 seconds, that is full-on blackberries. A bit tannic, but integrating nicely with air. (90 pts.)


• 2007 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County - USA, California, Sonoma County
  Steve's wine. I can see why this was included in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2008, but #10?? I'll admit I'm not much of a Zin fan, but still...I got a LOT of alcohol heat on this one. Almost like taking a shot of vodka or something. Delicious red fruit, and that Zin "zing" of spiciness. Tasty, but way too hot. Maybe too young? (89 pts.)


• 2005 Hay Shed Hill Chardonnay Pitchfork - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia
  Good with turkey and other items at dinner. Nice acidity to cut through some of the bigger food flavors. (87 pts.)

A migrane headache prevented me from enjoying several other wines in our lineup. My sincerest thanks to Jeff for inviting me to dinner, and to Steve for providing many of the tasty wines we enjoyed that evening (the Cakebread Cabernet in particular!).

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker