Sunday, July 27, 2008

Honeywood 2006 Pinot Noir

I have a confession to make - I have been consuming quite a bit of wine, yet not blogging about it. I am hanging my head in shame, as I write this entry.

Those of you who read some of my entries know that I am a fan of starting the week/ending the weekend with a nice glass (or 2) of great wine, and this week is no exception. Today, while looking at my quickly diminishing wine selection and deciding what I should partake in, I decided I would open a 2006 Honeywood Pinot Noir. About a week and a half ago, Aileen, Kristen, Dan, and I decided that a trip to Honeywood was in order. Stan was unavailable, so another one of the staffers assisted us with the tastings. Once again I tasted the 2006 Pinot Noir.

I really enjoy this Pinot Noir. They have an 04, which just doesn't compare (I am tempted to buy a bottle and review that one as well...). Everything about the 06 just speaks volume of the quality wine this is - from it's color, coat, nose, and taste, everything is absolutely enjoyable.

I left the bottle to breathe for about 45 minutes while I prepped some pasta for dinner and did a little bit of cleaning up. Then came the first pour. The hue on this wine, from the very beginning, is one of a very deep grape red in shade. The nose is one rich with oak and spices. The website writes - "in the nose are strawberries, black cherries and cinnamon, but there's more in the background with bay rum, violets and black pepper." I, unfortunately, am not able to smell the strawberries and cherries as much - I find them to be very light and the cinnamon to be only slightly heavier (this could be due to my allergies).

The first sip is very subtle. It really takes the second sip for things to really kick in, but it is worth it. After a couple of sips, you can really taste the oak and spices, and feel them warm your body as you swallow. This Pinot is not very heavy on the palate, even after it goes down. When you take in the wine, there is a burst of flavor and sensations on the palate, but then is dies down, almost like a wave - coming in, then receding. The aftertaste leaves the palate warm with the spices lingering, but not annoying. There are some moments where some of sips are sweeter than others, something I am crediting to the fruits. After a little bit, things mellow out a little with this Pinot.

Overall, very enjoyable, two thumbs up on my end for this great Pinot Noir. If you are feeling adventurous, you can try the 04, but the 06 is definitely better.
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Sunday, July 20, 2008

That Perfect Wine Rack

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Have you found it? I sure haven't. For the past two years I've been on a mission to find the perfect wine rack / cabinet to hold the delicious nectar, to minimal success. It has to be just right. Not too big, not too small...classy enough...and not too expensive. You'd think I was asking for a miracle. There seems to be a void of 72 - 120 bottle offerings that aren't either really cheap or really expensive. In a tragic turn of events, some friends in Pullman found exactly what I was looking for in Spokane at Pier 1, so I dutifully went down to the Pier 1 in Eugene only to find that cabinet had been permanently discontinued and wasn't in stock in any store in Oregon. The search continues. In the meantime, my wine will stay in the hodge-podge of storing devices that it has been since I moved here.

It's been quite a while since I've posted -- sorry -- I've been in California for the past 11 days and was on vacation for a week before that. No excuse, I know. The readers of The Oregon Wine Blog will be happy to know that we drank some delicious wine in both venues, and have some great features in the works for the next few months. Notably, we are working on a trip to Eastern Washington which will feature wines from Walla Walla, Red Mountain, and Columbia Valley.
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