Wine-o: Panther Creek Pinot Noir

Panther Creek 2009 Pinot Noir, Winemaker's Cuvee Willamette Valley, Oregon
Alcohol 14.3%
Price $25+

When I opened this wine I immediately noticed a lovely bouquet from the bottle.  Smoky and earthy, I was very curious from the beginning.  The surprises continued when I poured the wine and it pooled in the glass in a beautiful, clear ruby color.  The wine is complex, so you may already know that I like it better than the simple Pinot Noir and Syrah I have tried.  It's off dry with a tang of spice and smokiness.  When I read the tasting notes on the website it was clear why I love it, chocolate, cherries, and vanilla?  Yay!

A ruby-red hue embodies notes of chocolate-covered black cherries, vanilla bean, cola, and earth. Medium bodied, with subtle hints of cranberry chutney, black raspberry, Bing cherry, and orange zest. Bright, long lasting fruit, balanced acidity and firm tannins. A wine to enjoy presently, but surely worthy of aging 5-10 years.

This wine was a gift from The BFs sister.  She is lucky in life and has chosen to live in Willamette Valley, a gorgeous area of Oregon near Portland.  I hope to be able to visit the area.  It is largely known for its Pinot Gris wines, and if the quality is anything like this and the lovely Chardonnay from Idaho, then I am sure I will enjoy the area!

Food Pairing: Went great with roasted eggplant, mushrooms, and greek style meatballs!

Freya's Score: 88
Mona's Value:  3.5

Wine-o: Rodney Strong Pinot Noir

Rodney Strong 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Healdsburg, CA
Alcohol: 14.5%

I am wary of Pinot Noir, I find them fickle.  Some taste amazingly wonderful, others are simple, bland, dark, and boring.  I find it doesn't matter how much money you spend, you just are taking a chance.  This Pinot Noir I enjoyed a lot.  It reminded me of a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon in that it was very fruity in taste.  I was surprised by how clear the wine was in the glass.  A beautiful ruby color.

From the vineyard:

For the third year in a row, the 2009 vintage started off with a dry spring, which typically produces smaller clusters, smaller berries, and less canopy overall. Spring was mild enough to ward off frost this year, and vines affected from the previous year seemed to rebound. The main growing season was cool to warm and without incident. Picking commenced at the beginning of September, and all of our pinot noir was harvested by September 23rd.Supple in texture, with rose petal and red fruit aromas, this lively, medium bodied wine is aged entirely in small French oak barrels, which adds a subtle, toasty vanilla character and a hint of spice. Ideal for current enjoyment, this pinot noir will hold nicely over the next 2 to 4 years.

Freya Score: 72
Mona Value: 6

Wine-o: Les Jamelles Pinot Noir & St. Nick

Les Jamelles Pinot Noir Aude, 2010 L'Aude Region, FRANCE

Alcohol: 12.5%


Coming from a Dutch immigrant family, the tradition of St. Nick is still celebrated in my mother's house on December 6th.  One must leave their shoes by the door on St. Nick's Eve and if you've been good then you may find a treat in your shoes in the morning!  Freya decided to try to soften up St. Nick a day early with the last of our Pinot Noir.  (She's lost all her balls and is in desperate need of new toys to chew.)

This is a very light red wine.  It is very fruity with lovely flavors of plum and blackberry.  The flavors almost have a "jam" tendency to them.  Light in aroma, and moderately flavorful.  I anticipate those that are transitioning from white wine to red wine will enjoy this as it is quite light and not robust like many Malbecs and Merlots.

I was also sold on this wine by its' label.  It has a vintage French feel to it.  Simple and classic.

Described on WineVariety.com:

A developed style, with spiced cherry, plum and currant flavors that are organisation and fresh-tasting. Shows hints of dim chocolate on a finish. Drink now. 40,000 cases imported.

Freya's Score: 8 Nicely paired with bread and medium aromatic cheese.

Cost: ~ $13- bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  They have a discount section that provides cases of wine perfect for any party, event, or just a personal favorite that must always be handy.

Wine-o: Lindeman's Pinot Noir

Lindeman's Bin 99 Pinot Noir, 2010 SOUTHEAST AUSTRALIA

Alcohol: 13.5%

This wine was definitely a fruity wine.  The taste was wonderful a day after opening with flavors of raspberry.  I would describe it as smooth and round: a simple tasting wine.  It was delicious with Thanksgiving dinner.

In the past 20 years this wine has received scores ranging from 80 to 84 and has an average price of 8 or 9 dollars according to Wine Spectator.

Freya's Score: 7  This wine was a great contrast to the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveu.  I very much liked the fruity flavors and roundness.

Cost: ~ $9 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  10% off all bottles of wine not already on sale!

Thanksgiving Menu

Last year we tried something new with the turkey.  We embraced our Arkansas life and smoked it.  We now love smoked turkey, there is no turning back, it is amazing!  A couple months ago for a friend's birthday The BF brined and smoked a wild turkey he shot in the spring, it was even better!

ThePioneerWoman.com

It is important to note that to brine anything, you must be prepared a couple days in advance as it takes that time for the meat to absorb the flavors.

This year we will of course have the smoked turkey, and I've decided to try to create a healthy Thanksgiving meal with decadent and delicious desserts.  I believe that one should enjoy what they eat, not only while they eat it, but afterwards.  I hate the feeling of looking to the next workout because I overindulged at dinner, or wasn't sure just how much of my spinach was sour cream and how much was actually spinach.

Plus, extra calories should be saved for sweets.


Our 2011 Thanksgiving Menu:

Smoked Turkey (brined for two days beforehand)

Turnip Greens

Sweet Potato Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce


Desserts:

Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Sweet Potato Pie


Wines:

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc (my mother's favorite)

Les Jamelles Pinot Noir


Wines may be purchased at most local liquor Stores and from the Macadoodles new E-Commerce Site

UPDATE:  After conferring with The BF, several compromises were made.  It was pointed out to me that Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without regular mashed potatoes.  The Sweet Potato Casserole will be replaced with Mashed Potatoes and the Pumpkin Pie replaced with another Arkansas and Southern tradition: the Sweet Potato Pie

Wine-o: Dad's Day Off Pinot Noir

Dad's Day Off Pinot Noir, 2009 Puglia ITALY

Recently I watched 2004 movie "Sideways" with Paul Giamatti.  The film takes place on the California coast where Paul's character is a skilled wine taster with a love of Pinot Noir.  I decided to pick up some on my next trip to Macadoodle's Liquor Store.  

It turns out the the Pinot Noir grape is one of the sassier ones in that it is very difficult to grow.  Originating in Italy there are several Pinot Noir vineyards also in the Bourgogne region of France.  The wine feels velvety in the mouth and has a long finish.  The aromas are subtle and I thought I smelled hints of strawberry and rosemary.


The bottle recommends pairing with a beef dish or as an aperitif.  It went well with the venison quesadillas I made for dinner as well.

From Winelegacy.com: 

This wine shows dried black cherry aromas accented with spicy notes of clove and a hint of sweet tobacco. Quite fruity and surprisingly luscious on the palate with velvety smooth tannins and a slightly earthy finish.

Freyas Score: 6 I enjoy this wine, it is very rich and not as spritely as a Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cost: less than $14 Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  I confess I bought this wine because of it's name, it was on the "Funny Wines" central display which I always love to check out. This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  10% off all bottles of wine not already on sale!