Ah, nothing better than a great wine with a great dinner. I knew I wanted a Pinot Gris, but because I’m a total rookie I just pick what looks good. I thought I had it made and had one in the cellar (did I mention my cellar is just the closet), but alas it was a Pinot Blanc. While the Pinot Blanc may have been just as good, this Pinot Gris kicked some serious ass.
Taft Street, 2008, Russian River Valley, Pinot Gris:
The Nose: Tropical fruit runs out of the glass and up the nostrils, I would say something in the neighborhood of guava or papaya and a hint of banana somewhere in there. A slight note of heat.
The Taste: Big luxurious fruit backed up with some cotton candy, some grapefruit (not ruby red here!) and banana peel, definite tartness and acidity.
The Mouth Feel: Viscous and slippery upfront leads to a mild mid-palate with the bitterness, clean finish, a touch hot on the back end.
The Color: Pale yellow with a suggestion of gold at the core, great color at the edges for such a pale wine.
The Nitty Gritty:
ABV 14.1% (on the bottle) 13.07% on the PDF from Taft St. Website*
BOTTLING DATE: JANUARY, ‘09
TOTAL CASES MADE: 400
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 0.13%
TOTAL ACID AT HARVEST: 0.52G/100ML
PH AT HARVEST: 3.65
I paid $14.99 at Oliver’s Mkt. $16 on Taft Street’s Website
The Verdict: This wine was just perfect for dinner and as an after dinner sipper is quite yummy. I’m guessing this would be amongst the classic “Summer Sippers” but is a nicely complex wine that has many facets that give it a unique character on its own. I’d definitely buy it again.
89 Pts, B+ (A- for rocking my dinner) ; Other Awards, Best in Class, 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair
* Reference: https://www.taftstreetwinery.com/files/pdf/08_rrv_pinot_gris.pdf
Norcal Wingman 