Had dinner this past weekend with Karen & Dan - a last minute affair so our contribution was courtesy of Whole Paycheck (Whole Foods) and Marukai. I brought a duo of Pinot Noirs that I just procured the same day (they didn't even make it into storage). The first was a 2005 Carneros Della Notte Los Carneros. Produced by one of the founders of wine.com, this slightly aged bottle had a nose of dried orange peel, dried red fruit and a touch of earth and spice. It had a medium mouth feel and a nice finish made in the Burgundian tradition of restraint, not over the top fruit bomb. It paired nicely with the assorted cheeses and cranberry walnut bread and multi grain salads.
The next bottle was a 2007 Cherry Pie Huckleberry Snodgrass Sonoma Coast offering. While most Sonoma Coast Pinots are also about elegance and restraint, this bad boy was an in-your-face ripe red fruit, loads of Asian spice and concentration monster. Surprisingly, it wasn't heavy on the palate at all and had a seamless flow which led to a long finish. Drink now or hibernate for a couple of years, your choice. Though I've been told that only 30 bottles made it to Hawaii.
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