Il Forno Classico Pinot Noir Tasting
We met dear friends Heidi and Michael at Il Forno Classico, owned by friend and wine buddy Scotty Litteral. I love the tastings here, Scotty is brilliant at selecting wines that are diverse and, while readily available, not wines I already have tried or would think of trying.
Wines we tasted:
Santa Lucia Highlands 2007
With a subtle fruit and vanilla on the nose, this was a well-rounded wine with a good balance. The flavors were a little muted, some raspberry and cherry, with vanilla and sugared-violet. The finish was on the sweeter side, and I really tasted sugared-violet at the end, which I liked. I gave this 7.5 out of 10 point.
Santa Lucia Highlands, Garvis Vineyard 2007
This was a tight, tannic wine that in my opinion needed more aging. Sometimes with wines that are that tannic, I have a hard time getting a handle on the flavors. I tasted mostly sour cherry with a hint of vanilla, and found the finish was a little rough and quite hot (too much alcohol.) I gave this 5 out of 10.
Santa Lucia Highlands, Pisoni 2006
With a very nice nose of cherry, violet, and vanilla, the wine was nicely balanced and had a very smooth finish. I tasted tart cherry, violet, vanilla, and a hint of rose. I liked this pinot the best and gave it 8 out of 10 points.
Heidi, Michael, Bill and I are never ones to try just the wines presented at a tasting, we always have to add at least one more (thinking, I suppose, what if we died tonight and did not get to drink wine ever again?) So we added:
Sobon Zinfandel, 2006
A superb zinfandel with a bold nose of plum and pepper. The flavors were very fruit-forward, with plum and blackberry being the most notable. There were notes of black pepper and cinnamon, and a hint of cardamom. I liked this and gave it an 8 out of 10 points.
What would life be without great friends and good wines? For me, it would be a dreary and uninspired existence.
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