Nice Noceto

Several years ago, we got together with some friends to do a wine tasting tour of Amador County, which is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada southeast of Sacramento. The area primarily is known for its zinfandel grapes, and many wineries there produce bold, delicious zinfandels. Unlike Napa Valley, most wineries are spread out in the region, making for more driving and less tasting, leading my husband to comment on the way to the first winery, "Uh, is there going to be WINE on this wine tasting trip??" Yes, there was, after a few wrong turns and nearly two hours of driving. What I liked about the Amador County wineries was their general friendliness and unpretentiousness (unlike some in Napa!) One of our favorite wineries of the day was Noceto. I remembered all of this when I found a bottle of Noceto hiding in our wine fridge the other day, and again this afternoon as I poured the wine to drink on the patio, on a rather gloomy Friday. Still, a gloomy day in California is better than a gloomy day just about anywhere else in the U.S., with the exceptions of Hawaii and some parts of Florida. Everyone else, yeah, I know YOU love where you live, and
you definitely should stay there.

What we drank:
Noceto 2004 Riserva Sangiovese
The deep, rich nose was of plum and blackberry with a hint of vanilla oak. The front of the wine was deep jammy and sweet plum and blackberry with lots of vanilla, then rounded tannins developing mid-palate with  black pepper and oak. The finish was smooth and rounded, with lingering vanilla and pepper. The balance was good, although I would have liked a little more complexity for the age of the wine. Very enjoyable, and perfect with the grilled pizza for dinner. 8 out of 10 points, and I think it's time for a return trip to Amador...now that we have a navigation system in the wine mobile (Murano).

If the weather doesn't move into the dry season soon, there might be mutiny in California! You can't deny these people their daily sunshine for very long or things get UGLY.