2010 Wente Vineyards Reliz Creek Pinot Noir
This 2010 Wente Vineyards Pinot Noir really surprised me.
Yummy aromas of dried fruit, pepper, earth, and leather (always with the leather) led to flavors of pepper, strawberry, and that characteristic Pinot funk that most would describe as wet earth or forest floor. Just to put it out there, this wine was better than I was expecting and at $28.00 you can bet it will be in my wine rack again.
I didn’t pair this with food but did pair it with a weekend in Cambria with my wife… without our kid. So use your imagination. If you’re into the food thing though, I’d go with any dish that includes herbs, spices, or mushrooms. The pepper and earthiness of the Pinot marries well with those for sure.
You know what I like most about this Pinot? The fact that the folks at Wente Vineyards love the land. They are big into sustainability, starting in the vineyards. They were one of the first to work with stylet oil, a combination of natural oils that smothers powdery mildew. And rather than poisons they have used things like clove, black pepper, and cinnamon to control pests. This is just a tip of the ol’ sustainable iceberg at Wente.
Cheers to a great Pinot Noir and bringing it to bottle in a way that shows Mother Earth that we kind of dig her!
