Maybe I should have put this in Dining and Cooking -- but, oh well. I am thinking of planning a Pinot Noir dinner. I don't have the exact dishes chosen, but I'm thinking four courses -- mushroom appetizer/dish, pasta dish (can include mushrooms in the dish), salmon dish, and duck dish. I thought I'd seek some advice from the board regarding the dinner.

1. Is there some other dish/pairing you would recommend rather than the four I have (and what would you take out)?
2. What four Pinot Noirs from the list below would you open for the dinner and with which course would you pair each Pinot? I don't want to choose wines all from one region (but doesn't have to be one from each) and not necessarily trying to show either a broad spectrum or just one style. Really thinking about it from the perspective of having some decent Pinots that hopefully are drinking pretty well paired with good food. Also, I realize that knowing the exact recipes would make the pairing question easier to answer, but in general what do you think. Also, if you have a particular dish/recipe in mind for one of the courses, let me know (I'll probably ask for specific recipe advice in the Dining and Cooking section later too).

Thanks for all your help.

EIT

1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot
1999 Hamacher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
1999 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Noir
2002 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Reserve
2002 Patricia Green Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Sineann Oregon Pinot Noir
2002 Sineann Covey Ridge Pinot Noir
2002 Carlton Cellars Roads End Pinot Noir
2002 J Christoper Charlie’s Vineyard Pinot Nor
2002 Francis Tannahill The Hermit Pinot Noir
2002 Ken Wright Guadalupe Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Ken Wright Savoya Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Ken Wright Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Ken Wright Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Ken Wright Elton Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Penner-Ash Seven Springs Pinot Noir
2002 Adelsheim Elizabeth’s Reserve Pinot Noir
2002 Chehalem Stoller Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Ken Wright Guadalupe Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Ken Wright Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Ken Wright Canary Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Ken Wright Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

2002 Walter Hansel Cahill Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Dumol Ryan Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2003 Au Bon Climat Knox Alexander Pinot Noir
2003 Brian Loring Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Brian Loring Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Brian Loring Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Jack Creek Kruse Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir
2005 Pali Wine Co. Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
2005 Pali Wine Co. Inman Olivet Vineyard Pinot Noir
2005 Pali Wine CoDurrell Vineyard Pinot Noir
2005 Pali Wine Co. Cargasacchi Jalama Vineyard Pinot Noir
2005 Dain Rebel Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir
2005 Loring Brosseau Vyd Pinot Noir
2005 Alta Maria Bien Nacindo Pinot Noir
2006 Picket Fence Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2004 Hamilton Russell Walker Bay Pinot Noir

2000 Maison Bertrand Ambroise Corton Rognet
2001 Robert Arnoux Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes
2001 Martelet de Cherisey Blagny 1er Cru Genelotte
2002 Chanson Beaune Clos des Feves
2003 Domaine Chevalier Ladoix Rouge 1er Corvees
2003 Domaine Courcel Pommard Rugiens
2003 Robert Jayer-Gilles Bourgogne Haut Cotes de Beaune
2003 Desaunay-Bissey Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts
2003 Joseph Voillot Volnay Brouillards
2004 Comte Armand Auxey Duresses 1er Cru
2004 de Montille Pommard les Pezerolles
2005 Henri Perrot Morey Saint Denis En La Rue De Vergy

eyes, the 1998 and 1999 OR PNs are great now. I'd pick those three and pick the fourth from CA, unless you really want to keep them all from the same region. In that case, I'd add the Road's End.

1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot
1999 Hamacher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
1999 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Noir
2002 Sineann Covey Ridge Pinot Noir
2002 Adelsheim Elizabeth’s Reserve Pinot Noir


I would have a hard time getting to 4, so I gave you 5 OR Pinots I would personally love to drink. This is a very nice list with some great wines, especially the Beacon Hill - really wonderful wine and should be smoking right now. The two 02's I chose were just personal favorites of mine. Others may think differently. Think 'shrooms, salmon, pork and duck, and you will be very happy with all 5.

I generally avoid mixing old and new world, except in the format of a blind tasting. One or the other is sure to come off poorly, depending on personal taste.

I don't know how you could go wrong with any of the OR selections. I'm not as well versed in CA Pinot's, but mixing one or two in with the OR selections won't cause any palate shock.

Salmon and Pinot has become a standard, almost default, combo. It does work well with a young, fresh, uncomplicated PN, but does not set off the subtleties of finer aged examples. I'd drop it out and add a pork, beef, or lamb course. Yes, lamb. The Oregon wine makers keep insisting that their larger scale Pinots complement lamb perfectly.

You might consider a mushroom risotto instead of the pasta.

quote:

Originally posted by mattach:
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot
1999 Hamacher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
1999 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Noir
2002 Sineann Covey Ridge Pinot Noir
2002 Adelsheim Elizabeth’s Reserve Pinot Noir

id go with the same listed above, except substitute the 02's for the 03' Au Bon Climat... granted, i like my wines a little on the youthful side of mature, but that wine should be smokin' right now...

quote:

Originally posted by pape du neuf:
I'd drop it out and add a pork, beef, or lamb course. Yes, lamb. The Oregon wine makers keep insisting that their larger scale Pinots complement lamb perfectly.

Have you actually tried this? How did you cook the lamb? I can't imagine a lamb prep where the lamb won't stomp on the pinot. I'm always open to new ideas, so please share.

quote:

You might consider a mushroom risotto instead of the pasta.

I totally agree on this.

Have I tried lamb with OR Pinot? Yes.

Grilled outdoors at Lachini winery. Their wines are large scale, and it's worth a note that they also were pouring a Bordeaux blend that happens to be outstanding.

I had a new thought. It's hunting season. Venison or Elk would be perfect.

One of the Lorings or Palis with the duck; bigger Pinot with a bigger dish.

1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

That was easy!



Seriously . . . what Board-O said, except that I would go with the '04 Ken Wright Canary Hill, instead of the Roads End, for the fourth wine. I'd give the '02's some more time.

quote:

Originally posted by Sharkey:
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
1998 Soter Willamette Valley Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

That was easy!

ditto

I like your Oregon selections a lot more than your other options.

I can vouch for the '02 Ken Wright Guadalupe and Freedom Hills as being very good wines, though I have no notes on them.

quote:

Originally posted by pape du neuf:
Have I tried lamb with OR Pinot? Yes.

[QUOTE]

I just last night posted a TN on the 2005 Lachini Estate pinot noir. Wow, very earthy and Burgundian. Well made pinot IMO! My retailer tells me he has a couple of the 2006 left in stock so I grabbed them. Did you post any tasting notes from your visit?

Ardeis,

On that visit to the Lachini winery we tasted seven of the current releases, plus they had a tent set up outside where the grilling was going on, and were pouring a retrospective of four older wines.
That was one of four winery visits of the day, and ten for a three day weekend. Unlike some others, I'm too lazy, or too hazy, to write tasting notes on that many wines.

You'll find the '06 to lean more towards CA, but Lachini gets more structure in the wines than most. I was surprised recently that an '03 still needed more time, and that year was hotter than '06.

Thanks for the thoughts so far everyone...keep them coming.

The 1998 Soter was definitely on the top of my list for including. It's my last bottle but was drinking wonderfully last time I had it, so I want to drink it now. Has anyone had the 1999 St. Innocent recently? From all I've seen on the boards and their website, this might still need time. I might go with Mattach's suggestion for a 2002 Oregon or maybe the '04 Wright Canary Hill Sharkey suggested. I think the 2002 are drinking well now but think they can improve (or at least hold for a long while) and I haven't had an '04 Wright lately.

I agree with whoever said my Oregon selection is better than my Calif. selection (I like Oregon better so a lot of the Calif. is stuff I've found good deals on), but I want to include a Calif. as a learning tool for the people who will be there. So, I might take Kumazam or The Prof's suggestion. Has anyone had the 2002 Dumol Ryan lately?

For a 4th maybe the Hamacher (though last time I had it I wasn't overwhelmed and wonder if a little more time might help) or I'm considering the Hamilton Russell from S. Africa. I've only had one other vintage of that wine, but it has some Oregon characteristics and some from Calif. And the previous vintage I had really hit its stride at about 5-6 years old. No one seems inclined for a Burgundy. I'm not sure if that is because of the quality of what I have or maybe everyone agrees with Pape du neuf about mixing old and new world.

The lamb or pork idea is interesting (and I love lamb), but one of the invitees doesn't eat meat. She does eat fish, so the salmon works. She won't eat the duck, but the last Soter I had I paired with duck and it was a divine match. So I'd like to have at least 3 of the dishes to her liking. Duck/Lamb, Duck/Lamb...hmmmm. I like the risotto idea as I make a fair amount of it and love it. Not sure what I'll do for a simple dish that really highlights mushrooms.

Again, the thoughts are appreciated and more feedback would be helpful.

Moving this further in the cooking direction.

How about seared duck breast and warm goat cheese salad, sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts.
For the vegetarian serving you can substitute tempeh.

A mushroom ragout could be served on crostini, and the same ragout added as a side to the meat dish.

Pape,

I like those ideas. If I did a salmon for guest that doesn't eat meat, we'd be set. The Pinot I served with the lamb probably wouldn't be the best match with her salmon, but it wouldn't be terrible I don't think.