I enjoy a good Pinot Noir occasionally, and for my palate (and wallet) my favorite regions are Oregon, Switzerland, and Carneros in CA. These three areas produce world class wines at reasonable prices, and are usually made in the classic style. They're not over extracted, lighter in body, but full of flavor and great with a good range of foods.
Starmont started out as a "second" wine of Merryvale and was more affordable than the main label, (it still is) but has expanded it offerings over the years and now has it's own winery located on part of the historic Stanley Ranch property in Carneros. Starmont offers Chardonnay, Merlot, Rose of Pinot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, there is a limited release selection that has Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Gris, and a couple of single vineyard Pinots.
This Pinot opens with notes of cherry and red/black plum, hints of strawberry, and a slight attractive spicy note in the nose. The palate matches the nose, the spicy note is there also, along with some other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint but are seductive.... the tannins are fine grained, and finishes with the fruit fading nicely. I kept taking small sips trying to figure it out but wasn't too serious in this endeavor, for the wine is quite pleasant as it continues to open up with time.
I enjoyed this with grilled garlic/herb chicken sausage served on a bed of pasta topped with a 4 cheese red sauce. I think some oven baked stuffed chicken breasts and classic risotto would work also. Grilled pork roast stuffed with plums also sounds good...
Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, or $21.99 at Total wine in Natick(they also have more wines from Starmont) there's also a 15% case discount on Pinot's and Chardonnay's at NH Outlets.... this is a chance to buy a very good Pinot from a special region at a great price, let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Ed
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