2004 Jean-Marc Morey Santenay La Comme Dessus

This Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Santenay to be exact, is pretty damn good - especially for the price. Jamie bought two cases on Mike 's recommendation, and thank you Mike.

On the nose, austere, yet with playful bits of candied red fruit - charred oak in the background, and soil. It is a Rosenthal Selection - hand picked by Neal Rosenthal, the famous wine importer, and there have been maybe one wine or two that have not been delish from his import book - at any price point. I think we will sell this Santenay at BONDA in the $60 range - but I have to check.

The first sip carries the austerity of the nose, with nods to terroir, hints of dirt and stone, raspberry syrup high notes (but not syrupy, just concentrated), cedar on the finish. A really fruity Burgundy - but not in a bad way - it still has depth and soul, but possibly made for a more main stream US palate?

There is an AHA! moment mid palate when I realized that this is a great wine. Not terribly flashy like a California Pinot, and not unapproachable or horribly expensive as I view most Burgundies. Like Cinderella, this wine is just right for me.

I am making an evolved pasta dish. I was at BONDA doing inventory, and remembered I had chipotle butter I made last weekend, and corn from last week's farm share. Jamie suggested throwing in some red pepper and basil, then topping it with cheddar - he asked is I was going to bake it - and then it became a mac and cheese with locatelli romano, 24 month old Canadian Cheddar, 1/2 and 1/2 roux, with shells, corn, red pepper, onions and garlic. A simple dish to throw together.

Tasting this Pinot, I'm sure it will be an awesome complement.

2003 Battle Burgundy v. Oregon: '03 Dom. Jean Grivot Nuites-St.-Georges 1er Cru "Les Boudots" v. '03 Panther Creek Shea Vineyard

Suprising upset by the Panther Creek. Again, I got a bunky bottle of the Grivot. It wasn't corked, it wasn't cooked, it just wasn't good. I keep reminding myself how great the '02 was, and keep bumming myself out the the '98 and '03 was just horrible. We left about the 1/2 the bottle. I recommended people try it just to see, and some were polite and others just made a face - I think someone spit it out! One guest commented: "Tasted like high priced mud from the bottom of my well". Needless to say, it was in last place at the end of the night.

Ken Wright founded Panther Creek and after he left in the late 90s, they went through a bit of a rough patch. We have carried their wines for three years and I am always mostly pleased by them. The '03 Shea took the top standing overall, and I sometimes forget how good it is - definitely stands up to my other Oregon favorite small producers, Cameron, Patty Green, E.I.E.I.O., J. Christopher, but has a style all its own. Guest comment: "Shea Vineyard shines. Pencil lead with an edge."

12.31.07 The New Year's Pinot Showdown

We had the Kingstons, the Russells, and the Murphy's over for fondue and games for New Year's Eve and I decided we should have a Pinot Battle Royale, pitting Oregon, California, Burgundy, Chile and Alsace against each other in double vintage duels plus overall. It might not have been that fair considering price ranges were from $90 to $25, but it was good fun and great to try all these wines back to back. There were some surprises and disappointments. Here is how it shook out overall from left to right. I will post the head-to-head battles and descriptions later.

12.24.07 1998 Dom. Jean Grivot Nuites-St.-Georges 1er Cru "Les Boudots"

As promised, I hunted down some bottles of this Burg - two 1998s and a 2003. The first 98 I opened was completely cooked - I mean ick, digusting. The second had a possibility of being OK, a little like sherry, but it could have burned off. I waited an hour, tasted it, still pretty bad. I had a cold, so I had Jim try it when he arrived. He soured his face and said "That's awful". Thus, I was pretty bummed.

We are opening the 2003 for New Year's with Sam and Kelly, so hopefully it will impress.

2002 Dom. Jean Grivot Nuites-St.-Georges 1er Cru "Les Boudots"

Ah yes, a long name. One of the regions I know the least about is Burgundy - not because I am lazy, but there are so many sub domaines, so many producers and so many different vineyard sites to learn for wines that I think are generally over priced and am not going to buy for BONDA, my cellar or at a restaurant unless someone tells me what to get and it is reasonable. I am usually disappointed when I order them out or buy them at a wine shop. At most wine tastings, the Burgundies I love are in the $800 to $2000 a case price, which is pushing it for me and the restaurant.

Like the last post, this wine was given to me by a friend, Sam Kingston, when we hosted he and his wife. This Pinot Noir is, I hate to say it, spectacular. Very reminicent of an Oregon Pinot made in the Burgundian fashion! It makes me want to go and find the distributor to buy more for BONDA. Jamie would be very jealous that I did not share the bottle with him!

Floral on the nose, with deep bass notes of cassis, tamed oak and grapevine/soil. The palate keeps changing, with muted fruit, medium firm tannins - not terribly dry, long balanced finish of candied carmels and charcoal.