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This Napa Valley Sangiovese from Rutherford Hill winery really hit the spot. We were a tad nervous after opening the bottle from all of the sediment around the cork which had an odd vinegar smell. Fortunately the wine smelled good! It had an agreeable vanilla and cherry nose with hints of nutmeg. Taste was enjoyable. A well balanced, medium-bodied earthy wine with a slightly bitter finish.

Food pairing ideas:
Goes great with pasta, beef and Italian food!

From the winemaker:
Tasting Notes - Sangiovese is the primary grape grown in the famous Tuscan appellation of Chianti. Sangiovese was brought to California by Italian immigrants, many of whom settled in the Napa Valley. We enjoy this 2005 estate-grown Sangiovese for its approachability and finesse. Delicate fruit flavors, an attractive nose that expresses cherry and vanilla spice tones and a balanced, food-friendly acidity ensure our Sangiovese will enhance many meals. Our 2005 Sangiovese is a natural and winning wine choice to pair with Italian themed menus. You may notice some natural sediment. This is due to the light filtration process that Sangiovese requires.

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Years ago we were introduced to the fine tasting wines of Van Duzer at Houston’s; a great restaurant down in Orange County that has an amazing beef dip sandwich. Houston’s is a chain restaurant with multiple locations, one in Napa Valley called “Rutherford Grill” and several others in various states and cities. (Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Denver, Etc.)

Anyway, our first experience with Van Duzer was very memorable. Ever since then we’ve been ordering bottles straight from the winery up in Oregon. Several years and many bottles later, we have yet to have a bad or even mediocre wine from Van Duzer. (these wines have made great birthday and anniversary gifts)

For the price, you can’t go wrong with this young, but very tasty bottle of Pinot Noir. It’s bright cherry and plum fruit flavors along with those subtle pinot spices make this a real value. Probably a great one to cellar for awhile too! Thanks Van Duzer!

Sad though, haven’t been able to find this wine locally. Have to pay for shipping. Uck.

From the winemaker:
This is the perfect house wine, a blend of six Pinot Noir clones that capture the grape varietal’s many nuances. Selected from newer vines on the estate following the warm summer of 2006, this full-bodied wine offers up a rich texture and abundant aromas of plum, spice, blackberry and blueberry. Flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and fresh garden herbs predominate.

Over time, Van Duzer has developed a winemaking process that is well suited to our vineyard. The grape clusters are harvested by hand, sorted for quality, then destemmed and placed into cold maceration tanks to extract bright colors and soft tannins. A variety of yeasts are used, each chosen to enhance and preserve the nature or ‘terroir’ of our Pinot Noir. When fermentation is completed, the wine is transferred to a mix of 35% new, 30% once-used and 35% neutral French oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation.

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