Yesterday was busy and filled with early meetings, working in the studio, and a quick trip to Bi-Mart for unsalted peanuts for my new master, the scrub Jay who comes and yells at me through the window when he needs more nuts.
When I got there I found the peanuts, picked up some cat food on sale, and as I was passing the wine area I glanced up and saw '07. That caught my eye as I am in love with most of the '07 Pinot Noirs I have found lurking on store shelves around Oregon. That vintage was underrated at the time and few people understood how wonderful it would become after it had time in the bottle.
I found no Pinot Noir BUT I found another gem: Airlie '07 Marechal Foch! This wine was made from estate grown fruit. If you are not familiar with the grape, here is a link that talks about its attributes and its problems. I have always found it a great wine for warm weather parties and for a BBQ on the deck. It stands up to just about any spicy foods and even tastes good with the good old hamburger. It is one of a few reds that can be chilled a bit and still retain its flavor.
Tonight I opened a bottle and let it stand in the kitchen for an hour while I tasted a bit of the '10 Ghost Hill that was left from last nights meal.Here are the notes on this killer wine.
When I got there I found the peanuts, picked up some cat food on sale, and as I was passing the wine area I glanced up and saw '07. That caught my eye as I am in love with most of the '07 Pinot Noirs I have found lurking on store shelves around Oregon. That vintage was underrated at the time and few people understood how wonderful it would become after it had time in the bottle.
I found no Pinot Noir BUT I found another gem: Airlie '07 Marechal Foch! This wine was made from estate grown fruit. If you are not familiar with the grape, here is a link that talks about its attributes and its problems. I have always found it a great wine for warm weather parties and for a BBQ on the deck. It stands up to just about any spicy foods and even tastes good with the good old hamburger. It is one of a few reds that can be chilled a bit and still retain its flavor.
Tonight I opened a bottle and let it stand in the kitchen for an hour while I tasted a bit of the '10 Ghost Hill that was left from last nights meal.Here are the notes on this killer wine.
Bayliss-Bower Pinot Noir
2010 Vintage
Wine Enthusiast
90 Points
"From a lighter year, this clean, delicate wine is a model of elegance. Mixing strawberry and raspberry fruit with a touch of watermelon, it carefully blends in a small amount of wine aged in new oak. An enticing hint of mocha is the result."
2009 Vintage
Wine Advocate90 Points
"Vivid ruby. Ripe cherry and black raspberry on the nose, with complicating notes of smoky herbs, rose and spice cake. Fleshy and smooth in texture, with gently sweet cherry and dark berry flavors picking up a touch of anise with air. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect, finishing broad and long. This will be drinkable soon."
Wine Press Northwest
Recommended
"The Bayliss family has owned this land since 1906 but only started planting it to vineyard in 1999. Its 10th vintage brings fun and fruity aromas of black cherry soda, strawberry, currants, dried orange peel and vanilla. Inside are black cherries amid a juicy mid palate that funnels into a tannin profile that zeroes deeply into the corners of the mouth."
"From a lighter year, this clean, delicate wine is a model of elegance. Mixing strawberry and raspberry fruit with a touch of watermelon, it carefully blends in a small amount of wine aged in new oak. An enticing hint of mocha is the result."
2009 Vintage
Wine Advocate90 Points
"Vivid ruby. Ripe cherry and black raspberry on the nose, with complicating notes of smoky herbs, rose and spice cake. Fleshy and smooth in texture, with gently sweet cherry and dark berry flavors picking up a touch of anise with air. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect, finishing broad and long. This will be drinkable soon."
Wine Press Northwest
Recommended
"The Bayliss family has owned this land since 1906 but only started planting it to vineyard in 1999. Its 10th vintage brings fun and fruity aromas of black cherry soda, strawberry, currants, dried orange peel and vanilla. Inside are black cherries amid a juicy mid palate that funnels into a tannin profile that zeroes deeply into the corners of the mouth."
It has become even more interesting now that it has sat in my cellar for a couple of years.
Anyway, back to the Foch: The nose is a heavy black berry and dark spice with a hint of cedar and vanilla. The first taste is of big tannins and black cherry with a nice bite on the top of the tongue and an after taste of plum and pepper. I tasted this one when it was first released and it has softened and become wider in the mouth, much less astringent, and is just a treat!
A great find for those of you who like a bargin and love to find that special bargain. $7.99 if you can find it!
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