2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

I decanted this wine about 4 1/2 hours.

This is one sexy Pinot! The nose starts off with some nice black cherry which gently flows to baking spice. Finally, there are secondary aromas of wild strawberry, vanilla, and cinnamon. In the mouth it is velvety and rich, with more black cherry, nutmeg, and hints of brown sugar. The finish has a nice forest flavor and good acidity.

I had this with an Amy’s Cheese Enchilada Dinner. The food gave the wine a nice meatiness and really accentuated the mild earthy tones in the wine.

2005 Turnbull Old Bull Red

I decanted this wine about 5 hours.

It was hard to get excited about this wine. It had a fairly typically nose for a Napa Bordeaux-style blend. It wasn’t bad, though. It had some raspberry and chocolate, that was followed by cake mix and vanilla. The palate was sweet, but a bit tannic. It had loads of red fruit and spice, but it was covered by too much oak for my taste.

I had this with homemade tostadas (beans, cheese, and hot sauce). The food did tone down the oak some, so I did like the combination.

2001 Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva Tenute Marchese

I decanted this wine about 4 1/2 hours.

This wine had a wonderful nose of black raspberry and dark plum covered by nice aromas of old leather. This trailed off to perfume-laced floral notes. The palate was very smooth, with flavors of soil covered tree bark mixed with delicious dark fruit. The finish had a lingering taste of soap granules.

2003 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage

This Port was very lush and deep. The nose had the most beautiful combination of dates, flowers and plums. In the mouth it was almost like eating a fruit salad. It had blueberry, strawberry, and plum that really hid the alcohol. The finish was sweet and delicious.

I drank this with an assortment of chocolate truffles.

2002 Palmaz Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

The nose was layered with black raspberry, chocolate, and spicy oak. The palate was very rich and filled with black plum and black raspberry that was surrounded by oak and spice.

2005 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove

The nose reminded me of a nice wild berries and cream dessert. It finished with a little oaky vanilla. The palate was quite different, with raspberry and spice mixed with a fair amount of oak.

2003 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley

If you don’t think Merlot is ready for a come back, you haven’t tried this one. This had a wonderful nose of blackberry, plum, tar, and licorice. The palate delivered what the nose hinted at. It was silky, with good blackberry and cherry fruit, which was coated by some spice. It finished with some nice licorice flavors.

2001 Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva Badia a Passignano

This wine was all smoke on the nose. Hidden behind the smoke was a good amount of plum and cherry, finishing with some nice vanilla. The palate was very smooth, and had a load of licorice, a bit of raspberry, hints of tobacco, and just a touch of herbs. It had a good fruit and earth finish.

2004 Domaine du Grapillon d’Or Gigondas

I decanted this wine about 6 hours.

If you’re all about the nose, especially Old World aromas, you will love this wine. The initial aroma is a combination of pencil lead and dirt. Following close behind is some red raspberries, which fade into violets at the end. The palate is just as nice as the nose. It is smooth, with a load of graphite upfront which gives way to sweet, wild raspberries. It finishes with a delicious potpourri flavor.

2005 Viu Manent Syrah Secreto

I decanted this wine about 6 1/2 hours.

The first thing I thought of when I stuck my nose in the glass was a mocha bomb. You feel like you just walked into a coffee shop after the expresso maker exploded. Buried underneath was some really dark plums, and on the tail end was just the faintest hint of mint. In the mouth there is some really sweet boysenberries mixed with a little currant and figs. It finishes with a nice bit of dark chocolate.

I drank this wine with an Amy’s Ravioli Bowl. As you’re beginning to tell, I love most of the frozen entrees that they make. And once again, the marinara sauce works its magic. It really brings out the acidity and makes the fruit lively and crisp. I definitely liked this pairing.