An Old Friend

On a recent trip, I found myself perusing a restaurant wine list. Skimming through, I found the Pinot Noir section. As I went down the list of Pinots, I saw an old friend, Sainstbury Carneros Pinot Noir. Since the movie Sideways hit the screens, we have been inundated with Pinot Noirs. There seems to be a new one every week. I have chased after many of them. Too many of them are overblown and overpriced. However, the wine press loves them. To me, many of these Pinots taste like Syrah. Pinot Noir is a femine wine, loads of flavors, without the tannin and structure of say, a Syrah. If I want a Syrah I will order a Syrah.

Back to the wine list and the Sainstsbury. Sainstbury is one of the pioneers in California Pinot Noir. The Carneros region is now famous for Pinot Noir. They can thank Sainstsbury for this fame. In my quest for the newest and hottest Pinot, I forgot about them. Yet here they were on the wine list. I ordered a glass and was rewarded with a delicious wine. The aroma of strawberries and loganberries waft up from the glass. Across the palate these same flavors danced, a hint of acidity, then a long clean finish. It was an old friend that did not let me down.
This was Pinot.