Thanksgiving Heavy Hitters

There's not a better holiday for wine than Thanksgiving. You can put your food & wine-pairing acumen to the test, or you can pull corks on some epic bottles to share with friends and family. I prefer the latter.

I bought a nice dry Pfalz Qualitätzwein Riesling at Murphy's in Atlanta to get things started, and then moved on to some heavy hitters from my stash over the course of the weekend. All the wines paired well with holiday fare (and leftovers).  The salty, savory and sage flavors of the holiday fare complimented the good acid and bright juicy fruit of each of these wines:

Müller-Catoir 2009 Riesling Trocken, Pfalz (Imported by Michael Skurnik)- Lemongrass, petrol and slate aromas. A bracing dose of lime, wet rock and mango hits the palate. Juicy rich feel with hints of dried herb. Good length. Paired classically with Thanksgiving dinner. Could add nuance with aging. (I like!)

Melville 2009 Terraces Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills- Opened for Thanksgiving- did not decant. A striking cloudy ruby color. Broad bouquet with hints of Christmas spice, cherry, cranberry, sandalwood and mushroom-earth. Hits the palate with a balanced intensity from the bouquet and adds floral, mineral and tea notes to the mix. Full and sharp on the palate with a glassy smooth feel augmented by stemmy tannins both firm and fine. Ample finish. Excellent. Will be interested to see where this is going. (I really like!)

St Innocent 2009 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend- no decant. Dark dense clear ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, dusty herb & spice and balsam. Full and generous on the palate with ample red & black fruit, spice, herb, eucalyptus, mineral and coffee notes. Smooth and creamy feel lined with round-fine tannins. Finishes medium-long with red fruit and baking spice. Excellent.... in that opulent new world Pinot kind of way. I'm sure this would mellow and add some extra nuance with more bottle age. (I really like!)

Storybook Mountain 2006 Estate Reserve Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend, no decant but several hours open. A dark clear garnet color. Generous note of plum, blueberry, clove, tobacco and leather on the bouquet. Vibrant and open fruit on the palate, both blue and black, deftly balanced with seamless hints of spice, cedar, herbs, cocoa and earth. It glides through the palate with fine and round tannins, finishing long with all of the seamless layers of flavor demonstrated throughout. Elegant like a Pinot Noir. Imminently approachable and effortlessly complex- this is a sensational wine. (I love!)

This was a pretty special lineup of wines to enjoy over the weekend.  The Müller-Catoir Riesling was a great starting point... great with Thanksgiving dinner and beautifully bright and vibrant with its fruit.  The Melville and St. Innocent were both balanced and bold young Pinot Noirs with layered fruit, spice and depth.  I have to say, the St. Innocent definitely plays on the California side of the fence for an Oregon Pinot Noir. The Storybook Mountain is a special wine, classically-styled like an aged claret. A California Zinfandel that was the most elegant and beautiful of the three. 

Click the links on the wines above to learn more about each of these wines and how they are grown and made.