My first bottle of wine in California had to, appropriately, be from this lovely state. I chose Pride Mountain because I have been hankering to try these guys for a long time and they are way too expensive in Canada. This particular wine is a blend of Sonoma and Napa fruit. But, before I begin, here is a view from where I am staying, which I think evokes the mood of the Pride Merlot:
The nose on this succulent dark red nectar was heavy in blackcurrent, butterscotch and vanilla. With that you might expect this to be over the top, but it managed deftly to restrain itself with a beautifully smooth and full bodied palate of cassis, vanilla, graphite, stone and blackberry. With an almost briary element to the fruit, this just slides down the mouth and is a perfect pairing for something creamy and smooth, like a good cream-based pasta. This is what merlot should taste like from California. Damn good.
Excellent
$56 at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
2 comments:
Shea,
Is that picture from the hills of Berkeley, or the International House on Piedmont Avenue? What a heartbreakingly beautiful place, the Bay Area.
I haven't forgotten my promise to write up a nice Berkeley retrospective, but I've been short on time (class started last week and I have to apply for jobs, etc., etc.). But, I have four days off this weekend (thank you MLK and Obama) so I shall post then.
Enjoy the Bay Area for me--it seems from your postings that you already are.
Joon S.
http://vinicultured.com
Yep it's a beautiful place. And Boalt seems like a quality school so far. And yes, that picture is from the International House.
Enjoy the craziness of the first week of classes, and I will be waiting anxiously for the Berkeley retrospective you promised!
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