Sunday, July 14, 2013

Everyday Wine in the City - 2010 Monterey Pinot Noir by Castle Rock

Castle Rock 2010 Pinot Noir - Monterey County
For this week, Mijo and I sampled a store bought wine. We sampled a bottle of 2009 Monterey County Pinot Noir by Castle Rock last year and we liked it but I didn't take detailed notes. 

So when we saw the same wine but with a different vintage at the grocery store, I decided to pick up a bottle and made sure I'll pay attention to the flavors and pairings this time.


For the first pairing, we sampled this wine with a home cooked enchilada casserole with refried beans, spanish rice and store bought tomato salsa. I tasted several flavors on the first sip of this wine. Some cranberries and raisins. However, as soon as I took a first bite of the enchilada casserole, the flavors changed. It may have been the milky taste of the cheese from the casserole that made the mild tannins change to overwhelming.

Castle Rock 2010 Pinot Noir - Enchilada Casserole

The next evening, we paired the same bottle with a home cooked beef stew. I tasted the fruit on the first sip of the wine. After the first bite of the meal, the wine tasted even better. The meal added some herby hints. 
Castle Rock 2010 Pinot Noir - Beef stew


Here are my notes from the third pairing (with beef stew):

Tasting Date: Week of July 8, 2013
Tasting Partner: Mijo
Wine Name: Castle Rock Pinot Noir 
Producer: Castle Rock Winery
Region/Appelation: Monterey County (California) 
Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir 
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: not indicated 
Color Hue: red
Aromas: cranberry, cherry, herbs 
Dry/Sweet: medium dry 
Body: Medium 
Acidity: Smooth 
Tannins: mild 
Flavors: cranberry, raisins, italian herbs


~rl

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