Boedecker Cellars Stewart Pinot noir 05
Avalon's Wine Pick of the Week for 3-2-08

I love starting my day with George Clooney... the mega-hottie happens to grace the most current issue of Time magazine (a guilty pleasure) that I was thumbing through over breakfast. The ever charming Clooney oozes charisma and notes that "people don't like to hear you complaining about being famous". It's a little like "people don't like to hear you complaining about wine tasting" as part of your job. But after a very long day of zigzagging through the Willamette Valley, and doing the "taste, spit, repeat" of about fourteen wines my palate and generally cheerful demeanor was starting to wane.

Of all the wines I tasted, I honed in on the 2005 Boedecker Stewart Pinot Noir $33.95/$30.56 and couldn't seem to stop enjoying it. I thought my palate might be off due to the long day of tasting, but without other prompting our entire table of dinner companions (including winemakers, consumers, and vineyard managers) turned up with bottles of the Stewart to share with dinner. I guess we were all on the same wavelength.

Generous, juicy cherry and ripe raspberry flavors just keep on giving. The wine is succulent and sweet, yet balanced with vibrant acidity. Earth and brambles notes pick up on the finish, while the pure fruit persists. I enjoyed my glass of Stewart with a hearty chorizo soup that nicely matched the slight spiciness in the wine but left the palate salivating for more.

Looks like I'm not complaining after all... does that make me as endearing as Clooney?

Happy drinking and good eating,

Amy