2002 Echelon Pinot Noir, Central Coast (San Luis Obispo, CA)

[wondersofwine]

Had two glasses of this at Palomino Restaurant in Charlotte, NC after watching the Panthers-Eagles game Sunday. From the web listings, Echelon Winery is part of the Chalone group. I was not familiar with Echelon, but the waitperson kindly let me try a few drops of the wine before ordering a glass of it. Red-purple; in an unusual phenomenon, it seemed darker at the rim than in the center. Medium body. Can see through the wine when tilted. The nose was elusive and remained faint throughout dinner. Flavors of red currants, maybe some darker cherries in the mix. A bit of burn in the mouth in my first sips but seemed to mellow into a nicer wine after airing. Nice with a delicious cream of mushroom soup and grilled salmon which was also very tasty. (King salmon with lemon and vermouth glaze, wild field greens and a gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette.) The restaurant was not that busy on a Sunday night but they said they had 350 diners the night before! The food was excellent and I will have to add Palomino to the growing list of Charlotte restaurants to revisit.