2000 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA

[wondersofwine]

Had my first sample of this winemaker's pinots with the 1998 vintage at a wine event in Raleigh. This time I was dining at Bonterra Restaurant in Charlotte and ordered a glass of the 2000 vintage to accompany duck breast, duck confit gnocchi, carrots with oregano glaze. (At $14.00 for a 6-oz. pour it was the most expensive domestic pinot noir offered by the glass). The wine was a pretty red-purple color giving off a rich aroma (boysenberries, muted blueberries, maybe some forest floor but in a refined, not rustic mode). I don't like my pinots going too far towards the blueberry flavor, but this one didn't cross that line. It was medium to full-bodied with medium-length finish. It surpassed the "lowly" grape from whence it sprang and becomes another entity (Foodie, are you listening? This is what you say wines are supposed to do) which makes it hard to describe the flavor. Let's just say I savored every drop and didn't begrudge the $14.00. You can see through the wine when the glass is tilted but it still had a nice intensity of color. Merry Edwards pinot noirs are not a lot like other American pinots I've had; not really like a Burgundy either--sort of a class of its own. I finished dinner with fig sorbet with a thin chocolate triangle (bark or barque--shaped like a sail stuck in the sorbet). Actually, the dessert was a little disappointing--I think I would have enjoyed fresh figs more.

[tandkvd]

How was Bontara's. My wife has been wanting to go there. But there prices are prety steep. I tried to make reservations last Valentines, but they are booked months in advance. Maby I'll try it for our anaversery.

[wondersofwine]

To tell the truth, I liked the atmosphere, the service and the wine list better than the food. (Bonterra is in a converted church with choir loft, high windows, etc.)But I don't think you can judge the food from one person's choice on one evening. There was nothing wrong with the duck breast, but I though it was better at Nora's in DC. The gnocchi seemed a little heavy and I maybe chose the wrong dessert. Had I made other choices I might have loved the whole dinner. I do like that you can choose a cheese tasting from a number of different cheeses ($4.00 per cheese so with two couples you could share four different cheeses or such). The waiter I had, Paul, was very good and knowledgeable about wine. I ordered the Merry Edwards Pinot Noir and mentioned that I had met her at an event in Raleigh. He mentioned her visit to Bonterra and I recalled that Merry's husband mentioned visiting Bonterra and Zebra Restaurants on their trip to North Carolina. Both restaurants carried their wines. I might very well revisit Bonterra sometime and go a different direction with my menu choices. It was busy (I was there on a Friday night).