Evening Land Vineyards is, to be blunt, an enigma. Any of the labels they produce in the US could be mistaken for a great Red or White Burgundy. (They also produce a very small amount of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy.) Dominique Lafon has shaped a team of experts who fully utilize the Californian terroir while maintaining the traditions of Burgundy to produce some of the finest wines the United States has to offer.
Last night, I was happy to open a bottle of the '09 Evening Land California Pinot Noir Blue Label with dinner. This wine could easily be consumed without food, but I chose to enjoy it with a meal - and I'm glad I did!
I was even more excited to try out this wine because it's from the 2009 vintage - an outstanding vintage for California Pinot Noir. Wine Spectator has called 2009 "...a defining vintage for California Pinot Noir..." and even said this vintage "...comes close to nirvana for California Pinot Noir." Wow!
Right off the bat, this wine was fully approachable. You'll want to allow a good amount of time in the glass to blow off some of the lingering tannins. My first impression was a mouthful of luscious red fruits, as with a lot of Cali Pinots - but definitely not your Cali cherry bomb. A strong strawberry essence lingered the longest. The nose was a bit tight throughout the entire process, but the flavor more than made up for it. All things considered, I just couldn't stop sipping! This particular wine consists of grapes sourced from three of Cali's exceptional AVA's: Santa Rita Hills, Edna Valley and Sonoma Coast. Sunny Sonoma mixed with the rich clay terroir of the Edna Valley and the rocky terrain of the Santa Rita hills yields a perfectly balanced, elegant Pinot Noir.
The pairing was phenomenal: Chicken breast with rosemary, sage and roasted garlic over a bed of quinoa with a white wine Porcini mushroom reduction. I was nervous when I realized the recipe called for a white wine reduction, and I had already opened a red, but it definitely worked! Many people are reluctant to try the two. The white wine cooked down with the roasted garlic and the intense flavor of the rosemary perfectly enhanced the Burg-like earthiness of the Pinot. Yum.
The Blue Label series from Evening Land is my new favorite obsession. Try this best value today!