2010 Cornerstone Oregon Pinot Noir: awesome pairing potential

The ZAP Festival was fun, but I think my favorite tasting event of the year is Pinot Days. This year, it’s held in San Francisco on June 30th (I've already requested tickets). For this reason and more, summer can’t come soon enough!

At last year’s Pinot Days, I discovered many new wines, some of which I consider favorites to this day. I blogged about quite a few of the stand-outs on June 17th, but one wine in particular that continues to wow me is the Cornerstone Oregon Pinot Noir ($50/bottle; cornerstonecellars.com) sourced from vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley.

The most recent vintage, 2010, is a stunner with bright aromas of red berries, rose petal, cola, and sweet vanilla. Of medium weight and intensity, this wine flourishes in the mouth with notes of red cherry, currant, slight smoke, and dried herbs. Vivacious acidity and dusty tannins provide an intriguing texture and a long savory finish. With integrated oak and balanced fruit flavors, this wine is distinguished and ever so pleasant to drink.

*If you like Willamette Valley Pinot as much as I do, you will also want to check out this wine’s younger sibling, the 2010 Stepping Stone Pinot Noir ($30/bottle).

When I served the 2010 Cornerstone Oregon Pinot Noir at a dinner party two weeks ago, I prepared a simple meal of pork chops, cauliflower puree, and sautéed spinach to enjoy with it. The wine was delicate enough to not overpower the food and the flavors paired seamlessly. Had I poured a Cabernet along side this meal, it would not have worked.

Pinot Noir as a variety has so much food-pairing potential. Many Pinots are versatile enough to sip casually with cheese and crackers and complement many different dishes. Pinot Noir and pork is definitely a pairing I will enjoy again soon, but it’s also worth mentioning that Pinot is great with roasted salmon, turkey, and mushroom risotto.

What do you like pairing with Pinot Noir??

This bottle was received for review purposes from the Cornerstone Cellars. Please visit them in Yountville, California and Gaston, Oregon or online at www.cornerstonecellars.com. Cheers!