What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

The other night, Kari cooked up a batch of pappardelle pasta with beef ragu, which was made from a chuck roast slow cooked in a broth with wine and tomatoes. A fresh, red leaf lettuce salad tossed with sliced pink lady apples provided a colorful complement to the main dish.

I was tempted to pull an Italian nebbiollo or sangiovese, but decided to try a bottle of the Cottonwood 2004 Marina Piper Pinot Noir ($26.99) from the Dundee Hills of Oregon. This was one of several '04 pinots from Oregon that had recently turned up at my local wine retailer. As such, I am always inclined to try something new, especially from such a standout vintage.

Unfortunately, the Cottonwood 2004 Marina Piper Pinot Noir (14.1%) did not meet the bar established by many of its peers. On the eyes, the color was a muted, almost faded, red. On the nose, there were soft hints of strawberry, cherry, and curry spice. On the palate, it was astringent and hot on the finish.

The back label offered the following: "This wine is as exceptional as the person for whom it is named. It is made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in world famous vineyards of the Willamette Valley. At Cottonwood Winery we vinify grapes using only those techniques proven to produce the finest Pinot Noirs."

Visiting their web site, I discovered the "world famous vineyards" supplying the fruit included the producer's own Cottonwood Vineyard (5%) as well as the Durant Vineyard (59%), Vista Hills Vineyard (18%) and Winter’s Hill Vineyard (18%).

With the Durant fruit comprising the majority of this wine, I am not sure if it was the other grapes pulling this down or a heavy hand in the winery causing it to come up short.

Regardless, I found the story about Phil and Aaron Lieberman, the father and son team making this wine an interesting one. Besides starting this label with this dad, Aaron also serves as the assistant winemaker at Owen Roe.

Not sure I would seek a Cottonwood wine out again after this experience, for there are so many wines, and so little time. If you have had a different experience with this producer, please share by leaving a comment.