What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

During last week's visit to Tulsa, we enjoyed a taste of the Pacific Northwest with fresh Copper River sockeye salmon and Dungeness crab joined by a pair of Maysara 2006 wines, a pinot noir ($21.99) and a pinot gris ($16.99). Overall, the seafood was fantastic, while the wine fell a bit short.

I grilled the salt and pepper seasoned sockeye on a plank of cedar along with a batch of fresh asparagus. It was joined by a filet of wild King salmon, which went straight on the grill. In addition, we had rice pilaf and a mixed green salad with Fuji apple slices. The sockeye was absolutely fantastic and was clearly preferred over the King, which just didn't have much flavor relative to the Copper River salmon.

In grilling the sockeye on the cedar plank, I was reminded by how wonderful this approach can be in terms of cooking the fish to juicy perfection with just the right amount of cedar imparted. I was hoping the Maysara pinot noir and pinot gris would offer an enjoyable complement to the grilled salmon, but both fell short in a variety of ways.

The Maysara 2006 Pinot Gris (12.9%) offered little in the way of fruit and acidity, which I would have hoped for with this varietal. It was a bit flat, with a sweetness that didn't appeal to Kari and me. The back label offered useful details on the five vineyards the fruit was sourced from, including the estate Momtazi Vineyard.

As to the Maysara 2006 Jamsheed Pinot Noir (13.9%), this wine fell short as well. On the nose, there seemed to be a bit too much oak overtaking the fruit. On the palate, there was muted fruit, a bit of burnt wood, and a hot/sour finish. Relative to other vintages of Maysara pinot noir, this was a disappointing wine.

The next evening, I opened a Maysara 2004 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee, which ended up being much more enjoyable than the '06 pinot noir. The estate cuvee is a blend of Dijon and Pommard clones from the estate Momtazi Vineyard. It revealed dusty cherry notes on the nose, nice fruit and acid on the palate, with a tannins on the finish. It wasn't an outstanding wine, but relative to the younger vintages of Maysara, the estate cuvee stood out.

I remain intrigued by Maysara wines, especially their approach with biodynamic farming. I am inclined to try some of these same wines again, as some of the shortcomings may very well have to do with transport. You just never know what the environment was like when shipping the wine from Oregon to Oklahoma.