After taking a good week off from the blog to battle this cold, I’m feeling much better (Thanks for asking).
In order to get back into the swing of things, I decided to open up another one of my samples from Cornerstone Cellars while doing a little cooking…
Cornerstone Oregon 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Color: Light burgundy red with a light tomato hue at the rim.
Nose: Tomato skin (hmmmm), leather, strawberry, cranberry, and fig notes with a nice spice rack blend to round things out.
Taste: Wow! Delicious fruits of strawberry, blackberry, and cranberry. There’s a great component of allspice and leather that transitions into a long, luscious, velvety finish, and a great acidity that makes it a very food-friendly wine.
Score: Here’s what I love about Pinot Noir. It’s so subtle… It’s so reserved… But… It’s so complex… If you take the time to think about it. This effort from Cornerstone Oregon is a shining example of how great Pinot Noir can be. I love this wine. 92 (I gave the 2009 vintage of this wine a 91+)
Now…
On to the food…
Farmers Market Fresh Ahi Tuna Tower of Green Onion, Chiles, Cucumber, Mango, Cilantro, Lime, and Stagecoach Vineyard Olive Oil topped with Edamame Cakes on an Okonomi and Sriracha Glaze
I guess I went a little overboard on the food, but that Pinot got me real excited.
I was very happy with how both the dish and the pairing turned out.
The wine brought out the freshness of the cucumber in the Ahi Tower, which could have been overwhelmed by the savory/spicy dish. The savory flavors of the tuna bumped up the previously muted flavors of cola/sassafras in the wine.
With a wine this food-friendly, there was no way I was gonna waste a single bite of this dish…
And I didn’t!
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Tags: 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Ahi Tuna Tower, Cornerstone Cellars, Cornerstone Oregon, Edamame Cake, Farmers Market, Jeff, Stay Rad, The Cornerstone of a Tasty Meal, Wine and Food Pairing
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