Picket Fence - Chardonnay

Name: Picket Fence Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Region: Russian River Valley, California
Price: $15
Tasting Notes: “This richly textured wine has the balance and brightness one associates with Russian River Valley Chardonnays. Meyer lemon notes and ripe Fuji apple mingle with hints of succulent stone fruit. A gently toasted oak component pairs with brown sugar and spice, resulting in a rich, sensuous wine that coats the mouth with a long silky finish.” – Alison Crowe, Winemaker
My Review: I tasted three wines by Picket Fence at a quick wine tasting at Kroger.  The wines were served in small plastic cups – so it was a little bit different than what I was used to.  Of the three that I tried, the Chardonnay was by far the best.  The wine was slightly oaked and gave it a nice flavor.  It had hints of fruit, definitely some lemon and a little bit of apple. Overall, the wine was great – not too sweet and not too dry, just perfect for my taste.

Picket Fence - Pinot Noir

Name: Picket Fence Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2011
Region: Russian River Valley, California
Price: $19
Tasting Notes: “This wine has an elegant, pure fruit forward style with the brilliant intensity of rich mouthwatering Bing cherry, blackberry and spice. The luxurious density, beautiful structure and velvety texture on the palate are hallmarks of this vintage and make this wine a superlative example of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.” – Alison Crowe, Winemaker
My Review: I am starting to get into the typical taste of Pinot Noir and this one was decent on my palate.  What I didn’t like about the wine was that it was a little bit dry and I could taste some spices that I was not fond of.  However, it was very rich and did actually have a velvety texture.  I am still in the process of learning how to pinpoint the flavors I am tasting, so it was a little hard to differentiate between fruits in this wine, but I did get a few hints of berries.

Picket Fence - Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Picket Fence Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Region: Alexander Valley, California
Price: $19
Tasting Notes: “This wine has classic Sonoma Cabernet characteristics of cassis, green olive and hints of chocolate. French Oak aging contributes vanilla, clove and hazelnut aromas which create a unique foil for the robust blackberry and raspberry fruit flavors leading to a round, flavorful finish. Pair with aged and semi-hard cheeses, or try lamb with a dry rub of rosemary, shallots and fruity olive oil.” – Alison Crowe, Winemaker

My Review: I wasn’t a big fan of this wine – I found it to be very dry.  I haven’t yet acquired the taste for Cabernet Sauvignon, so that is probably the main reason I did not like this wine.  However, when it was paired with a cheese provided at the tasting, I could detect small changes in the wine.  And I thought it definitely made it more drinkable.  I did get a slight fruit flavor of maybe blackberry or raspberry as described, but I did not get much of the vanilla and hazelnut aromas.   

Rainstorm - Pinot Noir

Name: Rainstorm Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Region: Willamette and Umpqua Valleys, Oregon (50/50 blend from both regions)
Price: $19
Tasting Notes: This Oregon Pinot Noir portrays the dark cherry flavors that are characteristic of the region, with aromas of cinnamon and vanilla balanced by a clean finish.

“Complex and substantial, this excellent Pinot Noir from the Mariani Family’s new Oregon label has pretty berry fruit at the core, wrapped in flavors of cola, chocolate and nougat. The length is impressive.” – Paul Gregutt (rating: 89)

My Review: Yes, I may have picked this wine mainly because of the awesome label (and the store rating of 90), but it turned out to be a pretty good decision. The color was not very deep, it was a lighter purple-red.  At first, the smell was acidic, sharp and spicy and the flavors were similar.  But after letting it open-up, the smell became significantly smoother and fruitier along with the taste. It had a long mellow aftertaste. I let it sit out overnight and tried it the next day, and I found that I liked it even more – it was even smoother! I also tried it with a steak dinner and found that when I tasted it with the Rib-eye steak, the taste was very sharp and acidic which I was a little surprised by. But my overall impression of this Pinot Noir was very good and I would definitely try this wine, or another from the same vineyard, again.