At the risk of sounding like my family and friends and I basically drank our way through the holiday weekend, I’d like to share a couple of wonderful wine discoveries from the feast.
Family friends from Walla Walla, Washington join our Thanksgiving table every year and they always bring new (to us) and interesting wines. This year they introduced us to Feather 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington’s Columbia Valley, an elegant and supremely satisfying wine. On turkey day all I knew about Feathers was that I loved it, and that it was a graceful partner to my turkey, Brussels sprouts with bacon and hazelnuts, mashed potatoes, and pureed yams with poached pears and tangerine juice.
Today, after a little research, I know that it’s an acclaimed wine from the renowned winemaker Randy Dunn of DunnVineyards in California’s Napa Valley. I know that Dunn is part of the Long Shadows Vintners, a coalition of stellar winemakers from around the world who have established wineries on the hillsides of the Columbia Valley. That Feather is a blend of grapes from several respected vineyards including one poetically named Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard. That it’s aged 22 months in new French oak. That only a couple thousand cases of Feather Cab are made each year. And lastly, that Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator seem to share my enthusiasm…both give the 2006 Feather 93 points.
Rather than toss around a bunch of adjectives about a wine that I just met, I’ll let the winery and the Wine Spectator tell you why you want to experience Feather.
“The nose gives up aromas of toasty oak, scorched earth, Asian spices, black currant, and blackberry.”
“This wine offers fresh, fragrant, fruity aromas; spicy, dark cherry on the palate and a silky mouth feel and lengthy finish.”
"Smooth and round, with a roasted red pepper note weaving through the ripe currant, plum and spice flavors, lingering easily against polished tannins.”
A bottle of Feather 2006 costs about $50 and is available on line at sites such as Wine Exchange and Discount Wine Buys.
Another Thanksgiving dinner guest treated us to Addamo 2006 Estate Pinot Noir. Again, we knew nothing about it other than that it was delicious. Now, I know that it’s from a Santa Maria Valley winery (in the Santa Barbara appellation) that was started in 2000 by David and Liz Addamo. I know that the Addamo family is originally from Sicily and that David grew up helping out in his parent’s cabernet sauvignon vineyards in Hollister, CA. also, that the wine costs about $35 a bottle and is fairly widely available including at some Whole Foods markets.
But, most importantly, I now know that this pinot has bright red fruit that makes you sit up and notice after just one sip. I found it lively, but with enough complexity to make it interesting. Also…very important on Thanksgiving Day…it’s a food-friendly wine.
Robert Parker has this to say: “The straightforward 2006 Pinot Noir exhibits a
medium plum/garnet/ruby color, a bouquet of sassafras, black cherries, earth, and spice, medium
body, and a streak of acidity.
This is a wine I’d be thrilled to drink in a party setting with noisy people and good pizza. But I’d also appreciate it as a partner to fine Italian, French or contemporary American cuisine.
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