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TreeHouse Tasting No.28: San Saba Estate 2006 Pinot Noir -(Portland's Burning!)

» posted by Rich on 2010-03-11 08:57:08

At first I thought this week's TreeHouse Tasting was going to feature a sparkling wine, as Lady Jess and I were doing the tasting while watching the Oscars on television (what? can't a treehouse have cable tv?). Then we decided to order a pizza. Well, that settled it, because Pinot is the only thing I can think of. Pinot and pizza. Period.

I had been sitting on this San Saba Estate Pinot Noir from Monterey for a year or so and decided it was time. I have been drinking a bunch of Pinot from the Sonoma Coast, and it was time to move it south a bit, you know?

Anyway, I popped that baby and gave it a good sniff. And man, if it didn't smell like roses, (it did). And when I think of roses I think of Portland, Oregon, the "City of Roses". But wait... there was also a nice hint of smokiness... like smoky roses. That's it! This wine was the aroma equivalent of Portland burning! As bad as that may sound... it smells really good. I mean really, really good.

When Lady Jess took her first sip she declared that it was the best wine she ever had, (I swear it was her FIRST sip of wine of the night). I really couldn't believe how much I liked it, too. I felt like I was eating raspberries... yummy raspberries. It just glides on the palate, so soft and balanced. It was too easy to drink! I think we're rating this wine 95 points with no reservations. It's a fair price at $29.

By the way, San Sabo is a great winery stop in Soledad, California... an easy trek from Carmel Valley, (see our Carmel Valley Review). Great people, and wines at very reasonable prices.