2003 Sweeney Pinot Noir - $37.00

December 22, 2007

Background: Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a year since my last review. I definitely drank more than a few bottles during the last year, maybe that's part of problem. So, we have a pinot here from Mike Sweeney's Cherry Hill Winery in Willamette Valley, Oregon. By the way, thanks to a friend, I just learned the proper pronunciation of Willamette is "wa-'la-mat". Anyway, I bought two bottles of this wine because I love Oregon pinots and because it came highly recommended. The label is kinda freaky with a strange old dude in a purple frock sitting in what I suppose is a used wine barrel. I'm one of those superficial wine shoppers that considers the label in selecting a wine. This was not one of those selections. The "sweeney clown", as call him, reminds me of leprechauns, which I hate.

Cherry Hill is a boutique winery that only produces pinot noir at 7,000 cases per year from 90 acres. The Sweeney label is Cherry Hill's reserve pinot. The fruit selected to produce the wine is personally selected by Mike Sweeney and represents the best the winery has to offer. The winery first opened in 2003, so this is the first reserve pinot from Cherry Hill.    

My Tasting Notes: Amazing bright, ruby color with absolutely no legs. Strong, fragrant nose of cherries, raspberries, and grapes (that's a first, something that smells/tastes like grapes). A showy wine that's pretty to look at and smell. Very light-bodied, almost watery, but with medium tannins. From the nose I was expecting more flavor, but I was disappointed with the light fruity flavor. The pop I was expecting just wasn't there. Don't get me wrong, this is a good pinot. It's just that the nose leaves you wanting more. For being one of Cherry Hill's first pinots, I'd say they have a bright future. Wine Spectator gave this wine an objective score of 89. My scoring system is rather subjective, so I rated this wine a little lower. 

The Meal(s): Welcome to the new and improved "The Meal" section! I'm now going to provide pics of my wine pairings. That's right! You'll get to see the hot dogs, pizza, and other non-traditional pairings that give other winos chills. Hey, at least I don't drink my wine with ice and club soda.

I drank this pinot over two nights with two different dishes. The first dish was grilled salmon with rice pilaf and steamed asparagus. The Sweeney pinot paired well with this dish. There was just enough tannins to cut through the fattiness of the salmon without overpowering the flavor of the salmon.

The second dish was a rib-eye grilled medium with sautéed mushrooms, leftover rice pilaf from the night before, and some more asparagus (yes, I had to pee in the backyard for two days straight). I really needed a fuller, stronger wine with this dish, like a cab or shiraz. The Sweeney pinot just didn't have the "umph" to handle the fatty rib-eye. The steak and earthy mushrooms overpowered the light pinot. Not a disastrous combination, just nothing special. 

My Score: 83

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