My friend and fellow blogger,
Bon Vivant, and I had wanted to visit
Scribe Winery ever since
this spectacular write-up came out in Food & Wine Magazine. We had our chance recently, when I made us an appointment on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It was quite a treat! Here's the story.
The winery and tasting room are located on a little hill overlooking the valley.
Nora was our server, and she sat us down at a pleasant table and chatted with us while we tasted. First up was the 2007 Chardonnay with grapes from Carneros.
This was a lovely wine, with a mere suggestion of butter in the nose (it spent 9 mos. in French oak), and notes of tart apple and tangerine, with a hint of lemon in the finish. We thought it would pair nicely with a creamy, lemony pasta dish, perhaps some rich shellfish - unctuous foods.
Next up was the 2008 Pinot Noir, also from Carneros.
I found red fruit in the nose, and notes of pie cherries, a little white pepper, and blueberry in the finish. It was quite soft, with a nice mouth feel. We thought it would pair well with smoked salmon, or roasted poultry.
The next wine was the 2004 Syrah, made of grapes from Atlas Peak.
I noted red fruit and something herbaceous in the nose, flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black pepper. We thought this wine would stand up to fattier meats - perhaps a leg of lamb, a marbled beef roast, or even pork belly.
Our last wine was the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, also from Atlas Peak.
I enjoyed this wine. It was velvety, softer and less tannic than the typical Napa Cab, with notes of Big Black Cherry, blackberry, and cassis in the finish. BV also noted green peppercorn. We thought the wine would pair particularly well with with braised pork and ancho chiles.
BV and I are trying to convince our fellow Supper Clubbers to attempt to replicate the Scribe pairing meal described in the Food & Wine article. Stay tuned for that report!
And when you check out Scribe Winery, say hello to Nora!
