WCC West Coast Pinot Noir @ Fort Orange Club 10/26/2023

WCC West Coast Pinot Noir Blind
@ the Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY (10/26/2023)

My local wine group met to taste West Coast Pinot Noir. The Fort Orange Club has a new Executive Chef Lou Agostinello, and he is very good. The dishes were quite tasty and well matched to the wines.

To my knowledge, all the wines were double-decanted briefly to remove sediment. Dinner ran from 7:30 to around 10pm. The wines were bagged and served blind to the group, but were known to me since I organized the flights.

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Flight 1.
Lobster Manicotti with Sherry Tarragon Cream Sauce.

2009 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Big, smoky, red fruit nose. Still has noticeable tannin. Long, bright, red fruit finish. (92 points)
2012 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Nose of sweet red fruit. Lighter and more nuanced than the 2009. Elegant. (93 points)
2012 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Powerful nose of black fruit. Rich in the mouth with some tannin and lots of red and black fruit. (92 points)

Flight 2.
Chicken Roulade with Prosciutto, Basil, Apricot, and Almond.

2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Dirty, sour. Clearly an off bottle. (NR)
2010 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Juicy cherry nose. Fully mature. Red fruit and forest floor. (90 points)
2015 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Breaking Ground - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Cherry nose. Elegant, long. Lots of red fruit and minerals. (92 points)

Flight 3.
Elk Loin with Persimmon, Asparagus Spears, and Ewe’s Blue Dauphinoise.

2012 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Abbey-Harris Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Ripe, somewhat strange nose. Too much tannin for the fruit, but quite drinkable with the elk. (88 points)
2013 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Abbey-Harris Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Lovely cherry nose. Rich, tannic, balanced. (91 points)
2016 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Abbey-Harris Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Sweet red fruit nose. Lovely cherries and earth. (92 points)

Flight 4.
Cheese Board: Old Chatham Camembert, Jake's Baby Gouda, Burrata, Jams, and Crostini.

2004 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Big, spicy red fruit nose. Still tannic with rich red fruit. (93 points)
2008 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Big, red fruit nose. Rich and tasty. (92 points)
2010 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Big, spicy nose. Tight, tannic. Needs more time. (91–?? points)

Bonus Wine.

2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Brought as a bonus by a member of the group. Big, spicy nose. Big and tannic in the mouth. This could have used more air. (92–?? points)

All the wines:

WOTN Voting (3pts each for #1, 2pts for #2, 1pt for #3)

Rank	Pts	Wine
1	18	2004 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard
2	14	2010 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard
3	9	2015 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Breaking Ground
4	8	2013 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Abbey-Harris Vineyard
5	5	2012 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard
6	4	2008 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard
7(tie)	3	2010 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard
7(tie)	3	2016 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Abbey-Harris Vineyard
9	2	2012 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch

People Pix

Executive Chef Lou Agostinello comes out to a round of applause:

The other side of the table:

Conclusion

Only one or two duds. Lots of good wines, but nothing really wowed me. Still a fun evening with good food, good wines, and old friends.

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.