LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: Aug. 27

Rodney Strong 2012 Estate Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, California)

Sale $22.95, Regular $24.95
Discount (until Sept. 13): $2.00
LCBO - Vintages # 954834 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Red cherry, cranberry and blueberry — and a hint of oak.
Pairs with: Fatty grilled things, especially with a bit of smoke.
Good for: Fall barbecues and cooler evenings.
Alcohol: 13.9%
Drink: Now to 2019.

Why we're drinking this
The Russian River Valley in California is Pinot heaven, with a cooler climate and confluence of soil types perfectly suited to this fickle grape. There aren’t many places in the world where Pinot can achieve true greatness outside of Burgundy, but Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley is one such place. Rodney Strong is a former modern dancer who worked for many years in Paris in the late 1940s and early ’50s, where he fell in love with French cuisine and fine wine. On his return to the United States, he became a pioneer in the emerging Sonoma wine region.

Tasting note
This is an elegant wine, showing a depth of flavour and power within a more restrained style. On the nose, lovely red cherry, cranberry and pomegranate aromas mix with savoury (dried thyme, eucalyptus and earth) elements. It’s very dry, almost austere, on first taste, but then the generous ripe berry flavours rise up, along with some smoky oak and tobacco notes. Tannins are medium, and a little fuzzy. A nice length, medium, carries on with lovely balanced flavours of fruit and gentle wood. Truly a well-structured, precisely crafted wine. The crisp acidity and tannins will adeptly handle fatty foods like grilled herbed pork chops, steaks of all kinds, and planked salmon. It would even go nicely with a fat cheeseburger. Perfect for fall grilling.

Find it at your LCBO
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