Recommendation: An “OK” buy at $40.
Winery/Producer: Clark & Telephone Vineyard; California.
Grape Variety: Pinor Noir.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Santa Maria Valley; Santa Barbara County, California
Vintage: 2008
Price: $39.99
Purchased From: Total Wine; Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Paired With:Pork tenderloin ibn apricot sauce, sweet potato/apple casserole.
Tasting:

She said: This is the second time we have had this wine with this dinner. The first time we were under impressed, but this time it was a WOW! Difference? the first tasting was preceded by multiple wines and food. Apparently, that was not a good idea. I have accepted the fact that you have to carefully pair food and wine but I did not fully appreciate how the food and wine fit into the dinner as a whole. Now I do, or a least will be more aware. This time with the pork and sweet potatoes I found the wine delicious with its rich red fruit flavor that is carried over into its medium bodied taste that has hints of leather. Pricy at $40, it is an excellent Pinot Noir but I would save it for special occasions.
Comments: 92 points Wine Spectator: “Firm and well-structured, with a ripe, rich, concentrated mix of wild berry, blueberry and strawberry flavors, with scents of wild flowers. Full-bodied, complex and layered on the finish. Drink now through 2017.” (09/10)
Alcohol: 14.7%
Bar code: 855622000118