November 16, 2013 – Wines for a birthday party (and for the cook)

I decided to throw a dinner party to celebrate my birthday.  The main dish was going to be a pork stew and I needed a lighter red wine to add some flavor and moisture.  The last time I used a Beaujolais that had been open a few days too long and that made the perfect complement to the stew.  This time, I had to find a suitable replacement wine, so I opted for a half-bottle of Pinot Noir to share with the stew.  I have several bottles of 2007 Merry Edwards Russian River Pinot Noir that I have been tracking, so I decided to open another and see what was up.  The wine has started to turn toward elegant and clean, leaving behind its muddied phase of development.  And the stew was tasty too.  By the time the first guests arrived, the Pinot Noir was gone, but I had the following wines ready for guests:

2007 Provenance Three Palms Vineyard Merlot (my favorite)
2008 Shenandoah Vineyards Paul’s Vineyard Zinfandel
2005 Hess Collection Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne