BROTHERHOOD PINOT NOIR

So we were at Brotherhood yesterday, and hung out with Tour Guide Dave. Dave has been leading tours and tastings at Brotherhood for 20 years. He's seen a few things happen there. We've tasted with him several times, when we can't get a hold of or don't want to bother Cesar Baeza, the President of Brothehood Winery.

So the first thing we tried with Dave was a Blanc de Blanc. It was a nice, smooth, lovely wine with lot's of fresh bread smell on the nose, and lovely fruit on the palate, with solid acidity and a nice dry finnish. At $10 a bottle, it's an outstanding value. I'd just reviewed it in February, so I was not surprised.

But the biggest surprise was when Dave said, "And the fruit comes from Columbia County!" Now, we've known that Brotherhood has vineyards in Columbia county, but we'd never had one of the wines pointed out to us.

Here was a fantastic wine grown right in Columbia County! The vineyards are overseen by Greg Esch. We see Greg, usually annually, at the grape growing seminars that happen each year in Kingston. The Brotherhood Blanc de Blanc is a real local wine.

I asked Dave if he had another wine that was from Greg esch's vineyards, and he pulled out the Pinot Noir. Now, I have to admit, I've been on a Pinot Noir jag lately. It's just where I am at. I still love a big heavy, over ripe California wine like Turley, for example, but more and more I'm moving back towar a more balanced, European style. More approachable wines.

So, any way we tried the Pinot Noir. Big fruit up front, lot's of fine cherry and a hint of plum and strawberry. It was bright, and fresh. with low acidity and low tannins. The wine finished dry and smooth. A very nice, light-to-medium bodied Pinot Noir. Perfect for spring and summer dishes, and great with some fresh, Hudson Valley cheese!

Two wonderful wines, and they are both grown in the vineyard on the Columbia County side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. This was very, very good!

Congrats to Cesar, and Greg, and yes, Dave too!