2019 Maritana “Jenkins Ranch” Pinot Noir (With 3 Noted Minor Flaws!)
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Photo from Facebook with Donald holding a bottle of Jenkins Ranch
Maritana Vineyards is one of the wineries founded by Donald Patz in 2017. The Maritana label is dedicated to making Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. His other brands are 1) Secret Door making Cabernet Sauvignon from selected vineyards exclusively from the Napa Valley and 2) Terminim making Mendocino County Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah wines.
The man behind these three astonishing labels has had this vision and energy combined with 40 years of making exquisite wines. Wine aficionados have already acknowledge his craftsmanship in bringing forth these wines and also many wine judges!
Click on links below to read more:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First a little technical background on this wine. Jenkins Ranch is located near Sebastopol and sits at 350 feet elevation. Clone selection was a Dijon 115. When making this wine, 50% was done in whole cluster formation with no chemicals added except sodium dioxide. It was barreled in 80% new and 20% being used and stored for 15 months. Only 100 cases were produce and the alcohol level came in at 14%. The wine lists for $100/bottle on their website and scored 95 points from Robert Parker. On their website it states one could drink until 2039!
First on the eyes a royal purple with magenta edges radiating a brilliance in the glass. On the nose, tremendous aromas rise up to greet the imbiber of this rare elixir. Elegant perfume scents of “Pinot essence” await the first sip. On the palate this wine shows it’s pedigree with tart cranberry, dried strawberries and black tea. Secondary flavors of mild vanilla pipe tobacco are present. The finish with tannins (most likely due to whole cluster soak) and the black tea, grip the teeth but are counterbalanced with a candied apple flavor providing a long lasting and complex finish.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine was specifically selected for tonight’s dinner to go with a dry rubbed baked pork tenderloin. This was a slightly newer recipe that is spicier than a previous one. The dry rub included chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, fine sea salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. The slices of pork tenderloin each provided ample flavors to assimilate this refreshing and exquisite wine without overpowering it. The meal was accompanied by sautéed sugar snap peas with salt & pepper, Yukon Golden potato and a fresh garden salad. The slices of pork tenderloin were served with a homemade sauce of apricot preserves, chili flakes and Dijon mustard. The sauce with the pork was divine! The sweet sauce with the sugar snap peas complimented the spicy rub and the wine, wrapping up the meal like a Christmas present with a gorgeous bow on top!
Now to the notation of the flaws and these are very subjective. First the label does not show case this exquisite wine appropriately and is difficult to capture in pictures. Secondly, there wasn’t enough wine to go with this delicious meal. And lastly, the meal and wine should have had friends over to share this experience with this evening! I did state they were subjective!
Sláinte,
Michael