2005 St. Josef's Pinot Noir

St. Josef's Winery is one that holds a special place in my heart. I have fond memories of waitressing there when I was in high school, at some of the fanciest events I could imagine. I was thrilled with the amazing food they managed to serve out of the tiny kitchen, and getting to eat in the tasting room while the guests were occupied with their dinners. And one of my most favorite parts of the winery were the owners, two of the sweetest people you could ever meet - Joe and Lilli. I wasn't a regular employee, and only worked at big events when they needed the extra help, but both always welcomed me warmly into the staff for the evening. They have a close hands on style with the winery, and it comes through in their carefully handcrafted wines. As we were getting more into wine, I was always drawn to the St. Josef's label, wondering if the memories I had of the fairytale winery would carry into the wine bottled there. One of my personal all time favorites is the St. Josef's L'Esprit, a wonderful Gewurztraminer. But that's a post for another day.

At the grocery store, Steve and I decided to take advantage of the deal on fantastic looking New York steaks, and wanted to get a good red to go with. We wandered the wine isles for a little while, wanting something that would be as good as the Maryville Syrah we had with last nights dinner. After not being inspired by anything, I noticed the St. Josef's 2005 Pinot Noir label on the shelf with the other Pinots. It's an affordable wine, as with all of the St. Josef's wine, about $8 a bottle. I've wanted to try this one for a while, so in the cart it went.

This is a wine that likes to breathe. Upon pouring, the first taste is a bit flat for a Pinot Noir, but the flavors of cherry and the oak it's aged in are up front at the start. However, after letting the glass open up for a few minutes, the wine just increases in depth. If you let it roll over your tongue, you can taste light raspberry along with rich oak. It's a wonderful ruby red colored wine. The 2005 Pinot Noir isn't a pretentious wine, and it's bottled to enjoy right away. I can see this being a nice comfortable steady red to keep on hand, and plan to.