Our 1^st annual Phillips Hill Mushroom Forage and Feast event held during the Mendocino Wine and Mushroom festival was a success. Our wine club members, Marc and Dee, Glen and Estie, and Sonia and Eddie, joined us for a memorable afternoon of mushroom foraging which ended in a culinary demonstration and mushroom-inspired dinner prepared by Chef Rocco. Key wine pairings included the Philiips Hill 2007 Marguerite, 2006 Oppenlander, 2007 Toulouse Pinot Noir along with a 2006 Cote de Nuits Burgundy and a German Riesling to compliment desert.

As with every great adventure, there were a few bumps along the way---in fact the day would have come up empty it wasn’t for Natacha’s fortunate spotting of a white chanterelle! This surprising and bountiful discovery opened the flood gates!

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Phillips Hill Harvest 2011 from Toby Hill on Vimeo.

PINOT ON THE RIVER THIS SUNDAY!

Happy about our 2009 Hinterlands Mendocino Pinot Noir winning Best of Class in the 35th Annual Mendocino Wine Competition.  www.mendocinowinecompetiiton.com

2009 HINTERLANDS PINOT NOIR MENDOCINO
6 French Oak Barrels = 3 Manchester Ridge, 3 Oppenlander =140 cases

TERROIR:

The Hinterlands is a commingling of two vineyards hidden deep into remote coastal forests, in need of a little comraderie. The ManchesterRidge Vineyard also in the Mendocino Ridge appellation is 2000 feet in elevation.  This low yeilding high intensity vineyard combines equal parts of fruit with that from the Oppenlander Vineyard in Comptche resulting in a harmonious 50-50 blend.The two vineyards which never see a visitor or a wine tour compliment each other in their backwoodsy expression. 

NOTES:

For a medium to light color wine, Hinterlands carries quite a heft. Ruby red with a black cast and amber edges. Cherry, cherry, cherry, Ecuadorian chocolate...cherry, cotton candy.  Try it....you will see what I mean.  True to its nose, Hinterlands palate profile is all about ripe red berries -  transitioning to Indoesian red ape cinnamon and licorice root tailing off with candied red hots. As contradictory as it may sound, this wine has a bright fruit, good acidity, a spicy kick AND a seductive soft, smooth texture.

PAIRING:

The wine does best with a little sweetness, a little salt and a little fat. Helpful hint: Eat a dried bing cherry. That should tell you the top end of sweetness this wine can handle. The reigned in acidity encourages a mild amount of salt. Try mild creamy dairy to further compliment the mouthfeel.

I see a white Tasting Room and want to paint it Red.

The good and the bad from the late June rains knocking off pollen in some Northern California vineyards.

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