2004 Erath Willamette Valley Dolcetto

Well hopefully some folks will find this note of worth... Tonight I sat down to dinner with a lovely woman, a stack of ribs, and a bottle of red that I had forgotten about. The woman was my lovely bride, the ribs were her specialty, and the wine was a 2004 Dolcetto from Erath Vineyards.

Upon opening this bottle, a smokey aroma is what first tickles the nose. When trying to place it, Megan suggested that it reminded her of a campfire. This description is spot on. With time, the aroma of an oak barrel came through. Lastly, a hint of bitter chocolate is present, albeit subtle.

Make no mistake, this is definitely a 'big red' that warrents a meal of equal strength. In this case, ribs seasoned with brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and paprika coupled with summer squash and green beans made an excellent trio.

My palette and nose rate this red as a worthwhile purchase for a dinner with someone special. Cheers!