Erath Vineyard’s 2005 Pinot Noir Leland was the wine we drank with dinner last night. And it was everything we expected — complex, rich, powerful and elegant. Not surprisingly, Leland paired well with steak. Most Pinots would.

Once again I’m surprised — delighted is a better word — at how much Pinot Noirs have developed in the 10 years since we lived in Oregon. I don’t think such an excellent Pinot Noir such as Erath’s Leland would have been made back in those days.

The problem is that I now want to open Erath’s 2005 Pinot Noir Prince Hill. I don’t want to cellar it. In fact, I’d like to open it tonight. We are on holidays, after all. Hmmmm. What to do, what to do.

Cheers!