Kali Kopley has enlivened the Tahoe wine scene for several years now with her Uncorked wine bars in Truckee, Olympic Valley and Tahoe City. Petra, in the Village at Northstar, is a wonderful part of the group, with its selection of great food to match an equally great selection of wines. The wine-dine events there are excellent, featuring small production wineries with interesting stories to tell.
Pride Mountain Vineyards, which was recently featured at Petra, produces award-winning wines famous for its concentration and richness. All Pride Mountain wines are sourced from 86 vineyard acres at 2,100 feet in elevation straddling the Napa/Sonoma county line. This small family vineyard was originally planted in 1989.
The 2012 Pride Mountain Viognier features Sonoma grapes. It is an expressive Viognier, with intense fruit and a bright acidity. There is an enticing aroma of apricot, orange blossom and a waft of acacia that leads to a zing on the palate. The stone-fruit flavor is enhanced by floral and mineral notes. It was paired with a pea shoot, melon and basic salad. 14.3 percent alcohol. $42 for the bottle.
The 2011 Pride Mountain Vintner’s Select Chardonnay, Sonoma, features a complex range of flavors including melon, green apple, pear and jasmine. The winemaker notes that “The cool 2011 vintage provided the perfect growing conditions for ripening our estate chardonnay to a beautiful richness while maintaining a crisp, distinct acidity.” This wine is bright and expressive on the palate. 14.8 percent alcohol. $48 by the bottle. It was perfectly paired with a moussaka of potato, eggplant and chevre.
The 2010 Pride Mountain Merlot contains two-thirds fruit from Napa and one-third from Sonoma. This is a Cabernet-lover’s merlot, with chocolate and raspberry/strawberry flavors that coat the top of the mouth with a lush and intense taste that is not tannic. Personally, I am not a great fan of overly tannic wines, so I loved this Merlot. Aroma of bright plum, cherry, mulberry and walnut are a wonderful introduction to this nice tasting Merlot. 14.5 percent alcohol. $60 by the bottle. It was well paired with short ribs and heirloom tomatoes.
The 2011 Pride Mountain Syrah, Sonoma, will please the tannin lovers among you. “Plum, blueberry, rhubarb, bacon, sweet black raspberry, white pepper, Alsatian spices, wild thyme and smoky embers are some of the intriguing flavors that lurk within this blue-black wine,” notes the winemaker. 14.2 percent alcohol. $60 for the bottle. The pairing was a cheese-pear-honey dessert trio.
Petra is located in the Village at Northstar and is open daily. For more information, call (530) 562-0600 or visit teloswine.com. For more information on Pride Mountain wines, visit pridewines.com.
Search past columns at winebiznews.blogspot.com, or contact Barbara at barbarakeck.winenewswriter@gmail.com.
