Maysara 2008 Estate Pinot Noir

“What can I get you to drink?” seems to often follow the standard greeting at most restaurants - a challenging question for guests who want to share only one bottle of wine. Personally, I like to see what everyone is ordering before a bottle of wine is selected. But what if some dinner selections are better suited for a white, while others would pair deliciously with a hearty red? While there are more pressing dilemmas in our sometimes complicated world, this can be resolved with a versatile red, one not over-oaked, not too fruity and with enough acid to cut through a fatty red meat, yet light enough to pair with a white fish. Pinot Noir often fits this bill well.
Like our greatest challenges, balance, can be the answer, which is why we are featuring Maysara 2008 Estate Pinot Noir. Balance is what I love about the wine, and why I chose it to go with any food that Paul from Fruition restaurant might surprise us with on the show. (Fruition won the People’s Choice in Joy Wine and Spirits’ Chili Cook-Off. Denver’s finest restaurants participated in fun and good charity. All were delicious and some were quite unique in ingredients, preparation and presentation. Fruition won with its chili and decadent cornbread (think cream and bacon)! As the winner, Fruition will join the show tonight and surprise us with something delectable.
Therefore, we need an equally delectable wine and one that fits the spirit of the restaurant, definitely American and organic and made with the upmost care. The Momtazi Estate is more than just a vineyard; it is an eco-system. They are in their kitchen, just as are the chefs at Fruition.
Maysara is a Demeter Certified Biodynamic farm in which the Momtazis use their own compost, inoculated with the Biodynamic preparations which they have made on the vineyard, underneath the vines as needed. They have also eliminated the use of minerals which need to be mined from the earth. Instead, they grow a variety of herbs and flowers that have been used medicinally for thousands of years (i.e. Chamomile, Dandelion, Yarrow, Valerian, Horsetail, Stinging Nettle, etc.). They make teas with them to be sprayed either on the foliage (on leaf days) or injected through the irrigation line to the root system (on root days). They apply these teas in homeopathic amounts in order to maintain the vitality and healthy immune system of the plants. Plants do not need to be shocked with penicillin like medication if they are "brought up" with healthy immunities to pests and diseases.
In the winery, they allow the native yeast found on the grape skins to naturally initiate primary fermentation. No commercial yeast or enzyme use is allowed and they do not adjust acidity or add sugar. The secondary or malolactic fermentation also occurs on its own without any additives.
The wine and the land are allowed to speak for themselves. Only 30 percent is aged in new French oak for 11 ½ months, and the remainder is aged in 2 and 3 year old barrels. This limited used of new oak allows a balance between what is in the barrel and what the barrel can offer.
Wine Spectator writes, “Bright and refined, offering a juicy mouthful of mineral-accented currant and blackberry flavors, remaining silky and lively through the long, harmonious finish. Drink now through 2016. 1,000 cases made." 91 pts.— Wine Spectator 
"— HS 

So the next time you are ordering a wine, remember that balance of fruit, oak and acidity makes for a versatile wine that will accompany a variety of dishes. Find the Maysara 2008 Pinot at Joy Wine and Sprits. 1302 E. 6th Avenue 303-744-6219.