Feel The Burn!

Have you ever bought a wine mostly because you liked the name? I absolutely have, and I admit the label played a big part in this purchase. This sounds like a powerful wine! When I saw this on the shelf, I was intrigued. I had never heard of this wine before, but I love Oregon pinot noir, and I was completely sucked in by the label. It sounds like a big, powerful wine. Firesteed! Firesteed! Firesteed (be sure to yell as you are reading that)! I expected the cork to burst into flames when we opened it (or atleast see some smoke coming out of the bottle. This impression was strengthened when I read the back label.

"In the ancient world, fire was regarded as one of the four essential elements as well as a symbol for passion. The horse was emblematic of strength tempered by grace..." Firesteed Cellars.

With all that poetry and imagery in my mind, I may have been unfairly influenced. I was ready to put on my toga and battle armor, march out to the stables to find my trusty steed, and pour myself a huge glass of Firesteed! Moreover, I was supported in battle by my guest wine expert Dr. Bruce Bleiman. We were prepared to be blown away by this powerful wine! We smelled it, and it did indeed smell like wine. Emboldened by this, we took a sip, and lo and behold.....it was just okay. After taking our first taste, I could hear the music in my head going from a building drum roll to a sad trombone playing a wah wah waaaahhh.

So, neither of us burst into flames upon drinking this wine. And I may have unfairly built up the taste in my head. It was a very drinkable and unoffensive wine. Upon first taste it struck me with a tart cranberry flavor. With a little time in the glass I began to taste strawberries and leather. Part of me hopes it is saddle leather I am tasting. It goes well with the horse motif. The nose is a bit fruity and gives a nice cherry smell after a few minutes in the glass.

It isn't the best the best Oregon pinot noir I have every had. The taste is more dilute than I was hoping for and it wasn't the medium bodied powerhouse we was expecting. In addition, it was decidedly less "Burgundian" than other Oregon pinot noirs we have tried. Having said that, Dr. Bleiman and I both thought it was pleasant, and went just fine with the steak we were having.