Belated Sunday Wine Tasting: Gnarley Head 2010 Pinot Noir

I can hardly believe the words are coming out of my mouth, but I’ve been a slacker lately on the “Sunday Wine Tasting” front. Luckily, Kirsten Collins was MORE than willing to fill in.

From Kirsten:

Gnarly Head  Vintage 2010 Pinot Noir

I know what you’re thinking:  how is “Gnarly Head” related in any way to all things horsey?

Consider this:  What does every rider deal with upon removing their approved safety headgear after riding for any duration in the month of July?  What do you call it when your horse balks at the giant flesh-eating sunflowers at “E” and then crow-hops just before he rears his… what?  That’s right… gnarly head.

I love drinking wine.  I hate talking about wine.  There is no way to do it without sounding pretentious, even with a beguiling name like Gnarly Head.  My husband and I are simple people who lead a quiet rural life.  You would never hear my husband say “Oh, that’s a spunky little wine, and a bit precocious!”  Nope.  Our wine commentary is generally mono-syllabic (“Mmmm!”), sometimes two syllables (“More, please.”), and occasionally three entire words (“I’ll finish that.”).

Out of curiosity, I read what someone else wrote about Gnarly Head.  They said:

A well-structured, nicely balanced Pinot Noir with notes of red fruit and hints of old school Burgundian earthiness. Not super complex.

Not.  Super.  Complex.  A lot like me.  It’s the kind of wine that won’t make you screw your face up like you sucked on a lemon.  It won’t make you grimace like you’re holding an old dental x-ray film in your mouth.  It is smooth and easy to drink with or without food.  It’s the bottle I’d share with my friend after her horse imploded in their dressage test.  I would relish it at a tailgate party (or, anywhere, really).  If I were single, I’d probably give a bottle of it to that hot new farrier.  And I have definitely enjoyed it with my husband after a good long day in the company of horses.

About Kirsten:   I am a middle-aged thoroughbred-smitten eventer-wanna-be.  I insist on keeping horses although I fully comprehend the fact that my life would much simpler without them.  On a good day I am an average rider, and my background is in (deep breath) hunters.   I am married to the most supportive horse-husband on the planet.