Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Wine Tasting - Cork's 2nd Anniversary Party

CORK 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - Cork - A Bottle Shop, Portland OR (5/16/2008)


Cork - A Bottle Shop, 2901 NE Alberta Street, Portland OR 97211. Cork celebrated their 2nd anniversary on 5/16/08. 9 local wineries came out to help celebrate, and to pour their latest releases.


Adami (no website found) - Poured by Enrico Valleferro



Cristom Vineyards - Poured by Andy Meyer


  • 2006 Cristom Viognier Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
    Nice smells of pear, with a floral component. A bit too sweet for me, however, but the pear and mango flavors are quite nice. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

  • 2006 Cristom Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Nose of earth and berries. Tastes typical of most Oregon Pinots, earthy, leather, with nice berry fruit and a touch of chocolate. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2006 Cristom Pinot Noir Sommers Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Nose of black cherry, with some earth. Cherry flavors abound on the palate, with that typical Oregon leather/earthy component that is so delicious. A touch of asian spice as well. Tasty! Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)


Lemelson Vineyards - Poured by Anthony King


  • 2006 Lemelson Vineyards Riesling - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Honey on the nose, very distinct. Follows to the palate, with some nice pear flavors as well. Very sweet, and not as dry as other Rieslings I've tasted. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

  • 2006 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Thea's Selection - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Nice cherry nose with some earthiness. Flavors of 'dirty' black cherries. But in a good way...very nice earthiness that reminds me of old world Burgundy Pinot. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2006 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Meyer Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    This one seems a touch young. Lighter flavors and aromas than the Thea's Selection. Seems rather closed at the moment. Strawberry with an earthy/leather component that stands out. Needs time. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)


Owen Roe - Poured by Matt Rice


  • 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Gris Crawford-Beck Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
    Definite apple smells and flavors. While showing some nice acidity and noticable sweetness, it doesn't go over the top. Very well-structured. Very Good/Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)

  • 2006 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon
    Much better than the first time I tasted this at Thanksgiving. More flavors, and better integration. Bottle time makes a difference! Berry and earth, with bit of 'brightness' still there, but definitely not as noticable as in November. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)

  • 2005 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
    Excellent flavors of berry fruit, some smoke, and well-integrated tannins. Solid structure, with everything just working together nicely. Tied with Cottonwoon Raya Jade Syrah for Wine of the Tasting! Outstanding - 93 points. (93 pts.)


RoxyAnn Winery - Poured by Shannon Wickham


  • 2006 RoxyAnn Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
    Peaches and a floral component on the nose. Sweet, with peach and a touch of citrus flavors, but a slightly bitter finish that ruins it all. Good - 82 points. (82 pts.)

  • 2006 Velocity Cellars Velo Red Wine - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
    Didn't know this was a RoxyAnn wine...very nice spicy cherry nose and flavors. Also a great QPR at $18. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2005 RoxyAnn Claret - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
    Heavy tannins. Raspberry flavors are present but somewhat overshadowed by the tannic grip. Needs some more time to integrate. Can definitely see the potential, and it still tastes pretty nice, even though I want a drink of water after every sip. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)


Grochau Cellars - Poured by John Grochau


  • 2007 Grochau Cellars Z - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
    My favorite white wine of the night. This is a blend Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer. Intoxicating nose of melon and buttery oak, with a very surprising sweet/dry flavor profile. One of the most interesting whites I've ever tasted, up there with the Caymus Conundrum. And for 1/2 the price of the Conundrum, a steal! Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2006 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir Cuvée Des Amis - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Aromas of cherry and blackberry, with some spiciness. Definite black cherry on the palate, with a bit of 'zing'. Enjoyable Pinot. Very Good/Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)

  • 2006 Grochau Cellars Tinto - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
    Delicious Syrah/Tempranillo blend. Great dark fruits, nice structure, and at $16, an excellent QPR! Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)


Dominio IV - Poured by Patrick Reuter & Leigh Bartholomew


  • 2006 Dominio IV Viognier - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
    Pears and vanilla on the nose. Very very sweet, almost cloying flavors on the palate. Just not very enjoyable after several other white wines this evening. Good - 80 points. (80 pts.)

  • 2006 Dominio IV Pinot Noir Rain on Leaves Willamette Valley - USA, Oregon
    This wine seems too young. Very light, bitter strawberry flavors, with a touch of leather/earth typical of Oregon Pinot Noir. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

  • 2005 Dominio IV Tempranillo - USA, Oregon
    Great smokey blackberry fruit, some earth and a floral component (!). Sharply tannic finish that drys the mouth. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)


Boedecker Cellars - Poured by Stewart Boedecker & Athena Pappas


  • 2006 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir Reflection Pinot Noir Rose - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Very light, with flavors of strawberry, but tastes rather watered down. Quite a bit of "sweet" as well. Good - 83 points. (83 pts.)

  • 2005 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir Stewart - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Raspberrys jump out of this wine, do a little dance in your mouth, and then vanish. While tasty, I was discouraged by the short finish. Nice nose, raspberry and some leather. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

  • 2005 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir Athena - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Very nice spicy component! Raspberries again, but this time they hang around to party for awhile! I like the spiciness of this wine, and the longer finish. Very Good/Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)


Cottonwood Winery - Poured by Aaron Liebermann


  • 2005 Cottonwood Winery Pinot Noir Marina Piper - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
    Nice nose of vanilla, strawberry, with a nice kick of spice and earth. Tasty, but a tad bitter on the finish. Very Good/Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)

  • 2002 Cottonwood Winery Pinot Noir Brigette Catherine - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
    Quite a bit more integrated than the Marina Piper. You can definitely tell the extra age of this wine (2002 vs 2005). Not sure if it is bottle age or what, but it makes a difference in the smoothness of the wine. I also get a hint of leather and some sort of spice component. Very nice. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)

  • 2005 Cottonwood Winery Syrah Raya Jade - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
    Wow! Smokey, with great berry fruit on the nose, following to the palate. Excellent integration for such a young, tannic wine. The finish is a bit dry with excess tannins, but what a wine! Tied with the Owen Roe Yakima Red for Wine of The Tasting! - Outstanding - 93 points. (93 pts.)


After tasting 26 wines, my palate is exhausted. Off to Siam Society for jalapeno margaritas and great Thai food!


Posted from CellarTracker

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.