Riding Shotgun on the Hell Express

PDX Urban Wineries Tasting

2011-12-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

There are a number of wineries located in the Portland Metro Area...actually within the city limits. They are somewhat known by the collective name PDX Urban Wineries, and featured a tasting from members a couple weekends ago. The tasting was located at the winery facility for Seven Bridges Winery, down in the eastside industrial area under the Fremont Bridge. A great tasting, it showcased some of the areas best new winemaking talent, as well as grapes from all over the Northwest. Featured wineries and their wines with release prices were:

Vincent Wine Company

2010 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir ($24)
2010 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir ($36)
2010 Armstrong Vineyard Pinot Noir ($36)

Ribbon Ridge Vineyards
2007 Dewey Kelly Pinot Noir ($22)
2007 Ribbon Ridge Estate Pinot Noir ($32)
Non-Vintage "Muse" Early Muscat dessert wine ($18)

Helioterra Wines
2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($24)
2010 Vintner's Select Pinot Noir ($36)
2010 Walla Walla Valley Mourvédre barrel sample ($n/a)

Grochau Cellars
2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($24)
2009 Bjornson Vineyard Pinot Noir ($32)
2009 Rogue Valley Syrah ($22)
2009 Rogue Valley "Matador" Temranillo/Grenache/Syrah ($30)

Jan-Mac Wine Cellars
2009 Columbia Gorge Chardonnay ($22)
2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($28)
2009 Columbia Gorge Syrah ($22)
2009 "Bastard Red" Bordeaux-style blend ($22)

ENSO Winery
Non-vintage Resonate White #3 ($14)
2010 Horse Heaven Hills Malbec ($24)
2010 Columbia Valley Zinfandel ($26)
2010 Shenandoah Valley Mourvédre ($28)

Hip Chicks Do Wine
2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($15)
2008 Sangiovese ($19)
2007 Reserve Malbec ($26)
Non-vintage "Wine Bunny Rouge" ($16)
Non-vintage "Vin Nombril" ($14)
Non-vintage "Wine Bunny Blush"

Seven Bridges Winery
2008 Walla Walla Valley Syrah ($24)
2008 Kolibri Vineyard (Yakima Valley) Reserve Malbec ($34)
2008 Columbia Valley "Prima Nata" Cab/Merlot/Malbec ($34)

A great tasting, in a very cool winery space. Standout wines for me were the Helioterra Mourvédre, Seven Bridges Prima Nata & Syrah, and the Vincent Pinots. Can't wait to see what these wineries do in the future!

Cooper Comes to Portland

2011-11-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

Red Mountain in Washington State is one of my top wine regions in the world. The wines from this small AVA on a "mountain" at the Southeast end of the Yakima Valley are second to none. One of the area's newest wineries, Cooper Wine Company, paid Portland a visit a couple weeks ago, and offered those "in the know" an epic tasting of their current releases. Owner/winemaker Neil Cooper brought his entire staff along for the ride, and poured 8 different wines, also offering some tasty small bites from the hosting venue, The Original Dinerat. Wines we tasted were:

2010 Estate Marsanne ($30)
2010 Estate Chardonnay ($40)
2008 L'inizio Bordeaux-style blend ($50)
2008 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
2009 L'inizio Bordeaux-style blend ($50)
2009 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
2009 Estate Merlot ($n/a - wine club only)
2009 Carmenere ($n/a - wine club only)

All of the wines were outstanding, with the two whites being my least favorite (as usual, I love the big reds!), and the stand outs being the Walla Walla Cabernet and the L'Inizio blend. Wine of the Tasting for me was the 2008 Walla Walla Cab. Huge fruit and structure, but very lush and delicious. Thanks Neil and team for a great tasting event! My friend Dave and I had a great time chatting with everyone while tasting through the line-up. I hope to see everyone again at the winery next time I'm in the area!

#WASyrah Twitter Tasting

2011-10-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

I love these Twitter tastings, except it is a bit difficult to tweet on my iPhone and taste at the same time! Nice lineup of Washington Syrah from a variety of producers, and hosted by E & R Wine Shop, located in the John's Landing neighborhood of Portland. And, lucky for me, only 4 blocks from my office!

2008 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Boomtown - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine #1. Good cherry fruit, bright acidity, medium body. A bit sharp on the finish, but excellent QPR. (86 pts.)
2008 Magnificent Wine Company Syrah Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine #2. Another great $20-ish range QPR wine. Cherry fruit on the entry, medium body, midpalate is a bit flabby, but showing some nice plum fruit. Finish is all cherries. Would definitely grab this off a restaurant list. (88 pts.)
2008 Milbrandt Vineyards Syrah The Estates - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
Wine #3. Loved the nose on this one! Big funky, pepper and blackberry, following to the palate. Good structure and acidity, supple tannins, medium/full bodied and drinking nicely. Sorry I missed this winery on our last Prosser visit! Tied for my WOTT. (92 pts.)
2008 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine #4. I caught a hint of TCA on this one. Not very apparent to others at the tasting, from what I overheard, but I am particularly sensitive to TCA taint. Flavors were a bit muted as well, if comparing this to the 2007 means anything. Lacking the big peppery fruit of the '07, and is actually a bit harsh. Would love to revisit this from a different bottle, as I loved the '07 and it is a killer QPR wine at $24. (85 pts.)
2009 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Stained Tooth - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine #5. Very forward nose, showing big fruit. On the entry, you can tell this is a young wine. A bit disjointed at the moment, and harshly tannic for my palate. Some vigorous swirling calmed this badboy down a tad, and that fruit really stood out. Lots of cherry and plum, but the tannins and acidity are both quite apparent. Give this one a year or two and it'll shine! (88 pts.)
2008 Mercer Estates Syrah McKinley Springs Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
Wine #6. Right off the bat I can tell this is a Horse Heaven Hills wine. Huge peppery nose dominates. Lots of sweet fruit hitting the palate, some vanilla and mocha on the back. Nice tannins and acidity, quite well-integrated. First Mercer wine I've had, and I'm impressed! (89 pts.)
2007 Reininger Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Wine #7. Very nice blackberry and pepper nose on this one. Hits the palate with sweet/funky blackberry fruit, and ends with a big dollop if black pepper. I think the extra age on this one gives it an edge, and it was drinking very nicely. Smooth, integrated, and delicious. I think this was tied for my WOTT. (92 pts.)
2008 Otis Kenyon Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Wine #8. Good fruit with a nice bit of funk. Strikingly strong blueberry flavors, which I usually don't get off Syrah. Finish is a bit sour cherry, which detracts from this wines appeal somewhat. (89 pts.)
2008 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah Estate Seven Hills - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Wine #9. Another great Walla Walla wine, blackberries and pepper abound. Medium to full bodied, with lots of thick fruit, and a great black pepper finish. So tasty, and just a tad below my top picks in this tasting. Evolving quite well since the last time I tasted this (Dec 2010). (91 pts.)
2009 Amavi Cellars Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Wine #10. This is another young'un. Nose is quite reticent, taking some fairly vigorous swirling to coax any aromas out. Just a hint of fruit. Palate-wise, this is highly acidic at the moment. Bright, with ample tannins that need to calm down a bit for pleasurable drinking (or several hours of decanting). The fruit emerges with more swirling, and is very nice black cherry. Hints of pepper and dark chocolate appear on the finish, but are overshadowed by the tannins. This should be a blockbuster, given some time to bring everything together. (90 pts.)

A great tasting with some stellar Syrahs. E & R Wine Shop is fairly new to me, but it is a great little shop! Lots of older vintage bottles here and there, and some rare stuff you never see anywhere (2006 Gramercy John Lewis Syrah, anyone?). My only complaint is also one of the shops benefits: There are bottles stashed horizontally on the racks behind bottles standing upright, so it is hard to really see all their inventory. However, this probably explains how they still have all those older vintages and rare bottles!
Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Corked Wines: A Reflection on Disappointment

2011-08-13T20:04:00.001-07:00

Corked! Nothing worse than popping a much-anticipated bottle of wine and discovering it is spoiled! We've all heard the word 'corked', but how many people actually know what it means, really? Most people I've asked think it has to do with a wine's cork closure actually failing in some way. While this is partially true (the cork failed to remain neutral towards the wine), the term 'corked' refers to the presence of TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) in the wine, most commonly from a tainted cork closure, or 'cork taint'. TCA has a very distinctive odor, most commonly described as wet newspaper/cardboard, damp shoe leather, wet dog, or musty basement. In other words, it is not pleasant, especially in a wine!

Ever wonder why there are so many alternative wine closures showing up on store shelves these days? Examples are Stelvin, or screwcaps, Vino-Lok/Vino-Seal, or glass corks, Zork, which is a bulbous plastic cork from Australia, and a myriad of synthetic/plastic corks. The stats don't lie: The number of corked wines from alternative closures is next to nothing, and if they are corked, typically the source of TCA in wine sealed with an alternative closure is NOT from the actual closure, but from a tainted barrel or something else within the winery itself. What percentage of wines are corked? I've read 1-3% as the normal range. A fellow wine blogger, Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report, has a running Corked Counter for 2011, where he documents his experiences with corked wines (he tastes a LOT of wine). As of July 2011, he had tasted 835 wines, with 26 being corked, for a corked rate of around 3%. But what about my personal experience?

After opening a corked wine this evening, I decided to take a look at my wine consumption history, using Eric Levine's wonderful tool, CellarTracker, which I've been using religiously since late 2007 to track my wine purchases and consumption. Here's the breakdown of my personal wine consumption and corked rate, by year.

2007 (Oct-Dec): 71 bottles consumed, 0 corked.
2008: 283 bottles consumed, 5 corked = 1.8% corked rate.
2009: 297 bottles consumed, 6 corked = 2.0% corked rate.
2010: 262 bottles consumed, 4 corked = 1.5% corked rate.
2011 (Jan-Aug): 125 bottles consumed, 3 corked = 2.4% corked rate.

Out of 1,038 wines personally consumed over roughly 3 years, 18 were corked, for a corked rate of 1.73%. Cost of these 18 corked wines came to $430.50, and I was able to get refunds on 2 of them that totaled $56. So my overall financial loss due to corked wines is $374.50. That's certainly no small number, even over 3 years.

I'm curious to hear from readers if anyone has experienced a corked wine, and what your thoughts are on traditional cork vs alternative closures. Comments are appreciated!

Walla Walla Invades The Willamette Valley

2011-02-21T11:54:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, February 19, friends and I ventured south to McMinnville for an epic tasting event at Noah's Wine Bar (Google Places page; they have no website) in downtown McMinnville. But prior to there, we stopped at Cana's Feast Winery for their wine club pick-up party. They released their 2008 Cabernet Franc, 2008 Taptiel Vineyard Merlot and 2008 Montagna Rossa, a SuperTuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, and provided barrel samples of the 2009 Taptiel Vineyard Merlot. All were very, very good wines, and pair with freshly-prepared fare from the bistro kitchen at the winery.

A total of twelve wineries and some 40+ wines were available for tasting at Noah's event, all for the minuscule sum of $10. There was no way I could taste all of the wines, so some abbreviated notes follow.

Amavi Cellars, sister to Pepper Bridge Winery, brought their 2008 Walla Walla Syrah and 2008 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon. Both showed quite well for being so young, with the Syrah edging out the Cab for me. Both were nicely structured, but the Syrah showed serious black pepper and some additional complexity that may eventually appear in the Cab, once it has additional bottle age.

Pepper Bridge Winery provided two of their five wines: the 2007 Merlot and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, both from estate (Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards) fruit. The third wine is a Reserve bottling, typically a Bordeaux blend of the previous two offerings. The fourth and fifth wines are wine-club only single-vineyard blends, Seven Hills Vineyard and Pepper Bridge Vineyard. Both the Merlot and Cab showed well in this tasting, with the Merlot being a bit more approachable currently.

Basel Cellars makes a number of wines from both estate grapes, as well as grapes from vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. For this event, they provided their 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah, 2007 Claret, 2006 Estate Merlot, 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Inspired Bordeaux-styled blend. The Syrah was again my favorite, but having tasted at the winery several times, I already knew I loved their Syrah. The Inspired was also a very tasty offering.

Five Star Cellars provided their 2008 Sangiovese, 2007 Merlot, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2008 Quinque Astrum, another SuperTuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab and Merlot. All fruit is 100% Walla Walla Valley. I really enjoyed the Cabernet with this winery. Full-bodied and really drinking well with lots of fruit. The SuperTuscan was also very tasty.

Leonetti Cellar brought their full line-up, but we were only allowed one taste (with a provided ticket). Available to taste while we were there was the 2007 Sangiovese and 2008 Merlot, with the 2007 Cabernet being available if you asked nicely. I chose the Cab and was rewarded with an explosive, extremely rich, full-bodied wine that will easily cellar for another 5-10 years. A delicious wine, although I question if it is the wine or the Leonetti brand that you are really paying so much for. With release prices being $80+, and the same wines being offered on wine auction sites for $30 or more below release price a year later, one has to wonder.

Reininger Winery is no stranger to my blog. The winery brought 2 wines from their Walla Walla Valley-sourced label, Reininger, the 2007 Syrah and 2007 Carmenere, and 2 wines from Helix, their lower-priced Columbia Valley label, the 2005 Sangiovese and 2006 Pomatia red blend. I liked the Pomatia a lot. It was easy to drink and very fruit-forward. But it was the two Reininger wines that really impressed. The Carmenere gets my vote as the most unique wine at the tasting. Not only unique, it was also delicious. The 2007 Syrah was also delicious, with a ton of black pepper and some funk, although not as much as their Ash Hollow vineyard bottling, which was regrettably absent from this tasting.

Seven Hills Winery brought their 2009 Reisling (not tasted), 2007 Malbec (slightly corked, although I am particularly sensitive to TCA), 2007 Petit Verdot (for the wine geeks), 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Klipsun Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA, and 2007 Pentad red blend. All but the Cabernet are from Walla Walla fruit. The Cab was far and away my favorite, but I'm partial to Red Mountain wines. It had serious structure and over-the-top flavor. The Pentad was also very tasty, but overshadowed by the Klipsun Cab, in my opinion.

Sinclair Estate Vineyards provided only 3 wines, their 2009 Chardonnay (not tasted), 2008 Sangiovese and 2008 PentaTonic, a Bordeaux-style blend. The blend was definitely my favored Sinclair wine, full of fruit and earth flavors. We will definitely pay them a visit the next time we're in Walla Walla.

Tamarack Cellars brought the most wines to this tasting. Present were the 2009 Chardonnay (not tasted), 2009 Firehouse Red (a 'kitchen sink blend' of many grape varietals), 2007 Merlot, 2009 Cabernet Franc, 2008 Syrah, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. I was really surprised how much I like ALL of the wines offered by Tamarack, but I really liked the 2008 Syrah and 2007 Cab Sauv. Both were very tasty and structured for decent cellaring.

Waters Winery only brought two wines, their 2007 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Syrah and 2008 Interlude Bordeaux-style blend made from 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Readers of this blog (all two of you) already know of my love for Waters 2007 Forgotten Hills Syrah. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Pepper Bridge Syrah in the past, as I feel it lacks the earthy funk and pepper flavors I love about Walla Walla Syrah. While not a bad wine by any means, the Pepper Bridge is overshadowed by the Forgotten Hills and Loess Syrahs, when compared side-by-side. At this tasting, the Syrah tasted good, with very pure Syrah flavors, minus the pepper and earth. The Interlude had the earthiness in spades however, and was my favorite Waters wine at this tasting.

A sister winery of Waters (and joint venture with Gramercy Cellars), Wines of Substance (fun website, by the way) brought their 2009 "Ch" Chardonnay (not tasted), 2009 "Sy" Syrah and 2009 "Cs" Cabernet Sauvignon. The Syrah again took top honors for me, barely edging out the Cabernet with it's nice blackberry flavors.

Woodward Canyon Winery brought their 2008 Chardonnay (not tasted), 2008 Nelms Road Merlot, 2008 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2008 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon. I was surprised how well the Nelms Road wines were tasting. For just $20 these two may just get some rotation into my daily drinkers lineup. Nice wines! But the Artist Series Can stole the show, with huge cassis and earth, also with some vanilla oak flavors evident. I really liked the amount of oak on this wine!

Va Piano Vineyards brought three wines, the non-vintage Bruno's Blend VII, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Syrah. I only tasted the Syrah and it was quite good, but seemed a bit flat compared to some of the others. It may have just been my tired palate at that point however.

There was one other wine being offered by the gentleman pouring Leonetti's wines, and it was not from Walla Walla. DeLille Cellars is based in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle, and sources their grapes primarily from Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs, with a little bit of Yakima Valley too. The wine being poured was the 2008 D2, a rich, Merlot-based Bordeaux-style blend. To my palate, the D2 was one of the tastier wines being poured. Very rich and mouth-coating, with solid tannins bringing up the finish. Interesting that at a wine tasting for Walla Walla wines, I liked a non-Walla Walla wine the most. Wine of the Tasting for me: DeLille Cellars D2, followed closely by the Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon.

Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend - Day 3

2010-12-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

Make sure you read about our Day 1 and Day 2 adventures first!

Day 3 started off just like Day 2, with the killer free breakfast at our hotel, and then Starbucks. Everyone sort of went their own ways this morning, with one couple heading home, Kristina and I going for a drive out in the country, and making plans to meet up with my Aunt and Uncle, who live in Walla Walla. Eventually we met up with 3 of our group at K Vintners. We didn't realize they were closed on Sunday, and were only accepting tastings by appointment. Fortunately, winemaker Charles Smith had a tasting appointment at the same time we showed up (along with a bunch of others), so he poured for us all! And what an experience! Charles is a no-nonsense kind of guy, and his gruff manner and crude jokes had the entire group laughing hard in no time! We started out with the 2009 Eve Chardonnay, moved to the 2008 Motor City Kitty Syrah, and then to the 2008 Phil Lane Syrah. Both were quite delicious, but the icing on the cake, and my favorite wine, was the 2007 Heart Syrah. What an amazing wine! Huge fruit and a ton of structure. It was a bit too pricy for us, so we went home with bottles of the Phil Lane and MCK Syrahs instead. I also snapped this great shot of an etched bottle of 2006 Royal City Syrah:

After getting some great pictures of Kristina on the K Vintners "K" (shown below), we headed over to my Aunt and Uncles house for a short visit, prior to hitting the road back to Portland. Another great Walla Walla trip, and I'm sure there will be many more!

Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend - Day 2

2010-12-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Make sure you read about our Day 1 adventures first!

We started off Day 2 by grabbing the free breakfast at our hotel. A nice spread! Afterwards, as part of our group was already out at the Airport wineries, we headed downtown for Starbucks and ended up tasting at DaMa Wines, with Mel pouring again (this time as a brunette!). I liked their Syrah a lot.

Finally, we headed south to my favorite Walla Walla winery, Rasa Vineyards. Pouring their wines was winemaker Billo Naravane. His brother and business partner, Pinto, was unfortunately not able to make the trip out to Walla Walla from his home on the East Coast. The wines were, as always, absolutely amazing! From their second-label PB Wines to the perfect-scoring 2007 Principia Reserve Syrah, all were so good! The Principia was my favorite, but I went home with another bottle of their delicious 2007 QED Rhone blend. Barrel samples were the 2009 QED, 2008 Principia and 2008 Creative Impluse, a stellar Bordeaux blend sourced from DuBrul Vineyard in Yakima Valley. If you thought Rasa was only great with Rhone varietals, think again! This wine shows a ton of promise, and I'm kicking myself for not jumping on a couple bottles at futures pricing. Such depth and purity of fruit. Just amazing wine.

After Rasa, we headed back into Walla Walla and out to the airport to meet up with our wayward friends at Dunham Cellars. The winery was all decked out in full Christmas decorations, with a huge tree in one corner, perfect for photo ops. Favorite wine at Dunham was the 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah. The barrel samples were a 2008(?) Syrah and Cabernet from Lewis Vineyard (both were VERY tasty).

Although I wanted to hit the 5 "incubator" wineries at the Airport, we ended up heading back into town to dump the cars and set off on foot to the downtown area tasting rooms. First stop, Trey Busch and Sleight of Hand Cellars. A bonus this time, we got to meet Trey's stepfather (I think), Dougal, from Georgia. What a fun guy! Trey makes an amazing Syrah, the Levitation, and the 2008 was drinking well this day. The barrel sample was a 2009 Syrah from Funk Vineyard called "Funkadelic". It was superb. I wanted to pick up a couple bottles of the Levitation, but didn't want to lug them around with me all night, so I swore to stop by on Sunday before we left to stock up. I forgot, of course (sorry Trey!), but will get some soon! The wine is too good to pass up.

After leaving SofH, we hiked down to El Corazon Winery at the end of downtown, and next to Mill Creek Brewpub. Spencer is the owner/winemaker, and his lovely wife and 6 year-old son were helping out in the tasting room. Never having tried El Corazon wines, I was very impressed! The barrel sample was a special extended-barrel aged Syrah. Great stuff, but reserved for wine club members. I'll be leaning on Woody to kick me down some when it is available! Kristina ended up buying a magnum of their 2009 Malbec. Really yummy stuff! As a bonus, the Walla Walla Holiday Light Parade went by as we were walking over to our next stop up the street.

That stop being Nicholas Cole Cellars. A great, modern tasting room, right at the end of downtown (and a perfect place to watch the parade of lights, while staying warm). Stand out wine here was the Estate Reserve, but ALL of the wines were great. A sad aside here, winemaker Mike Neuffer has closed the winery indefinitely, in order to care for his children in Seattle, after the death of their mother. I hope all goes well, and he is able to return to winemaking soon. The wines are delicious.

At this point, we had all hit our wine limit and headed over the the Marcus Whitman Hotel bar for some cocktails and warmth, before going back to the hotel. Don't miss our Day 3 adventures!

Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend - Day 1

2010-12-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

I recently took a weekend trip to Walla Walla for the Holiday Barrel Tasting weekend event, December 3-5. And finally got my girlfriend, Kristina, to come along, and see some of where I spent a lot of growing up. The 3 1/2 hour drive from Portland was uneventful, even with snow on the side of the highway. Once we pulled into the outskirt towns of Walla Walla, we made our first stop: L'Ecole No. 41 in Lowden, just west of Walla Walla on Hwy. 12. While all of their wines were delicious, we especially loved the 2008 Walla Walla Valley Estate Syrah, and the 2007 Perigee and Apogee Bordeaux blends. The barrel samples here were 2009 Perigee and 2009 Apogee.

Our group had all driven out from Portland the day before, and were already deep into wine country, so we decided to meet up with them south of town, at Basel Cellars. Of course we had to drive past my grandparent's old place on Wallula Road (wow, has it fallen apart since they sold it 20 years ago!), since it was on the way. We were the first at Basel Cellars, and proceeded to start the tasting. I think we were the only customers in the tasting room! Stand-outs at Basel Cellars were the 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah, 2007 Walla Walla Valley Estate Syrah, 2006 Basel Cellars Merriment Bordeaux blend, and the 2008 Cabernet Franc. We got a private tour of the winery, which used to be a huge garage for collectible cars and motorcycles. A very cool operation there. Upon returning to the tasting room, we met up with our group, and got to taste the barrel samples, a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, and (I think) Merlot. Much wine was purchased, for me, the 2006 Syrah.

After Basel, we raced over to Gramercy Cellars before they closed. I love MS Greg Harrington's wines, and we got to try a new one this night: The 2008 "Lower East" Cabernet Sauvignon (which gave the standard Gramercy Cab a run for it's money!), basically juice from the regular bottling that didn't quite make the cut. The 2008 regular Cab must be amazing, because the Lower East was damn tasty! The stand-out wine for me was the "Inigo Montoya" (My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.) Tempranillo. I can't remember the barrel sample here (2009 Syrah?), but I liked it a lot. Along with Gramercy, we got to taste Substance (fun website!) wines too. My favorites here were the Malbec and Syrah. I don't recall any barrel samples from Substance.

While everyone was tasting away, I boogied over to Waters Winery to taste through their Syrah line-up. I recalled from our Labor Day trip that I really, really liked one of the Syrah's, but not which one. Turns out, they are ALL amazing, but the meaty, stinky 2007 Forgotten Hills Vineyard Syrah. Wow, what a wine. I went home with 2 bottles of this treasure. Barrel samples were the 2009 Forgotten Hills Syrah and 2009 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon.

After tasting, we all headed into Walla Walla to our hotel, the Walla Walla Best Western, to freshen up and prepare for our dinner at T. Maccarones (we had to go back, after our stellar meal last trip). Great food, as always, and an amazing server (Nikki, I'm talking to you!). Although my favorite wine from last time, the Adamant Cellars Syrah, was out of stock, we ended up bringing a couple of our own bottles to enjoy.

After dinner, we walked around downtown (in 20+ degree weather, no less) before heading over to the Sapolil Cellars Tasting Room for some live music and a glass of their tasty Syrah, before stumbling back to the hotel for the night.

Read about our Day 2 and Day 3 adventures next!

Woodinville Wine Excursion

2010-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

What was supposed to be a quick afternoon stop for the grand opening of Obelisco Estate's new Woodinville Warehouse District tasting room, quickly turned into a full "excursion" and resulted in some some epic wine tasting! Read on about each of our stops.

Grand Reve Vintners
Although we had tried to hit this tasting room twice before, we either couldn't find them, or they were closed. I'm VERY happy they were open this day, because their excellent wines set the stage for a wonderful day! I'm also happy that I was able to previously order their sold out 2007 Collaboration Series III Syrah. These are amazing wines, built to age for years, and I highly recommend them all. The concept is using the best grapes (Red Mountain, natch), grown by master vineyard manager Ryan Johnson (Ciel du Cheval, Cara Mia, Galitzine, Grand Ciel, etc...) and then having some of the top wine makers in the region craft an individual wine, hence the "Collaboration Series" name. Collaboration Series I is a Bordeaux blend made by Ben Smith of Cadence Winery. Collaboration Series II is a Southern Rhône blend made by Ross Mickel of Ross Andrew Winery. Collaboration Series III is a Syrah made by Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery. Collaboration Series IV is another Bordeaux blend made by Carolyn Lakewold of Donedei Winery. Collaboration Series V is a Grenache made by Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery. Collaboration Series VI is another Southern Rhône blend made by James Mantone of Syncline Wines. They also have a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which we didn't get to taste, and are just about to release a delicious new lower cost, tasting room-only wine called "Petrichor", which is a Syrah-Cabernet blend.

2005 Grand Reve Vintners Collaboration Series I Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Rich, full-bodies, amazing fruit, with some nice earthiness in the mid-palate. Sweet fruity finish, with just a touch of oaky vanilla. A very well-balanced, well-made wine. (93 pts.)

2006 Grand Reve Vintners Syrah Collaboration Series III Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wow. This is the type of Syrah I love! Very structured, with some nice tannins on the finish. Great blackberry fruit, smokey, with some black pepper. (94 pts.)

2006 Grand Reve Vintners Petrichor - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
This is a pre-released Cabernet-Syrah blend, from the "second label" of Grand Reve. “Petrichor” describes the smell that results from rain hitting stone, and comes from “petri”, meaning “rock”, and “ichor”, the ethereal colorless fluid that was said to flow in the veins of Greek gods. An apt name for this elixir. Very rich, with nice structure, and amazing fruit on the attack. Mid-palate is full bodied and full of fruit, with a long sweet finish. (91 pts.)

Obelisco Estate
Obelisco Estate is a relative newcomer to the Washington Wine scene, but no stranger to high-quality winegrapes. In fact, co-owner Doug Long used to own IX Estate Vineyard in Napa Valley, famous for supplying grapes for some of Colgin Cellars' highest scoring wines. The wines produced by Obelisco Estate's Red Mountain vineyard are all amazing, particularly the Electrum Cabernet Sauvignon. The first released vintage from Obelisco Estate was 2007, consisting of a single wine, the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. For 2008 that wine was renamed "Electrum". They will also release a special Reserve-level Cabernet bottling called "Nefer III" in 2011. I can't wait to get my hands on that one!

2008 Obelisco Estate Syrah Tejen Les Gosses Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
First wine in the lineup, paired with mushroom bruschetta. Lots of cherry fruit, licorice, and some pepper. Very young, but there is serious potential here. (90 pts.)

2008 Obelisco Estate Malbec Tejen Obelisco Estate Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wine #2, paired with Belgian endive salad with stilton cheese, pecans and caramelized pears. Blue fruit, black cherries, with some spices. (89 pts.)

2008 Obelisco Estate Tejen Red Wine Obelisco Estate Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wine #3, paired with a caprese salad (on a stick). Plums, blackberries, spices, and some vanilla oak. Very structured with some nice, integrated tannins. (91 pts.)

2008 Obelisco Estate Merlot Tejen - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wine #4, paired with an apple and onion tart, with gruyere cheese. Lots of cherry fruit, cola, and some vanilla oak. This is Merlot! (91 pts.)

2008 Obelisco Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Electrum Obelisco Estate Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
The final wine, paired with a beef canape. Amazing wine! Lots of structure, many layers of flavors...blackberry, cherry, vanilla and spices. Finishing with a vanilla coke/blackberry pie mix. Very tasty wine, and a step up from the 2007. (93 pts.)

Gifford Hirlinger
Having visited the Gifford Hirlinger tasting room on many occasions, it remains one of our favorites. Not only for the delicious wines, but also for the fun tasting room manager, Jessica (sister of winemaker Mike Berghan), who always has a great story about the wines we are tasting. This visit was no different, and we had a great time chatting with Jessica, leaving with a bottle of their 2006 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon.

2008 Gifford Hirlinger Stateline Red Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
A simple blend, but quite flavorful. Having loved their Merlot and Cabernet, I'm surprised that the whole is less than it's individual parts...although I'm sure the fruit isn't exactly the same. Nice and quaffable, at an amazing QPR. (88 pts.)

2006 Gifford Hirlinger Merlot Estate - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Thinking our last bottle of GH Merlot may have been heat damaged, we locked eyes over our glasses after the first sip, knowing for sure that the last bottle we had was indeed spoiled. THIS was some good stuff! Tobacco, big fruit--blackberry and cherry--with some nice earthiness on the finish. Mike has a deft hand with wood on this wine, and there are no overbearing oak notes. Nice work! (90 pts.)

2006 Gifford Hirlinger Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
This wine just keeps getting better, every time I taste it! Great fruit, solid structure, nice acidity, and some really fine secondary flavors starting to emerge. The fruit is the star of the show here, with blackberries leading the charge. A bit of cassis in there too, with some earth and tobacco filling in, not a lot of oakiness at all, but just a bit of mocha coming in on the finish. (91 pts.)

2008 Gifford Hirlinger Malbec - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
This one edged a bit more towards the blue fruits than the other wines. Very rich, perhaps overly so, but a really nice wine. Not many secondary characteristics at this point, just a lot of fruit. (88 pts.)

Darby Winery
Darby Winery recently moved their tasting room from a nondescript space in the Woodinville Warehouse District to the Hollywood Schoolhouse District. The tasting room is in a new building next to Village Wines, amongst a number of other winery tasting rooms. A much better location, in my mind. Winemaker Darby English has again crafted some great wines, all at very respectable price points. My favorites are again his Syrah-based wines, and we went home with a bottle of The Dark Side Syrah.

2009 Darby le deuce - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
58% Viognier, 42% Roussanne. Definitely not a fan of this one, although maybe in the heat of summer it would work better. Lots of pear fruit, with some ginger ale (minus the carbonation). Well-made, just not my type of wine. (85 pts.)

2009 Darby The Endless Road - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Darby's first Rosé, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Quite nice, with some good dryness, and ample strawberry fruit. Really nice acidity too! (87 pts.)

2008 Darby Purple Haze Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, from Conner Lee, Sheridan, Stonetree and Boushey vineyards. I really liked this one...Lots of cassis and raspberry fruit, with a long finish of dark chocolate. Some tannins that could use a bit more time to integrate, but other than that, it was an amazing wine (and only $20!) (91 pts.)

2007 Darby CHAOS - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 12% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot. Not as tasty as the Purple Haze, in my opinion. Almost too tannic, and not giving up much flavor at the moment. Not sure on the barrel regime between the two, but this wine seems like it is built to age much longer, and perhaps needs some more time to integrate. Lots of cherry fruit, but a ripple of greenness throughout that I didn't like so much. (89 pts.)

2007 Darby Syrah The Dark Side Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very meaty Syrah! Lots of dark fruit, smoked meat, espresso. Very dark and full-bodied, reminds me a bit of a Betz Syrah, only at 1/2 the price. Good stuff (bought a bottle). (92 pts.)

2008 Darby The Flip Side - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
This is a Grenache-based Rhone blend, barrel sample (I think). The bottle was unlabeled, at any rate. Quite young tasting, with ample tannins, in sort of a Chateauneuf du Pape style. Some mocha/oak, strawberry and cherry fruit. A touch of white pepper. (90 pts.)

2008 Darby Syrah Aunt Lee - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Another barrel sample (I think--unlabeled bottle at least). We had a bottle of the 2007 Aunt Lee, and LOVED it, so it was no wonder we really liked this wine as well. Definitely on the younger side, but already showing some serious legs. Big blackberry and plum fruit, with lots of spices and smoked meat. Just what I love in a Syrah! (93 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Penfolds Tasting Seminar

2010-10-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Penfolds tasting seminar, hosted by Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants in NW Portland, and presented by Penfolds' Assistant Winemaker Steve Lienert and Technical Winemaker Andrew Wright. A great slideshow presentation of Penfolds history, and current winemaking areas, techniques, and the wines themselves. We tasted through 10 red wines from various vintages, including 2 vintages of Grange. A great event, and only $20!

The Bin Wines

The 'budget' end of Penfolds red wine lineup at this tasting, these Bin wines are typically around $20, and named for the concrete "bins" the bottles were stored in while aging. Some of the Bin series (Bin 389, Bin 707, etc) are quite expensive, however, and rival Grange in quality and prestige.

2006 Penfolds Bin 138 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Wine #1. Nice nose of blackberry and chocolate. Sweet & spicy fruit with a bitter, dark chocolate finish. (88 pts.)

2006 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 128 - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Wine #2. Black fruit and spices on the nose. Elegant but with ample tannins. Some mint along with the black cherry fruit, and finishing with some spicy cherry. (90 pts.)

1996 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna - Australia, South Australia
Wine #3. Plummy nose, with big red fruit and lots of pepper. Sweet plum fruit and vanilla, with surprising tannins for a '96. (91 pts.)

2004 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna - Australia, South Australia
Wine #4. Not much on the nose...very tight, with just a touch of fruit. Lots of tannin, sweet blackberry fruit, oak and vanilla. A bit disjointed to me... (89 pts.)

2006 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna - Australia, South Australia
Wine #5. Big peppery nose with blackberry and currant. Surprisingly less tannin than the '04. Much sweeter, with a long finish smoky finish. (92 pts.)

St. Henri

The St. Henri wine goes back to the 1950's with Penfolds, and even older vintages before it was purchased by Penfolds. A true Australian relic, known as the 'alter-ego of Grange'.

2006 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri - Australia, South Australia
Wine #6. Completely different than any of the other wines so far. Elegant nose of black fruit and cassis. Much more refined flavors than Bin 28 and none of the big pepper. Sour cherry flavors ending with some dark chocolate. Somewhat Bordeaux-like (!) in it's complexity. (92 pts.)

RWT - Red Winemaking Trials

Started as an experiment in 1995, and first launched in 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Working from a single region within Barossa Valley, and matured only in French oak, RWT is more muscular and assertive than Grange.

2004 Penfolds Shiraz RWT - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Wine #7. From magnum. Wow...Spices and sweet black fruits. This is what I like in Shiraz! Still quite tannic and drying, but very smooth and silky too. Blackberry pie comes close, with the sweet fruit and vanilla. Happy I have a bottle in the cellar, but I won't be touching it for at least 5 years. (94 pts.)

2007 Penfolds Shiraz RWT - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Wine #8. Couldn't be more different from the '04. Huge peppery nose, with some alcohol as well. Very tannic and a lot of pepper on the palate. Huge blackberry fruit, and some black licorice. A bit too over the top at this point. Needs a good 5-8 years in my opinion. (90 pts.)

Grange

The iconic Australian wine. And rightly so! Just an amazing line of Shiraz.

2002 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
Wine #9. From magnum. 98.5% Shiraz, 1.5% Cab in the blend. Huge nose of black fruit pepper and vanilla. Such an immense wine, and so damn good! Fruit for days...blackberry, sweet with oaky vanilla. Still just a baby, especially from magnum. (98 pts.)

2005 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
Wine #10. 96% Shiraz, 4% Cab. Another huge wine! Lots of plum fruit, seemingly from a hotter vintage? 100% new American oak for 18 months. Black pepper, big plum fruit and A LOT of tannins! Vanilla on the finish, but fairly hidden by the chalky tannins. At this stage, I much prefer the 2002. (93 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Walla Walla Wine Tasting - Day 3

2010-10-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read about our Day 1 and Day 2 adventures first!

Day 3 started off much like Day 2, except that the boys rolled into town and had breakfast at a delightful little cafe called Someone's In The Kitchen. Good food, great coffee and stellar service! Even still, with the hangovers we were rockin' that morning, a trip to Starbuck's for more coffee was definitely in order. Dave and Des took off for home later that morning, so it was a nice 4 person group to go tasting, this time down south of town where most of the area's vineyards and wineries are located.

First stop was the beautiful Basel Cellars. What a gorgeous winery! It has to be seen to be believed...great wines too! Lisa was still a little hungover, so she didn't taste but Trish, Woody and I enjoyed their entire line. The 2006 Syrah was my favorite, and on sale to boot, so I grabbed 2 bottles. I could have sat in the sun and drank in the gorgeous view all day, but more wineries beckoned! Tasting fee: $5 (waived with my bottle purchase).

Next stop was on JB George Road, at Saviah Cellars. While the wines here I'm usually a big fan of, they only had 5 wines open to taste, and just one Syrah, "The Jack", which was corked! I couldn't believe they were pouring this wine, and that none of the annoying, overweight, drunks tasting there picked up on the flaw. TCA was slight, but quite noticeable all in our group. The 2008 Une Vallée was my favorite in the lineup, but overpriced. Sorry guys, but the experience there was not a good one for us. Tasting fee: $0.

Right next door to Saviah Cellars is Waters Winery and Gramercy Cellars. Another beautiful winery, and we spent much longer here than we had originally planned, just because it was so cool to hang out there. They excel in Syrah at Waters, and of the 4 on offer (Columbia Valley, Loess, Forgotten Hills, and Pepper Bridge), my favorite was the Forgotten Hills. Amazingly funky and barnyard-y, the wine was delicious! Unfortunately, the 21 Grams red wine that is a high-end project by Waters and Gramercy together, was not being tasted. Tasting fee: $5.

Sharing the same facility is Gramercy Cellars, which requires a tasting appointment (we didn't have one). However, we were lucky enough to catch Matt, who was running the tastings, after a group left (one of the group members had THE WORST comb-over I've ever seen, starting from his neckline and going up over the top of his head. Truly amazing...), and Matt gave us a tasting appt. for a couple hours later.

We motored on, in search of Northstar Winery, and their much-lauded Merlot. I think they were having a wine club event or something, because the place was packed. Very cool tasting bar too. Anyway, the wines were all good, but nothing really stood out for me. The Merlot's were both tasting great, but a bit too high in price for me at that point. Tasting fee: $10.

Back to Gramercy Cellars for our tasting. Gramercy is another new winery in the area that is making a big splash, and rightly so. I had previously tasted their wines, and met winemaker/founder Greg Harrington, at Storyteller Wine Company in Portland, so I was no stranger, but wow, all of the wines blew me away. We tasted the new releases: 2008 Syrah, 2008 "Third Man" Grenache blend, 2008 "Inigo Montoya" (as in, "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.") Tempranillo, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved the Cab best, but since I already had a bottle (thanks Trish!), I picked up the Third Man. Regrettably, the John Lewis Reserve Syrah was not yet released. Tasting fee: $0.

Our next stop was Trust Cellars, over on Merlot Dr. Nice little tasting room, with an sweet view of the Blue Mtns. And of course, great wines! My favorite was the 2008 Walla Walla Valley Syrah, and I brought home a bottle. Tasting fee: $0.

About this time, I got a call from Gramercy Cellars, advising me that I had left my debit card there (oops!) so we decided to head back, but not before making a final winery stop at Va Piano Vineyards. While the winery was pretty cool, there was a fly infestation that was annoying, and the wines while good, were probably not tasting so well for us, after trying so many prior. At any rate, I wasn't very impressed and didn't have any money anyway, since my debit card was over at Gramercy. So we tasted through quickly, and left. Tasting fee: $0.

Back to camp to freshen up, and the out to dinner at T. Maccarone's for an excellent meal and killer bottle of Adamant Cellars Syrah ($28), and then to the Green Lantern Tavern, known locally as "The Green", or just "Green". Best bar in Walla Walla. Lisa schooled some guys at pool while the rest of us looked on, and enjoyed our drinks. We tried to go back to Sapolil Cellars for Syrah and live music, but they were closed, so we called it a night.

Headed home the following afternoon, after one hell of a chilly night camping. We broke camp, loaded up the Disco and rolled west, stopping at Reininger Winery again, to taste through their line up and buy some more Rosé. The drive home was long but interesting, what with all the wind turbines and the river, but long it was. We're planning to head back for Holiday Barrel Tasting the first weekend in December. Should be a great time!

Walla Walla Wine Tasting - Day 2

2010-10-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

Read about our Day 1 adventures in this post.

Day 2 started off early, with everyone hitting up the showers and jokes about "fire in the hole!". We set out in Woody's Rover Disco, with me in the far back manning the iPhone Charging Station (AC inverter and powerstrip), since everyone had an iPhone, and maps/GPS. Since we had a couple tasting appointments (1:00 at Long Shadows, 2:30 at Rasa Vineyards), we decided to head way out west, and start at Woodward Canyon, one of the oldest wineries in the area. Woodward Canyon is located on Highway 12, out in the tiny (TINY!) town of Lowden, and has some delicious wines. No detailed tasting notes here, but the Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon was amazing, and my wine of the flight. Tasting fee: $5.

Woodward Canyon is is conveniently right next door to L'Ecole No. 41 Winery, which we made our second stop of the day. If you go, be sure to "ring the bell" before you walk into the winery. You'll know what I'm talking about when you arrive. This winery was packed, with people standing 3 deep at the tasting bar. Huge wine list too, with Columbia Valley and local Walla Walla Valley options. I loved their Syrahs, as well as the Apogee/Perigee Bordeaux blends. As a bonus, we were able to taste some older vintage (2002) bottles of these two tasty wines, and what a difference age makes! While they had the 2002's available for sale, they were a bit above my price range, and I ended up taking a bottle of their 2007 Columbia Valley Syrah home, for $24. Tasting fee: $5 (waived with my bottle purchase).

We were able to fit in a third winery before our 1:00 tasting appt. with Long Shadows, and Reininger Winery fit the bill nicely. Great tasting room, that would be excellent for a big party (hint-hint), and delightful tasting room staff. They took very good care of us, and had plenty of knowledge about the wines. I think everyone's favorite wine was their 2009 Helix Rosé. I really loved the Ash Hollow Vineyard Syrah, because of it's funkified nose. Really dirty and earthy...yum! We lingered here a bit too long, and had to beat feet to get out to Long Shadows in time. Tasting fee: $5.

Long Shadows Wineries is off all by itself, up Frenchtown Road off Hwy 12, in the midst of rolling grain fields. The winery is of ultra-modern design, and situated such that when viewing outside from within, the sense of being in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around is incredible. Inside, it is very modern and luxurious, with a tasting 'host' and viewing windows down into the working part of the winery. You can tell they spared no expense when creating the winery! We were fortunate enough to chat with Bonny, who schedules the tasting appointments, and handles most (all?) of the sales and such at the winery. The wines here are all delicious, from the Riesling to the blends, and Syrah. Each wine is made by a different well-known winemaker, most from outside the US. Resident winemaker Gilles Nicault, who makes their Chester-Kidder wine, also takes care of the wines when the others are not in residence. My two favorites were the Pedestal Merlot, by Frenchman Michel Rolland, and Sequel Syrah, by Australian John Duval. Both were tasting perfectly that day, and I ended up splurging and took home a bottle of 2007 Sequel. Tasting fee: $10 (waived with my bottle purchase).

Our fifth stop was also our second 'scheduled' appointment, with relative newcomers, Rasa Vineyards, owned by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane. Their winery, previously the Artifex crush facility, is now the Hence Vineyards winery out on Powerline Rd. A beautiful winery, with river rock walls and a "lodge" feel to it! Rasa is only just preparing to release their second vintage (2008), and are already making a huge splash in the Washington wine scene. Their wines are all amazing! Had I the cash, I would have bought a case, at least, of each wine! The tasting lineup consisted of 2 vintages of their QED Rhone blend, Vox Populi Mourvedre, The Composer Riesling, Principia Reserve Syrah (my favorite), and two new wines from their second label, PB Wines. Released at a much lower price point than the regular line, the PB line is going to be a winner. They have a Red Mountain Syrah, and a Red blend as well, for just $29. Comparatively, the QED retails for $50, and the Principia $85. This was by far my favorite experience that day. Pinto and Billo were excellent hosts, and had a great story behind every wine. I could have spent all day just talking to them about wine and their philosophy behind it, let alone sampling their delicious wines! Almost everyone bought at least a bottle here, with me taking a Principia, QED and a couple bottles each of the PB Wines line. We're trying to get the brothers to come out for some tastings in Portland, so stay tuned! Tasting fee: $0.

After spending the rest of the afternoon at Rasa, we ended up back in downtown Walla Walla, attempting to hit Happy Hour at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. But guess what? No Happy Hour. See ya!

Next stop, Sleight of Hand Cellars tasting room. I love the wines here, and winemaker Trey Busch is super cool. We were picking out records (yes, actual LP records!) to play and having a great time chatting with Trey. He was unfortunately sold out of my favorite wine, the 2007 Levitation Syrah, but was gracious enough to pull out a yet-to-be-released 2008 Levitation for us to sample! Awesome wine, and one that I will be purchasing when it is finally available! Thanks Trey! Tasting Fee: $0.

About this time, we were starting to get hungry, and looking at food options. I happened to wander off, and stumbled upon the DaMa Wines tasting room on Main St, just down from Sapolil. Mel, the tasting room host, was awesome, and she had us all laughing hard from the start. The wines were great, with my favorite being the Syrah. I didn't make a purchase here (others did), but I probably should have! Tasting fee: $0.

Finally, dinnertime! We hit up Sweet Basil Pizzaria for some excellent pie and (you guessed it) more wine! Nothing ever tasted so good as that pizza...

We ended the night back at Sapolil Cellars Tasting Room, with more of that yummy Syrah and live music (different band), before crashing out back at camp.

Read about our adventures on Day 3 in this post.

Walla Walla Wine Tasting - Day 1

2010-10-03T19:09:00.001-07:00

Some friends and I planned a nice weekend in Walla Walla for some wine tasting. Dave, Woody, Trish, Lisa and myself all took off early on a Friday and headed east. After making the 4 hour trek up the Columbia River, we secured a couple tent sites at Blue Valley RV Park, on the north side of town (camping in the city, yo). Thus began the fun!

Our first order of the day (Friday night, really) was to go for a tour through downtown and get the lay of the land. Right off the bat, we keyed in on Red Monkey, if only for the funny name. Dinnertime! Great burgers and drinks, but as it turns out, this is a restaurant...and nightclub! Hmm. We finished up right at the transition between the two, and once the lame hiphop beats started hitting, we knew it was time to move on.

Our next stop was Mill Creek Brewpub for $3.33 margaritas! Yes, they were sickly-sweet with cheap mix and cheaper tequila, but...$3.33! Couldn't pass that up! As a bonus, friend Des finally showed up, having left PDX much later than the rest of us, and made the trip out alone.

The last stop of the night was the Sapolil Cellars Tasting Room for some live music and a glass of their excellent Patina Vineyard Syrah, and "Gandy Dancer", a blend of Syrah, Sangiovese and Malbec. Great little place, with a fun, diverse crowd. Located next door to the Cayuse Vineyards tasting room (which is almost never open).

The town pretty-much rolls up the sidewalks, along with everything else, around midnight, so we headed back to the campground to rack out and make an early start on our wine tasting excursion. My Day 2 and Day 3 posts cover the majority of our wine tastings. Read on!

40th Birthday BBQ & 1970 Vintage Wine Tasting

2010-08-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

A BBQ/Wine Tasting put together to celebrate my 40th Birthday. I started sourcing 1970 vintage wines about 2 years ago, buying them on WineBid, and other auction sites. Although several were over the hill, surprisingly, only 1 bottle was flawed out of an entire case of 1970's wines. Pretty damn good luck, if you ask me! Wines are listed in the order they were supposed to be tasted, not in the order they actually were tasted (although I noted it in the tasting notes for each). It was an epic event for me, as well as for many of my friends. Outstanding wines, and even better friends in attendance! Special thanks to Woody, Dave and Dietra, for going above and beyond helping me get everything set up. There are a number of photos on Flickr, as well as a video of the 1970's wines for download (requires QuickTime). Okay, on to the wines!

Pre-Tasting Bubbles, White and Rose
Some wines to whet everyone's palate, as well as go with the 93+ degree weather outside. There were others (a Lenne Estate "Le Nez" Rose of Pinot Noir, a Pinot Grigo, etc), but I didn't taste them.

N.V. Gruet Brut Blanc de Noirs - USA, New Mexico
Overly bubbly at first but settled down a bit. Perfect bubbles for a 93 degree day. Slightly sweet, and nice minerality too. Pear fruit, and very refreshing. (88 pts.)

2007 Matanzas Creek Winery Chardonnay Sonoma Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Light straw in color. Flavors of honeydew melon and pineapple, nice minerality too. (89 pts.)

2009 Patton Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very light, pale pink color, with vibrant acidity, and tasty strawberry fruit. (88 pts.)

1970 St. Émilion

1970 Château Bellevue Lussac-St. Émilion - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion
Bottle #1, and the first bottle of 1970 wine I bought for this tasting, over 2 years ago. Very thin looking, this looks, smells and tastes like a Pinot Noir. Fruit still apparent, with tons of barnyard. Absolutely no sediment (!) for a 40 year old Bordeaux. (84 pts.)

1970 Château Canon - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Bottle #2. Cork came out in 2 pieces, with light effort. Some sediment, but not much. Dark maroon, with an amber tint to it at the edge. Soy sauce, very light fruit (cranberry or cherry?) hiding out. Very interesting to see people's reaction... (86 pts.)

1970 Margaux

1970 Château Lascombes - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Bottle #3. Cork was wet on top with seeping wine, and sucked down into the neck slightly when I lightly tapped on the top. I had serious misgivings about this one, but they were unfounded. Cork came out in 2 large pieces. Wine is in excellent shape, with very dark maroon color, fruit living nicely. Cherries and blackberries, with nice earth and some asian spices. (86 pts.)

1970 Château Rausan-Ségla - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Bottle #5. Cork saturated, but came out in a couple big pieces. Initially there was some VA in this one, but it blew off in about 10 min. Good color, dark garnet fading to bronze at the rim. Fruit is faded, but still there. Lots more secondary flavors though, with earth, tea, and leather. This gets the cool bottle trophy, with a funky triangular-looking bottle. (88 pts.)

1970 St. Julien

1970 Château Gloria - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Bottle #4. Cork came out in several pieces, all of them large enough to avoid straining. This was a pleasant surprise! Very much still alive, even though I had my doubts (top shoulder fill, obvious signs of seepage through the cork). Cassis, cherry and earth, with a hint of soy sauce. Some sediment in this one, but not what you'd expect for a 40 year old wine. (88 pts.)

1970 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Bottle #9. Cork looked perfect, but ended up crumbling with the introduction of a corkscrew, and came out in many small pieces, prompting us to strain the wine. In perfect condition otherwise. Solid tannins, big blackberry fruit, with secondary flavors of lead pencil and tobacco. Nice earthiness also. This was another wine that seemed only several years old, instead of 40. (90 pts.)

1970 Pauillac (and a 1976 First Growth)

1970 Château Pedesclaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Bottle #6. Cork looked solid, but refused to budge from the bottle, eventually coming out in pieces and requiring straining. A nice wine, but nothing spectacular. Still quite alive and vibrant. Dark burgundy in color, with raspberry and graphite flavors, along with forest floor and cedar components. Tannins slightly drying on the finish. (87 pts.)

1970 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Bottle #7. Cork crumbled into several large chunks, but no straining needed. This one seemed a little over the hill. Black tea, soy sauce, with just a little bit of cherry fruit popping up, but quickly dying. Some pretty serious sediment in this one too. (85 pts.)

1970 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Bottle #8. Perfect cork, but stuck in the bottle, requiring it's destruction to get at the good stuff inside. Remind me to buy an Ah-so opener next time. Once the wine was finally opened and strained into my glass, wow. Very dark garnet color, no cloudiness. Looks like it was bottled yesterday. Fresh cassis fruit, with gravel and tobacco showing. Some fairly hefty tannins still kicking also. This was a joy to drink! (92 pts.)

1976 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Bottle #12, and the only non-1970 in the lineup. Cork came out easily, in one LONG piece. This wine looks, smells and tastes like it is only a few years old. Dark maroon, with some lovely wood and earth aromas with gravel and blackberry fruit. Solid tannins, still holding strong. Nice acidity and fruit, making me think this one still has many years left to go. Just an outstanding wine. The secondary flavors are just starting to build up as the wine is getting more air. Particularly the gravel/pencil lead aspect. Very tasty tobacco and earth emerging too. Perfect wine to end the tasting. (95 pts.)

1970 Tuscany & 1970 Napa Valley

1970 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Alle Mura - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Bottle #10, and the only one that was flawed, in this case heat damaged. Overly sweet and caramelized. Not pleasant to drink at all, although still interesting to taste 40-year old Sangiovese. NR (flawed)

1970 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley
Bottle #11, but opened early due to guest requests. Cork came out in one piece, easily. Nice dark maroon color, going a little bronze at the edge, with not much sediment or cloudiness. Black cherry fruit, earth and mint flavors. Still some drying tannins on the finish, which shows a bit of mocha/coffee. Very nice, aged Oakville Cabernet. (89 pts.)

New World Wines (and an Amarone)
Catch-all for "the rest of the wines" brought by me and several friends, including a bottle of the unreleased 2003 Sharecropper's Cab (with hand-written lajavascript:void(0)bel) from Owen Roe (thanks Jesse!), a Penfolds Shiraz (thanks Dave!), and an Amarone that was a 38th birthday present (thanks Dietra!).

2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon
Big, bold black cherry fruit and oak, with some nice barnyard kicking in. This is still a baby, and should be held for another year or 3. Very smooth, with nice acidity. (90 pts.)

2000 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
For an 'off vintage' in Napa, this was shining bright! Very earthy, with that lovely aged Cabernet flavor. Deep cherry fruit, with tons of earth. A joy to drink, and one of my favorite wines of the night. Very happy I have another bottle, even happier these only cost me $30 each. (93 pts.)

2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Unreleased bottle with handwritten label, gift from Jesse. Very dark in color, with outstanding aromatics. Blackberry, earth, and a touch of pepper. Damn tasty stuff, that I hope to get more of soon! (91 pts.)

2004 Vaona Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Pegrandi - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Birthday gift from Dietra 2 years ago, seemed proper to open it at my 40th birthday party! Dark purple/blue color, with big sweet blueberries and lots of earth. Tannins are kicking hard, but relaxed a lot with about 20 min of air. Very meaty, and a very enjoyable wine! (93 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Huge wine, with big blackberry fruit and black pepper. Some leather/tobacco showing also, and the nose just screams "violets!". Still needs time, but very enjoyable now, with air. (95 pts.)

2006 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna - Australia, South Australia
BIG fruitbomb wine, with a ton of pepper. Typical Aussie Shiraz style, but very enjoyable to have a sip. More than 1 glass would be tiresome, until this calms down some. (90 pts.)

2005 Opus One - USA, California, Napa Valley
Decanted 4 hours. When first opened this was a tannic beast, with huge cassis fruit. After 4 hours in the decanter, with several people stealing pours over that time, it had mellowed out into a beautiful, balanced wine. The nose is amazing...violets, and big berry fruit, with an underlying earthiness to it. Cassis, raspberry, tobacco and toasty oak flavors, with a chocolate-coffee finish that goes on for 30-40 seconds. In the company of 12 bottles of 1970 wines, this was still my wine of the night. (97 pts.)

Sweet Wine
The final wine, forgotten in the refrigerator until most everyone had departed.

2008 EOS Moscato Late Harvest Tears of Dew - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Final wine of the night, and my palate is shot. This is just over the top sweet though...way too much. Honeysuckle, orange and a heap-o-sugar. (83 pts.)

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

An Essay By My Father

2010-07-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share an essay written by my father, Ray Frost, for a contest in Highways magazine. Unfortunately, there was a 500-word limit, so it was never published. The story is a recap of our first RV trip as a family, my parents and sister, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents on my Dad's side. It brought back some great memories for me, especially about my Grandpa, who passed away in 2001. So, for my own little tribute to Grandpa Frost, the "Wagon Master", and to my own Dad, please read on, and enjoy...

On the Road With the “Wagon Master”

By Raymond Frost

Our first RV trip was prompted by my mother’s small inheritance and two family reunions in June, 1984. Mom would foot the bill for gas, food, and camping if we all RV’ed back to southeast Idaho and Nebraska for reunions on both sides of the family. My folks were outfitted with a “snowbird-tested” motorhome and my brother Dan and family would travel in his trusty pickup camper. We had a Mazda sedan—so we started shopping for our first RV. Moving up from tent camping was a bit of a jump, so we hit on a middle-of-the-road deal that put us in a used Coleman tent trailer, supposedly easily towed by our Mazda. (First-timer tip: Check on tow ratings and hitches.) The tent trailer seemed in good shape and had plenty of room for our family of four. It even had a stove, sink, and ice box—quite luxurious compared to the tent.

The first day we traveled solo from southern Oregon to meet my folks and Dan and family in Boise, Idaho. They had traveled down from southeast Washington. After we got set up in the campground, I realized we had completed our first RV’ing day without mishap. The next morning after daybreak, we heard a soon to be familiar sound—RAP, RAP—on our trailer door. This was accompanied by “rise and shine, we’re burning daylight” or “head ‘em up, we’re moving out” or some such wake-up call. It was my dad with his cane. Mom might be paying the bills, but the “Wagon Master” was in charge of meeting his itinerary. No sleeping in on this vacation! We soon got used to the early routine, which gave us time in the afternoons for sightseeing.

Dan and I both bought Golden Eagle Passports which covered entry fees at all of the National Parks and other Federal sites we visited. Our first one was Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. We all rode in the motorhome for a tour of the Monument. The Park Ranger at the entrance burst into laughter as Dan and I pressed our Passports against the window, as Dad used his Golden Age Passport (think Senior Pass) to cover the entry fees.

By that evening we were parked at Grandma’s farm in southeastern Idaho. This was the gathering place for the first reunion—Mom’s clan. As I cranked up the tent trailer our first mishap occurred—you knew it was coming—a cable jammed and an eyebolt spread open. My uncle grabbed his welder (every farm has one) and repaired the bolt, but the top needed lifting assistance—a cane or a stick worked fine. No dealer or repair shop in the area would touch it within the Wagon Master’s tight schedule, so we limped through the rest of the trip. Later I learned that a cable had jumped off a pulley and split. (First-timer tip: Know your crank system or buy a hard-side.) Oh yes, we saw lots of relatives, but my uncle’s rib barbecue on the River Ranch was the highlight.

RAP, RAP! Off to Yellowstone and two days camping and sightseeing in the Park. We discovered it gets real cold in mid-June there! We also learned that ice crystals forming on the canvas from your breath can “snow” on you when you roll over in bed. (First-timer tip: Consider adding a propane furnace.) After touring Yellowstone, we found ourselves in a calendar photo on Jenny Lake with the Grand Tetons looming over us. You felt you should speak in whispers to avoid disturbing the tranquility.

RAP, RAP! Our little convoy headed across Wyoming, watching for antelope. The four grandkids rode in the motorhome the whole way, keeping occupied with their Walkmans and various games. We pulled into our campground in Douglas in a thunderstorm, not ideal conditions for setting up a tent trailer. However, by this time we had a routine worked out and each of us had a job to do, so it went fairly quickly. Our wagon train lined up with our rig first, closest to the restrooms. Unfortunately, that was the direction of a major league straight-line wind out of the south, and I spent a good part of the night with my back against the door in hopes of keeping the Coleman from rolling over. It didn’t. (First-timer tip: In a lightweight trailer, hide behind the biggest motorhome you can find, when in windy country.)

The next day was an easy one. The itinerary included visiting a number historic sites and National Monuments: Fort Laramie, Scott’s Bluff, Chimney Rock, and a state park with swimming for the kids. We also encountered our first fireflies, to the delight of the youngsters. This was our first dry camp in our RV. We managed just fine, especially since Mom provided dinner for us all. Okay, I cheated a little and took a quick shower in the motorhome.

RAP, RAP! We made a quick run across Nebraska to the next reunion—Dad’s side. By late afternoon we were set up in a nice city campground, with scads more fireflies for the kids to chase. We had another first when we learned there was a tornado warning in effect, but a glance at the sky and my worries faded. The next day included a barbecue at my cousin’s (where I noted the location of the storm cellar, just in case) for nearby relatives, including my other grandma. The main event was a gigantic potluck the following day at the fairgrounds. Dad’s every living relative must have attended. We gave up keeping track of the various families and just enjoyed all the good food, visiting, and taking pictures of dozens of cousins.

RAP, RAP! Time to start our return trip. The Wagon Master informed us we had to be in the middle of South Dakota by that night. A pleasant drive north through the Nebraska sand hills put us on I-90 headed west. We pulled into our campground in Murdo with lightning again flashing around us and quickly set up camp. Then we heard: Tornado Watch! A look at the sky this time scared me. I had never seen such an angry rolling black cloud mass. The Wagon Master proceeded to scare the kids (and me) by pointing out the limited tornado shelter options we had. The boys thought diving into a nearby ditch was the answer. The girls opted for our car or the motorhome. Looking at my tent trailer flapping in the wind, I plotted the quickest way to the concrete block wash room—just in case. Despite our fears, nothing touched down in our area. (First-timer tip: Carry a NOAA weather radio in Tornado Alley.)

The next day we took in the Badlands National Park and stopped at Wall Drug, where I ran into a co-worker from Oregon. Small world! On to Rapid City and the Reptile Gardens and the Dinosaur Park. Then the Wagon Master led us on a three-day tour of the Black Hills. Mount Rushmore and Wind Caves were highlights and the kids enjoyed our night at the Flintstone Campground in Bedrock City—lots of cartoon-based play equipment.

RAP, RAP! On to Montana after spending a night in Sturgis at my uncle’s. Construction had limited access to the Little Big Horn National Monument, and with the temperature hovering around 103 in Hardin, the kids voted for a dip in the campground pool as an alternative. Our last night in Montana was spent at Lewis and Clark Caverns, where we took the interesting cave tour.

The following day we were atop Lolo Pass looking into Idaho. We were just two or three days from completing the loop on our three week odyssey. After we arrived home, I had to marvel at our first time with our mighty Mazda-Coleman combo. Despite our one mishap and several weather challenges, we still had the trip of our lives. (First-timer tip: Keep a journal—so you have memory joggers twenty-five years later. Also helps in labeling photos.)

The Wagon Master passed on in 2001, leaving behind two avid RV’ing sons. My brother upgraded to a motorhome and we to a fifth-wheel trailer. Even though my wife and I now live in Arizona, we still RV together whenever possible. And yes, I still have the Wagon Master’s rapping cane.

RAP, RAP! Yes, I hear you, Dad. But we’re retired now and RV at a slower pace. I think we’ll “burn a little daylight” today.

Thanks for the memories, Dad. --Robert

Efeste Winery Visit

2010-06-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I visited Efeste Winery in Woodinville Washington's Warehouse Wine District last weekend. We were lucky to be able to meet, and chat with, co-founder/owner Daniel "Big Papa" Ferrelli, and winemaker Brennon Leighton, both pictured below with my girlfriend, Kristina, in the Efeste tasting room.

We also got to taste some yet-to-be-released 2008 wines that had been opened for one of the big wine critics, who I'm not going to name. It was a total WIN for us, as the wines had been open a day or so, and all of the 2008's were showing beautifully.

2009 Efeste Sauvignon Blanc Feral - USA, Washington
Surprisingly smooth and fruity for a Sauv Blanc. Definitely one of the most drinkable (for my palate) SB's I've ever tasted. Bright fruit, zinging acidity, but not over the top like many others I've had. A touch of sweetness in there too. (86 pts.)

2009 Efeste Riesling Evergreen - USA, Washington
Very tasty Riesling, with just a hint of residual sugar, giving the finish a nice sweetness. This is like drinking a granny smith apple that has a small amount of honey drizzled on it. (87 pts.)

2007 Efeste Syrah Ceidleigh - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
I love Red Mountain Syrah and this is typically my favorite Efeste wine (I think the Red Willow Eleni Syrah beat it this time though!). 100% Red Mountain Syrah: 57% Klipsun Vineyard, 28% Ceil du Cheval, 10% Kiona Top of the Hill Ranch, 5% Stone Tree Vineyard. Just a great wine, with outstanding smokey black fruit and loads of pepper. I'm sitting on my last bottle of this, but may have to buy some more because I don't think I can wait much longer to enjoy it! (94 pts.)

2008 Efeste Syrah Ceidleigh - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wow, what a different wine, compared to the 2007! Much bigger fruit on the attack, and absolutely palate-coating. Fruit is swimming all over my mouth, and putting a silly grin on my face. I'll be standing in line to buy this when it is released in November. (94 pts.)

2008 Efeste Syrah Jolie Bouche Boushey Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Dark, glass-coating inky purple, edging toward black, in color. Very spicy...VERY spicy. There is a ton of pepper and spice in this wine, but huge amounts of black fruit as well. Mouthcoating, this wine will stain your teeth just by looking at it. Very rich, with a sweet, peppery finish. (93 pts.)

2008 Efeste Syrah Eleni Red Willow Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
100% Red Willow Vineyard Syrah, from the oldest block of Syrah in the state. This is an amazing wine, with tons of black pepper and lots of structure. Nice fruit, slathered over peppercorns. This is an astounding wine, and one that, even at this young age, will knock your socks off. (96 pts.)

2008 Efeste Emmy - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
A blend of Mourvedre and Syrah. Also very spicy and inky. This wine was definitely different tasting than the other Syrahs, so I'm assuming there is a pretty large percentage of Mourvedre in there (I can't remember how much winemaker Brennon Leighton said was in the blend). Lots of structure too, but not as much as the Eleni Syrah. Quite spicy, but not as much black pepper as the others either. More like Asian spices, and maybe a bit of cinnamon. Finish is spicy chocolate. (92 pts.)

2007 Efeste Final-Final - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Syrah, 2% Mouvedre, from a handful of vineyards in Columbia Valley. This is the epitome of an enjoyable quaffing wine. Everything comes together perfectly, and you just want to DRINK this wine. In fact, later in the evening, we hung out at Pearl in Bellevue, where I enjoyed several more glasses of Final-Final! Just a nice, fruit-forward quaffing wine, with decent structure, but with nothing over the top or out of place. Acidity good, tannins good, fruit good, finish good...it's ALL good. (91 pts.)

2007 Efeste Cabernet Sauvignon Big Papa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
The badboy 100% Cabernet from old vines: 31% Kiona Vineyard, 31% Weinbau Vineyard, 25% Klipsun Vineyard, 13% Sagemoor Vineyard. This one is a killer, big and bold. Named after Efeste co-founder/owner Daniel "Big Papa" Ferrelli, who I had the pleasure of chatting with during our visit, it is definitely the last wine you want to taste in the lineup. Huge cassis with a Bordeaux-like gravelly/lead pencil component. Great cab! (93 pts.)

After tasting through 9 wines, I have to say I was the most taken with their 2008 Eleni Syrah from Red Willow Vineyard. Efeste sourced the grapes for Eleni from a block of the oldest Syrah grape plantings in Washington! It is an amazing wine, and I must get some upon release! Only one problem...to get Eleni and Emmy (among other special wines), you have to be a member of The Inner Circle, Efeste's wine club. I think I must join...

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Dundee Hills Passport Tour Wine Tasting

2010-04-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Myself and 3 friends trucked down to Dundee, OR for the Dundee Hills Passport Tour. A $10 passport (ours was a lame sheet of paper, as they ran out of actual passports) purchased at Four Graces Winery gets you into most Dundee Hills wineries at a greatly reduced cost (Archery Summit is typically $20, and cost $7 with a passport). We arrived rather late in the day, so after getting our passports and a tasting at Four Graces, set about hitting the big names.

Stop 1: The Four Graces - Free tasting with $10 passport purchase.

2008 The Four Graces Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
First wine of the day. Light, crisp and slightly sweet, with some nice tropical fruits. (88 pts.)

2009 The Four Graces Pinot Blanc - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Millions of peaches...peaches for me. This wine is all about the peaches. And I really don't like peaches... (85 pts.)

2007 The Four Graces Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
None of us could get past the super-funky smell of this wine. Very barnyard...horse manure, saddle blanket, poop, were some of the descriptive words floating around in our group, that I'm able to repeat here. One bonus, we proved, through a test with water, that the entire contents of a 750ml bottle of wine will fit in a Riedel Oregon Pinot glass, with several cm. left at the top. (85 pts.)

2007 The Four Graces Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Still lots of FUNK in this Pinot, although not quite as noticeable as in the regular bottling. Some cherry fruit is also evident, although still masked by the leather-funkiness. (87 pts.)

2007 The Four Graces Pinot Noir Reserve Black Family Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Now we're talking! This wine is from the top block of their estate vineyard, aged in 100% new French oak for 1 year. And finally the funk is integrated! I get a lot of oak notes in this one, with nice smooth cherry fruit gliding over my tongue. Still a baby of a wine, that will definitely improve with age. (89 pts.)

Stop 2: Archery Summit - $7 tasting fee with passport.

2007 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
First wine at Archery Summit, poured outside on their patio. Nice, elegant cherry fruit, with a nice dose of dirt mixed in. Smooth and easy drinking, this one. (90 pts.)

2000 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Renegade Ridge Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Yes, you read that right. 2000 vintage. A 10 year-old Pinot, and its drinking like it was just released! Wow. Impressive, Archery Summit! No sign of age in the color, aromas or flavors of this wine. No pruney, porty, stewed fruit. Just crisp, bright cherry fruit, earth, and a hint of saddle leather. Tasty! Poured in the wine cave. (91 pts.)

2007 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir Red Hills Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Somewhat of a letdown after the incredible 2000 Renegade Ridge. Served in the dark wine cave, it was hard to notice the color, but this was definitely lighter and much more elegant than the fruit-driven 2000 Renegade Ridge. Light cherries, some oak, and that signature leather. (89 pts.)

2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Arcus. Need I say more? And from the 2006 vintage, one of my favorites. Typically their longest-lived wine, this is still drinking like a baby. Sweet black cherry, with earth, oak notes, and a creaminess that is quite interesting. Served in the winery's tasting room, which was clogged with people. (91 pts.)

Stop 3: Domaine Drouhin - $5 tasting fee with passport.

2008 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
First wine at DDO. Nice pear fruit, pretty crisp on the acidity. Would work well with a fish dish or as a summer sipper. (86 pts.)

2009 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition Rosé - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Very nice rose of Pinot. This would rock with some salmon. Was very tempted to adopt a bottle or two, but resisted the temptation (at least so far). Very light and refreshing, to be consumed (per the winery) within 3-6 months tops. (88 pts.)

2007 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Not very exciting...2007 vintage, light, with some elegance that is becoming the trademark of this vintage in Oregon. But lacking the mouth-filling fruit I prefer in my Pinots. Cherry and leather flavors. (87 pts.)

2006 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
This is the wine I've been waiting to try at this winery. 2006 vintage, nice solid mouthful of cherry fruit, with a great earthy backbone. Best wine here, but falling behind the Archery Summit Arcus today. Wish we could have gotten a taste of the "Louise", as I hear she would have given Arcus a run for its money. (90 pts.)

Stop 4: Vista Hills Vineyard - $5 tasting fee with passport, and my vote for the coolest tasting room of the day, the "Treehouse". Simply gorgeous view from the main tasting room and deck! Kicking myself for not bringing a camera to capture the view. Also, I'm not 100% certain the wines I've selected from CellarTracker are the correct ones...I had notes, but didn't get the wine details for several of them, so the vintage may be off, if not the designation, for the last couple of wines listed here.

2008 Vista Hills Vineyard Pinot Gris TreeHouse - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Smooth, light and very crisp, with a sweet tropical fruit flavor profile. Pineapple perhaps? I like this. (88 pts.)

2007 Vista Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir TreeHouse - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Nice nose of tart cherries, that makes me salivate. Flavors follow...sort of. A bit more acidic than I like, and the fruit seems to be a bit light, when compared to the nose. It is still drinking nicely, and our group enjoyed it. (88 pts.)

2007 Vista Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir Piedmont - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Lighter in color than some others here, and also lighter in flavor. Still, some cherry fruit, with a lot of acidity, and a bit-o-funk. Not very exciting though, and reflective of my general take on the 2007 vintage Oregon Pinots. (87 pts.)

2007 Vista Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir Marylhurst Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
A bit more fruit in this one, strawberries and bitter cherries coming in on the finish. Some tobacco too, which is a nice surprise. Acidity is more under control than the Treehouse also. (89 pts.)

2007 Vista Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir Saga Hills Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Big cherry fruit in this one, surprisingly forward for a 2007. Nice structure also, with an earthy/tobacco finish, lightly tannic. (90 pts.)

The last wine we tasted was quite unique...I was so taken by the oddness of it, I forgot to note the actual wine. I actually thought this was a Pinot Noir port when I first smelled it. Very sweet, stewed strawberry fruit, with maybe some rhubarb. Interesting aromas, with the flavors showing a slightly metallic edge. While it was fun to taste, more than a glass would be hard for me to drink, especially without food.(88 pts.)

Stop 5: Dobbes Family Estate - $5 tasting fee with passport. The most crowded tasting room, due to the winery being open the latest (6pm) in the area.

2007 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Slightly sweet, with a nice honeydew melon flavor. Smells somewhat tropical also. (86 pts.)

2007 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Noir Grande Assemblage Cuvée - USA, Oregon
Light red, with a nice spicy nose. Some tobacco coming through also. Fruit is bigger than expected, black cherry with a finish of leather. (88 pts.)

2006 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Noir Griffin's Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Bigger fruit than the Grand Assemblage...probably reflecting the different vintage. Spicy, dark cherry, earth, and a somewhat tannic finish. (88 pts.)

2006 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Noir Cuvée Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Last wine of the day, and my palate is shot. This one is bigger than the Griffin's, with similar flavors. More mouthfilling and lush fruit though, and enjoyable to drink. (90 pts.)

All in all, a great event, and one that I will need to take advantage of again. Fun area, nice wineries, and not too heavy a crowd anywhere, except Archery Summit and maybe Dobbes at the end of the day. My only regret was missing the 4pm closing of Winderlea Vineyard by 10 minutes. One day I will make it to their tasting room!

#WAMerlot Twitter Tasting

2010-03-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

One of my Twitter friends, Josh Wade, who is @drinknectar on Twitter and blogs at Drink Nectar, organized a Twitter Wine Tasting focused on Washington State Merlot. The premise was, you go to a winery, wine bar, restaurant, friend's house, or just stay at home, open a bottle or five of Washington Merlot, and tweet about the tasting experience using the hashtag #WAMerlot. Pretty low-key, right? WRONG! There must have been 50-60 people tweeting tonight, using the #WAMerlot hashtag! And many more were present at the many wine events throughout Washington, but not tweeting about it. I personally interacted with people in Virgina, California and of course Washington, along with 3 or 4 from my city of Portland, Oregon. What a fun event! My only downer was not having a group of friends over to help me drink some of the many Washington Merlot's I had ready tonight. Not a one...excuses, all. Boo! So lacking non-virtual drinking buddies, I only opened one bottle tonight: 2003 Terra Blanca Reserve Merlot, from the Terra Blanca Estate Vineyard on Red Mountain. My CellarTracker tasting notes, if you will:

2003 Terra Blanca Merlot Estate Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (3/25/2010)
Opened for #WAMerlot virtual tasting on Twitter. No decant. Paired briefly with Trader Joes Sour Cream & Onion corn puffs (excellent pairing, BTW). Nose of Earthy blackberries. Very earthy...and very nice aromas! Aromas follow to the palate, with an attack of big blackberry fruit, backed up by secondary flavors of earth, black pepper and spices (oak perhaps?). Very youthful, despite The Wine Enthusiast writer Paul Gregutt's concern that this wine might be fading (when I asked him on Facebook). Finish is all peppery with dark chocolate notes and some coffee/espresso, which I'm assuming is from the oak. Love this wine, and a great representation of Red Mountain Merlot. (92 pts.)

Paranoid Call (Song Lyrics)

2010-02-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

Heard a catchy tune the other day, and loved the lyrics (spoken word, over an electronica groove). I took the time to write them down. The song is "Paranoid Call" by Logiztik Sounds & Audiobill. The lyrics:

If you are obsessive-compulsive, press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, ask someone to press 2 for you.

If you have multiple personalities, press 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want. Stay on the line and we will trace your call.

If you are delusional, press 7 and your call will be transferred to the mothership.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully, and a small voice will tell you which number to press.

If you are depressed, it doesn’t matter which number you press, no one will answer you.

If you are dyslexic, press 69696969.

If you have a nervous disorder, please fidget with the flash key until the beep. After the beep, please wait for the beep.

If you have short term memory loss, please try your call again later.

And if you have low self-esteem, hang up, all our operators are too busy to talk to you.

Storyteller Wine Tasting: Reininger Winery

2010-01-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

Attended a very nice free tasting of Walla Walla's Reininger Winery (follow @ReiningerWinery on Twitter) last night, hosted by Michael Alberty (follow @HeadStoryteller on Twitter) at Storyteller Wine Company in the John's Landing neighborhood of Portland. Wines were poured by Michael and Reininger's National Sales Manager, Justin Vajgert. Huge crowd, with lots of very enthusiastic Reininger fans. Having tried several of their wines before, including a Helix (Cab, Merlot, Pomatia blend) offering from Wine.Woot.com, and the 2003 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot, I knew we were in for a treat. We were not disappointed!

- 2005 Reininger Merlot Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Sold out, no taste available.

- 2005 Reininger Sangiovese Helix - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Earthy cherry flavors, with just a bit of spices on the finish. Very smooth and drinkable, would be great with food. On its own, rather unexciting. (86 pts.)

- 2006 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Helix - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Very fruit-forward, but with a nice backbone of tannin and acidity. Raspberry and cassis flavors, with some nice peppery earth. Drinking quite well. (88 pts.)

- 2006 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
I loved this wine. Huge peppery fruit, lots of blackberry and cassis. Finish is pure pepper-covered chocolate, and lasts for 30+ seconds. This is some nice Cab! (91 pts.)

- 2005 Reininger Syrah Ash Hollow Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Dark as night, thick, mouthcoating, and amazingly spicy! BIG heavy blackberry fruit, with gobs of black pepper. This wine reminded me of the Bunnell Syrahs I love so much. Just super-concentrated, lots of extract, and that amazing black pepper, with dark chocolate finish. Must resist buying a case... (93 pts.)

- 2006 Reininger Carménère - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Sold out, no taste available.

- 2007 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Helix - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Replacement wine for the Carmenere that was sold out. I think this was just released, or has not been released just yet...quite a bit more forward than the 2006, with a bit more tannin showing at this time. Solid wine at a great price: $20. A lot more cassis and black pepper than the 2006 also. Even some tobacco flavors rolling around the tongue. Tasty. (89 pts.)

(No label available) - 2007 Reininger Syrah Port - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
According to the Reininger rep, this wine isn't released for distribution, and only sold at the winery. I typically don't like ports, but this one made me stand up and take notice. Mix that peppery blackberry-tasting Walla Walla Syrah with brandy, and you have this. An amazing port, very sweet, but not over the top. Not too much of the brandy flavor I dislike too. Just about perfect for me. (90 pts.)

As always, tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

Technorati Blog Claim

2009-12-13T22:30:00.001-08:00

I hate these "claim your blog" BS requirements...here you go, Technorati: DZKUWDPGAN5U

Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: 1995 Bordeaux From The Vault

2009-12-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

Once again, Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace pulled some outstanding wines from his personal cellar for us to try for a $10 tasting fee. There was a white Cotes du Rhone poured first, that I completely forgot the name of (it was rather nasty anyway), so it is not listed.

- 1995 Château Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temperature, requiring much swirling with my hands cupping the bowl of the glass to warm it up. Quite thin, not much nose either. Perhaps a bit of mushroom and strawberry. Flavors were muted, with strawberries and dirt. Nice acidity, but the flavor just isn't there for me. (85 pts.)

- 1995 Château de Clairefont - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temp. Much more fragrant and fruity on the nose, and more robust flavors as well. Bright raspberry fruit, pencil shavings and earth hitting the palate. (91 pts.)

- 1995 Château Gloria - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temp, but warming...Nice nose, sort of a blueberry with gravel sort of thing. Fruit is a bit thin, showing strawberries and a cedar wood flavor. Much more drinkable than the Château Lalande, but doesn't approach the Clairefont or Mouton. (88 pts.)

- 1995 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Decanted 90 min. A tad cold, but warmer than the others, requiring less 'cupping' to get it to a decent temp. Visually, quite dark purple. Smelling of roasted meat and blueberries. Flavors are big blackberry and blueberry fruit, earth, and a tad of smokiness. This is good stuff, although I doubt I'd pay $300+ for this. My first First Growth Bordeaux! (92 pts.)

As always, tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Super Scoring Aussie Wines

2009-12-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace pulled some more great bottles out of his cellar tonight. What a treat! I think the lowest scoring red was 98 points. The white was a last-minute addition, and not on the original list.

2004 Torbreck Sémillon Woodcutter's White - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Very interesting Aussie Sémillon...aged just enough too. A hazelnut/pinenut component that really gets my attention. This tastes more like a Chardonnay...white Burgundy actually, especially after it started warming up in my glass. Fun wine! (87 pts.)

2001 Torbreck Run Rig - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
No decant, and it really needed one. Dark purple with a very floral nose. In the mouth, just a tad bitter, coming around slowly as it swirled in the glass. Blueberry fruit really stands out in this one for me, with some serious black pepper and a long sweet finish with surprisingly firm tannins. This could go another 10 years easy. (95 pts.)

2002 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 1 hour. Probably my wine of the night. From a great vintage, this wine had softened enough to really showcase more than just the huge fruit, oak and tannins. There was some complexity there that was starting to emerge, with lots of black pepper showing as well. Blackberry fruit, and a nice sweet finish. Showing very well at this stage. (95 pts.)

2003 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 1 hour. This wine was missing something. It certainly wasn't oak and it definitely wasn't tannins...the fruit was there too, but not as sweet and lush as the 2002. Almost harsh, actually. This just needs a decade of cellar time...way too young. The tannic finish curls my toes, and not in a good way. This should be amazing in 10 years. (90 pts.)

2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 1 hour, and needed about 23 more. A MASSIVE wine, just over the top in all categories. Aroma was mouthwatering with black fruit and pepper, and in the mouth, that fruit slaps you upside the head. But the real killer is the tannic vice that locks down on your mouth and throat once you swallow the wine. Once my vision cleared, about 2 minutes later, I could still taste the huge fruit in this wine...an amazing finish of sweet fruit. This was sheer infanticide and I wouldn't even dream of opening a bottle of this in the next decade. This is a wine for your grandchildren. (93 pts.)

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Old California Cabernet and Blends

2009-11-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace sent out an email less than 24 hours prior to this event. $10 got you a taste of each wine, until they were gone, with some absolute blockbusters in the lineup...How on earth could I say no?!?

1989 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series - USA, California, Sonoma County
A bit of funk on the nose at first. This wine was most certainly NOT over the hill and dead! Although starting to brick at the edges, this is drinking quite nicely for a 20 year-old cab. Dark fruits, some barnyard/earthiness, and cedar. Very smooth, with just a hint of tannins on the finish (still!). (90 pts.)

1984 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
As noted by a previous taster below, this had a bit of musty funk at first. Several other tasters thought it corked. The mustiness blew off, and by the time I revisited this wine an hour later, it was gone completely. I'm again amazed by how young this 25 year-old wine seems. Great fruit, just starting to go into the browner side of maroon. Blackberry, currants and some barnyard funk. So tasty...surprisingly grippy tannins as well, even on my second tasting at the end of the event. What a thrill to drink. (94 pts.)

1996 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Amazingly still quite young. Big black fruits and nice earthiness. Quite complex, with some minty flavors. Firm tannins on the finish...this has a long life ahead of it. (93 pts.)

1993 Opus One - USA, California, Napa Valley
This was like aged Bordeaux, with the cedar/pencil aspects. Very light in color, with lots of gravelly earth flavors. Raspberry fruit, maybe some currant or cranberry? Definitely the most complex wine in the lineup, so far, but the flavors don't grab me like some of the others did. (91 pts.)

1994 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Surprisingly bold and firm, with chewy tannins and some "Rutherford Dust" characteristics. Blackberry fruit is smooth and lush, with additional flavors of earth and olives. The CT drinking window is way off...this has another 4-5 years in it. (92 pts.)

2000 Justin Vineyard Isosceles - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Having tasted a number of 2000 vintage Napa wines, including the 2000 Harlan "The Maiden" and 2000 Opus One, I was surprised to see such a flavorful wine from that vintage. It appears that Paso Robles wasn't affected by whatever weather killed the Napa harvest in 2000. This wine was the fruitiest of the bunch, with raspberry and spice, and nice tannins that were integrated perfectly. Although lacking the complexity I normally associate with Isosceles, this wine is by no means lacking flavor. (93 pts.)

2005 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon Rhinefarm Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
My least favorite of the tasting, probably just because it is so damn young! Quite tannic, this tasted much more like a Cab Franc or Malbec than Cab Sauv. Blueberry was the dominant fruit for me, with some very nice dirt. Not earthiness, this was DIRT. I could almost see the pebbles and earthworms as I sipped this. While it was tasty, most of the finer nuances were hidden behind the tannins. I'd recommend holding this one another 3-5 years, unless you like your Cabs young. (89 pts.)

Thanks to Mr. Mike for pulling most of these bottles from his private cellar and sharing them with us. I was surprised to see that not many showed up for this event, including none of my wine-loving friends. I just have to say that you all missed out on a wonderful tasting, with some really interesting and delicious wines!

As always, tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

2009 Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING DINNER - Dietra's House, Portland OR (11/26/2009)

Event photos on Flickr.

Thanksgiving dinner at Dietra's, with Dietra, Dave, Steve & Kirsty, Jason, Phil, Woody, Liz & Scott, and LeRae (+1), Chris and her daughter left before dinner, and Trish & Ian, Brian & Emy, and Didi & his sister showed up after dinner for board games. Dinner was roast turkey, stuffing, butternut squash gratin, mashed sweet potatoes, Crescent rolls, butternut squash salad, dumplings, cranberry, and a number of other things I'm either forgetting or didn't get a chance to eat. Several tasty appetizers and desserts were also present, including the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, the remains of which I took home with me (pumpkin pie for breakfast...yum!).

Before Dinner Wines

- 2002 Leonetti Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
While I have had some so-so wines from Leonetti this year, the Walla Walla Reserve has been a consistent hit. Even from the tough, overly hot 2002 vintage, this wine is drinking at absolute peak right now. Everything is integrated perfectly, and the fruit is lush and mouth-coating. Big blackberry and vanilla flavors. So delicious...No decant on this one, just a pop-n-pour before Thanksgiving dinner. It was an instant hit with all present, and was the first bottle to be finished. At $90/bottle, not a very good QPR, but for a special occasion wine it worked nicely. Sad it was my last, but glad I was able to share it with friends. (93 pts.)

- 2002 Hazyblur Shiraz Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Pop & Pour. This wine was a joy to drink. Like pouring ink into your glass, it was black-purple in color, and very thick. Heavy pepper to go with the huge blackberry fruit, and perhaps some smoked meat and earth. Very tasty, and a crowd pleaser all around. Apparently, I can't lose with 2002 vintage wines from South Australia! (93 pts.)

- 2005 Cakebread Cellars Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
Pop & pour. This wine should have been decanted. Even after several hours of being open, the wine was closed and unforgiving. Tannic finish, and the fruit was lurking in there somewhere under the leather and tar, but not overly apparent. I detected some raspberry and maybe a hint of cherry, but the fruit was quite sour and disappointing. Needs time or a serious decant at this point. (86 pts.)

- 2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
Decanted 6 hours. First sip right out of the bottle was like getting hit in the face with a hammer. The aroma of red and black fruits was intoxicating, but the huge slathering of fruit flavors, followed by the wall of tannins was almost too much. Even after 6 hours in the decanter, and several more with the bottle open on the counter, it was still very, very young. The WE drinking window on the is 2011+, and I'd have to say AT LEAST 2011. Maybe 2015...but I digress. Back to the wine: Lots of huge cassis, blackberry and cola (or is it mocha?) flavors. This wine is just immense, and oh-so tasty. I love the purity of the fruit, but elegant this wine is not. Too 'in your face' with the fruit and tannins. Speaking of the tannins, they are still fairly harsh on the finish, even after 8 hours. Yikes. Put this one away for another 3 to 5, and you will be rewarded. (94 pts.)

- 2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Steve's wine, no decant. Very elegant Cab...great dark fruits, tobacco & earth. A bit tannic at first, it started in integrate after about 3 hours, and ended up being one of my favorites of the night. I would like to revisit this wine in about 3 or 4 years. (92 pts.)

- 2005 Grgich Hills Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown - USA, California, Napa Valley
Steve's wine, no decant. This one wasn't as enjoyable as the 2005 Groth or 2005 BV Georges de Latour. Seemed somewhat closed in comparison. Cherry fruit with lots of earthiness and cedar wood. Enjoyable, but not as much as I had expected. (89 pts.)

- 2003 Fireblock Grenache Old Vine - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
Phil's wine, no decant. This one was an anomaly. People either loved it (LeRae) or were very disappointed (Phil). I fell somewhere in between. It was nice and fruit, as expected from an Aussie Grenache, certainly not over the top. Muted and restrained, it started drinking much better toward the end of the night. Not sure if this is because the air time improved the wine, or our level of intoxication and palate fatigue rendered us unable to tell the difference (or care, for that matter...) (85 pts.)

Wines with Dinner

- 2001 Monte Antico Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
From magnum, popped & poured. This actually was quite popular at dinner, as it paired decently with all of the different foods, including the turkey. Smooth and simple, the flavors of cherry and earth, as well as the wine's softness, just worked with everything. Sad when a Cakebread Syrah is outscored by a $10 Tuscan table wine. (87 pts.)

- 2006 Cameron Pinot Noir Arley's Leap - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Pop & pour. This is the wine I brought as a pairing to the turkey, and it did so quite well, even overshadowing the bird somewhat. Quite big and fruity for a Pinot, 2006 vintage non-withstanding. Deep garnet in color, with a beautiful raspberry and saddle leather nose. Flavors of cherry, leather and a nice earthiness, finishing with a bit of sweetness that was surprising. This wine is so well-integrated, it was enjoyable to drink. I ended up kidnapping the bottle over to our table and spent more time enjoying the wine than eating my dinner. Nice work, John Paul. (91 pts.)

- 2003 Anam Cara Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Very dark and thick, almost like a port. Huge blackberry and raspberry fruit, with just a touch of earthiness under the raisiny port-like sweetness. Enjoyed by all. (90 pts.)

Unfortunately, there were many more wines present (18 bottles in all!) that I either didn't get to taste, or forgot my notes.
HUGE thanks to Dietra for hosting the event, AND doing most of the cooking. The turkey, stuffing and butternut squash gratin were all amazing, as always! Our foray into into the world of board games ended in hilarity, and fun was had by all. Sorry about the camera Steve...or rather the contents of the camera.

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

2009-09-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I attended a couple of wine events down in the Carlton area, and decided to hit up several other wineries in the general area as well. Although we visited the tasting room at Adelsheim Vineyards, I didn't purchase a tasting, and only had sips of the other's wine, so I didn't include them in this post.

Cana's Feast Winery

Wine Club pickup party, with delicious winery chef-prepared food pairings (noted below in the tasting notes).

2006 Cana's Feast Winery Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Paired with roasted eggplant salad with blackened tomato vinaigrette. Seems rather primal at this point, but was our first wine of the day. A blend of 89% Sangiovese, 7.5% Syrah and 3.5% Barbera, from Ciel du Cheval, Seven Hills, and Coyote Canyon vineyards. Very plummy, with a bit of earthiness also. Acidity was a bit too bright, and felt like it was burning my mouth. Tannins were smooth, and fruit was front and center. (85 pts.)

2007 Cana's Feast Winery Barbera - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Paired with roasted chicken thighs stuffed with proscuitto di parma, porcini mushrooms and grana padano. Spicy red fruit, nice acidic zing, and well-integrated tannins make for a nice-drinking wine. Fruit sourced from Ciel du Cheval and Coyote Canyon vineyards. (88 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Paired with chanterelle and morbier bread custard with speck. Very tasty and drinking well with some air. Cherry pie, tobacco and leather. Just a perfect Oregon Pinot. Fruit sourced from Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. (90 pts.)

2007 Cana's Feast Winery Sangiovese Grosso - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Paired with Ribollita (a bean soup with olive oil and homemade croutons). This was just bottled, according to the winemaker. Lots of black cherry and strawberry flavors, with lots of acid and some drying tannins. Fruit is from the first certified VCR6 clone (used primarily in Brunello wines) planting in the US. Will be interesting to see how this develops with age. Still showing its infancy now. (89 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery Bricco Two Rivers Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Paired with braised boneless beef short ribs with red wine and bitter chocolate. What a difference 6+ months makes! This wine is really starting to drink nicely. The overabundant oak I got from a prior tasting was much better integrated, and the sweet (mostly) red mountain fruit was singing. Nice blackberries, cassis and vanilla. Drinking well now, but use even another 6-12 months of bottle age. (92 pts.)

Owen Roe Winery

This was the Autumn Open House/Release event, hosted at the AgriVino Event Center on Abbey Road Farm outside of Carlton.

2008 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very peachy fruit...bright acidity, but just not a wine I can get into. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Pinot Gris? (83 pts.)

2008 O'Reilly's Chardonnay - USA, Oregon
Nice pear fruit in this light straw-colored Chardonnay. Zing of acidity is nice. The wine is quite refreshing on this 85 degree day. (86 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "The Kilmore" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
I just LOVE the 2008 vintage Oregon Pinot noirs! I was (am) not a fan of the lighter, more burgundian 2007's. Just my tastes...I'm not a big fan of Burgundy either. This wine is everything 2007 wasn't. Big, fruity, dark, and mouthcoating. Lots of cherry fruit, and a wee bit of tannic bite. May need a year to settle down. (88 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Dundee Hills - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Much lighter than the other 2008's, and more like a Burgundy. Some spicy cherry fruit, with a nice layer of saddle leather. (87 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
A tiny 4-barrel lot (70 cases) of Pinot noir sourced from Anna's Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, comes this very dark, spicy wine. Very tasty, and maybe tied for my favorite Owen Roe Pinot at this tasting. Sweet cherry fruit, lots of spices and acidity. (89 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Santa Maria Valley - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
The California Pinot noir this year. Definitely not my favorite...higher acidity than is comfortable, with some cherry fruit wrapped around some lightly drying tannins. (85 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon
Probably my favorite Pinot at the tasting. It just seemed more evolved than the others. Strawberry fruit, a touch of leather and earth. Much deeper in flavor and color than the previous vintage. (89 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Abbot's Table - USA, Oregon/Washington
This wine typically needs 6+ months in the bottle to start coming around (unless it is the 2007, which never really did). After a wonderful 2006 vintage (heavy on the Zinfandel) of this wine, I loaded up with 6 bottles of the Sangiovese-based 2007 (untasted) and got burned. And it still isn't anywhere near the delicious 2006. So when the Zin-heavy 2008 was released, I was quite happy! But, learning from my 2007 mistake, I only picked up 4 bottles this time. I'm kind of glad I did, because I wasn't too impressed with the wine. Admittedly, it is still quite young, but the wine seemed rather flat and unexciting. I was hoping for the deep fruit of the 2006, but it fell short. Some sweet blue and black fruit was present, but the finish was quite bitter. I'm hoping this wine comes around by 2010. (87 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Sinister Hand - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
I typically love the Sinister Hand Rhone blend (62% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre), and 2008 is no different. Showing it's youth, definitely, but going to be a great wine for sure. Black fruits, pepper, and nice mouthfeel. Can't wait to pick some up for a vertical... (90 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Valley
Probably my wine of the tasting. Everything just works with this wine. Blackberry, pepper, some blueberry, smoke, all wrapped up with nice tannins and acidity. Drinking well now. (92 pts.)

2008 Owen Roe Syrah "Lady Rosa" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Not sure where the time went...I hadn't even had a chance to pickup any of the 2007 and the 2008 is already here. How time flies...This wine is quite young, but shows much promise. Peppery blackberry and cassis, with bacon fat and smoked meat. Makes me wonder if there is some Viognier in this. I like it, but it needs a year or so to come together. (89 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
24% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Franc, and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon from Yakima Valley. Very young and tight...lots of drying tannins and bright acidity. The fruit is there too, in the form of gobs of earthy blackberries, but this wine is needing time to come together. Very disjointed right now. Hopefully we will see some progress in 6-12 months. I personally would hold this one until 2011. (91 pts.)

Adelsheim Vineyards

No tasting notes taken. I will say, however, that their winery is beautiful (and with the huge solar panel array, quite 'green', I'm sure), and the wines were very tasty. While I wasn't a huge fan of their 2007's (and most 2007's in general), their 2006 was a knockout. I can't wait to try their 2008's!

ArborBrook Vineyards

After leaving Adelsheim Vineyards, we decided to continue up the road and do a random drop-in tasting at ArborBrook.

2008 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Gris Croft - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Definitely not my style of wine. Seems lacking...bright fruit and acidity, but missing depth in the midpalate. (82 pts.)

2008 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Gris Ana Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
This is more like it. Oak barrel-fermented, boosting up the midpalate nicely. (86 pts.)

2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Heritage Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Rather thin and acidic. A touch of that signature leather, and light strawberry and cherry flavors. Missing something... (87 pts.)

2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate 777 Block - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Now we're getting somewhere! Nice cherry and currant fruit, with a good deal of leather and tobacco. Lighter than the 2005 I enjoyed previously. (88 pts.)

2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Vintner's Select Arbor Brook Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
Definitely from the best barrels of the year, with some additional aging. Big sour cherry fruit, with saddle leather funk. I like it! A bit darker and more mouthcoating than the other Pinots also. Looking forward to their 2008's! (89 pts.)

2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Sémillon "Sydney" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Wow, this was somewhat of a surprise! Late harvest, like November or something...from Klipsun Vineyard. Somewhat oily, and quite mouthcoating. I wouldn't be able to handle more than a 1/2 glass of this in one sitting. Just way too sweet for my palate, but what a wine! (88 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from my event on CellarTracker.

Italy in the Valley Wine Tasting Event

2009-08-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

First annual event celebrating Italian varietals that are grown and/or vinified in Oregon, held on the patio and lawn of Cana's Feast Winery in Carlton, OR. We couldn't have asked for a better day, or place, to have this event. Also included were panino sandwiches, either porchetta and ricotta, or panino with roasted garden tomatoes, goat cheese an arugula, and served with either heirloom tomato salad with basil oil, aged balsamic and shaved parmesan or shaved zucchini with lemon basil leaves, and toasted pine nuts We also had the chance to ogle a Lamborghini Gallardo and two Ferrari F455's. All for $10!

Apolloni Vineyards
Poured by Alfredo Apolloni

2007 Apolloni Pinot Grigio - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Pale golden in color. Nose of melon, following to the palate. Sharp acidity, but light flavor. (85 pts.)

2007 Apolloni Soleggio Conti di Val Seriana - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nice deep maroon color. Nose is wonderfully exotic, with red and black fruit, tobacco and spices. Some sour cherry on the palate, along with cigar box, and some fairly hefty tannins at this point. Several years in a cellar will do this wine well. (91 pts.)

Barking Frog Winery
Poured by Ron & Cindy Helbig

2007 Barking Frog Sangiovese - USA, Oregon/Washington, Yakima Valley
Lighter red in color. Subtle perfume of cherry. Light in flavor, with cherry and a floral component. Light acid. (86 pts.)

Cana's Feast Winery
Poured by Patrick Taylor & Dan Duryee

2006 Cana's Feast Winery Sangiovese Bricco - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Deep red color. Raspberries and some earthy/smoky flavors. Quite enjoyable. (89 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery Nebbiolo - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Rust colored, which surprised me. Looks like a lighter aged cabernet. Very floral perfume, with cherry and tobacco on the palate, and drying tannins on the finish. Prepare to pucker... (89 pts.)

Duck Pond Cellars
Poured by Cindy Olson

2007 Duck Pond Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon
Barely anything there...some melon and pear, but I can't get any enjoyment out of this. Ick. (77 pts.)

2005 Duck Pond Sangiovese - USA, Oregon
Light nose, can't really smell much. Bitter, sour cherry flavor. Has some age on it, compared to the others here, but you can't tell at all, unless it is just past peak. (82 pts.)

Hip Chicks Do Wine
Poured by Laurie Lewis, Renee Neely & Callie Snyder

N.V. Hip Chicks do Wine Sangiovese - USA, Washington
A blend of 2006-2007 fruit from Yakima Valley in Washington. Super dark in color. Stewed, sweet prune aromas, almost like a port or madiera. Bittersweet in the mouth, and unlike any Sangiovese I've ever had. And not in a good way. Very bitter finish. (80 pts.)

Marchesi Vineyards
Poured by Franco Marchesi & Anya Cristina

2008 Marchesi Dolcetto - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Light in color. Nose of strawberries, following to the palate. Slight sweetness on the finish. (85 pts.)

2007 Marchesi Barbera - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Deep red in color, almost like an Oregon Pinot from a good year. Cherry nose. Sour cherry on the palate, but very stewed fruit. (83 pts.)

Mystic Wines
Poured by Rick Mafit

2006 Mystic Wines Barbera - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Nice deep maroon. Sweet plums, with impressive structure. Somewhat mouthcoating and lush. (87 pts.)

Natalie's Estate Winery
Poured by Cassandra Teegarden

2008 Natalie's Estate Winery Sangiovese - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Barrel sample. Dark, dark red, nearing black in color. Quite young tasting, with a crush of tannins, but big cherry and plum fruit, with tobacco. This may be a blockbuster in a few years. Showing very well from barrel. (89 pts.)

Ponzi Vineyards
Poured by Scott VanDyke

2008 Ponzi Vineyards Arneis - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very pale straw color. Very aromatic and floral nose. Pears/green apples, slightly sweet, but with a dry, acidic finish. (85 pts.)

2006 Ponzi Vineyards Dolcetto - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Medium red color. Earthy strawberries, with a touch of tobacco. Finishes rather sour and primary. (86 pts.)

Remy Wines
Poured by Remy Drabkin

2006 Remy Wines Lagrein - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
VERY interesting red! A traditional Italian varietal, only recently introduced to Oregon. A fairly tannic wine, with mulberry, cherry and some smokiness on the palate. This will rock in about 5 years! (90 pts.)

Terra Vina Wines
Poured by Karl & Carol Dinger

2007 Terra Vina Sangiovese - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Medium red color. Cherry and pepper on the nose. Spicy and sweet, like cherry candy, in the mouth. I like the peppery aspect. (87 pts.)

Three Angels Wine
Poured by Ed Fus

2007 Three Angels Primitivo Coyote Canyon Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Lush red color, typical of a Zinfandel. Quite structured, especially compared to the Sangiovese and Barbera's we've been trying thusfar. Sweet cherries, with some earthiness or tobacco in there. (84 pts.)

2008 Three Angels Primitivo Coyote Canyon Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Barrel sample. Showing well for being a barrel sample...but also showing a lot of tannins at this stage. Smoked meat/bacon (!) and sour cherries. (85 pts.)

Viento Wines
Poured by Rich Cushman

2005 Viento Sangiovese Cuvée Tuition - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Light red color. Nice berry and cherry flavors, but a short finish that left me wondering what happened. (86 pts.)

2005 Viento Barbera Lonesome Spring Ranch - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Raspberry and tobacco, slightly harsh though. Cloying on the finish, with a tannic bite. (84 pts.)

As always, my tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

A Taste of Two Rooks

2009-08-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how Corvidae Wine Co., the new Owen Roe value label, made two different versions of their 2007 "Rook" red blend, I thought I'd get a bottle of each and taste them head-to-head. First, a little information about each wine, and then the tasting notes.

The Oregon blend was from 100% Southern Oregon fruit: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon from Ironbird Vineyard in the Applegate Valley AVA (also providing all of the fruit for the Owen Roe Ironbird Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon), as well as 15% Syrah and 8% Merlot from undisclosed vineyards in the Rogue Valley AVA. The resulting wine is 13.0% alcohol, and was bottled at Owen Roe's St. Paul, OR winery.

The Washington blend is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah and 28% Merlot, sourced from undisclosed vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA (check out the Owen Roe Vineyards List to see the potential vineyards used), and bottled at Owen Roe's new Sunnyside, WA winery. Alcohol is at 14.3%, reflecting the higher brix of their Washington-sourced fruit. And now my tasting notes:

2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Rook Cabernet - Merlot - Syrah - USA, Oregon
Color is a dark maroon with a bit of purple, just slightly lighter than the Washington wine. Nice fruity nose of blackberries with just a touch of plums and earth. Quite smooth in the mouth, although lacking a bit on the mid-palate...Seems somewhat thin there. Tastes of black fruit and some bittersweet chocolate, with Asian spices, following to a medium length finish. A very tasty blend, but seems like it needs something on the mid-palate. (90 pts.)

2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Rook Cabernet - Merlot - Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Color is darker than the Oregon wine, with more purple tones added to the maroon. On the nose, this wine is more sweet smelling, but needs some swirling to bring about the aromas. A touch of black pepper in there also. On the palate, this is much more full-bodied than the Oregon blend, with big blackberry fruit and black pepper notes. Mid-palate is nicely rounded and not as thin as the Oregon blend. The wine ends with a long finish of berry and dark chocolate. Much more sweetness in the fruit also. I definitely like the Washington blend more, although I think both wines will improve with 6-12 months of additional bottle age, but not much more than that. (92 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Zupan's Wine Tasting Event

2009-07-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLARS - Zupan's Burnside Market Wine Cellar, Portland, OR (7/21/2009)

Held in the basement wine cellar of Zupan's Burnside Market grocery store in Portland, and presented by a representative of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Too many people were invited, which made it extremely uncomfortable temperature-wise (they had to turn off the wine cellar cooler so we could hear the speaker), and the fact that most of the appetizer/food pairing course was snarfed up by attendees eating their dinner at this tasting. Show some class people! The wines:

2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley
Melon, pineapple and a touch of citrus. Very crisp with nice acidity. Refreshingly dry. A blend of 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Sauvignon Musque, and 5% Semillon, aged 5.5 months in 4-5x used French oak. (85 pts.)

2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay Karia - USA, California, Napa Valley
Flavors of pears and apples, with a bit of oak. Not buttery at all. Quite crisp and acidic, with only 35% malolactic fermentation allowed. I prefer my Chardonnay a bit more buttery and smooth. 100% Chardonnay aged 8.5 months in 23% new French oak. (84 pts.)

2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley
While the nose shows red licorice and raspberry notes, the palate is all bitter cranberries, with just a touch of raspberry. A total let-down from the beautiful nose. 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 14 months in 52% new French oak. (83 pts.)

2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis - USA, California, Napa Valley
Nice nose of blackberry with some vanilla/oak as well. In the mouth, lots of blackberry fruit, but with a somewhat bitter, short finish, and lots of harsh, drying tannins. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, aged 18 months in 33% new French oak. (87 pts.)

2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Spicy nose of oak and cassis, with a touch of eucalyptus. Flavors of cassis, berry and green pepper. Light tannins, and a somewhat-bitter green finish. Much softer than the 06 Artemis (89 pts.)

2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
My Wine of the Night (since we were denied the Cask 23). Lots of creamy oak and vanilla, a leather play with some black pepper (or other spiciness) also. Very structured and powerful, but with the tannins starting to resolve nicely. This had been open much longer than the other wines (it was poured last), which may explain the lack of drying tannins. QPR is in the negative, as there are so many wines out there that surpass this, at half the price. Yes, it is good, but it is not $120 good. (91 pts.)

Even though the invite email and website stated we would get to taste the Cask 23 Cabernet, we were denied that privilege tonight. A major Disappointment, as Cask 23 was the only reason I bought a ticket in the first place. As usual, the tasting notes posted from Cellartracker.

I Walk The Vine

2009-07-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends abandoned her good-paying corporate radio station job to jump into an entrepreneurial endeavor dealing with wine and wineries, called I Walk The Vine. She provides great wine-related t-shirts and such to wine shops and wineries everywhere. This weekend marks her first year "walking the vine", and she threw a party to celebrate that accomplishment. In an economy that is literally tanking more each day, she has been able to remain positive and march forward into the unknown. Yes, the economy is in the toilet. I know this first-hand, being laid off from my own Internet Marketing job back in March. Things SUCK right now. But she's still out there, making sales, getting people excited about Walking The Vine, and wearing the t-shirts. I have one myself, and my girlfriend has several. Great shirts. Last forever, great graphics, and, yes, they are wine related, which I love. So, yeah, I'm biased a bit. But you need one. Oh, yes, I think you do. At least check them out!

Anyway, back to my original thought process...there was an I Walk The Vine 1 Year Anniversary party tonight. Wine pairings with various cheeses, meats and nuts, along with many attendee-supplied wines as well. I personally brought a 2000 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta "Sugarille" Brunello di Montalcino and a 2004 Cana's Feast Winery Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Nebbiolo. There were so many other great wines, including a 2006 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee Pinot Noir and a 2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir. Just an amazing selection of great wines, and great friends to share them with. I couldn't ask for a better group to hang out with and drink wine with. And congratulations to Liz for her first year of business with I Walk The Vine!

Memorial Weekend Wine Tasting

2009-05-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Friends and I made yet another Memorial Weekend trip to wine country, this time starting in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, before ending in the quaint town of Carlton. We branched out and visited some new wineries this time around, with mostly positive results, and skipped our two favorite stand-by's (Cana's Feast and Lenne).

Bergström Wines

Our first stop of the day, done on a whim after seeing the Bergström sign on the side of the Highway 240. Great location, high on the hill (Bald Peak?), with a great view. The barn with the Bergström logo on it is pretty cool too. Barrel samples of several 2008 Pinots was a bonus!

2007 Bergström Riesling Dr Bergstrom - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Honeydew melon, not too sweet, but uninteresting to me. (85 pts.)

2008 Bergström Gewürztraminer - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Spicy, typical Gewurtz style, with bright fruit and zippy acidity. (86 pts.)

2007 Bergström Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
A touch of barnyard on the nose, with nice leather and cherry flavors. A bit thin, as I'm coming to see as a common trait for the 2007 vintage of Oregon Pinot Noir. (87 pts.)

2007 Bergström Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Wow, this one is zipped up tight. Lots of tannins masking the fruit. Again, thinner than I prefer, but well-made. I see a good number of barrels around the cellar that are labeled "2007 Shea - Extended Aging", and I think that is a good thing...this wine deserves more time. (88 pts.)

2007 Bergström Pinot Noir Bergström - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Nose of cherry fruit, with some nice saddle leather notes. Tastiest of the 3 at this table (Cumberland Reserve, Shea Vineyard, and Bergström Vineyard), but still not up to the level of the 2005's and 2006's. The 2008's are going to be incredible! (89 pts.)

2008 Bergström Pinot Noir Temperance Hill - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. Some barnyard funk on the nose, but nicely structured. Ample tannins, with great fruit and leather flavors. Should be outstanding a year or two after release. (90 pts.)

2008 Bergström Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. Very, very dark red in color. Coats the glass too...very Syrah-like. Great nose of dark fruit, with just a touch of leather, both following to the palate. Nice structure, though not as overly tannic as the Temperance Hill. Finish goes on for a bit, especially when paired with some cheese. My favorite thusfar. (91 pts.)

Shea Wine Cellars

Another random stop. What a HUGE vineyard! I've always wondered how they can sell grapes to so many other wineries AND make their own wines. Now I know. Amazing place. More 2008 barrel samples.

2007 Shea Wine Cellars Chardonnay Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very aromatic, citrus and pears abound. Flavors of pear with some zesty lemon-lime and just a hint of buttery oak. Nice. (87 pts.)

2007 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
I didn't get much from this wine...nose had some floral aspects, but not a lot of fruit and just a touch of leather/earth. In the mouth, iinitially a bit of bright fruit, and then the zing of acidity and some leather, but overall not very interesting. (84 pts.)

2008 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Block 22 Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. They called this one "Last Hurrah", as they replanted Block 22 of the vineyard this spring, and the old own-rooted Pommard clone vines are gone. A 5 barrel cuvee. Nice nose, with raspberry fruit, and something a bit more bitter. Very feminine in structure, although with some interesting tannic bite on the finish. Shows promise if it comes together. (87 pts.)

2008 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Block 31 Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. A blend of 70% Pommard and 30% Wadenswil clones from Block 31 of the vineyard. Notes of cherry and leather, some zip, but not as smooth as the Block 22. A bit more structure than the 22 also. (85 pts.)

2008 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Block 7 Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. 100% Wadenswil clone from Block 7 of the vineyard. Some earthy funk going on, which I like, but quite bitter in the mouth, which I don't. Interesting to taste, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy an entire glass. (85 pts.)

2008 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Block 5 Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. From 100% Dijon 777 clone from Block 5 of the vineyard. My favorite Pinot at Shea today. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors, with some nice leather also. Oaky, but nicely so, and doesn't taste overdone. Great structure with smooth tannins, and just a touch of earthy funk. Very nice. (88 pts.)

2008 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Homer Shea Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Lots of structure with this one. Spices, some cherry fruit, but everything is really hiding behind the tannins. Hard to drink, it is so drying, and I finally gave up and dumped it. Could be a blockbuster 5-6 years down the road, but currently way to tiring to consume. (86 pts.)

Ken Wright Cellars

The first time Ken Wright has been open on Memorial weekend in 10 years. We were able to to retaste several of the 2008 Pinots from barrel that we had previously tasted back over Thanksgiving weekend. Interesting to see their development over the past 6 months. They also had a couple of killer library wines open.

2007 Ken Wright Pinot Blanc - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Better than the last time I tried this, but still not a fan of white Pinot wines. Good structure and acidity, with some sour citrus fruit. A couple sips is all I was able to take. (86 pts.)

2007 Ken Wright Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Gorge
Just a great Chardonnay. Intense pear and citrus fruit, with nice acidity and buttery oak. Not overoaked in the typical CA style, and just a delight to sip. (90 pts.)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Abbott Claim Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Barrel sample. I initially thought we were to be tasting the same vineyard barrel samples as we did over Thanksgiving 2008, to see the wine's evolution, but I think we pulled Abbott Claim instead of Canary Hill this time. Great dark berry fruit, earth and leather, nice structure and light tannins. Well made. Will enjoy this after it is in bottle for a year or two. (88 pts.)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Savoya - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Barrel sample. Much more a complete wine compared to last time, when the wine had just been barreled. Nowhere near as green and primal, the fruit is emerging nicely and presenting nice cherry and leather flavors. Tannins are slightly drying in the finish. 2008 is going to be great year for OR Pinot lovers! (87 pts.)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Barrel sample. My favorite of our barrel samples at Ken Wright (again). Tasty cherry and cranberry fruit, leather and earth, even a touch of something floral. This will be one to watch for on release. (89 pts.)

2006 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Elton - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
From library bottles. I really wanted to love this wine, since it is from the nice 2006 vintage, but it was rather dull. All the components were there, but it seemed like they were all subdued somewhat. Cherries, leather, some tannins (slight). Well-made, just not that exciting, especially after the barrel samples. (87 pts.)

1995 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
From library magnum. (Note: I couldn't remember the vineyard designation for this wine...I THINK it was Carter Vineyard). This was an amazing wine...I had no idea Pinot Noir could age this well. Slightly Madeira-ized and porty, but so delicious. Very sweet fruit, a touch of raisin also, but nice leather on the finish. Thanks to Ken and Asa for pulling this out of the library! (92 pts.)

Tyrus Evan (no website)

The usual tasting flight from Tyrus Evan. Probably only need to hit here once a year, as the wine selection doesn't change very often. Great wines, as always though.

2007 Tyrus Evan Viognier Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
Light straw color, great aromatics and flavors of tropical fruits and citrus. (86 pts.)

2007 Tyrus Evan Chardonnay Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
Much tastier than the Viognier, to my palate. Melon, pear with a touch of citrus. Nice acidity and a great finish. Not as much oak as I remember from before. (88 pts.)

2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Didn't like the Del Rio Claret as much this time around. Seemed like the fruit was off, and somewhat bitter. (88 pts.)

2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
I've always loved this Claret, and have bought several bottles. Great raspberry fruit and earthiness, with that lovely Red Mountain nose. (91 pts.)

2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Very earthy and big on the palate, with cherry and blackberry fruit, and a long mocha finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Not getting the plum I noted before, but more blackberry liqueur, coffee and dark chocolate. This wine is my WOTF for sure. (91 pts.)

Troon Vineyard

First time visiting the new Troon tasting room in Carlton. Nice place, next door to Ken Wright Cellars. Nice wines also. My first time sampling most of them.

2008 Troon Vineyard Druid's Fluid - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
New white table wine for this winery. Can't remember the blend, and not listed on their website, but it was slightly sweet, making me think it was some Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Nice summer sipper. (86 pts.)

2007 Troon Vineyard Druid's Fluid - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Nice fruity red blend. No idea on the varietals, but smooth and tasty, if somewhat boring. Raspberry fruit, some earth and a bit of tartness on the finish. (87 pts.)

2005 Troon Vineyard Old Vine Meritage - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
My favorite Troon wine today. Great structure, with just enough tannins to make you smack your lips after a sip. Blackberry fruit, nice earthiness, and a long finish of bittersweet dark chocolate and mocha. Bought 2 bottles. (91 pts.)

2004 Troon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Nice fruit, decent tannic structure, a bit of cola and chocolate on the finish. Tasty, but I liked the Meritage better. (88 pts.)

2007 Troon Vineyard Insomnia Port Reserve - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Typical port...not my style of wine, so just a sip-n-spit for me. Seemed well-made, just not for me. (85 pts.)

Zenas Wines

Another winery we should only hit once or twice a year. I like their wines, but they only make a few, and they don't change much. We did get free tastings and stemware, thanks to Twitter & Facebook. Follow @zenaswines on Twitter and mention it at the tasting room!

2005 Zenas Riesling Montinore Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Sweet citrus and pineapple fruit. Nice acidity, surprised they were still pouring the 2005 vintage, when everyone else is 2007 or 2008... (86 pts.)

2006 Zenas Cabernet Franc Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
This time around, this wine seemed rather thin and unbalanced. Blueberries, pepper and some spiciness, but somewhat lacking in the midpalate. A touch nutty on the finish, which I found odd. (88 pts.)

2007 Zenas Merlot Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Strawberry fruit, with a nice slug of oak in there to put some hair on your chest. Very woody on the finish also, along with some dark chocolate. (89 pts.)

2006 Zenas Meritage Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
My favorite Zenas wine, over and over. Great blackberry fruit, some green pepper/olive flavors, chocolate and coffee. This wine is an Oregon Bordeaux. Yummy. (91 pts.)

Cliff Creek Cellars

Our last stop before hitting The Horse Radish, and my palate was pretty shot. I don't remember most of what we tasted, and didn't take any notes. The ladies pouring for us were very generous, and we were able to taste a number of the wines they had out back for the big 4-winery event.

We finished the day at The Horse Radish Cheese & Wine Bar, for some food and hydration prior to heading home. Once home, it was to McMenamins Fulton Pub down the street for the usual post-wine tasting burger and cajun tots! What a way to end the day! Photos of the day are posted on Flickr.

Tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

Owen Roe at Great Wine Buys

2009-04-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

OWEN ROE WINE TASTING - Great Wine Buys, 1515 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 (4/18/2009)

A free wine tasting hosted by Great Wine Buys, poured by Eric Brasher, the Director of Winemaking for Owen Roe Winery.

Corvidae Wine Company - The new budget label from Owen Roe, with great QPRs!

2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Rook Cabernet - Merlot - Syrah - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
77% Cabernet Sauvignon from Ironbird Vineyard in Applegate Valley (So. OR), 15% Syrah, and 8% Merlot. Quite fruity on the nose, with lots of plum and blackberry. Nice and rich, coating the mouth nicely. Fantastic QPR! (91 pts.)

2006 Corvidae Wine Co. Syrah Lenore - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Peppery blackberries, with a touch of blue fruit as well. A tad bitter on the finish. Not as good a showing as the last time I tried this, but it was decanted last time... (90 pts.)

2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Cabernet Franc The Keeper - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Not labeled yet, so will be released in about a month. Mostly Cabernet Franc, with a dollop of Sangiovese to add some acidity. Lots of tobacco notes, with some wood and cassis flavors as well. (89 pts.)

2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Petite Sirah Fable - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Also not labeled yet, and will be available in about a month. This monster was still quite primal, with wild aromas of chocolate and flowers. Some nice earthy raspberry or blackberry flavors, and a touch of dark chocolate on the finish. Quite interesting...a Washington Petite Sirah! (90 pts.)

Owen Roe Winery - The top-end wines from Owen Roe.

2007 Owen Roe Cabernet Franc Rosa Mystica - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
I really enjoyed the 2006 vintage of this wine, so I was looking forward to trying the 2007. I was not disappointed! Still showing a bit young, there was lots of ripe berry and some earthy black olives present. Tasty, but I think it deserves some more time. (90 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Syrah "Lady Rosa" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
WOW! This was by far the wine of the tasting for me. Damn...I overheard the winery rep stating that the 2 Owen Roe wines had been opened the day before, and allowed to breathe. Maybe that was what made this wine work so well, compared to the last time I had it (Thanksgiving), or maybe it was the additional 6 months in bottle. Whichever, this wine rocked the house! Black as night, huge, coating mouthfeel, and so rich and complex I had to keep smelling and sipping! Violets, blueberry and pepper are all present and accounted for. This is a delicious wine...I may need to pick some up! (94 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Anam Cara Pinot Noir Vertical

2009-02-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

ANAM CARA VERTICAL TASTING - Dietra's House, Portland OR (2/21/2009)

My friends Trish and Dietra joined me in organizing a vertical tasting of the Pinot Noirs from Anam Cara Cellars (Anam Cara is Gaellic for "friend of my soul"). We ended up with at least one bottle of every Pinot Noir the winery has released to date, as well as a Riesling and 2 bottles of Late Harvest Gewurztraminer dessert wine. It was a great event! A very special thanks to Nick and Sheila Nicholas at Anam Cara Cellars for the tasting notes, as well as the very generous donation of a bottle of their delicious 2003 Pinot Noir! And thanks to Timothy Nishimoto at Vino Paradiso for the nifty wine pouring spouts. They worked extremely well. And now the tasting notes, posted from CellarTracker as always.

Pre-Vertical Wines

A selection of random wines to quaff as we waited for guests to arrive. The Glass and Riesling were supplied by Trish, and the Lange Pinot by Jim and Allison. Thanks guys!

2007 J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir "Glass" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Pre-vertical tasting wine. Light, pale pink. Rose of Pinot Noir. Not my favorite wine, but better than previous tastings. Nice acidity, keeping the light strawberry fruit alive. (84 pts.)

2007 Anam Cara Riesling Nicholas Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is a light yellow-gold. Melon and pineapple on the nose, with green apple and citrus on the palate. Nice body, and much drier than many Rieslings I've had. Tasty. (88 pts.)

2006 Lange Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Pre-vertical tasting wine, to get us in the groove. Nice fruit, dark color, sweet, leathery nose. Drinking very well right now. Not sure on QPR, but most liked this wine a lot. (89 pts.)

2004 Anam Cara Pinot Noir

2004 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Nicholas Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is a brownish red, quite lighter than I remember. Nose of leather and cherries. On the palate, sweet cherry fruit, lots of leather and tobacco, and a sour cherry finish. No tannic structure to speak of, but nice acidity. Probably nearing the end of its drinking window. (87 pts.)

2004 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is a brick red, not as brownish as the regular 2004 Estate wine. Nose of subdued leather, with cherry and raspberry fruit. More body in the mouth than the Estate, and much smoother as well. This seems to be holding up better. Sweet cherry and raspberry fruit, and a touch of tannins on the finish. (89 pts.)

2005 Anam Cara Pinot Noir

2005 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Nicholas Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Ruby red color. Nose is tight, not giving me anything at first, then grudgingly throwing me a tiny hint of raspberries. The taste is much better. More fresh and bright than the 2004s, although tighter as well. Fairly complex, with a chocolate raspberry dessert flavor, ending with a bitter, earthy/tobacco finish. I dig the complexity of this one. (90 pts.)

2005 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is identical to the 2005 Estate, ruby red. Nose is the best so far, with a lovely earthy raspberry and cherry aroma. Taste is quite tannic, with some cherry flavors, and a bit of alcohol heat on the finish. This may have been better if we had decanted it. It seemed to calm down as the night wore on, and I revisited it several times. One taster wanted to combine this nose with the flavors of the 2005 Estate to make 'the perfect wine'. (90 pts.)

2005 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Heather's Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Decanted 1 hour. Color is identical to the 2005 Reserve. The nose has similar aromas, but more sweetness than the Reserve. On the palate, I get fresh raspberries, tobacco, earth and a nice chocolatey finish. (92 pts.)

2006 Anam Cara Pinot Noir

2006 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Nicholas Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is a bit darker ruby than the 2005s. Nose of toasty oak, leather and raspberry, following to the palate. The oak is really evident, and in my opinion, makes the wine very enjoyable. Long finish of sweet cherry fruit wrapped in saddle leather. (93 pts.)

2006 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Heather's Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Decanted 1 hour. Color is a bright ruby, shimmering in the glass. Nose of black cherry, oak and some pepper(?). In the mouth, this wine is tight and oaky, despite the decanting time. Black cherry flavors rule the roost, with some leather and pepper and a sharply tannic finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Decanted 2 hours. Color is a dark maroon, the darkest so far. Nose of coffee or mocha...wow. Some leather there as well. Flavors of spicy black cherry, leather and a nice coffee finish. Some tannins evident, but controlled nicely by the acidity and fruit. Some oak is present as well, but not standing out as much as the 2006 Estate. (93 pts.)

2006 Anam Cara Pinot Noir Mark I - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Decanted 2 hours. Color is a duplicate of the 2006 Reserve. Nose is huge! Peppery raspberries and earth. Taste is really spicy! Lots of pepper coming through, wrapping around the black cherry and raspberry fruit, and finishing with the zing of tobacco. Astounding wine...may be my Wine of the Night. (94 pts.)

2003 Anam Cara Pinot Noir (A donation from the winery!)

2003 Anam Cara Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
This was a gift from the winery, their first release. Color is the darkest Pinot Noir I've ever seen! Almost looks like a Syrah... Nose is super-sweet and perfumed, very port-like. On the palate, this does NOT taste like Pinot! More like a port, with sweet blackberry fruit, and a lonnnng earthy finish. A great wine to end the red tasting with. Someone said this is a great wine to enjoy with a cigar after a big steak dinner. It was definitely the crowd favorite, but coming in #2 for me. (93 pts.)

Dessert Wine

2007 Anam Cara Gewürztraminer Nicholas Estate Late Harvest - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Color is an almost clear straw yellow. Sweet citrus and honey on the nose, following to the palate. Baked apples join the party, and the honey finish goes on for days. One of the better, if not the best, dessert wines I've ever tasted. (92 pts.)

View my photos of the event on Flickr.

Storyteller Wine Company Tasting with Maggie Harrison

2009-02-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

MAGGIE HARRISON WINE TASTING - Storyteller Wine Company, Portland, OR (2/13/2009)

Wine tasting at Storyteller Wine Company featuring wines of Maggie Harrison: Sine Qua Non, Antica Terra and Lillian Winery. Maggie was the assistant winemaker with Manfred Krankel at Sine Qua Non for 8 years before leaving California and coming to Oregon's Willamette Valley to take over as winemaker at Antica Terra. She also has her own private label Syrah called Lillian, featuring fruit from White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, CA.

2005 Sine Qua Non The Petition - USA, California
Amazing white blend!!! Wow, this just smoked me. Sweet pear fruit, with toasted oak. Lots of body and a definite oily characteristic to it. Very interesting, and a joy to drink. (94 pts.)

2007 Antica Terra Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very pretty nose, with sweet red cherries and some tobacco, following to the palate. Not released yet (3/9/09 release date), this wine is definitely going to be a winner! (91 pts.)

2006 Antica Terra Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
More evolved than the 2007, as it should be. Darker cherry fruit, and much more earth and leather than the tobacco of the 2007. Very tasty! (92 pts.)

2005 Lillian Winery Syrah - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Incredible Syrah! Big, with a solid tannic backbone than was only beginning to soften after 2+ hours in the decanter. Lots of complexity here...I don't even know where to start. Dark berry, chocolate, smoked meat, pepper, and earth...there is so much to this wine that I can't even begin to grasp it all with the small taste I received. Winemaker Maggie Harrison (ex-assistant winemaker to Sine Qua Non wizard Manfred Krankel) was in attendance, but swamped by other tasters... (94 pts.)

Wine Tasting - The Merchant of Vino @ Cork

2008-12-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

THE MERCHANT OF VINO'S AUSTRALIAN TASTING hosted by Cork: A Bottle Shop, Portland, OR (12/10/2008)

Rob from The Merchant of Vino and Darryl from Cork put on this special sit-down tasting at the Alberta Street Cork store. An incredible selection from some of Australia's top producers, all with a couple years (or more) of age on them.

Cool Weather Wines

The first two wines are from cooler regions in Australia. I don't know if this is because of the cooler temperatures, but both wines were VERY tannic. Hmm.

2002 Gralyn Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Having tasted this before, I wasn't surprised at the tannic grip on this wine. Color is a light ruby, going to clear at the rim. Very tight on the nose, giving up only a bit of earth. On the palate, bitter cherry fruit, with clay and LOTS of tannins. The finish is a long, tannic crush of sour cherry. This is from the "Bordeaux of Australia", the Margaret River region, where it is much cooler. I don't know if that explains the incredible tannins of this wine, but, there you go... (90 pts.)

2004 Berry's Bridge Shiraz - Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Pyrenees
Another cooler region, a semi-mountainous region called "The Pyrenees". Color is dark maroon. Much darker than the Gralyn cab. Very fragrant nose of blackberry and earth. On first sip, the one thing I immediately think of is "BIG". Totally coats the mouth with fruit and earth flavors, predominantly blackberries, and a loamy sort of earth. Lots of tannins in this wine also. From the nose, everyone thought this was co-fermented with Viognier, but it is, in fact, 100% Shiraz. Was originally going to go with 90 points, but tacked on another just for the incredible perfume. (91 pts.)

Kaesler Wines

The second two wines were both from Kaesler, and showcased the "right-up-to-the-line" style of winemaker Reid Bosward.

2005 Kaesler Grenache The Fave - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Color is a lighter ruby. Nose is redolent of strawberries, with an odd cinnamon aroma...almost a candied smell. Spicy on the palate, with strawberries, cherry and spice (cinnamon?). Very smooth and easy to drink, but overshadowed by the other wines tonight. (87 pts.)

2004 Kaesler W.O.M.S. - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Having tasted this before in an ideal setting (and with food) on my birthday, I was doubting this rating would be as high as last time (98/100), and I was right. Color is a dark ruby. Nose is all raspberry, with LOTS of yummy earth aromas. On the palate, you can instantly tell the wine has incredible integration. Big flavors of raspberry and earth mingle with chewy tannins, sharp acidity and a bit of oak. They all play together nicely, making the wine absolutely delicious! (95 pts.)

The Big Boys

Both of the final two wines needed to be decanted, and unfortunately we only got about 1 hour's worth. However, both wines still showed very well.

2004 Charles Cimicky Shiraz Reserve - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 1 hour. Color is a thick, dark purple, almost black. Delicious nose of blue and black fruits, with a touch of earth and oak. On the palate, smoked meat, with the sweet taste of blueberry pie, and oaky vanilla on the finish. VERY nice wine! (95 pts.)

2004 Torbreck Shiraz The Factor - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
My wine of the night, just ahead of the WOMS and Cimicky Reserve. Decanted 1 hour. Color is a very dark maroon, almost black. Very thick. 100% Shiraz from 4 vineyards. Nose of very sweet blackberry...maybe blackberry pie, following to the palate, with the addition of blueberries. Very jammy, and still quite young. This really needs another 2-3 years before it begins to shine. Lots of tannins on the finish, which seems to go on forever. An outstanding wine from David Powell! (96 pts.)

Thanks to Rob from The Merchant of Vino and Darryl from Cork for putting on this event!

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Carlton Wineries, Part Deux

2008-12-07T01:15:00.000-08:00

CARLTON WINE TASTING: PART DEUX - Carlton, OR (12/6/2008)

Kristina and I drove down to Carlton, in Oregon wine country, for the Cana's Feast Winery wine club pickup party, and decided to hit another winery in the area.

Cana's Feast Winery

Attended the wine club "pickup party", to pick up my club shipment. Food pairings were available for each wine, as well as olive oil, artisian cheese and gourmet salt tastings. A great party!

N.V. Villa Loredan Gasparini Prosecco Montello e Colli Asolani Brut - Italy, Veneto, Montello e Colli Asolani
Food Pairing: Baked cheese-stuffed fritter.
Tasting Notes: Nose of honeydew melon. LOTS of activity in the mouth...fiercely carbonated, to the point where I don't want to take another sip. Swirling the wine helped a bit, but still not pleasant. Flavors were very nice, however, and it paired well with the cheese fritter offered. (84 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco Two Rivers - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Food Pairing: Beef & root vegetable soup (did not eat).
Tasting Notes: Very nice fruit, with a lovely nose of raspberry, tobacco and a floral component. Flavors of red raspberry, tobacco leaf and some earthiness. This is still quite young, with some integration of tannins, fruit and acidity still needed. For the coin, this is giong to be a blockbuster! (90 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco Two Rivers Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Food Pairing: Beef & root vegetable soup (did not eat).
Tasting Notes: New wine this year, coming from the same fruit as the regular Two Rivers bottling, but with a different oak program. Tastes just like the regular Two Rivers, but with a bit more wood. Lots of vanilla on the finish, along with tight tannins. Again, this is going to be a blockbuster wine, but costs twice what the regular Two Rivers costs. Maybe a +1 for me, as I like the vanilla finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Cana's Feast Red Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Food Pairing: Portabello mushroom and cheese empanada.
Tasting Notes: Delicious wine, but infanticide at this point. Compared to the 2003 I had last weekend, this is tight and green. Vigorous swirling in the glass helped with the overabundance of tannins somewhat. Still much too young to be enjoyable. Lots of earth in this one too, which I love. Going to lay my bottle down for at least 2 years. (91 pts.)

2008 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Counoise - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Food Pairing: N/A.
Tasting Notes: Barrel sample with the winemaker. I've never had this varietal by itself before. Very interesting! Lighter than expected, with a spicy zing to it. Nice strawberry fruit, smooth, with just a hint of pepper. Light tannins. Winemaker said this will most likely go into a blend, with their Syrah, but he may pull a barrel and do a small run of this alone. I hope so! (88 pts.)

2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Syrah Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Food Pairing: Chocolate madiera torte.
Tasting Notes: Just tasted this last weekend. Consistent notes, and again my favorite of the tasting. Nicely paired with a tasty chocolate torte. (92 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Pinot Noir Tre Nova Dolcepassa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Food Pairing: Lemon-poppyseed biscotti.
Tasting Notes: Just tasted this last weekend...consistent with previous note. (85 pts.)

Zenas Wines

Decided to stop in here on the way home from Cana's Feast, and I'm very glad we did! Ended up getting two tastings (free), two nice Bordeaux wine glasses (free), and a bottle of the 2006 Meritage (10% off). Score! No food pairings at this winery, unfortunately.

2006 Zenas Riesling Hand-Select Montinore Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Very dry, for a Riesling. Apricots, minerals and a touch of citrus sweetness. (83 pts.)

2006 Zenas Riesling Sekt Montinore Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
My first sparkling Riesling! Made in the "Sekt" style, which is a German style almost identical to the "Méthode Champenoise" of Champagne. Quite sweet, with nice bubbles that are not annoying (as the Prosecco earlier today). Pears, with a touch of nuts. Very nice. (85 pts.)

2006 Zenas Cabernet Franc Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
A very tasty wine with blueberry on the nose. Flavors of blackberry, with some pepper on the finish. A very smooth wine, with light tannins and acidity. Could be paired with almost anything... (90 pts.)

2006 Zenas Merlot Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Their first Merlot release. Usually they just add the Del Rio Merlot to their Claret (now called Meritage). I like this one quite a bit. Very lush cherry fruit, with nice vanilla oak on the finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Zenas Meritage Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Del Rio Vineyard, aged 14+ months in French oak. Very nice structure, with blackberry fruit, coffee and chocolate flavors. My favorite Zenas wine today. (92 pts.)

Even though I just spent a day last weekend tasting (many) wines in Carlton, today was a lot of fun, and I was very happy to have Kristina along with me. The weather was beautiful, the food delicious, and the wines were outstanding!

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Cathedral Ridge Holiday Celebration

2008-12-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

CATHEDRAL RIDGE WINERY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION - The Governor Hotel, Portland, OR (12/4/2008)

I attended the Cathedral Ridge Winery annual holiday celebration party at The Governor Hotel Ballroom on Thursday night, with Kristina and Trish.

White Wine Station

A collection of current release white wines. The 2006 Dry Riesling was gone by the time I arrived.

2007 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Very crisp, with granny smith apples on the nose and palate. Some hazelnut on the finish that is surprising. (85 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Chardonnay - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Very buttery and smooth. I really enjoy CR's chardonnays. Nice minerality with great body. (88 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Rosé - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Very tasty. I think this included some merlot and/or syrah grapes in it...Quite tasty, with flavors of peaches and a short, sweet finish redolent of flowers. (87 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Riesling - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Quite sweet, with a solid backbone of mineral and apples. Good, but I've had better Rieslings. (84 pts.)

Pinot Noir Station

A collection of current release Pinot Noir wines.

2007 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Much thinner than I like...spicy and fruity, but lacking body and structure. Cherry fruit, but a forgettable wine. (82 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Noir Huber Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Much tastier than the regular Pinot bottling, this had much more prominent cherry fruit, with a nice acidty to integrate everything together. Finish is short, but with a nice spicy 'zing'. (87 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Necessity Red - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
A blend of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Interesting blend, but not my style. Some fruitiness from the Zin, and some earth from the Piniot, but this wine doesn't really come together properly. (84 pts.)

Red Wine Station

A collection of current release red wines. I did not taste the 2006 Zinfandel, since the wine club saw fit to send me THREE bottles of this wine in club shipments over the last year, and I already know that I don't like it.

2007 Cathedral Ridge Merlot - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Nice and fruity, I was surprised this was drinking so well this soon. Big plum fruit, with some spicy vanilla oak on the finish. This has some potential! (88 pts.)

2007 Cathedral Ridge Cabernet-Merlot - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
This one seems to be a tad young yet. I still have a bottle of the 2006, and it's just starting to drink very well, so I think this could use another year. Raspberry fruit, with light tannins on the finish. (88 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Bordheauxd Red - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
While I was very impressed with the 2005 vintage of this wine, this one is somewhat of a letdown. Spicy raspberry fruit and earth, reminding me of (surprise) a Bordeaux. More time required! (88 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Nice fruit, blackberry and cherry. Fairly intense right now, with tight tannins that dry the mouth out. Needs more time for sure. (90 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Syrah - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Very nice nose of blackberry, pepper and violets, following to the palate. Finish has some nice pepper in it, and light tannins. Tasty stuff! (91 pts.)

Reserve/Specialty Wine Station

A collection of current release reserve wines.

2006 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve Bangsund Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Very much in the style of Pinot Noir I like. Lots of cherry fruit, earth, tobacco leaf, with a smooth finish of spicy chocolate. Tasted blind, I would not have called this one a Pinot. (90 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Quite bold in style, reminding me of a Cali Cabernet. Pretty big tannins at the moment, so I'd lay this one down for another couple years. Tasty blackberry fruit and a lot of oak on the finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Syrah Reserve - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Blackberry fruit for days, with spicy black pepper and tobacco. Just like the regular Syrah, plus one. (92 pts.)

2006 Cathedral Ridge Rock Star Red - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Wine of the Night for me. Take all of the best things about the Reserve Cabernet and the Reserve Syrah (50% of each) and put them together, you will have this wine. Very complex, with well-integrated tannins, big fruit and pepper flavors, and a touch of earth and flowers to make it interesting. Delicious! (93 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Carlton Wineries

2008-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING WINE TASTING - Carlton, OR (11/28/2008)

Our annual tasting excursion to Oregon wine country via limo service. In attendance: Robert, Dietra, Trish, Lisa, Phil, Jason, Andreas and Trude'.

Lenne Estate Winery
Pouring their own Lenne Pinot Noir wines, as well as "friend wines" from ZanZibar Cellars and Owen Roe. All were quite delicious, with the Owen Roe wines being my favorite of the day.

2006 Zanzibar Cellars Chardonnay Playa Sol - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nice chardonnay, with beautiful fruit, nice earthiness and acidity. DuBrul vineyard was the source for this wine. (92 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Riesling DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Consistent with prior tasting notes. Floral, sweet, with nice citrus fruit. (87 pts.)

2007 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Le Nez - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Seemed quite young and disjointed. Not very integrated yet...I liked the 2006 much better! Fruit was muted, earth was prominent. Tannins light, but present. Give this one another 6 months to a year in the bottle for it to shine. (86 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "The Kilmore" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
This one seems very young to me. Fruit from Lenne Estate vineyard, as well as another about 10 miles from Lenne (can't remember the name). nice earth, acidity and light tannins. Fruit is hiding at the moment. Give it 6-12 months to show. (88 pts.)

2007 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Much like the Le Nez before this. Muted fruit, but nice earthiness. Give it 6-12 months to integrate. (87 pts.)

2006 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Much tastier than the 2007. Fruit has come around and is shining nicely. Earthiness is still there as well, and integration is complete. Tasty wine! (89 pts.)

2006 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Karen's Pommard Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Now THIS is how I like my Pinot Noir! Wow...fruit exploding on the palate, with dark raspberries and earth, with some strawberry and leather as well. Excellent wine! Price is a bit out of my range, but if I had the scratch, would be buying much of this. (92 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Syrah "Lady Rosa" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
First time I've tasted this Syrah, and frankly, I wasn't impressed. The Ex Umbris, at half the cost, is better in my opinion. While thick and dark, the fruit really didn't shine like I expected it to. Blackberries and earth, chewy and thick. Mild tannins, and a long fruity finish. Nice, but not $45 nice. (90 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
As always, this blend is one of my favorites. Just released a couple months ago, this wine is still showing its youth. Needs another 6-9 months before I'd consider opening a bottle, preferrably a year or two. If you have the 2005, drink it now and cellar this one for another year. Excellent integration of raspberry fruit, earth, acidity and tannins. Built to last 10 years, but enjoyable in the short term as well. If you drink it now, prepare to decant for a couple hours at least. (92 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Wow...delicious! This definitely needs a year to come around. Tight, tannic, and somewhat backward at the moment. Spent much time swirling this in my glass to get it to loosen up, and was rewarded with big blackberry fruit, saddle leather, tobacco, and a floral component. Very happy that I already have two bottles in my cellar, thanks to the Market of Choice on Terwilliger! (95 pts.)

2004 Madrone Mountain Late Bottled Port - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
Very interesting port-style wine. The first time I've seen a Bordeaux blend as a dessert wine before: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Much too sweet for my palate, but that's what this wine is all about. Chunks of sediment in everyone's glass too. Not a wine for me. (80 pts.)

Ken Wright Cellars

2007 Ken Wright Pinot Blanc - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Nice sweetness that I wasn't expecting. Pineapple, honeydew melon, with a touch of raisin. (85 pts.)

2007 Ken Wright Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Gorge
A delicious chardonnay! Nice acidity, but could use another 6 months in bottle to integrate better. Good granny smith apple and citrus flavors. (90 pts.)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Canary Hill - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Barrel sample. Green, green, green! Admittedly, this has only been in barrel for about a month. Bitter green pepper flavors prevail. Some fruit in there, but just barely. Harsh tannins as well. Can't see the potential in this wine yet. No rating.

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Savoya - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Barrel sample. Another very green, harsh example of just harvested fruit. Lots of olive characteristics in this wine. Tannins are less pronounced than the Canary Hill sample, but fruit is just as hidden. No rating.

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Barrel sample. Now THIS wine has potential! Even though it has only been in barrel for a month or so, fruit is already showing nicely, and tannins are prominently appearing on the finish. My favorite of the three barrel samples we tasted by a long shot. Case purchase requirements kept me from buying futures of this wine...No rating.

Tyrus Evan (no winery website available)

2007 Tyrus Evan Chardonnay Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
One of the best examples of Southern Oregon Chardonnay I've tasted to date. A bit over-oaked for my tastes, but really nice pear and canteloupe fruit. (89 pts.)

2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Nice blend of Red Mountain fruit. Earthiness, surrounded by outstanding raspberry fruit. Bright acidity keeps the fruit and tannins in check. (91 pts.)

2005 Tyrus Evan Claret Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Strawberries, with nice earthiness and minerality. Way different than the Ciel Du Cheval Claret, as this one is 25% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. (90 pts.)

2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Yum! Plummy, with serious chocolate and coffee flavors. Very happy I have a bottle of this in the cellar! (92 pts.)

2006 Tyrus Evan Syrah Del Rio Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Big cherry notes, deep earth flavors and a nice sweet finish. Just released a couple months ago, this wine is rockin! (92 pts.)

Scott Paul Wines

2006 Philippe Chavy Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Highly acidic, but with nice pear and citrus fruit coming through. Very intense flavors, seemingly searing my palate with citric acid. (86 pts.)

2006 Jean-Marc Millot Côte de Nuits Villages - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages
Cherry fruit, but with an underlying barnyard/poop flavor. Not enjoyable. (77 pts.)

2007 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir Cuvée Martha Pirrie - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Cherry fruit again, but not the barnyard of the previous wine. Flavorful, and showing its youth for sure. Give this one another year to really shine. (86 pts.)

2006 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir La Paulee - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
One of the only Pinots today that I've been able to taste the oak. It's nice in this wine, giving it structure and strength. Raspberry fruit, with a black cherry component. Leather flavors are also present, making this one of the more interesting Pinots of the day. (89 pts.)

2007 Scott Paul Wines Pinot Noir Audrey - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Wow. This wine is young and green, but with a LOT of promise. Showing some cherry fruit, but overshadowed by the green olive and tannins. This hasn't been released yet, and for good reason. Another year will serve this wine well. I expect it will rock the house eventually... (88 pts.)

Raptor Ridge Winery

2007 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Black cherry, saddle leather, and a mineral component. Tasty! (87 pts.)

2007 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Adolfo's Block - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Much more flavor than the regular Willamette Valley cuvee. Black cherry, tobacco and earth flavors swimming around in the mouth. (88 pts.)

2006 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Much bigger than the other two offerings. More fruit--raspberries, leather and dirt, mixed with a nice floral component. The additional year definitely served this wine well, as the two 2007 wines seemed too young to be very enjoyable. (89 pts.)

Carlton Cellars

2007 Carlton Cellars Pinot Noir Roads End - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Weak showing. Not much fruit, and a somewhat bitter green finish. I'm not impressed, even with such a young example. (80 pts.)

2007 Carlton Cellars Pinot Noir Cape Lookout Russell-Grooters Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Much better than the 2007 Roads End Pinot. More cherry fruit showing through, with some plum and bittersweet chocolate on the finish. Still quite young however. Give it another 6-12 months before thinking about drinking this one. (85 pts.)

Cana's Feast Winery

2007 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Rosato - USA, Washington
Probably the second best rose wine I've ever had. Great fruit and acidty integration. This would be an excellent summer sipper! (88 pts.)

2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nice sangio blend, with strawberry fruit and a touch of earth. (87 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Sangiovese Bricco - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Just released. Good fruit - raspberry, plum and some earthiness as well. Needs a bit more time to integrate the tannins and acidity with the fruit. Still a bit tight. (88 pts.)

2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco Two Rivers - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very tannic...surprising. Blackberry fruit with an asphalt component. I like the 2004 much better. (85 pts.)

2005 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Syrah Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Black pepper and blueberries are what this wine is all about. Lovely, and my favorite of the tasting. (92 pts.)

2004 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Pinot Noir Cana's Feast Cuvée G Willamette Valley - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Such a lovely Pinot! Big cherry fruit, with earth, leather, pepper and black olive flavors. Tasty! (88 pts.)

2003 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Cana's Feast Red Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Great blend, with excellent integration. Oak is present, but not overpowering. This wine just 'works'. Everything is in place and it all comes together nicely. Blueberry and blackberry fruits, with nice earth and a floral component as well. Long finish with fine tannins. (91 pts.)

Gino Cuneo Cellars

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Tre Nova Secopassa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Not sure on the varietal(s) used in this wine, but this is an Amarone-style wine with big flavors of black fruit and sweet figs. Needs more time, but showing some nice potential! (90 pts.)

2006 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Pinot Noir Tre Nova Dolcepassa - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very sweet and smooth. Made from pinot noir grapes (!), the wine is made in a "Recioto" or Amarone style, with the grapes being dried for 3-4 months. (85 pts.)

Photos of our crazy group are available on Flickr.

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-11-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING DINNER - Jeff McHugh's condo (11/27/2008)

A selection of wines for an unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner with great friends: Jeff, Mark, Dave, Steve, Jill, Jake, and Amy.

1988 Château Clos des Jacobins - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Decanted 1 hour, mostly due to cork and sediment issues. Cork was wet halfway through, but no seepage. My first 20 year-old wine. Nose just blows my mind...very complex, with tobacco, red raspberry fruit, pencil lead, and a vegetal component I can't place. Complexity follows to the palate...huge flavor explosion! Earthy, with tobacco leaf, tomatoes (the vegetal component on the nose, I think), raspberries, pencil lead, just delicious! Finish goes on for a good minute, with flavors swimming all over my tongue. Tannins are very soft, and this is drinking very well. I feel that it is probably at the end of it's drinking window, but showing quite well tonight. An outstanding bottle of right bank Bordeaux! (95 pts.)

2003 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decanted 4 hours. Darkest wine I've seen in awhile, and very thick, like blackberry syrup. Coating my decanter, glass, mouth, teeth...Nose is beautiful. This is going to be something special! Aromas of dark blackberry fruit with a touch of vanilla and earth. In the mouth, very thick and coating, with blackberries, blueberries, a bit of vanilla 'oakiness', and tasty earthiness that I love. Not to hot, acidic or tannic, and the fruit, while prominent, isn't exploding like a fruitbomb. This is integration! Finish goes on for a minute or more...Astounding wine that makes me wish I'd bought more. (95 pts.)

2004 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Decanted 1 hour. Steve's wine. Much too young (I see the CT drinking window OPENS in 2013...) even with an hour+ decant. Was just starting to open up towards the end of the bottle. Nice earthiness, old world and very tasty, but the fruit remained hidden behind a wall of tannin. (90 pts.)

2003 Nicolis Angelo e figli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Steve's wine. I typically love Valpolicella wines, Amarone in particular, and this one was somewhat of a disappointment. Could be palate fatigue, as we had tasted many wines prior to this, but the flavors fell somewhat flat for me. I didn't get a chance to poll other tasters, but I got some fruit, and a nice earthiness, but the wine seemed to be missing the signature sweetness that comes from most Amarone I've tried. (88 pts.)

2006 Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Decanted 4 hours. Very dark purple color, coating the glass. Nose of blueberries. A bit hot. Sweet on the palate, but with an overabundance of alcohol heat. Very mouthcoating, with a long bittersweet finish and light tannins. At $47 at WTSO, a terrible QPR. This drinks like many $20 bottles of Shiraz I've tried. Not impressed. (91 pts.)

2005 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
Decanted 2 hours. Steve's big wine, and big is the correct word. Big price, big bouquet, big fruit...and big oak. The over-oaked taste was what kept this wine from being wine of the night. I usually don't mind some oak in my cabs, but this went a bit too far for me. Even with the oak, serious gobs of concentrated raspberry fruit and earth showing. Tannins were present, but not bothersome, only lightly drying the mouth on the finish. Color was somewhat lighter than I expected for a Cali cab. All in all, a nice showing, but overshadowed (for me at least) by the 20 year-old St. Emilion, and the Mitolo shiraz. (92 pts.)

2007 Torzi Matthews Shiraz "Schist Rock" - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Decanted 4 hours. This is the youngest wine of the bunch, and even with a 4 hour decant, is showing it's youth. Very pretty bouquet of strawberries and vanilla. Lots of oak...picking splinters out of my tongue. Needs a year or two to integrate. Big fruit, big oak, big acid, but not too tannic. My least favorite so far. (88 pts.)

2005 Dominio IV Tempranillo Midnight Skies - USA, Oregon
Decanted 2 hours. Nose of blackberries, smoked meat and earth, following to the palate, and ending in a sweet finish, about 30 seconds, that is full-on blackberries. A bit tannic, but integrating nicely with air. (90 pts.)

2007 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County - USA, California, Sonoma County
Steve's wine. I can see why this was included in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2008, but #10?? I'll admit I'm not much of a Zin fan, but still...I got a LOT of alcohol heat on this one. Almost like taking a shot of vodka or something. Delicious red fruit, and that Zin "zing" of spiciness. Tasty, but way too hot. Maybe too young? (89 pts.)

2005 Hay Shed Hill Chardonnay Pitchfork - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia
Good with turkey and other items at dinner. Nice acidity to cut through some of the bigger food flavors. (87 pts.)

A migrane headache prevented me from enjoying several other wines in our lineup. My sincerest thanks to Jeff for inviting me to dinner, and to Steve for providing many of the tasty wines we enjoyed that evening (the Cakebread Cabernet in particular!).

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Willamette Valley Vineyards Library Magnum Party

2008-11-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

LIBRARY WINE MAGNUM PARTY - Willamette Valley Vineyards (11/16/2008)

A special Oregon Wine Guild (the WVV wine club) event, offering magnum-sized bottles from their library for reduced prices. Over 130 magnums of various wines were available for sale, from vintages back into the late 1990's through 2005. Willamette Valley Vineyards also owns Tualatin Estate Vineyards and Griffin Creek Winery in Southern Oregon, and they were represented here as well.

White Wines From Willamette Valley Vineyards, Tualatin Estate Vineyards and Griffin Creek Winery

Poured from 750ml bottle. I missed out on the regular (sweet) WVV Riesling, and magnum tastings of Tualatin Estate chardonnay and Griffin Creek viognier (mainly from lack of interest).

2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling Dry Riesling - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Quite a bit drier than the regular bottling, this had just a touch of sweetness, reminding me more of a Viognier than a Riesling. It was good, but I prefer just a touch more sweetness. Floral, with pineapple and honeydew melon flavors, but they seemed muted somehow, without the sweetness to accompany them. (84 pts.)

New Release Pinot Noirs From Willamette Valley Vineyards

A variety of 2006 single clone pinot noirs from Willamette Valley Vineyards, poured from 750ml bottle.

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Clone 114 Estate Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
My first red of the day. Somewhat bitter, not very pleasing in the mouth. Thin, with muted flavors. Earthy, raspberry, and just a touch of leather. (86 pts.)

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Clone 777 Estate Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Wow, this is how I like my Pinot Noir! Startlingly bright fruit, with sweetness, earth and leather, and a floral component sneaking in there. This is tasty stuff! (92 pts.)

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Pommard Clone Estate Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
A step back from the 777 clone. The sweetness is gone, replaced by some tannins that, while not unpleasant, don't add anything to the flavor. Mouth feel is nice, between the thin 114 clone and robust 777 clone. (90 pts.)

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Wädenswil Clone Estate Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Hey, a step back in the right direction! Still not as tasty as the 777 clone, but this is close, very close. Berry fruit over saddle leather and dirt, with a touch of chocolate on the finish. (91 pts.)

Red Wines From Griffin Creek Winery

Poured from magnums! I wish there had been more variety to taste...

2000 Griffin Creek Merlot - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
I actually had two tastes of this, and I'm basing my review on the second sample, as my first one was nothing but sediment. Such poor etiquette...I swear, the next time I see someone turn a bottle of 8 year-old red wine completely upside down to pour every last drop into someone's glass, I'm going to smack them. Learn to pour properly! Sorry for the rant...The wine was pleasant, and easy to quaff. Smooth, and decently integrated. Starting to show some of its age, however, with the tasty blackberry fruit dropping off into a very short finish, and the acidity tending to show through a bit too much. (90 pts.)

2001 Griffin Creek Griffin - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Cool looking bottle/label, very understated. Dark color, extremely nice nose, with berries, violets, and some earth/minerality that all comes together on the palate. This was a joy to drink, and attempts at securing another pour were deflected. Major bummer. I guess at $65 per 750ml bottle (the magnums were "on sale" for $112.50), the winery wanted to control how much they poured pretty closely. A great wine, though a very poor QPR. If this was down in the $40-$50 range (where it should be), I would have jumped on several bottles. When leaving the tasting, I did notice that most of the 131 original magnum bottles available for sale had been sold. The remaining bottles? The Griffin Creek "Griffin" and Viognier. Surprised, I was not. (93 pts.)

The event as a whole was a touch underwhelming. We all expected more tastings of the vintage wine (I'm not buying a magnum of a library wine unless I've tasted it first), and more/better quality food. As it was, the cheese & cracker trays were okay, but we all left there wanting lunch. I guess for $10 (for non-Guild members), what do you expect?

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - ZanZibar Cellars 2007 Barrel Sample Party

2008-09-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

ZANZIBAR CELLARS 2007 BARREL TASTING - Clark-Lewis Restaurant, Portland, OR (9/28/2008)

ZanZibar Cellars hosted their 2007 barrel sample party at Clark-Lewis this year. I attended with my girlfriend, Kristina, and tasted their 2007 wines from barrel, while hanging out with good friends. Winemaker Ziad Kierouz, and his business partner, Glen Boyd, were on hand to discuss the wines, the vintage, and to ensure the 75+ email list members present had a great time. Delicious small bites were served by Clark-Lewis, which opened on a Sunday just to host this event.

2007 Zanzibar Cellars Casima - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Tasted from barrel sample. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, from Yakima Valley vineyards, according to winemaker Ziad Keirouz. Raspberries on the nose, with a hint of something floral. Raspberries again on the palate, very bright, yet supple and feminine. Very smooth, with barely any tannic bite at all. Acidity is already noticable. This wine will go into bottle Novemeber/December 2008, where it will stay for 12-15 months before the planned release in the Fall of 2009. (91 pts.)

2007 Zanzibar Cellars Sandra Alder Creek Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
Tasted from barrel sample. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. I am not certain this wine is sourced 100% from Alder Creek Vineyard anymore, but winemaker Ziad Kierouz mentioned it was a Columbia Valley wine. Very fruit-forward, with blackberry and some earthiness/leather on the nose. A definite fruit explosion on the palate, with firm tannins and bright acidity. Lots of different flavors floating around, chocolate, coffee, blueberry...very tasty. An incredible effort from one of the coldest vintages in Washington in the past decade. This wine will be bottled November/December 2008, and released Fall of 2009. (94 pts.)

After the tasting there was a small dinner served by Clark-Lewis that Kristina and I did not attend. Ziad mentioned he was going to serve some of his extremely limited Non-Vintage Sandra, which is a blend consisting of a barrel from each vintage of Sandra. Each year, Ziad removes one barrel of the blend for bottling, and then adds a barrel of the current year's vintage to the blend. Ingenious!

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Owen Roe Wines at Hollywood Wine & Espresso's 3-Year Anniversary

2008-09-21T19:07:00.001-07:00

3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY WITH OWEN ROE - Hollywood Wine & Espresso, Portland, OR (9/18/2008)

Hollywood Wine & Espresso celebrated their 3rd anniversary with a special Owen Roe Wines tasting event, that ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I attended Thursday with my girlfriend Kristina, and Friday with friends Mark, Trish and Phil. 10 Owen Roe wines featured, for a paltry $10 tasting fee.

O'Reilly's Wines

The first three wines are from Owen Roe's lower cost label, O'Reilly's, named for winemaker David O'Reilly.

2006 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Nice fruit, with some melon and citrus. Decently acidity as well. (83 pts.)

2007 O'Reilly's Riesling - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Bright, slightly sweet. Much tastier than the Gris. (84 pts.)

2007 O'Reilly's Pinot Noir Oregon - USA, Oregon
Much lighter and thinner than the 2006, and much less flavorful. Almost bitter, but, this IS a very young wine. (85 pts.)

Sharecropper's Wines

The second pair of wines are from the mid-price label, Owen Roe Sharecropper's.

2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon
Wow, this is like night and day, compared to the 07- O'Reilly's Pinot. Great nose of earth and cherry, following to the palate. Very tasty! (88 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Great fruit, nice low tannins, and very smooth drinking. A tasty cab at a great QPR! (90 pts.)

Owen Roe Wines

The final, and largest, flight was of true Owen Roe wines, with a mix of their lower-level tier, and one from their upper-level tier. Delicious, all!

2007 Owen Roe Abbot's Table - USA, Oregon/Washington
Much more integrated than the last time I tried this, with much lower tannin levels, and much smoother fruit. I think this is going to be outstanding in 6 months to a year! (90 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Sinister Hand - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
A bit on the thin side for a Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre blend. Nice fruit, some pepper and earthiness in there as well. Again, in 6-18 months, this will be drinking fine! (90 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Valley
Delicious. Pepper and smoke on the nose, with dark fruits and a very long, tasty finish. Always one of my favorite Owen Roe wines. (93 pts.)

2005 Owen Roe Zinfandel - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
I'm not usually a Zin fan, but wow! This wine is intense...not the hyperfruity spice juice most Zins taste to me. Great berry fruit, some earth, pepper and low tannins make this one a serious 'drink now' candidate. (91 pts.)

2005 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Most definitely my Wine of the Night. Just incredible blend of fruit, acidity and tannins. So easy to drink, and with another year or so in the bottle, I can see this wine pulling down a 95 score from me. Outstanding!! (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Rhone Valley Wines at GEM

2008-09-17T19:20:00.001-07:00

REDS & WHITES OF THE RHONE VALLEY - GEM Wine Cellar, Portland OR (9/5/2008)

In celebration of his wife Janice's birthday, Gene at GEM Wine Cellar & Wine Bar featured a Rhone Valley wine tasting. Two incredible homemade cakes were served as well.

2005 Domaine Brusset Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Coteaux des Travers - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne
Slightly sweet, nice fruit...apples and pears all around. (85 pts.)

2005 Domaine Rabasse-Charavin Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne
Honeydew melon, mixed with some citrus fruit and a bit of honeysuckle. (86 pts.)

2007 Domaine Rouge-Bleu Vin de Pays des Portes de la Méditerranée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Portes de la Méditerranée
Very light, young, thin. Bright fruit, but much too thin to be enjoyable. (78 pts.)

2006 Domaine André Brunel Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Tasty fruit, with a slight taste of earth, somewhat sweet, but with a funky finish. Drinking well now. (85 pts.)

2004 La Bouquetière Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very tasty, with heavy earth flavors to go with the blackberry fruit. 90% grenache, 5% syrah & mourvedre. (87 pts.)

2005 Philippe Faury Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
My first taste of Cote-Rotie, so not sure what to expect. Nose of blueberry and black fruits, with a somewhat funky smell in there as well, that I can't decipher. Lush fruit on the attack. Firm tannins, leaving a very dry finish. I hope this is not representative of the region, because it was definitely a "meh" wine for me. (86 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Hollywood Wine & Espresso's Oregon: Dundee Hills Extravaganza

2008-08-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

OREGON: DUNDEE HILLS EXTRAVAGANZA - Hollywood Wine & Espresso, Portland OR (8/23/2008)

2006 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Smooth, nice flavors or citrus fruit and honeydew melon. (86 pts.)

2007 Torii Mor Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very bright, with snappy citrus fruit and harsh acidity. Methinks this is a very young wine. (84 pts.)

2005 Dobbes Family Estate Viognier - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Very floral on the nose, with a sweet taste of pears and flowers. Very nice! (88 pts.)

2006 Wine By Joe Pinot Noir Really Good - USA, Oregon
Wine shop owner called this "spaghetti wine" and I certainly agree. It needs some food to go with. On it's own, not so good. Muted fruit, a bit of earth, but really, a "MEH" wine for me. (82 pts.)

2006 Torii Mor Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Nice cherry fruit, with some of that Oregon earthiness I enjoy. Somewhat bitter however. Needs more time to integrate I think. (86 pts.)

2006 Torii Mor Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Select - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Much better than the "Willamette Valley" cuvee, and very young. Tannins were heavy, but controled by the fruit and acidity. I think this one will age well. Raspberry and cherry fruit with some spice in there as well. (90 pts.)

2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Wow! Big fruit, but very well integrated. Lots of berries in this one, with some very tasty tar/earth/tobacco in there. Long and supple finish makes me want to take another sip just to keep it going. (91 pts.)

2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Wine of the Tasting! But, of course I expected this. At $100/bottle, definitely a pass for me, but this is a HUGE Pinot! Heavy tannins, oakey, but with big fruit under the tannins that shines through. This one is very very young, and needs a good 5-10 years to really show its stuff. (93 pts.)

2004 Dobbes Family Estate Syrah Grande Assemblage Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Lots of fruit, almost a fruitbomb. Blackberries and cherries, with a sweet but slightly tart finish. Reminds me of a $20 Aussie Shiraz. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Cork Friday Flight with Dubost/Crooked Road Wineries

2008-08-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHT - Cork - A Bottle Shop, Portland OR (8/8/2008)

Special 08/08/08 tasting event at Cork with Dubost Ranch and Crooked Road wineries. Poured by Dubost/Crooked Road winemaker, Jake Raines.

N.V. Dubost Viognier - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Slightly sweet, flavors of pears with some crisp acidity. (86 pts.)

2004 Dubost Chardonnay - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Very lush, tangy citrus flavors, very tasty but with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Lovely nose! (88 pts.)

2006 Crooked Road Grenache Windfall Gypsy Rosé Special Release Starr Ranch - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
One of the most intriguing rosé wines I've tasted. Flavors of watermelon, and sweet berries abound. Quite tasty. Winemaker mentioned the Grenache fruit was from pre-ripe cuttings that are usually dropped on the ground. They threw the grapes into the press and made this rosé. A joint project between Dubost and Crooked Road wineries. (87 pts.)

2004 Dubost Syrah - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Big sweet fruit, with a lot of minerals. Reminds me of a CdP that is very young. Blackberry fruit is very prominent. (87 pts.)

2004 Dubost Tempranillo - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Clearly the Wine of the Tasting for me, and others in my group. Incredible mouth-coating fruit, jammy, but not overbearing. Licorice, cigars, raspberries, blueberries and chocolate flavors all mixed together, hitting different parts of the tongue. Absolutely delicious! (93 pts.)

2004 Crooked Road Cabernet Franc Starr Ranch - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Lots of cherry fruit, very tannic, drys the mouth. Some heat and bitterness in there as well. Not popular with my tasting group. This wine seems very young and disjointed still. Give it 4-5 years? (83 pts.)

2004 Crooked Road Odysseus Starr Ranch - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Very nice Bordeaux blend. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot. Big raspberry fruit, still quite tannic. Very tasty now, and something that can lay down for 5-10 years. (90 pts.)

2004 Dubost Negrette - USA, California, Central Coast, San Benito County
My first experience with this varietal. Right off the bat, I can tell this is VERY young...lots of heat, green flavors, tannic as nails. Some fruit in there somewhere, but way too young to be enjoyable. (82 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - RiverAerie

2008-07-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHT - Thirst Wine Bar (7/31/2008)

4 current release wines from RiverAerie, the second label of Bunnell Family Cellar. Winemaker Ron Bunnell was previously head red winemaker for Chateau St. Michelle, and then Col Solare, before starting his own labels.

2006 RiverAerie Riesling - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Slightly sweet, with nice flavors of melon and citrus. Perhaps a touch of pineapple in there too... (86 pts.)

2006 RiverAerie Viognier - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Smooth, but lacking in flavor, compared to the Riesling. Apples, pears, maybe a touch of honeydew. (84 pts.)

2006 RiverAerie Malbec - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
A touch on the bitter side. Great, bright fruit, spicy, but the bitter finish kills the enjoyment, and has me wishing I had some food to go with this wine. (85 pts.)

2005 RiverAerie Barbera - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine of the tasting. Sweet fruit, strawberry, cherry and a bit of earthiness that is pleasant. (87 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Apolloni Vineyards

2008-06-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

I recently took a day trip out to Forest Grove, OR with a small group of friends to do some wine tasting. We braved the 100-degree sun to hang out with Alfredo and Laurine Apolloni, the owners of Apolloni Vineyards, and sample some of their current offerings. As usual, tasting notes are from CellarTracker, and are posted below.

APOLLONI VINEYARDS TASTING - Winery Tasting Room (6/28/2008)

2007 Apolloni Pinot Blanc - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Just released. NICE nose of grapefruit with some pear, which follow to the palate. Tasty, but a tad bitter on the finish. (85 pts.)

2006 Apolloni Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Citrus and pear bouquet and flavors. Prefer this over the 07 Pinot Blanc. Finish was very nice, with lasting flavors of pears. (87 pts.)

2007 Apolloni Pinot Noir Rosé - USA, Oregon
Never thought I'd like a rose wine, but wow. The nose on this wine is incredible. Grapefruit and strawberry all day long! Bouquet follows to the palate, but with some outstanding dryness. You think the wine will be sweet after smelling it, but quite the opposite. Bravo! (88 pts.)

2006 Apolloni Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Compared to the 2 bottles of 2005 Pinot Noir I've had from this producer, very disappointing. Could be the youth of this wine showing, but the flavors were lacking across the board. Nice nose of raspberry, cherry and tobacco, but I didn't get a whole lot on my palate. (85 pts.)

2006 Apolloni Syrah Conti di Val Seriana - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
A nice effort with a new varietal for this winery, bottled under another label (Conti di Val Seriana), but lacking (or could be youth...). Nice fruitiness, but missing that peppery, smokey Syrah flavor that I've come to associate with Washington Syrahs, and love dearly. A nice wine, just not for me. (85 pts.)

2007 Apolloni Viognier Dolce Vino - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
A VERY tasty dessert wine. Sweet, with some very definite citrus flavors. Like adult candy! (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Driving in the Rain? Use Aquapel Glass Treatment!

2008-05-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

I live in Portland Oregon. The Rose City. Stumptown. The Silicon Forest. Rain Hell. Yes, Hell. It has rained so much this year that I think I'm growing webbed feet. And I'm not even a U of O Duck (Go Beavers!). I commute about 12 miles one-way to work each weekday, which means I drive in the rain. A lot. I think I replace my windshield wipers annually too. It still makes driving in the rain a pain in the tuckus. I've tried some of the rain repellent products, like Rain-X and Rain Magic before, but it seems like they always wore off in about a week--reapplying the stuff that often sucks. And then I found Aquapel Glass Treatment.

This hydrophobic coating adheres to your car's windshield MUCH longer than other rain repellant products, and does an incredible job of shedding rain when you are on the road. I noticed that it worked better the faster I drove (more excuse to drive fast!), to the point of me not having to even turn on my wipers. Sweeeeeet. It's very easy to apply too...just squeeze the applicator and apply it to your windshield, then wipe it off with a paper towel (quickly before it 'hazes'). I highly recommend Aquapel. I'm sure you can have it applied at a local auto glass replacement/repair shop, but if not, you can buy it online and apply it yourself. Check it out!

Wine Tasting - Cork's 2nd Anniversary Party

2008-05-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

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

N.V. Adami Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Garbèl - Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
Citus fruits, some tangerine perhaps, with a nice sweetness. Not too dry. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

N.V. Adami Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Brut Bosco di Gica - Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
Very nice bouquet of pear, with a touch of peaches, following to the palate. Extremely drinkable. Light acidity, and not overly carbonated. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

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!

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Wine Tasting - Owen Roe Spring Release Party

2008-05-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

OWEN ROE SPRING RELEASE PARTY - Ecotrust Building, Portland, OR (5/3/2008)

Owen Roe Winery's annual Spring Release wine tasting event, featuring their 2007 Crawford-Beck vineyard Pinot Gris and 2006 DuBrul vineyard Merlot. Held at the EcoTrust Building, in the Pearl District area of NW Portland. Attended with my girlfriend, Kristina and enjoyed some fine Oregon wines!

Owen Roe Whites

Current release white wines. Did not taste the 2006 O'Reilly's Chardonnay, 2007 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris, 2001, 2002, and 2007 Owen Roe Crawford-Beck / Casa Blanca Vineyard Pinot Gris.

2007 O'Reilly's Riesling - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Very sweet, seemed like a lot of residual sugar. Fairly smooth, nice citrus on the nose. First wine of the day...Good/Very Good - 84 points. (84 pts.)

2007 Owen Roe Riesling DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Very floral nose, citrus, some grapefruit maybe. Seemed somewhat young, with the flavors not really pulling through yet. Still a very nice white, with solid acidty, and nice sugar levels. This one is built to last! Very Good/Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)

Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical

Vertical tasting of the DuBrul Vineyard Merlot, 1999 - 2006.

1999 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
VERY impressive! Smooth, great fruit flavors...lots of blueberry, blackberry, and a hint of something floral. Just like drinking velvet...soft and luscious on the tongue. Outstanding - 92 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (92 pts.)

2000 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Nice wine, good nose of plums, with a touch of olives. Flavors of dark berry fruit, no olives, and some decent acidty, although not as integrated or velvety as the 99. Outstanding - 90 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (90 pts.)

2001 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Huge wine, with tons of smells and flavors running around. Cassis, blackberry, chocolate, some earthiness in there. Just a wonderfully complex, full-flavored wine, and Wine of the Tasting for me. Outstanding - 94 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (94 pts.)

2002 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Seems somewhat more closed than previous vintages in this tasting. Still lovely nose, earth, smoked meat, blackberry. Some of the same hits the palate, but not the intensity of fruit flavors as I was expecting, although it is still delicious, but compared to the previous 3 vintages, not as much. Outstanding - 91 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (91 pts.)

2003 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Now we're talking! After a somewhat disappointing 2002, the 2003 is rockin' it! Great blackberry, cherry, and vanilla flavors. A bit tannic and oaky still, with solid acidity. Some drying tannins on the finish. Outstanding - 93 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (93 pts.)

2004 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Fruit bomb! Huge huge berry fruit nose and flavors. Just way over the top, over extracted, without the tannins or acidity to keep the fruit in check. It's still a really nice merlot, but the fruit really pushes the limit. Excellent - 89 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (89 pts.)

2005 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Young still, but you can tell this one is age-worthy. Excellent integration, with good acidity levels, tannins are still a bit harsh, but berry fruit, licorice, some oaky vanilla flavors are there to back it up. Outstanding - 92 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (92 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Merlot DuBrul Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
A monster! Huge wine, very very young. One of the most powerful merlots, if not THE most powerful, that I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. I won't be opening my bottle anytime in the next several years. Needs time, but I can tell it's going to be a phenomenal wine as it matures. Outstanding - 93 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06). (93 pts.)

Owen Roe Reds

Current release red wines.

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Happy that I have a bottle in the cellar. Very nice, smooth wine, not too tannic or acidic, smooth and easy to drink. Might need to pick up a couple more (great QPR at $15-$18 retail). Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
VERY young, with heavy tannins and oakiness. GV would say "oak monster!" I liked the fruit under the tannic crush of oak, but it took some time swirling in the glass to bring it out. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Valley
Rich, luscious, great smokey dark fruits, some chocolate in there. Lovely wine. Very happy that I have 4 in the cellar. Time will tell if this one can stand up to the extrordinary 2005. Outstanding - 92 points. (92 pts.)

2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Franc Slide Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Outstanding wine with lots of diverse flavors. Cedar wood, tobacco, blueberry, with some chocolate in there as well. A very nice way to end the tasting! Outstanding - 92 points. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Jeff's Sunday Dinner

2008-04-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY DINNER - Jeff McHugh's (4/27/2008)

Sunday Dinner at my good friend Jeff McHugh's place. Dinner was an incredible spicy shrimp fettuccini with cheese & cream sauce, with appetizers of chevre, sharp cheddar and hummus prior.

2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Decanted 4 1/2 hours prior to first taste. INCREDIBLE! Upon decant, the aromas consumed my apartment. 4 1/2 hours later, the nose was still incredible fruit and pepper. The palate was overwhelmed with blueberry and pepper, with vanilla and mocha/coffee flavors. Wow. The biggest, most intense wine I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible! Extrordinary - 97 points. (97 pts.)

2005 Château Cornelie - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Had immediately after 2005 Mitolo GAM, so didn't taste much until after cleansing palate with some strong chevre. Nice earthy notes, with great fruit integration. 3rd time I've tasted this one and it remains consistent. Excellent - 89 points. (89 pts.)

2006 2 Up Shiraz - Australia, South Australia
This one had been open for several days, resealed with screwcap after each pour. Had opened up quite nicely, and heavy fruit and pepper showing through. Very smooth, with excellent integration. One of my favorite sub-$15 Shiraz's, and always a crowd pleaser. Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2005 Zerba Cellars Syrah Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
VERY NICE Syrah! Great blackberry, coffee, and smokey pepper nose and flavors, with great integration of acidity and tannins. One of my favorite wines of the evening. Outstanding - 92 points. (92 pts.)

2004 Liberalia Toro Cero - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
Earthiness overwhelmed most of the other flavors, but this was a pop-and-pour. Recommend decant on this wine. Lovely fruit once the earth blew off, about an hour after being open. Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2006 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Big blueberry fruit, with smooth tannins and heavy acidity. Recommend decanting for this one, as previously it helped with the integration. Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2002 Paraiso Vineyards Syrah - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
While some great terrior flavors, unimpressed with the bitter finish. Might do better with some more time in the bottle, or a decant for several hours. Not sure, but not a great wine to be sure. OK fruit flavors, but that bitter finish ruins the wine. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

2006 Concha y Toro Carménère Casillero del Diablo Reserve - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley
Never had this varietal before. Interesting nose of green pepper, mushroom, with a little fruit showing through. Once it had been open for awhile, the vegetal flavors faded and more berry fruits were apparent. Nice drinking wine, and at $9, great QPR! Excellent - 86 points. (86 pts.)

2006 O'Reilly's Pinot Noir Oregon - USA, Oregon
Earth, strawberry, and some coffee. Lovely integration. One of the better sub-$20 Oregon Pinot's I've had. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

2005 Domaine Paul Autard Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
As per previous note, this wine really needs time to breathe. I highly recommend decanting, actually. Heavy alcohol and tannins, overshadowing the blackberry fruit and terrior. Good - 83 points. (83 pts.)

There were many other bottles of wine at the dinner party, but I either can't remember them, or didn't get a chance to taste them.

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Epicurean's Australian Wines Portfolio

2008-04-26T22:14:00.001-07:00

EPICUREAN WINES PORTFOLIO TASTING - Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants, Portland, OR (4/25/2008)

3 flights of Australian/New Zealand wines from importer Epicurean Wines, put on by local Portland distributor The Merchant of Vino,and hosted at Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants, 2222 NW Quimby Street, Portland, OR 97210.

White wines from Australia and New Zealand

2006 SlipStream Chardonnay - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Nice wine, pear flavors with some citrus. Surprising sweetness. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

2005 Glen Eldon Riesling Eden Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Smooth, lovely citrus nose. Lots of citrus fruit, with sharp acidity on the finish. Good/Very Good - 84 points. (84 pts.)

2005 Poonawatta Estate Riesling The Eden - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Zesty! Definite ZING on the tongue. Interesting grapefruit flavors. Some mineral on the finish. Good - 83 points. (83 pts.)

2007 SlipStream Sauvignon Blanc - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Pemberton
Very young! Ugly nose, bitter with melon and sharp citrus. Not a style (or varietal) I like. Below Average - 72 points. (72 pts.)

2006 Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Again, lots of bitterness, melon and citrus, although better than the previous wine. Not a varietal I like. Average - 74 points. (74 pts.)

Lighter Australian/New Zealand Reds

2006 Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Nelson
Smooth, some raspberry and pepper with a short and bitter finish. Good - 82 points. (82 pts.)

2006 Earthworks Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Sour cherry, earthiness, some bitterness on the finish. tasty, but I've definitely had better Shiraz. Good - 84 points. (84 pts.)

2006 Langmeil Three Gardens - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Nice GSM blend. Plummy, with some earthiness/minerality that I like. Bitter finish that goes on awhile. Also some alcohol heat. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

2006 Charles Cimicky Shiraz Trumps - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Surprisingly bright. Woody flavors, perhaps the oak? Great fruit, but not as well integrated as it could be. Might need more time. Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

2005 Mr. Riggs Shiraz - Viognier - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Beautiful nose! Just lovely to smell. If I could stick a glass of this under my nose all day, I'd be a happy man. Floral notes from the Viognier really make the nose shine. Dramatic taste as well, with some of the floral notes carrying through to the palate. Great fruit as well. Darker than you'd expect, with some white wine in there, but wine guy says that's what happens. Odd, that. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

Big Australian Reds and a Port

2006 Langmeil Shiraz Valley Floor - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Deep flavors, seems like they go on forever, but not tasting too big or wild, as Aussie Shiraz often can. Great fruit flavors of blueberry and plum, with some vanilla in there. Solid integration. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

2005 Kaesler Shiraz Stonehorse - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Lovely Shiraz! Nose is huge, with cherry and earth. Big fruit with lots of cherry and tar flavors. Not the alcohol heat you'd expect either. Very full-bodied. Finish lasts and lasts. Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)

2006 Epsilon Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Very nice effort with great QPR. Blueberry, pepper, earth...delicious. Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)

2005 Glaetzer Shiraz The Bishop - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Excellent nose of blackberry and pepper. Big fruit, just gobs of flavors rolling around the tongue. Outstanding wine! Amazingly rich and elegant. Wine of the Tasting for me. Outstanding - 93 points. (93 pts.)

2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Although this is a 2002 vintage, still showing surprising youth. Tannins are huge and mouth-drying, and this is even after being open for almost 2 hours. Great fruit, very deep flavors of currant and cassis. Overshadowed by the tannins however. Excellent/Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2006 Tatiarra Shiraz Cambrian - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote
Very young. Big wine that definitely needs more time. Can still get huge, concentrated flavors of blueberry and blackberry coming through with a nice peppery finish. Tannins are big as well. 3-5 more years in bottle and this wine will blow your socks off. #2 wine of the tasting for me. Outstanding - 92 points. (92 pts.)

2002 Kaesler Touriga Nacional - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Decided that I dislike fortified wines. Made the mistake of swirling this one in the glass and then taking a big sniff. I think I burned off all of my nose hair. LOTS of licorice aromas and flavors. Good - 83 points. (83 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Australia + 1

2008-04-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

AUSTRALIA+ - Hollywood Wine & Espresso, Portland OR (4/4/2008)

Friday Flight at Hollywood Wine & Espresso, 4075 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland, OR 97212.

Wines of Australia...plus 1

Tasting wines from Australia, plus 1 from Napa Valley

2006 Stephen Pannell Sauvignon Blanc - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Sweet and fruity...not my style. Good - 82 points. (82 pts.)

N.V. Patritti Shargren - Australia
Interersting "black bubbly"...a sparkling blend of shiraz and grenache. Very sweet, tastes like sparkling grape juice. A little confusing...not used to my red wine fizzing in my mouth. Good - 82 points. (82 pts.)

2006 Earthworks Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Bright sour cherry fruit, lots of mineral flavors, bitter finish. Good - 84 points. (84 pts.)

2004 Schulz Zinfandel Johanne - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
While zin is not my thing, this one wasn't too bad. Big spicy fruit with some pleasant earthiness, and very fruity finish. Good/Very Good - 84 points. (84 pts.)

2006 SlipStream - Australia, South Australia, Clare Valley / McLaren Vale
A nice shiraz-grenache blend from McLaren Vale. Big fruit, nice terrior, with a long peppery finish. Excellent - 87 points. (87 pts.)

2006 Kaesler GSM Stonehorse - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
VERY nice Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre blend! Incredibly smooth, great fruit, leather, tar, pepper flavors swim around the mouth. Finish of black fruit and pepper. Excellent/Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2006 Epsilon Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Wow. Wine of the Tasting! Incredible nose of pepper, dark fruits and earth. Very well integrated, with balanced acidity, fruit and tannins. Great fruit flavors, mixed in with some nice terrior. I could drink this all night! Outstanding - 92 points. (92 pts.)

2003 Tudal Family Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
This was the only non-Australian wine in our tasting, added, according to HW&E owner Dennis McLearn, "because I can!". Nice nose, blueberry, earth and a bit of heat. Sweet blueberry fruit and some earth, leather and pepper on the palate. Finish is long, and very pleasant. A close second for WotT. Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)

2005 Massena Durif Howling Dog - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Fun factoid of the night: "Durif" is called Petite Sirah here in the states. I can see why the dog is howling...this is a tannic monster! Thick, inky black and teeth-staining. Huge fruit, oaky, but overpowering tannins that leave you wanting a glass of water. Would be much better with food. This has the potential to be outstanding, but way too tannic right now. - Excellent - 90 points. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wine Tasting - Affordable 2005 Bordeaux

2008-04-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

AFFORDABLE 2005 BORDEAUX - GEM Wine Cellar, Portland OR (4/4/2008)

Friday night wine tasting at GEM Wine Cellar, 3433 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232.

2005 Bordeaux wines, all priced under $20.

2005 Château Segonzac - France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye
Nice wine, good fruit, decent terroir, short finish. Good wine to start the flight, but nothing special. Good/Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

2005 Château Moulin Rompu - France, Bordeaux, Médoc
A step up from the first wine of this tasting, with decent minerality, and smooth tannins, nicely integrated with the acidty and berry fruit. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

2005 Château Cornelie - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
VERY nice Bordeaux, with great berry fruit, some pepper, and nice French minerality. Nose has some leather and raspberry. I like this one. Excellent/Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2005 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Bordeaux Contrôlée Réserve Spéciale - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
This had been open for a bit, but very well-integrated fruit, acidity and tannins, to make a tasty, nice-drinking wine. May still need some time to really shine. Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

2005 Château des Granges D'Or Médoc - France, Bordeaux, Médoc
Drinking very well, with sour cherry fruit, tobacco, and some edgy tannins. Not as nice as the previous two. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

2005 Château Paradis Casseuil - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
Wow. Excellent integration, with slightly drying tannins, smooth acidty that's keeping the fruit in check, and very nice terrior/minerality. Wine of the Tasting...too bad they are out of it at the wine shop, or I'd buy a bottle or three. Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Despair: Alcohol and Motivation

2008-02-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

There is a new, fun tool at Despair.com called the Parody Motivator Generator. You can basically make your own "demotivator" posters. A friend made the following, featuring another friend who has an affinity for searingly hot food. The Great Balls of Fire referenced are a habanero pepper and cheese fritter dish from local Portland restaurant chain Salvador Molly's. Each fritter contains like an entire habanero pepper or something, and you need to eat 5, plus the habanero-mango chutney that comes with the dish, to get on the "Wall of Flame". The gentleman pictured below has made it on the Wall 3 times now. Crazy...I ate TWO of the Balls, and couldn't talk for an hour. They even made my urine burn. NO, it wasn't the Clap. Sheesh.

Friday Flights - A Wine Tasting Event

2008-02-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY FLIGHTS - Hollywood Wine & Espresso, Portland OR (2/15/2008)

Hosted by Hollywood Wine & Espresso shop in Portland, Oregon and featuring Oregon winemakers Rich Cushman of Viento Wines, and Tim Schechtel of Erin Glenn Wines.

Viento Wines

Poured by Viento winemaker Rich Cushman

2006 Viento Verona - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
A blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, this white blend had me thinking "Caymus Conundrum" on first sip. Nice light sweetness, smooth acidity, and bright fruit flavors. I would enjoy tasting this next to a bottle of Conundrum! (86 pts.)

2006 Viento Riesling - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Incredibly sweet, even for a Riesling. Lots of sugar that just coats the mouth. Nice flavor, but not for me. (85 pts.)

2005 Viento Sangiovese Cuvée Tuition - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Nice and light, great berry fruit on the nose, which carried over to the palate. Integrated tannins. Wine of the flight. (88 pts.)

2004 Viento Syrah Cuvée R - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Smooth, fruity, light tannins. Very quaffable. (87 pts.)

2005 Viento Barbera Lonesome Spring Ranch - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Dark fruit on the nose and palate. Long, highly tannic finish that drys the mouth thouroughly. (87 pts.)

Erin Glenn Winery

Poured by Erin Glenn winemaker Tim Schechtel

N.V. Erin Glenn Tantrum - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
An interesting blend of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Barbera. Heat on the nose, along with cherries. Big cherry fruit attacks the palate. Nicely integrated tannins that are so smooth they are barely detectable. A great food wine. (85 pts.)

2006 Erin Glenn Tempranillo - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Smooth and fruity with slightly dry tannins on the finish. (85 pts.)

2005 Erin Glenn Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Heat on the nose, nice raspberry fruit hits the palate and coats the mouth. Excellent tannins on the finish. (87 pts.)

2005 Erin Glenn Syrah Blind Dog - USA, Oregon
Spicy nose of pepper and chocolate, with some berry undertones. On the palate, I get smoked meat, melon (!) and nicely integrated tannins. Wine of the Flight. (89 pts.)

2006 Erin Glenn Gewürztraminer Estate Late Harvest Gemini - USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge
Wow. I was expecting this to be your typical super-sweet dessert wine, but the spiciness of the Gewurtz is amazingly refreshing. A sweet-spicy combo is like a 1-2 punch: Very effective! (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker