Walla Walla Invades The Willamette Valley

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.

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

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

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.

Wine Tasting - Carlton Wineries, Part Deux

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 - Carlton Wineries

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