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

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.)

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Wine Tasting - Cork's 2nd Anniversary Party

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

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

Adami (no website found) - Poured by Enrico Valleferro

• 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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