Memorial Weekend Wine Tasting

Memorial weekend upon us again! This time we did things in bulk: 25 friends in a 30-passenger party bus! She's the crown jewel of the Aspen Limo Tours fleet. Our driver, Kawika, was AWESOME! Ranks as one of the best wine tours I've done, even though we only hit 3 wineries. The first:

Sineann recently relocated to the old Owen Roe Winery out on Champoeg Road near St. Paul. A new facility is being built for Sineann and the resident winery, Lady Hill (more about them below). For a $10 tasting fee, we were able to taste through the entire Lady Hill and Sineann lineups:

• 2013 White Table Wine (mostly NZ Sauvignon Blanc) - $13
• 2013 Columbia Gorge Gruner Veltliner - $18
• 2013 Wyeast Vineyard Pinot Gris - $20
• 2013 Celilo Vineyard Gewurztraminer - $18
• 2012 Oregon Pinot Noir - $30
• 2012 Yates Conwill Vineyard Pinot Noir - $42
• 2012 Resonance Vineyard Pinot Noir - $48
• 2012 Red Table Wine - $16
• 2012 Columbia Valley Abondante - $24
• 2012 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $30
• 2012 Baby Poux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - $42
• 2012 Red Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - $48
• 2013 Sweet Sydney Zinfandel Port - $24

Out of the lineup, the 3 Cabs were my favorite, with RMV topping the list. Well done, Peter!

After co-founder Jerry Owen split from Owen Roe, and that winery moved to Union Gap Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, he went to work with consulting winemaker Erik Brasher to form Lady Hill Winery in the old Owen Roe space on his family's farm property. These wines were a treat! I'm a huge fan of Erik's winemaking style, first experienced during his tenure as Director of Winemaking at Owen Roe. Included in the $10 tasting fee noted above were the following wines:

• 2013 Lady Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Gris - $18
• 2012 Lady Hill Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir - $35
• 2012 Procedo Columbia Valley Proprietary Red: 62% Sangiovese, 15% Cab Franc, 13% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauv. - $20
• 2012 Procedo Columbia Valley "Credente": 50% Sangiovese, 20% Cab Franc, 20% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauv. - $35
• 2012 Ad Lucem Columbia Valley Proprietary Red: 62% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre, 11% Grenache, 10% Durif - $25
• 2012 Ad Lucem Red Willow Vineyard "Daystar" Syrah - $35
• 2012 Ad Lucem Red Heaven Vineyard "Daystar" Blend: 51% Mourvedre, 29% Syrah, 20% Grenache - $40
• 2012 Ad Lucem Red Willow Vineyard "Daystar" Blend: 62% Mourvedre, 38% Syrah - $40
• 2011 Lady Hill Tapteil Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: 79% Cab Sauv., 21% Merlot - $45
• 2012 Lady Hill Tapteil Vineyard "Cuvee Marie Dorion" Blend: 62% Merlot, 38% Cab Sauv. - $35
• BONUS POUR: 2012 Procedo Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc: 76% Cab Franc, 24% Merlot - $N/A
• BONUS POUR: 2012 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc Barrel Sample (unknown label or blend) - $N/A

The winery also produces a number of other wines that were not open for tasting on this visit. All of these wines were hitting on all cylinders, and at amazingly reasonable price points. My favorites were the Ad Lucem single-vineyard blends, and the Tapteil Vineyard wines from the Lady Hill label. Keep your eyes on this up and coming new winery!

Owen Roe Wine Club Pick-Up Party

Owen Roe Winery in St. Paul, OR is relocating their winery to the Yakima Valley in Washington. A brand new winery facility is being built on their Union Gap Vineyard (estate), and all winemaking will move there after 2013 harvest. Rumor has it Owen Roe will move their Oregon tasting room to an old nut barn in the Newberg area sometime in early 2014 (location to be announced). 

As a side note, the "old" Owen Roe winery has been taken over by Lady Hill Winery, owned by ex-Owen Roe partner Jerry Owen, with ex-Owen Roe director of winemaking Erik Brasher as winemaker. Expect some amazing wines under the Radicle Vine, Procedo, Ad Lucem, Lady Hill and Pinnacle labels coming from them in the very near future. 

The final Owen Roe wine club pickup party at the old winery was Sept. 14, and I attended with several good friends. Free for club members and their guests ($10 for all others), the following wines were offered for tasting (and sale - 15% wine club discount!): 

• 2012 Corvidae "Wise Guy" Sauvignon Blanc ($10)
• 2012 Owen Roe "DuBrul Vineyard" Chardonnay ($48) 
• 2012 Owen Roe "Eola-Amity" Pinot Noir ($42) 
• 2012 Owen Roe "Lenne Vineyard" Pinot Noir ($55) 
• 2012 Owen Roe "Merriman Vineyard - Wadenswil Block" Pinot Noir ($55) 
• 2012 Owen Roe "Sharecropper's" Pinot Noir ($21)
• 2012 Owen Roe "Abbot's Table" Red Blend ($24) - Great blend of 5 varietals 
• 2012 Owen Roe "Sharecropper's" Cabernet Sauvignon ($15) - A great value Cabernet 
• 2011 Owen Roe "Yakima Valley" Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) - New offering this year 
• 2011 Owen Roe "Red Willow Vineyard - 1973 Block" Cabernet Sauvignon ($72) - Always a favorite
• 2011 Owen Roe "DuBrul Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon ($72) - Wine of the Tasting for me 

As always, a great event, and amazing red wine line up! I love all of the Owen Roe Cabernets. I look forward to visiting the new winery on my next trip to Yakima. 

PDX Urban Wineries Tasting

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-Marc 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" ($14)
  
  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!

40th Birthday BBQ & 1970 Vintage Wine Tasting

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.

Dundee Hills Passport Tour Wine Tasting

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!

2009 Thanksgiving Dinner

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

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.

A Taste of Two Rooks

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

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 - Cathedral Ridge Holiday Celebration

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 - Willamette Valley Vineyards Library Magnum Party

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 - Apolloni Vineyards

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

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!

Posted from CellarTracker