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!

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.