Big Table Farm Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2014
Big Table Farm has been on my list of Willamette Valley wines to try for some time now, and I’m pleased to report that the 2014 Chardonnay didn’t disappoint in the least. Wild yeast fermented and aged in concrete, it’s exceptionally well balanced, endowed with an incredible range of aromas—lemon tart, buttered croissant, cardamom and […]
Evening Land Summum Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
Lovely florality, spice and faint herbal notes blithely dance around richer tones of white peach and dried apricot. Evening Land’s elegant 2007 Summum Seven Springs Chardonnay is lightly framed in faint oak with satiny, creamy layers at the core. Everything about this wine is fined-boned, with twinkling inner luminescence and stunning grace. The finish is […]
Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills 2014
Roserock should be an exciting wine for Domaine Drouhin fans. 2014 is the inaugural release of this single-vineyard beauty, aptly named after Roserock Vineyard, a cooler site in the Eola-Amity Hills that was established beginning in 2004. Just like the wines released under the Drouhin label, Roserock possesses a sort of timeless elegance. Silky yet […]
Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Rosé 2015
Stoller Family Estate’s Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Rosé is fresh and vibrant, and proved to be a fine match with yesterday’s fare of roasted chicken with Herbs de Provence and golden beet salad. Aromas of underripe strawberry, blood orange and, interestingly, a dusty top note. The palate echoes the nose, layer in pink grapefruit pith […]
Cornerstone Cellars Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2012
The 2012 Conerstone Chardonnay exemplifies great varietal typicity—this is classic Willamette Valley Chard, and nicely done too. Fresh aromas of pears, yellow-skinned apples, lemon zest, and toasted hazelnuts are nicely woven into this well-balanced white. The oak is very integrated as well, it’s not at all over blown, and a lively burst of acidity, redolent […]
Trisaetum Wichmann Dundee Estate Pinot Noir 2013
Trisaetum’s 2013 Whichmann Dundee Estate Pinot Noir is sourced from the winery’s smallest estate vineyard, at just under nine acres. It’s also at high elevation and has classic Dundee Hills volcanic Jory soils. It’s a bit masculine in expression, with robust notes of espresso and mocha followed by forest floor, underbrush and spry red berries. […]
Trisaetum Pinot Noir Estates Reserve 2011
Trisaetum Pinot Noir Estates Reserve” width=”200″ height=”200″ /></a>My pick of Trisaetum’s Pinot Noirs, the 2011 Estates Reserve is comprised of 13-20 barrels that are aged 11 months on French oak and offers elegant, complex aromatics. Dried mint, bittersweet chocolate, and lively orange zest notes lead into a wine that is bright, yet balanced. The fruit […]
Raptor Ridge Chehalem Mountains Estate Pinot Noir 2012
I’ve enjoyed tasting through Raptor Ridge’s current releases, which always strike me as being produced in a manner that is both thoughtful and sensitive. That being said, the aromatics on this 2012 Chehalem Mountains Estate Pinot Noir are heady, so much so, I can pick up lush black cherry notes wafting from the glass some […]
de Lancellotti Famiglia Pinot Noir 2013
de Lancelotti’s 2013 Famiglia Pinot Noir is a blend of Pommard and Clone 777, and offers a delicate burst of rose petals, stemmy raspberries, anise, and cola. It’s slim and nimble on the palate, with a kind of wiry tartness adding lift to cranberry, spice, twig tea and forest notes. Perhaps what impresses me most […]
de Lancellotti La Sorella Pinot Noir 2014
I had the pleasure of tasting the 2014 ‘La Sorella’ Pinot Noir with winemaker, Paul De Lancellotti. La Sorella is the winery’s entry level label, priced at about $25.00, it offers classic a Willamette Valley profile—rose petals, crab apples, and stemmy raspberry with a touch of earthen, decomposing soil. On the palate, cranberries and red […]