Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2014
Beautiful, as are all of Stoller’s wines, but young. I feel will benefit from just a little more time in bottle. I reviewed the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay and preferred it slightly over the 2014. Even so, 2014 offers layers of sensory charm and is laden with just-picked peaches and pear tartan, topped off with a […]
Troon Vineyard M*T Reserve 2013
Troon’s M*T 2013 is a blend of 56% Malbec and 44% Tannat that delivers baritone, pent-up aromas of blackberry reduction sauce, blueberries and plums that ripple and hover beneath cocoa powder, lavender and graphite. The expression is on of understated power, where acidity etches its way through a defined and well-structured core, leaving in its […]
Sokol Blosser Evolution Sparkling Brut NV
Convivial and crisp, Sokol Blosser’s Evolution Sparkling Brut is one of the better priced sparkling wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It offers up a nose of green apple, pear and white flowers. On the palate, it’s lively and crisp. It’s not a complex bubbly, but it is pleasantly carefree on a Sunday afternoon. 11.5% ABV | […]
Drouhin Rose Rock Pinot Noir 2014
Aptly named, Drouhin’s Rose Rock Pinot Noir hails from a parcel seated at the southern tip of the Eola-Amity Hills, the grapes harvested from this site are grown in ancient volcanic soils and benefit from the cooling Van Duzer winds. Blithe floral notes; a bouquet of wild roses, lavender, lilac, dust, anise, spice, and crushed […]
Frei Brothers Dry Creek Zinfandel 2014
Blackberries, black cherries, plums, smoke and spice grace the nose of this Dry Creek Zinfandel from Frei Brothers. It’s an easy-going Zin, with velvety tannins and a moderate level of acidity. Certainly, this is a food friendly wine, but it’s also one that can be enjoyed on its own. As is typical with Dry Creek […]
Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2013
Lilting aromas of apricot, pear, dried honey, lemon curd, anise. Stoller’s Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2013 is clean and focused on the palate and more delicate than most. The perception is one of silkiness with beautifully integrated oak (you’d hardly know it’s there) except as a textural component, lending structure, allowing pure orchard fruit notes […]
Troon Vineyard Applegate Valley Vermentino Sauvignon Blanc 2014
This unusual blend of 80% Vermentino and 20% Sauvignon Blanc hails from Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley—A sub-appellation of Southern Oregon that finds itself a bit overshadowed by the Willamette Valley. I have tasted some lovely whites, especially Rieslings from this region, though this is admittedly, my first Vermentino. Bright lemon yellow in the glass, […]
William Hill Central Coast Pinot Noir 2014
I have liked ‘s Chardonnay more than their Pinot Noir, the 2014 Sonoma Coast evokes plums, grape jelly, brown sugar. This is an easy-drinking, uncomplicated, and slightly sweet California Pinot that leans toward jammy black fruit—it’s all black cherry at the core, with a touch of cola, and low levels of tannin. 14.5% ABV | […]
Aldelsheim Breaking Ground Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 2014
Intensely perfumed, Aldelsheim’s commemorative 2014 Breaking Ground Pinot Noir is composed entirely of Chehalem Mountain Pinot Noir, 12% of which is from the winery’s estate. Sumptuous black cherries, black raspberry, underbrush, earth, and heirloom roses grace the nose. It’s ruby-hued and more opaque than is typical for Oregon Pinot—hinting at this wine’s concentration and depth. […]
Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2014
One of the better in the under $20 Oregon Pinot category I’ve tasted of late, the 2014 Pike Road is an off shoot winery managed by the Elk Cove team. Replete with twiggy black tea notes, rose petals, cranberry compote, iron ore and dried blood, it’s clean and linear on the palate, more red fruited […]