Brooks Amycas 2016
Straw yellow in the glass, Brooks’ 2016 Amycas is an aromatic white blend of 44% Riesling, 21% Muscat, 18% Pinot Blanc, 10% Gewurztraminer, and 7% Pinot Gris. At this stage in its evolution, that classic Muscat florality takes the center stage. White flowers and chamomile segue into delicate fruit aromas of Asian pear, lemon drop, […]
Wine By Joe Oregon Pinot Noir 2015
For those looking for an excellent value Pinot Noir from Oregon (and trust me, they’re hard to find) Wine by Joe offers quality for the price. The nose unfurls with classic aromas of black cherry, macerated strawberries, cola and a touch of underbrush. In the mouth, a softly-fruited core is bolstered by thoughtfully balanced acidity […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Saffron Fields Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013
Hitting its stride, the 2013 Tendril Saffron Fields Vineyard Pinot Noir from winemaker Tony Rynders offers up an alluring bouquet of Dalmatia Sour Cherry Spread, black raspberry, sous bois, decaying rose petal, Asian spice, and crushed stone. It’s supple and pliant on the palate, a dark fruit core tidily wrapped in buoyant acidity with impressive […]
Beaux Frères Zena Crown Pinot Noir 2014
Diurnal flux, and cooling marine breezes can be felt in the 2014 Beaux Frères Zena Crown Pinot Noir. The wind-driven terroir of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has graced it with a degree freshness—vivid red and blue fruit rest beneath a garland of crushed lavender, exotic spice and freshly grated nutmeg. The palate delivers focused acidity, […]
Beaux Frères Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015
A vivid spectrum of red fruit and spice, Beaux Frères Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015 is awash in plump Rainier cherries, raspberries, rose hips, Christmas spice, and cola. On entry, it’s silky, sexy—delivering nuance and power, finesse and fine tannins that lend structure—guardrails on something that could quite possibly break free, such is its exuberance. […]
Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2016
Textbook Willamette Valley Chardonny from the Dundee Hills AVA—I have toured the vineyard more than once, a parcel planted in 1995, with French Dijon clones—the vines sit in brick-hued volcanic soils at elevations between ranging from 710-650 feet. Purity reigns here—a kaleidoscope of crisp Opal apples, pears and lemon curd sink beneath a dusting of […]
Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2015
A bit of a powerhouse, really. Bergström’s 2015 Old Stones Chardonnay opens with aromas of Bosc pear and baked apple rendered more complex by swirling aromas of smoke, iodine, and flinty overtones that are more akin to the profiles I find in some white Burgundy. In the mouth, there’s not much fat, lemon curd adds […]
Bergström Silice Pinot Noir 2015
Named after the silica-rich sand and marine sedimentary soils that dominate Bergström’s picturesque Silice Vineyard the 2015 gracefully unspools in one long continuous ribbon, aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry form a dusky base that is knit together with crumbling limestone, kukicha twig tea and warm spice. Marine sedimentary soil reemerges on the finish, […]
Bergström Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
One of Oregon’s most revered vineyards, Dick and Deirdre Shea have farmed this extraordinary 140-acre site for over 25 years. Thin, low-fertility soil overlay sandstone bedrock—here, the vines are forced to burrow deep in search of moisture and nutrients. The 2016 vintage slowly unfurls to reveal smoky, sexy layers of crushed lavender, seedy raspberry, black […]
Bergström Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir 2015
Bergström’s sublime 2015 Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir was one of the more restrained as compared with the rest of the lineup we tasted. Red and black fruit, anise and cola aromas glide above the firmament, well above a base layer suggestive of freshly turned tilth. It’s more broad-shouldered on the palate as well, slightly weightier, […]