Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Chardonnay 2014
Finely wrought and delicate, the 2014 Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Chardonnay shows off beautiful tapicity. If you’re not convinced of Oregon’s Chardonnay Renaissance, than do seek out a bottle from Evening Land. Orchard fruit, mandarin orange, and an ethereal top note that drifts from iodine to acacia flowers to mint. Stylish and […]
Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Gamay Noir 2015
Evening Land’s Cru Beaujolais-like Gamay Noir is sourced from the oldest Gamay Noir vines in the country, planted in 1983—though I am told that there is also a younger block in the blend. In keeping with Beaujolais tradition, this is whole cluster carbonic fermentation in concrete, the effect of which is lovely. Pie cherries burst […]
Evening Land Seven Springs Estate Chardonnay 2014
Really lovely, the Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 brings with it sense of refinement. Like a classically tailored blazer, its texture is soft but structured, underpinned by a layer fine tannins and bolstered by lithe and lovely notes of lemon zest and blanched almond, pencil shavings and orchard fruit. Under winemaker Sashi Moorman’s […]
Evening Land Seven Springs ‘Anden’ Pinot Noir 2014
A knee-weakening Pinot Noir, Evening Land’s Seven Springs ‘Anden’ comes from fruit harvested in a single pass through a phylloxerated section of historic Seven Springs vineyard. The 2014 is whole cluster fermented and aged in 100% New oak—it would seem that there’s a method to winemaker Sashi Moorman’s madness in the rather unusual approach to […]
Domaine Serene Jerusalem Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013
Jerusalem Hill Vineyard lies a protected, south-facing slope, and I’m told it’s one of the more moderate sites in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, lending more intense color and concentration—and that seems to be very accurate to the wine itself, which manages both poise and power. Sous bois, white pepper and dried sage along with fine, […]
Brooks Winery | Storyteller Wine Pinot Noir 2014
From Portland’s iconic Storyteller Wine Company, this 2014 Storyteller Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir, the fourth and final label to emerge from an intensive two day blending session at Brooks winery last fall. Michael Alberty’s blend is imbued with the fragrance of pure, ripe strawberries, so much so, that it reminds me of making strawberry jam. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Brooks Winery | David Burke Group ‘Unvarnished’ Pinot Noir 2014
This silken, perfumed Willamette Valley Pinot Noir—created especially for the David Burke restaurant group, a collaboration between Brooks Winery and corporate wine buyer, Natalie Dulaney—is lush, expressing ripe black cherry, rose petals and orange pomander ball, with a lovely top note of dust from an antique bureau. In the mouth, it’s ripe and round and […]