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Aldelsheim Breaking Ground Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 2014

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

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 […]

Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir 2003

Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir 2003

Generously shared by Janie Brooks during this week’s SOMM reunion, the 2003 Rastabon was her brother, Jimi’s first and last vintage produced under the Rastaban label. A significant wine to share, because Jimi passed away in 2004, and Janie stepped in to keep Brooks winery and Jimi’s vision going (if you’re not familiar with the […]

ROCO Rollin Michael Soles ‘RMS’ Willamette Valley Brut 2013

ROCO Rollin Michael Soles 'RMS' Willamette Valley Brut 2013

This is a brilliant wine. The RMS Willamette Valley Brut 2013 is ROCO’s first sparkling wine, a new release, it’s a perfectly-poised blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay that fairly blossoms in the glass; red berries, pear, and apricot vie for dominance, floating above this, spice, white flowers, freshly laundered linen. That same yin-yang […]

Timeless Refinement

King Estate

It was a beautiful evening, from my vantage, I could see the hills that formed the backbone of the eastern side of the valley, densely robed in evergreen trees and hunkered against a backdrop of stars that seemed to draw closer against the indigo-black palette of an ever-darkening sky. The evening air, as it so […]

Durant Vineyards ‘La Paloma’ Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013

Durant Vineyards 'La Paloma' Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013

Durant Vineyard’s Dundee Hills La Paloma Pinot Noir 2013 doesn’t disappoint. This is their 40th Anniversary edition, and I can smell its heady aromatics with the glass sitting more than two feet away (that always charms me). Cherry turnover, vanilla, rose petal and anise are anchored in a subtly earthy embrace. It’s silky on entry, […]

Durant Vineyards ‘Ava Lucia’ Pinot Noir Rosé 2015

Durant Vineyards 'Ava Lucia' Pinot Noir Rosé 2015

Watermelon pink, bursting with red-skinned apples and tart pie cherries. On opening, the 2015 Durant Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé exhibited a candy-like top note of Wrigley’s gum that has wafted off after half an hour—a good thing. On the palate, it’s fresh, delivering bright red berries and acidity in equal measure, in a style that […]

Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2015

Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2015

Glinting straw yellow and laden with aromatics of d’Anjou pear, lemon curd, petrichlor, lily of the valley, and a lilting top note of cinnamon stick. The 2015 Pike Road Pinot Gris is winsome and engaging with a light crisp palate that offers almost as much complexity as the nose. Honeydew melon emerge on the back […]

Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013

Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2013

Stoller’s 2013 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir opens with strawberry creme and raspberry tart, the nose is delicate, slightly faint and slightly sweet. On the palate—the only ripple amidst inner creaminess is a moderate level of acidity—just red berries, red apple skins, and a touch of minerality on the finish. I wanted to see a bit […]

Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2014

Knudsen Vineyards Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2014

From the Knudsen family estate vineyard, established in 1971, is this elegant 2014 Dundee Hills Chardonnay. What makes this bottling special is that the Knudsen’s have long been growers for Argyle. The 2014 vintage is the first wine they’ve vinified under their own label in over 25 years and it’s a stunning effort. A testament […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com