Angela Estate Pinot Noir 2012
Angela, sweet Angela, you sang just as I’d hoped you would…with a lovely floral countenance of hibiscus flowers, rose petal, clove and baking spice swirl above richer, denser notes of black cherry, boysenberry and forest floor. Concentrated without being heavy, these wines are a masterpiece from Ken Wright, expressing Pinot’s full range and potential. The […]
Angela Estate ‘Abbott Claim’ Pinot Noir 2012
A blend of Pommard and clones 777 and 115, all rooted in ancient marine sedimentary soils that form the foundation and consequently the backbone of the 2012 Angela Abbott Claim Vineyard. Textbook growing conditions combined with this stellar site have yielded a wine with heady, rapturous aromas of hibiscus, musky black tea, mushrooms, truffles, smokey […]
Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir 2015
Mimi’s Mind, so named to honor the work of Mimi Casteel, and her east-facing vineyard site of Woodburn, Nekia, and Jory type soils planted in the 1970s. I am told that the vines are own-rooted and phylloxera-free, making them a rarity in the Eola-Amity Hills. The 2015, dressed in a translucent ruby robe, is poised […]
Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir 2015
Cristom’s 2015 Mount Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir combines all five of the winery’s estate vineyards, and fruit from a few, select neighboring sites. The palate is both seamless and precise in its acid balance, truly, this is where this silken cuvée shows its pedigree. Fine, sueded tannins gather and fade—a slow, amaranthine unfolding of white […]
Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir 2015
Mimi’s Mind, so named to honor the work of Mimi Casteel, and her east-facing vineyard site of Woodburn, Nekia, and Jory type soils planted in the 1970s. I am told that the vines are own-rooted and phylloxera-free, making them a rarity in the Eola-Amity Hills. The 2015, dressed in a translucent ruby robe, is poised […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Extrovert Pinot Noir 2014
Winemaker Tony Rynders 2014 ‘Extrovert’ is so named because it is the most fruit forward label in Tendril’s portfolio. On the nose, the subtle interplay of blackberry, black cherry, cola, underbrush and decaying rose petal sets the stage for this focused Pinot Noir. In it, one can find concentration and balance, fine tannins, and admirable […]
Bluebird Hill Cellars Trilogy 2016
Densely packed aromas canned pear, honeydew melon, thai coconut custard are the welcome tones that lead into a palate that is surprisingly more taught than the nose belies. Bluebird Hill Cellars’ 2016 Trilogy is an undisclosed blend of three white varieties sourced from the Willamette Valley, displaying predominant orchard fruit flavors embroidered against a backdrop […]
Bluebird Hill Cellars Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2016
A classic Chardonnay profile of orchard fruit, yellow apple, and bosc pear with gently warming tones of vanilla paste and baking spice. Bluebird Hill Cellars 2016 Willamette Valley Chardonnay shows a degree of freshness on the palate—50% of the fruit undergoes malolactic fermentation while the other half does not—and lees aging has added body and […]
Bluebird Hill Cellars Walnut Ridge Pinot Gris 2016
From 15 year-old grown in Bellpine soil, the 2016 Bluebird Hill Cellars Walnut Ridge Pinot Gris is a pale sunbeam in the glass with soft aromas of apple yellow, cantaloupe, and dried mint. In the mouth, the perception of softness continues with generous layers of fruit that relaxes a pleasant burst of acidity tinged with […]
Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2015
Stoller’s 2015 Dundee Hills Reserve Chardonnay is awash in Asian pear, lemon curd, granulated honey, and white flowers. The palate is delicate, with French oak so well integrated, it almost feels like a stainless ferment. Almost. Extended lees contact has graced this sustainably-grown Chardonnay with a silky, seamless texture that is as complex as it […]