de Lancellotti Famiglia Pinot Noir 2013
de Lancelotti’s 2013 Famiglia Pinot Noir is a blend of Pommard and Clone 777, and offers a delicate burst of rose petals, stemmy raspberries, anise, and cola. It’s slim and nimble on the palate, with a kind of wiry tartness adding lift to cranberry, spice, twig tea and forest notes. Perhaps what impresses me most […]
de Lancellotti La Sorella Pinot Noir 2014
I had the pleasure of tasting the 2014 ‘La Sorella’ Pinot Noir with winemaker, Paul De Lancellotti. La Sorella is the winery’s entry level label, priced at about $25.00, it offers classic a Willamette Valley profile—rose petals, crab apples, and stemmy raspberry with a touch of earthen, decomposing soil. On the palate, cranberries and red […]
Wildstock Pinot Noir Oregon Crafted Wine 2013
Wildstock is a Scott Paul label, as such the 2013 is classic Oregon Pinot. It’s delicate and refined, with easy layers of raspberries, iron ore, baking spice and a pleasing top note of Dutch process cocoa powder. Equally light and nimble on the palate, with an alcohol level set at 13.5% ABV. Sample Scott Paul […]
de Lancellotti Lachini Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013
de Lancellotti Lachini Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 presents a fresh face—one that is composed of feminine, slightly stemmy raspberries and dewy rose petals. The nose is a bit deceptive, because this intriguing 2013 shows more concentration than one might expect, with caressing, silky layers of Rainier cherries, red forest berries and cranberries swathed in a […]
Scott Paul Pinot Noir La Paulée 2012
The expression of the Scott Paul La Paulée Pinot Noir is very much in line with what I would expect from the 2012 vintage in the Willamette Valley. A year with textbook growing conditions has endowed this Pinot with suitably lush red-fruit notes—black cherries and crushed raspberries are underpinned by notes of iron, forest floor, […]
Forge Cellars Harvest Ridge Vineyard Finger Lakes Riesling 2014
The first impression is one of petrol and rubber ball on the nose, accented by d’Anjou pear, lemon drop and early spring blossoms. It’s as lean and wiry as I’ve come to expect from Riesling grown in the Finger Lakes region—perhaps even a shade more so—clearly Forge is pushing the envelop in terms of acidity […]
Cornerstone Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
Cornerstone’s 2012 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is generously styled, with a perfumy and overtly expressive nose of rose petals and anise inlaid by roasted strawberry, black cherry and blackberries. On the palate, its got depth, dimension and power to spare. Fine, dusty tannins and medium acidity frame out supple black and red fruit that gracefully […]
Forge Cellars Finger Lakes ‘Classique’ Pinot Noir 2014
Forge Cellars is an intriguing collaboration between Louis Barruol, proprietor of St. Cosme in Gigondas, wine grower Rick Rainey, and vintner Justin Boyette. Their 2014 ‘Classique’ Pinot Noir is fine-boned and poised with floral, woodsy aromatics of decaying rose petals, hibiscus, underbrush, and sous bois. It’s translucent quinacridone violet with lean, elegant curves underpinned by […]
Winderlea Dundee Hills Cuvée Pinot Noir 2008
Winderlea’s 2008 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Cuvée was blended specifically for ¡Salud!, a non-profit that provides mobile health care to migrant workers in the Willamette Valley. Aside from this, the wine itself has developed beautifully, with classic Oregon Pinot notes of red forest berries, underbrush and dried rose petals. The palate is offers savoriness punctuated by […]
Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011
Fruit takes a back seat in the 2011 Elk Cove Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is a portrait in savoriness. Aromas of Spanish roof tile, sun dried tomato, cigar box and sage seamlessly merge into tart cranberries and dried cherry notes. Firm, dusty tannins hem in high-toned red fruit and taught acidity that terminates with […]