Tag Archives: oregon

Sokol Blosser ‘E – Evolution’ Pinot Noir 2020, Willamette Valley, Oregon

15 Thursday Sep 2022

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After the disastrous Pinot I just tasted at the wine bar I needed redemption- this 89 pointer helped.  Pale ruby colored it had a slight funk to the nose alongside spice box, cherry, earthy cinnamon and stewed raspberry which made me wonder if this was yesterdays unprotected bottle??  The palate had medium (+) acidity, medium body and medium (-) tannins- all to be expected for this varietal.  For $14 this is not a bad drop of Oregonian Pinot that you could pop-n-pour any night of the week and pair with roast Chicken or even use in Boeuf Bourguignon.  Drink this 4 star effort till 2025.  Salut….

La Crema Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Oregon,

15 Friday Apr 2022

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This bottle was assigned to my WSET tasting group- an interesting one as this producer is big in Cali, not so well known for Oregon Pinot.  It shows a pale ruby in the glass and has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, red currant, red plum, cinnamon and coconut- it was considered youthful.  The palate was dry with medium (+) acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol and medium (-) body.  We matched the flavors with the aromas and thought they were slightly less intense, leading to a medium (-) finish.  At $32, this is what we considered an acceptable wine with a drink now window.  Overall I would rate it 88 points and 3 stars if that.  Think chilled Salmon on a bed of Boston bib or perhaps a thin sirloin flash grilled.  Salut….

Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot Noir 2015, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon

13 Wednesday Apr 2022

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This Pinot Noir is pale ruby, bordering on garnet which is commensurate with its 7 years of age.    The nose has quite pronounced aromas of red and black cherry, baking spice, cranberry, rooibos tea, orange peel, strawberry compote and a touch of heat.  The palate is dry with very rich flavors of cherry (red and black), stewed red fruit and the other notes I mentioned.  Medium bodied, it has lithe, integrated tannins and medium (+) acidity.  The mouthfeel is great with the richness of the fruit balancing the acidity whilst the tannins give a touch of dryness.  The alcohol is not an issue at this point.  The finish is relatively short but packed with fruit.  I really like this wine- it drinks so easily and delivers lots of red fruit with a bunch of secondary and tertiary notes.  For $35 it is a very good Oregonian Pinot that shows off some New World fruit-forward notes alongside some Old World elegance and tertiary notes from aging.  92 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2028 with some grilled poultry or a slab of charred Mackerel.  Salut….

Colene Clemens Vineyards ‘Dopp Creek’ Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Oregon

09 Wednesday Mar 2022

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Medium ruby colored, this wine is a shade more opaque than most Pinot Noirs.  The nose is exquisite after a good swirl to get things going.  Ripe cherry, strawberry coulis, cola, a touch of forest floor and bilberry.  The palate is a touch subdued from the intensity of the nose.  The wine is dry with very lithe tannins, medium (+) acidity, medium bodied and long in the finish.  The bright red fruit flavors are present as is some Rooibos tea, a definitive Pinot flavor that I cannot name and spices like Christmas cake.  For close to $30 this 90 pointer gets 4 stars from me.  Delicious now, it will drink well till 2030 and pair nicely with Roasted Cornish hens or Ratatouille.  It has a fantastic mouthfeel btw.  Salut….

Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012, Willamette Valley, Oregon

17 Thursday Feb 2022

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For a Pinot Noir, this one is quite a bit more opaque- say 60%.  It’s a beautiful shade of ruby with long legs in the glass.  The nose is quite intense- cherry, black raspberry, pomegranate, cinnamon stick, red licorice and an earthy note.  The palate is dry with some nice medium intensity tannins that are balanced beautifully with medium acidity.  The flavors are quite pronounced with red cherry dominating.  The pomegranate gets joined with cranberry and I also get the spice and earth components.  Medium bodied with a decent length finish that shows off some tannic grip.  I like this wine for it’s New World boldness yet it sticks to the traditional red fruit flavors I love in Pinot.  It’s had a decade to age and is still rather primal with another 10 years ahead of it.  92 points from me for this $75 effort makes it a 4 star wine that compares with the delicious 2014 Nysa that I previously tasted.  Salut….

Lachini Vineyards ‘Family Estate’ Pinot Noir 2013, Willamette Valley, Oregon

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

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This Pinot Noir is see-through with a nice shade of ruby red and a watery shimmer on the glass sides (13.4% ABV).  The nose is stunning- pronounced aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, cinnamon, cloves, cherry cola and vanilla.  The palate is smooth and lightly tart with very well integrated, lithe tannins.  Light bodied, this wine shows off the red fruit flavors beautifully.  The oak influence (cinnamon, cloves and vanilla) are slight, but delicious.  At 8 years of bottle age, it is still young and shows no tertian flavors yet.  The structure here will allow for further cellaring and should develop nicely.  The finish is long and tart from sour cherry notes and super fine grained tannins that caress my gums.  This is a delicious bottle that ran $60 in the day that gets 92 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2028 with lighter fare.  Salut….

Coelho Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

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I’ve had this one before, but a while ago so I thought with some cellaring it would be even better- no surprise.  It’s staring to turn a touch garnet but is of pale intensity.  The nose is quite pronounced with pomegranate, red cherry, cranberry, barnyard, dried sage and dried red plum.  The palate is delicious.  Smooth with low tannins, medium acidity , medium body and gobs of flavor.  In addition to the red fruits and tertiary notes I also get some rooibos tea.  The finish is medium length and chock full of fruit with some super fine tannins.  92 points, drink till 2027.  It runs $50 these days which makes it a 4 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

10 Friday Sep 2021

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When pairing Asian food, there are so many variables- spice, complexity and flavor profiles to mention a few. Tonight we are making self-rolled Vietnamese style wraps with choices of ground chicken, thin grilled beef or steamed shrimp to go alongside the myriad of veggies that all get wrapped into a thin rice paper and adorned with sweet or spicy sauces.  I figured a lighter wine would carry the freshness of the meal better than a big, tannic monster so Pinot was the obvious choice.

This Oregonian wine is see-through and a nice shade of ruby, perhaps even starting to turn garnet (it is 7 years old by now).  The nose has fresh aromas of strawberry, red cherry, cinnamon, cedar and raspberry coulis.  On the palate it is spectacular- rich with warm red fruit alongside spicebox, cedar and cinnamon.  Gentle acidity, low tannins and a relatively full body make for a great mouthfeel that will pair as hoped.  It is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to do so until 2026 at the least.  92 points from me and at $75 per bottle, 4 stars.  Salut….

 

Boedecker Cellars Hirschy Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon

03 Tuesday Aug 2021

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This Pinot Noir is deep purple and semi opaque in the glass.  On the nose it is quite intense with red and black cherry, raspberry, oak and strawberry bubble gum.  The palate is gorgeous- smooth with lithe tannins, gentle acidity and a ton of fruit flavor.  Layers or cherry, raspberry and mocha notes intertwine, some strawberry is present but the complexity of this wine is awesome.  I love restrained Pinots, wines that are seductive and not overpowering.  This one is definitely a more fruit forward version, New Worldish yet it has such purity of fruit and is not over-the-top extracted.  The finish is long.  The fact that it is only 13.3% ABV makes it a refreshing change from the monsters I have been drinking lately.  Drink till 2026 with lean cuts of beef, maybe a hearty Salmon on the grill or some well seasoned Cornish hens.  92 points from me for this $58 treat.  I love this winery and have enjoyed several of their previous wines.  5 stars.  Salut….

Domaine Drouhin Pin ot Noir 2018, Dundee Hills, Oregon

02 Monday Aug 2021

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Virtual tasting #20 started off on a high gear with the Reserve Pinot Gris, only to have it overshadowed by this stunner.  Once people started sniffing all I could hear were Oooh, Aaah…  On the nose the group noted aromas of licorice, forest floor, pepper, white chocolate, cardamom, black cherry, raspberry and rosewater.  How’s that for complexity?

The palate was absolutely delicious- I was so excited to drink this wine.  Super smooth with silky tannins and gentle acidity- we got flavors of raspberry, black cherry, Rooibos tea but it lost the pepper component.  The depth of this wine was beguiling.  On our tasting sheet I gave it a near perfect 19/20.  Technically speaking, this $35 wine gets 93 points and 5 stars from me.  You could cellar some, but why wait?  Damn that was good.  Might end up on the best-of list.  Salut….