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Rainstorm Pinot Noir 2021, Willamette Valley, Oregon

13 Tuesday Dec 2022

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$15, 5 stars, 90 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


Pale ruby with a touch of effervescence on the rim. The nose offers up medium intensity aromas of strawberry, cherry, cranberry, singed alder, cinnamon, pomegranate syrup and a tart red apple. The palate has juicy acidity that is medium along with very lithe tannins. Medium bodied- I get the same red fruit driven flavors with a kiss of oak. The wine finishes medium length with a touch of tartness. I like this $15 wine, it’s moderately complex with primal fruit and for the price it gets 5 stars. 90 points, drink till 2025. Salut…..

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

15 Thursday Sep 2022

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$14, 4 stars, 89 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley, winetasting


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….

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La Crema Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Oregon,

15 Friday Apr 2022

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$32, 3 stars, 88 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


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….

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

09 Wednesday Mar 2022

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$30, 4 stars, 90 points, chehalem mountains, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


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….

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Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012, Willamette Valley, Oregon

17 Thursday Feb 2022

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$75, 4 stars, 92 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


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….

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

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

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$60, 4 stars, 92 points, chehalem mountains, oregon, willamette valley


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….

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Coelho Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

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$50, 4 stars, 92 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


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….

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Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

10 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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92 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


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….

 

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Chris Baker Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Oregon

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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$20, 4 stars, 89 points, Naked Wines, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


This Pinot is pretty opaque for the varietal.  A lovely shade of ruby with watery legs that give clue to the low 13% ABV.  On the nose I get spice box, red cherry, pomegranate and cranberry.  On the palate this wine is a touch tart and lacks any discernible tannins- not that I am complaining.  I like Pinot with a touch of sourness and no dryness, makes for a crisp mouthfeel.  The red fruit flavors are quite pronounced and balanced but I also get blueberry on the mid palate.  I like the weight but the finish is a touch short.  This bottle has what I really like in Pinot Noir- elegance and lightness with freshness and not too much oak influence.  It is seductive and lithe, maybe not very complex but it delivers lots of fruit flavors.  I would drink this one till 2025, perhaps pairing with Duck or Strip steak.  89 points from me and at $20 it’s a good deal that gets 4 stars.  Salut….

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Scott Kelley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019, Oregon

12 Wednesday May 2021

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$20, 5 stars, 90 points, Naked Wines, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley


This Oregonian Pinot is see-through and medium ruby. The nose is quite intense with red cherry and strawberry. Cloves also come to mind but I can smell a whiff of the 13.5% alcohol. The palate is rounded and gives me ripe, squishy strawberry and some spice box alongside the cherry and now raspberry flavors. The wine is quite acidic and I get fine grained tannins on the mid palate. The red fruit theme continues to a mid length finish where the fruit overtakes any secondary flavors I previously got. It is New World with restraint in style, something I appreciate. The tannins really grip on the back end and the acidity does a nice job of balancing it out. Medium body and generally very pleasant- it gets 90 points from me and at $20 it’s worthy of 5 stars. Yummy stuff to drink till 2026. Salut….

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