Tag Archives: willamette valley

Mark West Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, USA

25 Friday May 2018

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The Brown truck arrived today with a box full of these.  They were on sale so I decided to pull the trigger on 6.  I probably should have let this one rest a few days, but there are more in case it shows poorly.

Slightly more opaque than what I was expecting from Pinot Noir.  The nose is airy and uplifting, with strawberry, that certain Pinot scent that I get and some elderberry.  The palate is exactly what I was expecting, New World all the way but not in a powerful, jammy way.  Smooth strawberry with a lithe vanilla stripe and more of that wild berry fruit.  The acidity is on pointe, just a nudge every now and then.  The mouthfeel is great with some ever so slight tannins swirling around.  Cherry/Strawberry cooler happens on the finish with that sourness that is really okay in Pinot.  My mouth feels a tad dry from the acidity/tannins when it’s all said and done.  I like this wine and am serving it with some smoked pulled pork that I just finished.  The acidity is perfect to counter the fattiness and smoke from the meat.  I’m going with 90 points here and for the $11 I paid, it’s a 5 star wine.  Drink now till 2024.  Salut….

King Estate Pinot Gris 2015, Willamette Valley Oregon, USA

04 Wednesday Apr 2018

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I bought Moxie a few bottles of Pinot Gris at Christmas, she was making white Sangria.  As usual, I overbought.  This one broke the bank at $13.  It has a peachy yellow color to it and a nose of lemon peel, pineapple and ginger.  On the palate it is very approachable.  Refreshing citrus, not overly acidic with hints of beeswax and more of that ginger, but like ginger-ale, not the sliced and raw version.  The wine slides nicely without being tart or bitter.  It offers a nice mid palate waxiness and the finish is medium in length and packed with pineapple curd.  I am really enjoying this wine after being in the car all day.  Serving it up with some fish filets, smoky bacon Quinoa and buttered Brussel Sprouts.  It firing on all cylinders.  90 points and 5 stars, buy it by the dozen for the summer.  Drink now till 2020.  Salut….

WillaKenzie Estate ‘Estate Grown’ Pinot Gris 2015, Willamette Valley, USA

04 Sunday Jun 2017

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My folks are in town for JJ’s Ballet performance.  Mum likes the whites and I figured some Pinot Grigio/Gris would work well for a warmish weekend.  This one was a very pale yellow- which is a good thing for this varietal.  Nose of lemons, pomelo and green apples.  The initial taste is rather surprising- more body than I imagined with hints of wax, lemons, bergamot.  The mid palate exhibits a citrusy component that I’m enjoying.  The acidity is very mild and doesn’t really hit the palate until the finish.  Speaking of which, it is mid length and laden with more citrus in the form of lemon peel and a hint of lanolin.  89 points and a great opener to a Friday night!  $17 buys this charmer all day long and it gets 3 stars from me, I’m buying more!  Salut….

willakenzie pinot gris

Sass Pinot Noir 2012

31 Sunday Aug 2014

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I took Moxie out for a late supper last night at our local Korean/Cajun fusion restaurant called Mokomandy.  We were deep in conversation when the drink order was up, so I asked the waiter what he would recommend and ended up with this Willamette Valley Pinot to go with our eclectic dinner.

It’s funny how some wines taste a certain way to some people, yet others have totally different opinions.  Here we go…

Pinot Purple in the glass, with the telltale see-through hues of a this fickle grape.  Red fruits and a straw component hit me on the nose, I was excited to discover what shade of ‘New World’ this wine would be.  I immediately got sour cherry, strawberry and cranberries on the initial attack, and when I say sour- yowsah….  This wine is most definitely Oregonian in style with some bracing acidity and melded tannins.  The finish was decent with a lingering note of forest floor and strawberry.  The acidity was a little too much for me, making the wine seem a tad off-balance.  I bet it will hold up well in the cellar though and perhaps come out strong in a few years.  Back to the differing of opinions- the winemaker’s website claims flavors of blackberry and black cherry with peppery notes.  I went the other direction with red fruits and certainly no pepper, interesting.  89 points from me for this tasty effort and 3 stars for it’s $22 price tag.  Salut….

sass pinot noir

Boedecker ’06

22 Saturday Oct 2011

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I have a great friend who introduced me to this Oregon Pinot Noir after she met the winemakers at a wine festival. I subsequently added another case to my cellar and pull it out every so often- like tonight with Cherry and Apple stuffed Pork Chops (yummmm).
The nose is pure Pinot with a touch of earth, just the way nature meant it to be. You see, my opinion is that Burgundy knows how to funk this grape up and make it sublime, yet have that certain J’ai nes se qua…. The barnyard, the ass of donkey, vegetal, forest floor. Whilst you may think I’m crazy to describe wine in such a way, have a top notch Burg and compare it to some new world stuff, just not the same.
Pinot has to have some bing cherry flavors when young, end of story. Without it, you might as well suck Syrah through a straw. With age you get the nastiness that we appreciate. This bottle has 5 years in it and is just turning the corner to greatness. elemental fruit is starting to meld, the tannins, although noticeable, as very soft and the finish is very long. Pinot is a sexy wine, sublimity is key. It should flow, seamlessly. The choice to drink this with lighter fare is obvious as it has delicacy and balance, like a ballerina.
One of my fav Pinots outside Burgundy, this beaut has 5 stars stamped all over her and I would guess a 92 point rating from the champs who know.

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Coelho ’08

21 Friday Oct 2011

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If you read my previous post on the Oriel Chardonnay, you will remember that the folks were over for dinner.  This was the other white I served that glorious summer night.  This one is more my style, but got mixed reviews from Mum and Dad.  I like Pinot Gris, especially in the heat of summer.  It’s cool, crisp, clear and light.  I would consider it almost the polar opposite of Chardonnay.  Citrus, acidity and a good balance make this style of wine my choice for the heat.  They call it Novocao, from the winery in Amity, part of the famous Willamette Valley.  The region is coming up with some really good stuff, yet this is the first Pinot Gris I have had from there.  I am going to rate it lower than the Chard, even though I enjoyed it more simply because I cannot rate on personal choice, only the quality in general.  3 stars, and 84 points.  If you find it cheap, get it- great for every day summer quafffffing!

coelho pinot gris