Quick highlights- World of Pinot Noir Grand Tasting

The connection to Arcadian Winery served as my ticket to the World of Pinot Noir Grand Tasting. Friend and fellow blogger Liz D. and I were the friendly faces proudly pouring 2007 vintages of Arcadian Pisoni and Arcadian Fiddlestix Pinot Noirs to the masses - great wines to set the bar for my opportunity to get out from behind the table to taste.

Armed with my phone (camera), a pen, scrap pieces of paper and a WOPN pinot glass, I set out to rapidly taste the chosen producers that I could get to. I tend to prefer the balance/lower alcohol/higher acid/stemmy style of Pinot, so many of the favorites reflect these preferences, however I did try to get to a variety of regions and styles.

Starting with Sta. Rita Hills, Raj Parr was offering a preview of Sandhi's 2011 Pinot Noir Wenzlau, Sta. Rita Hills from magnum. The south-facing vineyard is located high in the hills overlooking the Santa Ynez River, between the Sea Smoke and Mt. Carmel vineyards. The wine is completely whole-cluster fermented, aged in mostly neutral barrel, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The stems were alive with pine-forest and fennel notes along with bright cherry, anise and mineral notes through a long fine structure. As the stems integrate and weave their complexity within the wine this will be one to love.

Paul Lato action shot!

The vaunted Pisoni Vineyard of Santa Lucia Highlands was wonderfully represented by a pair of divergent Pinot Noirs. While his lineup centered around Santa Barbara County, the Paul Lato 2009 Pinot Noir Lancelot Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands amazed with its incredible depth and elegance along with seamless layers of earthen spice, florals and bright berry notes throughout. On the other side of the coin the Pisoni Estate 2010 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands brought a huge profile with pipe-tobacco, black tea and cherry cola over a deep foundation of earth and spice. The tannins were ripe, the acid was integrated and the finish was huge - an epic wine. 

I was quite smitten with two wines from the new Fort Ross-Seaview AVA in the far Sonoma Coast. Flowers 2010 Pinot Noir Sea View Ridge, Sonoma Coast was seamless in its deep layers of dark earthen spice and dried cherry and fig. The wine comes from soils of schist, sandstone and shale and is grown at elevations upwards of 1875'. Fermentation employs partial whole clusters. Failla's 2011 Pinot Noir Whistler, Sonoma Coast is similar in its deep notes of dark earth and spice and fig with firm acids and fine long tannin.

Copain's 2010 "En Haut" Kiser Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley comes from the cool "deep end" of Anderson Valley. The upper parcel of the Kiser Vineyard is notable for the schist and sandstone soils. This was showing beautiful earthy mineral, floral, savory spice and tea notes throughout, highlighted by sharp red cherry and laid out on a beautifully elegant frame. Awesome stuff.

Oregon was well represented with a couple of standouts from Soter & Bergström. The Soter 2010 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Ranch, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton is grown in sloping south-facing siltstone soils and destemmed prior to fermentation, with the resulting wines aged in 30% new French oak barrels. The profile showed a melange of savory spice notes to go along with sous bois and bright fig, stitched with a tightly-wound elegant structure. The 2011 Bergström 2011 Pinot Noir De Lancellotti, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains in contrast highlights a bright minerality of chalk and limestone to go along with rich fig fruit and great depth of violet, mushroom and spice notes wound in a silky rich structure. 

These highlights represent what was on balance a fine grouping of exciting Pinot Noir producers that I tasted through. Click here for notes on all of the wines I tasted.

The best of the rest

I try to do more than just blog tasting notes, but I've amassed a few over the past month on wines I've not otherwise blogged about. Several of the wines are very nice, so I thought I’d combat writer’s block by dedicating a post to these notes!

~Arrowood 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale, SonomaCounty – Aromas of plum, earth-slate, and currant with deep black fruit on the palate with tobacco, cedar, and blue-floral notes. It’s balanced and rich with round polished tannins and a full finish. Nicely developed and still tastes young. $68.

~Cakebread 2009 Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Touches of mineral, honey and butterscotch, along with stone fruit. It adds subtle notes of citrus on the palate, with polished feel, good acid, solid structure, and a decent finish. Drinking well. $38.

One of the highlights

~Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley – Popped and poured with Thanksgiving leftovers. Clear ruby and medium body in the glass. Aromas of black tea leaf, red curry, sandalwood and fresh fig. Beautifully expressive palate of open red fruit, melted stone, red florals and flourishes of spice. It’s polished in feel, elegant, and fleshy throughout with balanced acid and fine tannin. It finishes long with nice black peppery fruit. Excellent, really drinking well right now. $38.

~Firestone 2010 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County – Nicely expressive strawberry and cherry fruit throughout with subtle spice and earthy depth. Silky and rich with elegance, roundly structured with good acid-tannin balance. Decent finish. Very good value. $24

~Firestone 2009 Malbec, Santa Ynez Valley – Black and blue fruits dominate with secondary black peppery notes and hints of oak. Full fruit, round on the palate, easy drinking style with fleshy tannins. Good. $24.

Firestone Vineyard in the Fall

~Firestone 2007 Chairman Series Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley – Cedar and leather on the nose draping the fruit. The flavors are black cherry and blackberry with subtle oaky vanilla and mocha notes along with hints of dried herb. Dry firm finish with decent length. Nicely done. $42.

~Firestone 2009 Chairman Series Cabernet Sauvignon, SantaYnez Valley – Plenty of cassis and currant aromas along with dried herb. Cassis and red fruit flavors on the palate nicely integrated with subtle medicinal herb along with oak notes of cedar and espresso. Fine firm tannin and a full finish. Very good. $42.

This big boy needs a little time and TLC!

~Firestone 2009 Proximity Twenty Six, Santa Ynez Valley – Bordeaux blend- mostly Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Red currant, cedar, cherry and licorice are on the bouquet. There’s tons of oak on the palate, with flavors of coffee and cedar with currant, cassis and brown spice. Round and lush with silky tannins and a spicy long finish. It needs time for the oak to resolve. $75.

~Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs – Tasting out of Bordeaux glass so not a great display for the bubbles. Plenty of yeast, toast and brioche notes on the nose. It’s bright with lively citrus on the palate with mineral notes to accent the bready yeasty depth. Slightly honeyed flavors with a deep and long expansive finish. Excellent. $230.

~Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia, Veneto IGT – Garganega/Chardonnay. Light straw color. It’s very Sauv Blanc-like on both the nose and palate with tons of gooseberry and grapefruit and very subtle depth. Round and bright on the palate with full body and a crispness to the finish. This is a bright and pleasant casual drinker with an odd similarity to new-world Sauvignon Blanc. $12.

~Sea Smoke 2010 Southing Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – Aromas of rhubarb, earth and plummy fruit. Well balanced on the palate, showing nice mineral, earth, tea, and dark floral notes that temper the darker fruit. Silky feel on the palate with sharp acid and fine tannins. Medium-long finish. Nice complexity. Very well done. $60.

~Siduri 2010 Sonatera Vineyard, Sonoma Coast – Popped and poured with dinner. Nice bouquet of tea leaf, wild mushroom, white pepper, Christmas spice and cherry fruit. It’s ripe and aggressive to the palate with black cherry and fig jam along with piney, earthy and herbal depth. Fine and polished in tannin with seemingly good acid and a decent finish, it's just not very graceful or balanced with this tasting. The fruit awkwardly sticks out like a sore thumb. Not how I remembered it, perhaps it just needs some time to mature back into balance. Day 2- Much improved with the fruit integrating and adding nuances of cedar and sandalwood. Shows balance and elegance. Nice mouthwatering acidity and fine tannin on the finish. Good on the second day- air it out before drinking or hold. $48

~Silverado 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley – Notes of cigar box, black currant and leather on the nose. This is densely structured palate of cassis, cedar, tobacco and black cherry. It’s broad on the palate, nicely polished, and with big chewy tannins, along with hints of mineral and earth on a full finish. Drinking well. $29.

~Stag’s Leap 2009 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Plummy aromas with anise, currant and cedar notes. Black fruit on the palate with stony, black-floral, and ashy-mineral notes. Integrated oak. Elegantly structured with fine tannin and full finish. Very nice. $45.

An in-depth view of the Willamette Valley and its wines from the perspective of the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference

What do strawberry shortcake, old fabric mills, air & space museums, wiking and scorching heat have in common? All were happening this past weekend in Portland and the Willamette Valley for the Wine Bloggers Conference2012. The Oregon wine community laid it on the line for a bunch of crazy wine bloggers and were truly able to highlight what makes Oregon wine, and pinot noir in particular, something unique and special.

Almost immediately after disembarking the plane, I joined a small group hosted by Travel Salem on a “pre-conference excursion,” which promised us both wine and cultural activity. The wine end of things featured vineyard visits to Johan Vineyards and Left Coast Cellars, just outside of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in an area they are calling “Perrydale Hills,” potentially a new Willamette Valley sub-AVA.

According to Johan’s owner Dag Johan Sundby and winemaker Daniel Rinke, what makes this area unique from the neighboring AVA is its access to the cooling breezes of the Van Duzer corridor, coupled with the sedimentary soils of Helvetia and Santiam. The hallmarks of Johan include biodynamic farming in the vineyards and terroir-driven winemaking practices. At Johan I tasted beautifully bright gruner-veltliner; crisp and rich chardonnay fermented in concrete and aged in barrel; complex skin-macerated orange pinot gris; and of course balanced and elegant pinot noir. It was an impressive introduction to these wines. (Click toread notes on these wines).

The walk over to Left Coast Cellars took us through the vineyards on both estates. Even in the toasty heat (the visit encompassed three unseasonably hot days by Willamette Valley standards), you felt the cool breeze of the Van Duzer corridor. Left Coast Cellars’ wines are 100% estate grown with sustainable and organic farming practices. The style of the wines is slightly more “new world” than Johan, still showing grace, balance and character. I thought a wine such as their 2007 Left Coast Cellars Pinot Noir  Latitude 45 was a wonderful showcase for their estate, and represented excellent value with pricing in the $30 range. (Click to read notes on these wines).

Day 2 of the Salem excursion included visits to the venerable Willamette Valley Vineyards, where we learned about their volcanic basalt soils at the estate and toured and tasted in the cellar. I was most impressed by their single vineyard pinot noir, made in somewhat of a polished style but with impressive breadth and depth. On the way out we saw author Rex Pickett of Sideways fame preparing a signing for his new book Vertical, the next chapter in the story of dysfunctional oenophiles Miles and Jack who are stuck perpetually in adult-adolescence. Incidentally, Pickett delivered a caustic and bombastic Saturday keynote address at the conference about which I’m certain much was tweeted (as was everything else at the conference). (Click to read notes on these wines).

We were then shuttled to Piluso Vineyards, literally a mom and pop wine operation stationed in a farm house with a vineyard in the front yard. The location is on the sparse eastern side of the Willamette Valley. Here you might see tempranillo, viognier, müller-thurgau, riesling and pinot noir planted in rows right next to each other. I found it to be rather unusual to see pinot and tempranillo in the same vineyard, but by this time I had consumed a fair amount of wine so I was just going with it! The Piluso’s were charming people with a wide variety of good wines that were fairly priced. Incidentally, their estate pinot noir has garnered some nice praise from The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. Not bad for the humble Piluso’s! (Click to read notes on these wines).

Outside of wine, we learned that you can waterslide and see the Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Air & SpaceMuseum, and about the history of mill-working in Salem at the Willamette Valley Heritage Center. These were nice diversions. The last stop of this excursion was at EZ Orchards, where Kevin Zielinski is making a méthode traditionelle sparkling cider. Don’t think sweetness here; this is dry and crisp with a nice toasty complexity. Their fresh strawberry shortcake wasn’t bad either.

A second trip down into the valley was made during the conference. We boarded a mystery bus and headed out to parts unknown. Where we ended up was at Willakenzie Estate in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. There we were greeted by five winemaker/proprietors of Yamhill-Carlton wineries: Bernard Lacroute of Willakenzie, Lynn Penner-Ash of Penner-Ash, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Adam Godlee-Campbell of Elk Cove, and Laurent Montalieu of Soléna. We were treated to a seminar in the vineyard on fruit pruning and the marine sedimentary soils featured in the AVA. We also tasted in the winery a fantastic flight of single vineyard 2010 pinot noir from each producer. Each wine was beautiful and expressive and complex, but the wine of the flight for me went to Soléna’s Domaine Danielle Laurent -- it was all that and more with serious structure. The grand finale involved “wiking” through the vineyards to the crest of a ridge with an epic panoramic view of the Willamette Valley. One could not ask for more breathtaking scenery against which to enjoy a dinner and wine. (Click to read notes on these wines).

It was great to experience the Willamette Valley in new ways and taste the wines in this context. This was my first exposure to the 2010 vintage for Oregon pinot, and it looks like a savory and complex group of wines with nice structure. The links above to the tasting notes include 64 Oregon wines tasted over the weekend. Cheers!

The inside of the Spruce Goose

Dag and Dan from Johan pouring wine in the cellar

Walking to Left Coast Cellars from Johan

Associate Winemaker Joe Wright from Left Coast Cellars

Winemaker Don Crank at Willamette Valley Vineyards

Piluso Vineyards

EZ Orchards 2010 Cidre

Laurent from Soléna Estate talking soils in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA

Adam from Elk Cove and Lynn Penner-Ash talking pruning

The walk at Willakenzie

View of the valley 

At the convention- clonal tasting of Erath pinot noir

2011 Wine Travels- Best of Willamette Valley

September 2011 brought two wonderful days in the Willamette Valley. It what was turning out to be a cool vintage in Oregon, as the vines were just getting into veraison in the first week of September.

I visited AVA's and wineries throughout the northern part of the valley. Most of the wines available to taste were new release 2009's. On balance these were forward and open with generous fruit and silky texture with balanced spice and earth notes. The best of the bunch had the structure to suggest some longevity. A few of the vaunted 2008's were sprinkled in. These were dense and serious, suggesting of things to come.

The producers visited were Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie, Bethel Heights, St. Innocent, Cristom, J.K. Carriere, Brick House, Beaux Frères, KenWright & Elk Cove. My 10 favorite wines from these visits are below- please click on each wine's link for more info.

2009 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Mineral, mushroom, casses, fig and vanilla aromas. Earth, spice, floral and cherry fruit on the palate. Very balanced and complex with earthy tannins and a long finish. My favorite of the lineup. (I really liked!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir The Upper Terrace, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Aromas of cherry, plum, spice, earth and mushroom. Satin on the palate with tea notes, rich spice and fruit, and further savory earth and mushroom and earth. Firm round tannins and a big finish. Bolder and more streamlined than the 2009 Beaux Freres Vineyard PN but not quite as complex. (I loved!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Savory full bouquet of mushroom, earth, mineral, anise, fig and allspice. Full flavors of spice, ripe fig, black tea, cedar, leather and mushroom- deep and savory. A fine silky feel with polished firm tannins and a pleasant zip of acidity. A full long earthy finish. Bold and heady yet grounded with balance... an outstanding wine. (I loved!)

2009 J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir, Antoinette, Willamette Valley,Eola-Amity Hills

Winery visit- 9/8. Cola, violet, sandalwood, cranberry notes on the bouquet. Moves along to cherry, fig, mineral, and earth on the palate. Seamlessly layered with a rich silky feel. Polished tannins with pronounced acid. A long creamy fruit finish. (I really liked!)

2009 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Lots of spice on the bouquet- eastern and baking. Additional lavender and fig notes. Layers of flavors on the palate- cherry, raspberry, crushed rock, white pepper, and subtle earth. Great weight and feel. Round tannins. Floral and fruit notes on the finish. Nice length. Very elegant. (I loved!)

2009 Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Alluring aromas- mineral, lime, straw, and butterscotch. Leesy rich palate with stone fruit and butter toffee notes. Pleasing silkiness and good acid. Lengthy finish- lush and breathy. (I really liked!)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard, WillametteValley, Eola Amity Hills

Tasting room visit- 9/8. Plum and cherry notes on the nose with additional earthy spice. Deep on the palate- with mineral, cranberry, cherry, earth, fennel, and spice notes. Firm tannins and a lengthy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Original Vines Reserve,Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Huge aromatics- reminded me balsam-wood, cedar, leather, violet, fig, cherry, and mushroom. On the palate it hones in on cranberry and fig fruit, mineral and earth, and subtle oak. Round and fine with polished tannins and savory fruit on a medium-long breathy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Aromas of slate and rich apricot. Rocky citrus and stone fruit flavors. Opulent feel with balanced acid. Rich leesy notes on the finish. Very nice and an excellent value. (I really liked!)

2008 Cristom Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard, WillametteVineyard, Eola-Amity Hills

Lost notes- but I remember this for big earthy stemmy tannins, big fruit, and plenty of floral, spice and earthy complexity. the Cristom wines were great- Several could have made my favorites list. (I loved!)

Day 1 Photos

Day 2 Photos

Thanksgiving Heavy Hitters

There's not a better holiday for wine than Thanksgiving. You can put your food & wine-pairing acumen to the test, or you can pull corks on some epic bottles to share with friends and family. I prefer the latter.

I bought a nice dry Pfalz Qualitätzwein Riesling at Murphy's in Atlanta to get things started, and then moved on to some heavy hitters from my stash over the course of the weekend. All the wines paired well with holiday fare (and leftovers).  The salty, savory and sage flavors of the holiday fare complimented the good acid and bright juicy fruit of each of these wines:

Müller-Catoir 2009 Riesling Trocken, Pfalz (Imported by Michael Skurnik)- Lemongrass, petrol and slate aromas. A bracing dose of lime, wet rock and mango hits the palate. Juicy rich feel with hints of dried herb. Good length. Paired classically with Thanksgiving dinner. Could add nuance with aging. (I like!)

Melville 2009 Terraces Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills- Opened for Thanksgiving- did not decant. A striking cloudy ruby color. Broad bouquet with hints of Christmas spice, cherry, cranberry, sandalwood and mushroom-earth. Hits the palate with a balanced intensity from the bouquet and adds floral, mineral and tea notes to the mix. Full and sharp on the palate with a glassy smooth feel augmented by stemmy tannins both firm and fine. Ample finish. Excellent. Will be interested to see where this is going. (I really like!)

St Innocent 2009 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend- no decant. Dark dense clear ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, dusty herb & spice and balsam. Full and generous on the palate with ample red & black fruit, spice, herb, eucalyptus, mineral and coffee notes. Smooth and creamy feel lined with round-fine tannins. Finishes medium-long with red fruit and baking spice. Excellent.... in that opulent new world Pinot kind of way. I'm sure this would mellow and add some extra nuance with more bottle age. (I really like!)

Storybook Mountain 2006 Estate Reserve Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend, no decant but several hours open. A dark clear garnet color. Generous note of plum, blueberry, clove, tobacco and leather on the bouquet. Vibrant and open fruit on the palate, both blue and black, deftly balanced with seamless hints of spice, cedar, herbs, cocoa and earth. It glides through the palate with fine and round tannins, finishing long with all of the seamless layers of flavor demonstrated throughout. Elegant like a Pinot Noir. Imminently approachable and effortlessly complex- this is a sensational wine. (I love!)

This was a pretty special lineup of wines to enjoy over the weekend.  The Müller-Catoir Riesling was a great starting point... great with Thanksgiving dinner and beautifully bright and vibrant with its fruit.  The Melville and St. Innocent were both balanced and bold young Pinot Noirs with layered fruit, spice and depth.  I have to say, the St. Innocent definitely plays on the California side of the fence for an Oregon Pinot Noir. The Storybook Mountain is a special wine, classically-styled like an aged claret. A California Zinfandel that was the most elegant and beautiful of the three. 

Click the links on the wines above to learn more about each of these wines and how they are grown and made.

Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley! - Part 1

Traveling out to last week's Wine Bloggers Convention, I stopped in Portland for a day of tasting Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. My friends Chad and Erin were kind enough to take in a weary traveler from the East Coast. From Georgia, they've taken well to being cool and eccentric Portlanders. He's a college professor, and she designs umbrellas. They also raise chickens and have a pet turkey ("Turkey") in the backyard.


Needless to say, Erin and I were eating local eggs for breakfast, before heading south into the Dundee Hills and Yamhill-Carlton districts of the valley. This was my first time in Willamette. The plan was to visit some of the valley's famous names before heading out to the conference in Washington later that evening. After struggling to get out of Portland traffic, we made it to our first stop at Archery Summit ready for action.

• The Willamette Valley lies at roughly the same latitude as Burgundy.
• The climate is mild and moist, with cool & damp winters and dry & warm summers.
• Mineral-rich sediment soils were left after the Missoula Floods that flooded the valley between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago.

Archery Summit Winery

Located in the Dundee Hills, Archery Summit produces wine from vineyards throughout the AVA, as well as in the adjacent Ribbon Ridge AVA. Their program is 100% estate, and they cater their farming to suit each individual vineyard. Sustainable practices such as natural pest-control and hand cultivating are often used. The winery is 100% gravity flow, allowing minimal handling of the wines during production. They have an aggressive new French oak aging regimen on their Pinot Noir (consistently getting more than 50% new oak during cooperage). The style of the wines is bold and rich, with pronounced oak influence and comparatively high alcohol levels (mid 14% range). Although the tasting room is small and quaint, visitors can roam the aging caves.

The Wines-

~2007 Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- A blend from all their estate vineyards, combining Dijon, Pommard, & Wädenswil clones. Fermented with 12% whole clusters using native yeast fermentation. Aging was 10 months in 54% new French oak barrels. The wine was front-loaded with black cherry, plum, and cola notes with a bit of mossy earth. Silky and solid with smoke and further earthy notes to close---good to very good---$48.

~2007 Renegade Ridge Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Biodynamically farmed vineyard using Dijon clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 65% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sweet & spicy red cherry, cranberry, and plum notes are enhanced with maple syrup and earthy depth. Lush and silky with dusty tannins---very good---$85.

~2007 Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge- Dijon, Martini, Wädenswil, and Pommard clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 60% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. I really liked this one- leads with mineral, floral, and mushroom notes that are accented with cherry. Refined on the palate with savory notes- truffles, dried herbs, then highlighted with red fruit. Light peppery tannins and a lengthy spice finish. Should age well as the fruit enhances with time---excellent---$85.

~2007 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills - Dijon and Pommard clones. Fermented with native yeasts using 3% whole clusters. Aged in 62% new French oak for 11 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Lighter in color. Aromatic and savory- truffles highlighted with floral and cherry & plum fruit notes. Silky and light with nice earthy mineral accents. Politely firm with a nice finish---very good to excellent---$85.



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Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

The second stop brought us to the eastern edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, just west of the tiny Ribbon Ridge AVA. There, Lyn Penner-Ash makes killer Pinot Noir from single vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. The modern-rustic eco-friendly winery has a tasting room that overlooks the gravity-flow cellars, also with sweeping views of across the valley. Lush landscapes and vineyards surround the winery. Warm, friendly, and elegant surroundings were a nice precursor to the wines.

The Wines-

~2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir- Aged 10 months in 35% new French oak. Cherry, floral, and mineral notes releasing further savory and dark berry flavors. Silky with lots of earth and fruit to finish----very good---$45.

~2007 Palmer Creek Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills- Dijon & Pommard clones. Aged 10 months in 29% new French oak. Lighter, with expressive mineral, floral, and spicy cherry aromas. Beautiful spice, herb, and honey aromas framed vibrant yet subtle fruit. Nice acid-tannin balance. Fine structure and finish. Should age well.---excellent---$55.

~2007 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains- Dijon & Wädenswil clones. Aged 10 months in 36% new French oak. Cherry cola, toffee, floral, and mineral notes. Firm with nice acid, closing with berries, mineral, and spice---excellent---$55.

~2007 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton- Their estate vineyards, planted to Dijon clones. Aged 10 months in 40% new French oak. Deeper and richer. More blue fruit and black cherry with only very subtle hints of mineral and earthy elements. Silky tannins---very good---$60.



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Next up was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a tasting at Eyrie. To be continued...

In the meantime, check out more photos from the day in Willamette Valley here.

The High Museum Trade Tasting

Today was the first day of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, the 4th largest wine auction of its kind in the US. Proceeds from the auction benefit the High Museum. Kicking everything off was the Thursday afternoon tasting for those in the trade... With a connection to the wine business in Atlanta, a $15 donation got you an afternoon of tasting and a nice Riedel glass. Proceeds from the tasting go to assist Metro Atlanta Public Schools' access to the arts.

Between the crowds and the sheer number of wines that I was trying to taste, I decided to forgo writing any tasting notes. However I did have a few favorites- Au Bon Climat, Brewer-Clifton, Melville, Peay, Russian Hill, and Van Duzer (the 2007 making up for the 2006!) topped my list in Pinot Noirs... I was stoked to try the new 2008 Melville small lot Pinots- Terraces and Carrie's. Peay was new for me as well- loved their Sonoma Coast trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah- all from the 2008 vintage. They had great balance along with vibrant fruit. Their Syrah was awesome, balancing the full gamey and spicy fruit with cool climate finesse. Speaking of Syrah, K Vintners and their 2007 Walla Walla Valley Morrison Syrah was pretty special... full on waves of black fruit, savory spice, and earth- fully balanced with precision. I guess this is one of the entry level Syrahs from K and Charles Smith... pretty heady.

I tasted a fair amount of big Napa Cab's and Merlots from the 2005 - 2007 vintages, most of them needing time to mellow out and settle in. Caymus, Kathryn Hall, Pahlmeyer, and Pride all were pretty dark, loud, and brooding wines- intense on the palate with all the components fighting for airtime. I'd need to sit down with these and either give them time, or a lot of air to get a fair assessment. A few of the Cabs that were already showing nice refinement were the 2005 Grgich Hills (awesome 2007 Chardonnay as well), the 2006 Ramey Claret and Napa Cab, and both of Silver Oak's 2005 Cabs.

The biggest disappointments were probably Kosta Brown's 2008 Sonoma Coast and Russian River Pinot Noirs- good wines but didn't impress me as much as the Pinots mentioned earlier; some of the aggressive Cabs listed above (like I said, they need more time with me or I need more time with them...), and some high alcohol mashers from Martinelli- a Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that were both north of 15%, along with a Zin that came in at nearly 17%! Too much body and sweet gnarly fruit, they were like drinking fruit splinters and cotton candy.

There weren't too many imports, a few Australian and Chilean wines that I didn't get to. Maisons Marques and Domaines were pouring some of their portfolio- a beautiful Domaines Ott Rosé from Provence and a 2006 Pio Cesare Barolo. Very nice indeed.

So there you have it, a layman's view of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction trade tasting all from memory, shoddy note-taking, and wine-stained brochures. Here's to next year!