Willamette Valley Vineyard, Pinot Gris, 2008
Here's another wine we got from Willamette Valley Vineyards. And while we review a lot of Pinot Noir, we also like the Gris and Blanc cousins.
This one smells like pear, and lime ... and peach! This was a well balanced and tasty Pinot Gris and was not overly acidic. The taste was a pear and peach combo — it starts peach (just hints of sweetness) and then ends in pear (not sweet). So it feels dry and smooth with just enough tartness to give it a little backbone.
Denise, who normally isn't much for whites, really like this one. She thought that initial spark of sweetness was like a can of sweet mandarins (in a good way). Yet, she liked that that sweetness immediately dissipated into what she thought was a celery mixed with lychee fruit (that sounds weird to type, but the flavor was really nice). Denise also thought it has a little buttery-ness to it and a slight effervescence. She concluded that this wine would go great with chili and satsumas.
For me, I think they did a really great job with this too. I read the back label and found that they blended in a little Pinot Blanc and Muscat into this bottle. I really like Pinot Blanc (though most people don't seem to); I think it gave this wine that buttery-ness Denise found and liked. And while I don't usually like Muscat, I suppose it's a lot like Grenache: better when blended, but perhaps hit-and-miss on it's own (that's my personal opinion anyway).
Bottomline: Denise and both really liked this one. And only $16, that's a great bargin too.
Cost:
$16Rating:
8.5
Willamette Valley Vineyards, 'Whole Cluster Fermented', Pinot Noir, 2008
Lots of people love Pinot Noir because of the thrill in the inability to really know what you're going to find inside the bottle. Pinots, more so than other varietals, can be hit and miss. Usually these people (myself included) love the highs so much that they brave (and endure) the lows. And then sometimes, you find something really unusual, like this bottle.
Oregon Pinots are known for being really big and jammy. Often when they're on the lighter side, they're called "Burgundian". But Pinots from Burgundy aren't just lighter, they're generally more earthy and subtle in their flavors. This bottle was neither jammy nor Burgundian.
Instead, it was light and fruity -- almost akin to a really great Beaujolais. The nose was raisin, dust, red cherry, violet, and a hint of wood. The taste started with a flash of sweetness, and then it changed into a strong red cherry and maybe some blackberry. The finish was pomegrante and was really quick. This wine reminded me of another Oregon Pinot we liked: the Phelps Creek, 2007. This wine was really well balanced.
Denise really liked this one. See said it "a wine that dances, and wears chiffon". And then, "this would be perfect to drink when sitting in a red velvet room eating chocolate". She thought it would be great with a Christmas dinner because it wasn't overly heavy.
We never read the marketing descriptions on the wines we review until after (and this was no exception). And too often, those descriptions don't seem all that helpful. However in this case, I think Willamette Valley Vineyards hit the nail on this head in describing this wine: "As refreshing as liquid fruit salad in a glass". Yeah, that's exactly right, it's like liquid fruit salad.
Cost:
($19)Rating:
8.5
Yamhill Valley Vineyards, 'Reserve', Pinot Noir, 2005
A couple years ago when the 2005 Oregon Pinots were being released, I have to say I was disappointed. I'd sip and it was as if someone poured orange juice into my glass of wine. Citrus. Acid. Not pleasant. So, of the ones I had bought, into the cryogenic chamber they went.
That was then, and this is now. I am really enjoying the 2005's now. Generally, they've really matured. That citrus is now gone, and you're left with a structured, spicy, and rich Pinot experience.
But this one was different -- and better. This was one of the better 2005 Pinots I've tasted. I was really impressed. We drank this next to a Ken Wright Shea 2006, and this was everyone's first choice. No offense to the Ken Wright, but this one was spicier, more balanced, and just more drinkable. Personally, I think most of the the 2006's I've tasted need a little more time.
The nose was strongly and hauntingly: cinnamon and earth. It smelled like a really great Burgundy, only more spicy. There was oak, but not in a sweet or over the top way -- just the right amount for my tastes. A little pepper and dust followed.
At first it had that "cold lake" thing we usually find in old Bordeaux's -- it's just super smooth. But immediately following that initial mouthfeel, it just grew spicy. That, mixed with black cherry and chocolate. It was dark, and incredibly yummy. Then that cinnamon returned in the finish, along with pepper that lingered. Every once and awhile, I'd get bits of cherry and maybe a really subtle (and not sour) cranberry.
I was just blown away by this bottle.
Cost:
($35)Rating:
9.5
J Christopher, Willamette Valley, 'Floyd's Cuvee', Pinot Noir, 2007
I often troll the stores for Pinots I haven't tried, or perhaps vintages that I haven't sampled. One here, one there. And more often than not, I open a bottle months, sometimes years later, and find a gem here and there. "Darn!" I think, "why didn't I pick up a case of that back then?". Not this time. I cracked this one open early -- early enough to find a little more.
The thing about this was the body. There are a lot of really nice Pinots out now that are very reasonably priced. The recession is hitting everyone. But most of those Pinots are fairly light. Now, I like that, but it's not for everybody. I know lots of people that yearn for that big jammy bold Oregon Pinot -- the Ken Wright, the Penner Ash ... you know who you are. Which isn't to say that this bottle is that, exactly. No. But it's not a light one either. Most pronounced is the medium body, and the toasty and spicy taste.
The nose was sweet fruit and sweet wood. Cinnamon. It just smelled like it was rich and creamy. Maybe a little red cherry. No singed nose hairs; this was going to be good. The taste was a little toast and earth. Then fruit. lovely. It wasn't raspy at all. The finish was a really nice, clean red cherry.
It was that earth at the mid-palette that was really nice, and intriguing. It has a sort of hint of some old Burgundy. Really nice. And it was just incredibly rich for the cost. I asked Denise without telling her the cost: "so how much do you think this bottle cost". Her response: "it tastes like a $30 bottle of wine". Nope: I bought 6 at $13.50 per bottle at Fred's (10% off if you buy 6).
Run ... maybe there's some left (Hollywood Fred's).
Cost:
($15)Rating:
8.5