2007 Eyrie (far right) was my Wine of the Night

Sounds almost dirty.

The customer appreciation tasting at Hinton’s Wine Store is always held the last day of their 20% off wine case sale week. The store is usually filled with enthusiastic customers, eager to stock up on their daily drinkers or filling their cellars with premium collectibles. For 2010, the theme was Pinot from Oregon, with 20 Pinot Noirs, three Pinot Gris’ and one Pinot Blanc being poured.

As per usual with events of this sort, I generally just write a line or two about those I like or really didn’t like. I tried all of the reds, but only one white and it was after four reds, so I think that sort of sunk some of the flavors. Given we were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, it was a bit exhausting getting through all of them. Fortunately, I fell right into “trade-tasting-mode” and did the swirl, sniff, swirl, sip and spit routine.

So, on with the show…

Argyle Brut Sparkling $24.99: On the lighter side, with some spicy pear and apple. I thought it was just okay.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc Chehalem Mountain $18.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir $19.98: Didn’t wow me, but for $20, it was a solid drink.

2008 King Estate Pinot Noir $25.99: Straight shooting Pinot, but I think their Pinot Gris is the best thing they do.

2008 Forefront Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $20.99: I wrote down good value and later on at our wine & supper club event (to be written up later), I heard a few folks mentioned they liked it and had purchased it before.

2008 Ken Wright Canary Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Sort of dull in the nose, with some silky red fruit on the palate. This seemed a bit shut down right now and with no experience in drinking these wines (which I know have fans), I can’t really say what I thought of this other than $60 is some serious jack.

2007 Archery Summit Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir $39.98: This got a relatively low score from Wine Spectator (85), but it was one of my favorites. It had vibrant acidity, along with rich black fruit flavors that intermixed with spice and earthy tones. For those who don’t mind some oak. I wouldn’t buy it for this price (which is already discounted), but I’d drink it on your dime.

2008 Ken Wright Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Big and rich fruit flavors, with a firm foundation of tannin. Keep this one for at least 3 to 4 years before opening, unless you really like a tannic Pinot. I thought this had the best potential for all the wines at the tasting, but again, at $59.99, you better really like it.

2009 Sineann Pinot Gris $19.99: One of my favorite white wines, I felt this was a bit fruitier and lighter than I remember past vintages being. It seemed to lack the minerality I’ve always found in it, but as I mentioned earlier, I consumed this after having already started in on the reds. It was right after the Ken Wright Carter, so I think that wine sort of disrupted my appreciation of this. Take that for what you will.

2008 Sineann Pinot Noir $29.99: Spicy and needs more time in bottle.

2008 Lange Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $24.99: No notes taken.

2007 Alexana Winery Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir $39.99: A joint venture between Dr. Revana (of some note in Napa) and Lynn Penner-Ash (of note from Oregon), this was my second favorite wine of the tasting. It was a mix of cherry, forest floor, spiced pine cone and minerals, all wrapped up in a tidy bow. For $40, I think it delivered a lot of flavor and complexity, along with the ability to continue developing over the next several years.

2007 Phelps Creek Becky’s Cuvée Pinot Noir $21.99: Nothing special for me.

2007 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $41.99: Needs more time.

2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir $15.99: Made in the same style as Beaujolais, with whole clusters and carbonic maceration, this was very fruity, light and something for newbie red wine drinkers to try. It has been better in the past, as I got something in the nose that just didn’t sit right with me. It was almost artificial, but not in that banana-grape bubble gum way I associate with Beaujolais Nouveau. Decent, but not for me.

2007 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $36.99: Ripe fruits, with a spicy kick that I enjoyed. Beware the 14.5% alcohol and tame with chill and decant. I liked it, but wouldn’t buy it.

2008 LaChini Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2007 Territorial Pinot Noir $16.99: Touch candied, but not bad for the price. Another good one for newbie red wine drinkers who want a real fruit forward wine. Chill and serve on hot summer nights, which we have plenty of right now.

2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir $59.99: One of the crowd favorites, but it didn’t really wow me. Perhaps I should have gone back for a second visit. I saw it as big, rich and spicy, but not overly complex and definitely not worth the asking price. WS, WE and WA all gave this 90 or above.

2007 Le Cadeau Diversité Pinot Noir $47.99: There are only 237 cases of this wine, which was another that needed more time to me. It was gentle upon entry, then expanded in the mouth as it unwound from its jacket of fine grained tannin. This is one that would require more exploration with to do it due justice, as I just had my small 1 ounce pour and moved on. Another one with excellent potential and while not cheap, not a bad price for what I think will be a patience rewarding wine.

2007 Eyrie Pinot Noir $32.99: The lightest in color, I’ve seen roses that were darker than this. The aromas were very bright, with loads of tart red fruits like pomegranate and cranberry. The explosion of flavor in the mouth is a great example of how dark color doesn’t always mean more flavor. This wine is loaded to bear with acid, but the sweet red fruit flavors make keep it from being bitter or unpleasant in any form or fashion. The slight baking spice finish made this an easy to drink wine. It was really quite refreshing. The price is still more than I’d pay, but only because of current financial circumstances. Otherwise, I’d buy this. My WOTN.

After that, my palate was spoiled and I didn’t write any notes for the last three wines, which were 2008 Elk Cove Mt. Richmond Pinot Noir $39.99, 2007 Angela Pinot Noir $52.99 and 2007 Daedelus Labryinth Pinot Noir. Sorry, I was still really won over by the Eyrie, which I went and got a second pour of. It was the only wine I drank both pours of. When you combine those tart red fruit flavors with tart acidity and some brown spices to finish, that is my kind of Pinot Noir. I think the heat and its refreshing profile also contributed to my enjoyment.

Overall, it was a fun tasting. While I’m not a Pinot-phile like my legendary blind tasting Champion wife, I have come to enjoy them, especially during the summer. While I tend to prefer New Zealand and California, tasting through all these products from Oregon was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see the variety of styles from a relatively small growing region, from light and a touch candied to dense with plenty of mouth gripping tannin. Cheers to Chris, his staff and all the distributors who put on the event.

Until next time, live well, love much and drink great wine…with friends.

This will be the third time…or is it the second?…no matter…that I’ve had this wine. The last time I had it, it was the best white wine I’d had all year. I don’t really drink a lot of white wines, preferring reds in general. When I spotted this bottle, I made an impulse purchase based on previous experience, as Keith hadn’t tried it yet.

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape, just with slightly different names. As with Syrah and Shiraz, you tend to see it used in certain places more often under one label than the other. In Italy and California, you are more likely to see it called Pinot Grigo. In Alsace (France) and Oregon, you are more likely to see it labeled as Pinot Gris. I will say that the Italian Pinot Grigios I’ve sampled are all relatively simple, very quaffable wines. There are some really outstanding ones as well, but they are north of $30 a bottle and I never had any customers interested in anything more premium than Santa Margherita. Me, I tend to stick to Pinot Gris from Oregon. I love their classic apple and pear aromatics and flavors. They remind me of Fall and the turning of the leaves, especially when you see a swath of gold colors across a broad expanse.

Sineann Winery is a small producer of some very high quality wines, including several vineyard designate Pinot Noirs, an Old Vine Zinfandel from 100 year old vines located in Washington (I’m dying to try this!) and a dessert wine called The Precious, with 50% residual sugar! Talk about sugar coma. There are many other wines and while none of them are cheap, I think anything that Peter Rosback makes is probably worth considering. One other cool thing is that all the wines are sealed with glass stoppers. You can see it in the bottom right corner of the photo. Most of the wines will range from the mid $30s to the $50s? I’ve seen a few at Ansley Wine Merchant for those ITP.

Price: $19.99

Bought at: Hinton’s Wine Store

Aromas: It was full of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples, with a strong base of minerals providing a bit more interest. I didn’t get as much pear as I remember in the past.

Flavors: Repeating the nose, it had lots of apples, along with the support of minerals. It reminded me of wet stones, but not like slate, sort of like something you might smell at a mountain river. There was also a hint of under-ripe peach and sour pineapple.It was a creamy wine and finished with a good bit of acidity.

Final word: I really enjoyed this wine, but can’t quite bring myself to call it outstanding. I’ll stick with an above average rating. I liked the extra layer this had and while it wasn’t the best match with dinner, I’d definitely drink this again. I’d suggest pairing it with firm white fish preparations and shellfish. I think the winery suggested sushi, but it would almost be heresy in our house to have sushi without bubbles.

Haiku:
Gold and green apple
Underlying river stones
Vibrant clean finish

UPDATE: I just noticed today, 09/14/09, this wine was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best Wines Under $20. I totally agree. Click here to read what they had to say.

Dutton Goldfield – California fruit married to European wine making sensibility is the best way I can describe this winery’s style. You know they aren’t European, but you also don’t get slammed with opulent alcohol levels or feel like you’ve just visited the lumber yard either, common occurrences with California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A label worth checking out when you want to see another side of California wine making.

2007 Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: Firm tannins finished out this beautiful wine, which was filled with black cherry, strawberry pie and spice. Will set you back around $38.
2006 Freestone Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir: Excellent concentration, without being overripe, a signature of the house style. Again, more cherry mixed in with blackberry and plum, with some nice earthy tones that added more depth. Expect to lay down $58 or so.
2006 Sanchietti Vineyard Pinot Noir: More beguiling than the others, I think this was my favorite of the lot. It was seductive in how it whispered, not being as forward or revealing. This was the sort of wine I’d love to sit in a cool cellar with and see how it opens, without having it become too warm for my tastes. I really prefer Pinot rather cool, somewhere in the lower 60 degree temperature ranges. I kept getting this elusive whiff of caramel or brown sugar, but it would fade in and out that I couldn’t quite pin it down. I think the other two will be ready earlier and this one needs time to really open up and reveal her secrets. Again, expect to pay the same as the Freestone Hill for this one.
2006 Rued Vineyard Chardonnay : I was convinced to try this last, having told their Director of Sales that I was not a big fan of California Chardonnay. He said to give it a go and being one to never be closed minded (when it comes to wine), I sampled it. Good thing to because it was really quite delicious. Well balanced, with plenty of structure to last for at least 5 or 6 more years, maybe longer. The vines are 40 years old, head pruned and resembled old gnarly Zinfandel vines. The climate is cool enough to allow the grapes to be harvested on October 25th. Yes, that late in the year. 17 months in 55% new French oak add structure and spice, but not enough to overwhelm the fruit flavors of pear, apple and a touch of soft citrus. Look to drop around $45 or so on this one and make sure to buy two of them, one for tonight’s seafood dish and another for drinking in a few years. Yes, WS panned this, but who cares. This will run about $45 retail.

Lemelson: I’ve never had the opportunity to try anything except the Thea’s Selection, but it has always been a solid example of what Oregon Pinot is all about. This wine is assembled from blocks in their various vineyards, so while it may not exhibit a great deal of specific terroir, I think it does give you a good idea of vintage characteristics. They are also one of the small number of producers who use native yeasts, along with growing their grapes organically.

2006 Thea’s Selection Pinot Noir: Blackberry, forest aromas and mushrooms all make an appearance. This is a great introduction to the Oregon style of Pinot, with good fruit, moderate tannins and great herbal & earthy tones. Make sure to reflect this in any dish you pair it with and yes, salmon always rocks with Oregon Pinot. This should be around $35.

Bodega Numanthia Located in the Spanish region of Toro, this producer makes exceptional wine from the Tempranillo grape, known locally as Tinto de Toro. They were recently acquired by Moët Hennessy USA, so look for a small change in the new labels.

2007 Termes: As is usual with this wine, it is black as night, which hints at the flavors awaiting you in the glass. Concentrated and dense, but not overly syrupy. Loads of black fruit with great notes of espresso, spice and scorched black soil. No, I’ve never taken a blowtorch to innocent dirt, let alone black dirt. But if I did, I know what it would smell like. Maybe I should use the term hot rocks instead? It had a chewy finish, but the tannins were not abrasive and would go great with a big juicy steak. Mmm…steak…excuse me while I pull out the leftovers. This should set you back about $30.
2006 Numanthia: Big, spicy, with loads of oak and gobs of stain your teeth blue and black fruit flavors. While this was really quite good, I’m not sure it was double the price better than the Termes. Both wines are top notch and are quite drinkable right now, but will easily last another 10 years.

That wraps up the highlights of the tasting for me. I also have to give big time props to Muss & Turner’s who provided the catering services for the event. I’m originally from Texas, where brisket is almost a religion. The brisket at the tasting was amazing, beyond fork tender and practically melted in your mouth. Worthy of last meal request for sure.

Until next week, cheers!