Last night Peter held his annual Pinot Noir Tasting – always one of the best of the year! I thought I’d share some notes on my favorites – let me know if you agree (or not – there are no wrong answers!)
· 2016 Scott Paul “Ribbon Ridge” Vineyard Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) – A very pretty nose with bright cherries & a hint of herbs & dust. Loads of fruit on the palate, with complex flavors of herbs, cherries, & a hint of spice. Quite delicious. Probably around $30, if you can find it. Sadly, the Scott Paul winery is winding down its operations & soon there will be no more production – so grab some while you can.
· 2016 Alexana Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley). Again, bright cherries on the nose with a hint of vanilla. The palate has that wonderful soft, velvety mouthfeel we all want in our Pinot Noir. Very forward. Not as complex as the Scott Paul, but so smooth & easy to drink, it’s a real winner at $30.00.
· 2016 Irvine & Roberts Pinot Noir “777 Block” – Who says you can’t make great Pinot Noir in SOUTHERN Oregon? Why should the folks up in the Willamette Valley have all the Pinot fun? Irvine & Roberts consistently rises to the pack as a Pinot Noir Producer here in Southern Oregon, just outside of Ashland. The nose is of medium ripe cherries – very bright with a hint of pretty herbs. The fruit has a sweet quality (without being overripe). Beautiful texture, it just slides across the tongue. Perhaps better with a touch more acid – but who can complain about a wine this good. I believe this wine was $45 or $50 when released – not sure if it is still available.
· 2016 “00 – VGR”, Willamette Valley. The “00” (zero-zero) “VGR” (Very good red) is really beautiful. Bright fresh cherry, herbs, & vanilla on the nose. Very fresh on the palate & quite complex – really a lot going on here. Beautiful silky mouthfeel/texture. Good acid balance will allow this wine to age & improve (if you can keep yourself from opening it now – it’s just that good). “00” is really setting some new standards for both Chardonnay & Pinot Noir up in the Willamette Valley. I believe this wine is $75.00/bottle – if you can find some!
· 2008 Ken Wright “Shea Vineyard” Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley). What a great treat this was! I’m not usually a huge Ken Wright fan – I know how well regarded they are, & the wines are always good, but I tend to find them perhaps a bit over-extracted. This wine was EXCEPTIONAL. The nose had really deep, earthy, full, mushroomy, peaty aromas with dark cherries & berries. The fruit on the palate was beautiful – flavors of dark cherries & light plums with loads of earth & mushrooms. Extremely complex, full & long. Despite being a big, full style, it retained the elegance & delicacy I expect from Pinot Noir. Very Burgundian in style. Price? Who knows at this point! Thanks for the treat Peter!
· 2008 Cristom “Louise” Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley. Cristom is ALWAYS one of my favorite producers, and did not disappoint here. I’d say this wine & the Ken Wright “Shea” were about on an equal footing – albeit in very different styles. The nose was of bright cherries laced with earth & herbs. The palate was very evolved. Not as full as the Ken Wright Shea, but it was like liquid silk – so smooth, so delicious. More earth on the palate than the nose. Truly a beauty. This vintage is still available from Vinopolis in Portland at $80 (worth it!). Current vintages go for $65.00, so $80 for one with 11 years in the bottle is a bargain!
· 2008 Le Corton, Bouchard. Those who know me, know a piece of my heart always lies in Burgundy – so I had to thro one into my list of favorites here. Grand Cru Burgundy. The nose is spicy & herbal. The palate doesn’t have as much fruit as the Oregon wines from this vintage, but there are beautiful earthy notes & a velvety feel on the palate. 2008 was not as good a vintage in Burgundy as it was here in Oregon – so the fact that this wine showed as well as it did is a testament to the vineyard site and the producer. Great stuff.
· 2012 Beaune “Clos de la Mousse” (Monopole – Bouchard) – a tremendous example of Premier Cru Burgundy. Beautiful bright cherry fruit on the nose, with notes of cherry cola, herbs, & peaty earth. Really gorgeous soft, sweet forward fruit on the palate. Balanced delicious. I guessed it was French – had to get one of the correct! Simply outstanding. 96+ points
· 2012 St. Innocent “Shea” Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley. In comparison to the “Clos de la Mousse” – this was a tossup! The nose had a beautiful earthy funk with deep dark fruit underneath. The palate was perfectly balanced. Much deeper fruit than its French counterpart (which lead me to guess this was the OR wine). Deep, rich, complex. To quote my notes on the “Clos de la Mousse” above: “Simply outstanding. 96+ points.” Both of these wines were top quality.
· 2005 Thomas (John Thomas) Pinot Noir. Very pretty, elegant cherry-cola nose. The palate was extremely elegant, with bright, sweet fruit. The wine was perfectly evolved, perhaps drinking at it’s absolute peak. Delicious. Very small production & limited distribution – hard to find! If you can find current vintages, you’ll probably pay around $80/bottle
· 2006 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese (2 Star, Mosel). So pretty. Nose of stone fruits, primarily white peaches & floral components. The palate was full of peaches & honey – sweet, succulent, high acid to balance the sweetness – beautiful, just beautiful!
· 2003 Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese (Rheingau). The nose is extremely fragrant, with mixed stone fruits – apricots, peaches & nectarines. All of that fruit carries forward perfectly on the palate, with an interesting tropical coconut component. Very high acid finish, balancing the sweetness – unexpected in what was a low-acid vintage for most producers. These two outstanding Rieslings were a perfect compliment to the wonderful Pinot Noirs that preceded them!