Erath Leland Vineyard Pinot Noir Vintage: 2004 Purchased: Jul 21st 2007 Price: $40.00 Purchase Location: Erath Vineyards - (http://www.erath.com/) Categories: Oregon - Pinot Noir - Red

Tasting Notes:

This was not as good as the previous Grand Cru Burgundy that we had, but this was probably the second best pinot noir I've drunk. I decanted for a few hours before drinking, and I probably should have opened it even earlier.

The original nose contained black cherry, cloves, and a strong cola aroma. There was a slight sense of wood, mainly sandalwood, but there was also a not so nice alcoholic smell. The alcohol soon blew off and the nose became much more balanced, if a little less fruity.

It was a wonderful wine in the mouth with just the right amount of black cherry cola to go with the clove and nutmeg notes. I would have liked slightly more earthiness, but I can't really complain. The acidity and tannins were perfect and the finish was quite long. Was it worth $40? I don't really know. But I did greatly enjoy this.


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Silver Lake Grand Reserve Brut Vintage: 1992 Purchased: Apr 5th 2008 Price: $12.00 Purchase Location: Silver Lake Winery - (http://www.silverlakewinery.com/) Categories: Oregon - Sparkling

Tasting Notes:

This isn't a bad sparkler, but I get the impression that it wasn't intended to bottle age for this long. Perhaps it got lost in a cellar somewhere? The color and nose are outstanding, but the primary fruit character seems to have faded. There are hints of apple and pear, but they are buried underneath the lime like intense acid. This isn't something I'd buy again.


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J. Albin Pinot Noir Laurel Vineyard Vintage: 2005 Purchased: Oct 11th 2007 Price: $24.83 Purchase Location: Garagiste - (http://www.garagistewine.com/) Categories: Oregon - Pinot Noir - Red

Tasting Notes:

This wasn't the best pinot noir I've ever had, nor was it the worst. It was a bit deeper and darker and color than I'm used to, and the aroma was bordering on more black fruit (black cherry and raspberry) than the more familiar red fruits from pinot. In the mouth, it was quite full bodied. The fruit was forward with a silky tannin. There was just a hint of earth and cedar on the midpalate. The finish was long with cedar, a hint of nutmeg, and a little chocolate.

This was a tasty wine, just not what I was expecting from a pinot noir. It was a little heavier than I usually like.


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Roots Pinot Noir Vintage: 2005 Purchased: Jun 21st 2007 Price: $18.99 Purchase Location: Garagiste - (http://www.garagistewine.com/) Categories: Oregon - Pinot Noir - Red

Tasting Notes:

This is one of the first wines I purchased from Garagiste, and I've been waiting to try it for some time now.

In the glass the color was a nice deep garnet, slightly translucent and very indicative of it's lighter body. The nose was just perfect pinot with the combination of ripe red fruit, cinnamon, and just a hint of earth. In the mouth the wine was silky smooth. The cherry fruit flavors were there but with an acid backbone that kept it from tasting candy like. There was no cola flavor that I often get from domestic pinot, but just enough earth and spice to keep things fun. The finish was long and pleasant with just enough tannin to make you want more. At this price you really can't find a better pinot noir.


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Girardet Baco Noir Vintage: 2005 Purchased: Jun 2nd 2007 Price: $17.00 Purchase Location: Maple Leaf Wine Cellar - (http://www.mapleleafcellar.com/) Categories: Oregon - Red

Tasting Notes:

This is a fun wine. It's fairly fruit forward but complex. Almost like a jammy pinot noir but in a good way.


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Andrew Rich Vinter Gewurztraminer Vintage: 2006 Purchased: Feb 2nd 2008 Price: $23.95 Purchase Location: Esquin - (http://www.esquin.com/) Categories: Dessert - Gewurztraminer - Oregon - Washington - White

Tasting Notes:

We first tasted this wine at a Christmas dinner at Union. I was impressed that its sweetness was well balanced by the good acidity. This is an "ice wine", but one where the grapes are artificially frozen. But at this price, it's a very good deal.

It's a thick wine with a deep golden color. The nose is classic gewurz, though the floral component and lychee are joined with white peach and honey. In the mouth, the flavors are apricot and honey. It is sweet, but not cloying so. The acid kicks in and almost feels effervescent on the tongue. This is a dessert wine I could actually just sip on.


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August Cellars Pinot Noir Vintage: 2004 Purchased: Jul 21st 2007 Price: $18.00 Purchase Location: August Cellars - (http://www.augustcellars.com/augustcellars/index.jsp) Categories: Oregon - Pinot Noir - Red

Tasting Notes:

2004 was a difficult vintage in Oregon. Yields were small and a fall rain threatened the harvest. Now, what does that sound like? Sounds like Burgundy to me!

We tasted this wine at the tasting room when we visited and preferred it to most of their other fruit forward wines. It's a dark brown tinted red but still fairly translucent. It almost looks aged and oxidized, but the nose is still fairly strong. There is a hint of black cherry with a ton of wet, pine forest floor. On the palate, the acid is good and it light to medium bodied. The fruit is there (black cherry, red cherry, cassis) but you have to hunt for it as it mingles with the earthiness. The finish is soft and long with the earthiness giving way to a spice and flavors of cedar and sandalwood.


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Erath Gewurztraminer Vintage: 2006 Purchased: Jul 21st 2007 Price: $15.00 Purchase Location: Erath Vineyards - (http://www.erath.com/) Categories: Gewurztraminer - Oregon - White

Tasting Notes:

I was serving an interesting caramelized carrot risotto with pork chops and wanted to drink a white rather than a red. I picked this on a whim.

The wine was a pale yellow in the glass, looking rather thin. The aroma was of lychee and rose petal with just a touch of anise. Not as heady as Alsatian gewurz, but fairly pleasing.

In the mouth it was much more full bodied than I expected. The fruit flavors other than lychee were absent, but there was a great spiciness and a hint of pine/douglas fir that I've never had before.

Kathrine found it to be a little odd. I think the combination of barrel fermentation and aging on the lees reminded her to much of bad chardonnay.




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Girardet Grand Rouge Vintage: 2005 Purchased: Jun 2nd 2007 Price: $13.50 Purchase Location: Maple Leaf Wine Cellar - (http://www.mapleleafcellar.com/) Categories: Oregon - Red

Tasting Notes:

We opened this to go with an attempt I made at a hamburger. Luckily the wine was good, because the hamburgers were a failure.

It's a fairly dark purple in the glass, with an interesting nose. The aromas were nutty and smoky with just a hint of fruit and vanilla. In the mouth it was lighter than you would expect with sweet raspberry and grape flavors up front and sour cherry flavors near the end. The finish had a slight toasted oak flavor.


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Bridgeview Blue Moon Pinot Gris Vintage: 2005 Purchased: Feb 10th 2007 Price: $11.99 Purchase Location: Trader Joes Categories: Oregon - Pinot Gris/Grigio - White

Tasting Notes:

In an attempt to find a cheaper alternative to the pinot gris from Alsace, I tried this wine from Oregon in a distinctive blue bottle.

Once poured, it was very pale green straw in the glass. The aromas were muted, but I got a slight smell of melon and lime rind. In my mouth I could taste citrus/lime, a bit of apple, and some tropical fruit (mainly passion fruit). The wine was fairly light bodied, though not as light as your standard pinot grigio.

This was good, but not something I think I will buy again. I felt that the acid was a little two much for the body and the fruit characteristics. I'd rather pay a few dollars more and get a more balanced wine. So far the Oregon pinot gris has not impressed me. I may try a few from Washington this summer.


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