Exceptional $30 Oregon Pinot Noirs are disappearing.
Stuck in limbo between value, entry level offerings and top-shelf bottlings, these wines offer surpassing quality.
Raptor Ridge Willamette Valley Pinot noir 06 $30.00
Just released, a blend carious Pinot noir clones from various vineyard sites across the Willamette Valley. 2006 was an almost perfect vintage, weatherwise, and Raptor's signature qualities of richness, balance, and hightoned fruit make a consistently approachable wine, with cellaring potential for 3-5 years.
Patton Valley Pinot noir 05 $32.95
This Pinot just keeps getting better! Scents of of raspberry and
blueberry are complemented by earth, cream, and smoke elements. Then,
a big burst of full, juicy boysenberry and blueberry develops into a
hefty base note that pulls you through to the long finish reiterating
fruit and earth, adding spice and showing the structure that will
allow for 4--6 years of development in the cellar. Best now with
food, like pan-fired pork cutlets and wild mushrooms.
Quercus Cadmus Pinot noir 06 $33.00
AN AVALON RESERVE PINOT NOIR CLUB SELECTION FOR OCTOBER 2007.
A reserve-level Pinot without the price tag. The 2006 Cadmus opens with red and black cherries, fresh plums, and hints of dark raspberry. One-third new oak contributes an exotic, integrated spice component, and the long finish echoes with pure cherry fruit and earth. The Cadmus exhibits the best qualities of the 2006 vintage--deliciously forward and silky--but with added delicacy and structure for the cellar.
Broadley Estate Pinot noir 06 $29.75
South Willamette silk from the Broadley family. Bright raspberry and
cherry ooze from the glass. Appealing, sweet flavors build weight on
your tongue, mingling with woodsmoke, dried culinary herbs, and more
lush cherry and raspberry. Add balancing acidity and you have the
most youthfully exuberant Broadley Estate Pinot in many vintages.
DRINK or HOLD rarely gets this tough!
