Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
2006 Vintage tasting Notes
O'Reilly's 2006 Pinot noir is possibly Oregon's most popular under $20 Pinot noir. It is surely one of the best.
David O'Reilly, winemaker for O'Reilly's and parent winery Owen Roe, has the following to say about the 2006 vintage O'Reilly's:
In the 2006 O'Reilly's Pinot noir I blended small vineyards from around the Northern Willamette Valley: Northern Eola Hills which has beautiful raspberry overtones with has predominately Jory soils. Yamhill/Carlton this new appellation was established to focus on the unique Willakenzie soils in the hills West of Newberg. The wines from this area possess plenty of weighty texture and the fruit flavors tend towards dark plum and coffee.
The 2006 vintage was another in a string of great vintages establishing Oregon as the premier Pinot Noir area in the U.S. We had plenty of late spring heat and the unusually warm summer ripened the grapes with very ripe flavors.
2005 Vintage Tasting Notes
Winemaker David O'Reilly says: "this is unequivocably my favorite O'Reilly's since I started making it in 1997. I loved the '98 and the '01, but this wine beats them all."David describes the wine as "unctuous, fruity, and full bodied - an indicator of the 2005 vintage. The wine is fruit forward with a beautiful acidity, a wine that people could stock up on and put away for everyday drinking for the next 5-6 years."
The wine opens
with a lovely nose of dried lavender, rose petals, and crushed red
fruit, with a slight gamey edge. On the palate it's red cherry and
and raspberry, with strawberry notes that carry through to the finish.
Soft tannins and mellow spice combine with good acidity to make this a
superb value.
2004 Vintage Tasting Notes
PinotFile says about the 2004 vintage: "2004 O'Reilly's Oregon Pinot Noir $15. Winemaker David O'Reilly of Owen Roe is known to make a number of sumptuous Pinot Noirs in his short history. The O'Reilly Pinot is from selected barrels that have a more forward and juicy character perfect for immediate consumption. The wine shows off a generous amount of red and black fruit that is ripe and youthful. Still a Lolita, it could benefit from a few months in the bottle, but summer is here now, so why wait?" "Many wine cognizants believe this is the best Pinot Noir deal in the US. The Human Torch would love this smokin' deal."