Review:
Smoke and caramel combine in the enticing aroma of this Pinot noir. Flavors are clean and fresh - red raspberry, red cherry, and high toned, vibrant fruit and spice. Complementing the fruit are chocolate, toasted espresso bean, caramel, and sweet oak in the midpalate and the finish. A clean wine that recalls both Burgundy and Peter's unique over-the-top style. - Avalon
"Wyeast is a south facing high elevation vineyard in the beautiful Hood River Valley. The vineyard is owned and run by a couple of our favorite people- Dick and Christie Reed.The focused, rich fruit and great balance of this wine continually thrill us."
Can't say enough good things about this wine - one of the real thrills of the vintage. We expect Resonance to shine. Phelps Creek is automatic. To have this vineyard step up to that level of quality is very exciting. Located at fairly high elevation in the Hood River Valley, 1600 feet, the grapes are able to retain higher natural acidity. The higher acidity gives the wine brightness in its youth and a better ability to age gracefully. That and great concentration of fruit (from 1.5 ton per acre crop sizing) have produced a delicious wine." - the winery
2008 Vintage Tasting Notes
A different animal all together, the Wyeast has a meaty, dusty cherry note in the nose, playing with hints of anise, limestone and higher-toned raspberry. The palate mixes sweet blackberry, earth, and subtle herbs.
"My favorite of the group [Sineann's 2008 Pinots]– indeed of the whole tasting, which also included excellent regular and reserve offerings from Schindler and Resonance – is Sineann’s 2008 Wyeast Vineyard Pinot Noir. It’s a south-facing, high elevation (1600 feet) vineyard, and the altitude sharpens the acids and gives the fruit a tighter focus than its Columbia Gorge neighbors. The core of earthy, herbal red fruit is crisply defined, and it builds power as it expands into a protracted finish, layering in cinnamon, toast, and chocolate, without losing any of its tart fruit; then gently fades into a finish of wild raspberries and shaved dark chocolate." - Paul Gregutt, PG.com
2005 Vintage Tasting Notes
Most exciting Pinot from Sineann in 2005. Pinot noir from the Columbia Gorge may be Sineann's best wines, and that's saying something. Year after year, the Wyeast continues to impress.
Grown at 1200 feet, high up in the Hood River Valley, this wine's higher acidity gives it brightness in its youth and the ability to age well. You'll find solid notes of bing cherry and red raspberry on the nose. The mid-palate has an intoxicating note sweetness and cream with balanced tannins and good acids that carry the red fruit all the way home. This wine is focused with a subtle strength. A real sleeper.
Located at fairly high elevation in the Hood River Valley, 1600 feet, the grapes are able to retain higher natural acidity. The higher acidity gives the wine brightness in its youth and a better ability to age gracefully.