Cameron’s John Paul (at right below) is a co-founder of the DRC. The wines come and go so fast, here’s your one chance to get John Paul’s two new and very limited releases, beautiful examples of Deep Roots wines.

Cameron Dundee Hills Pinot noir 2011
$22.45 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case* ($24.95)
Another exceptional value from Cameron. Dark red fruit and earth scents meld to an elegant and  silky mouthful of crushed raspberry and cherry. Cameron’s Dundee Hills Pinot is a throwback to a time when Oregon winemakers used incredibly pedigreed fruit to make “basic” blends (like the 2001 Westrey Willamette Valley we had last week, made from Shea, Abbey Ridge, and Temperance Hill vineyards, that sold for $18!). – Marcus

Cameron Saignee of Pinot noir 2011
$21.55 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case* ($23.95)
Rose petals and strawberries perfume this enticing pink wine. Flavors of Oregon  strawberry, raspberry and tart pie cherry are tinged with almond, cinnamon and herbs, stretching to a long bright finish. The pedigree is of the highest – a blend from Abbey Ridge, Arley’s Leap and Clos Electrique vineyards.  – Jean

For more wines from the 20+ members, check out our Oregon Deep Roots Coalition Page.
Ayres Vineyard
Beaux Frères
Belle Pente Vineyard
Brick House Vineyard
Cameron Winery
Crowley Wines
Division Winemaking Co.
Evening Land Vineyards
Evesham Wood Winery
Eyrie Vineyards
Illahe Vineyards
J. Christopher Wines
J.K. Carriere Wines
Matello Wines
Patricia Green Cellars
John Thomas Winery
Teutonic Wine Co.
Walter Scott Wines
Westrey Winery

The post Oregon Deep Roots Coalition: Cameron Pinot noirs appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

I had two fantastic Wednesday night Pinots last night, easy-drinkers that have enough zip to make me want another glass. And they’re easy on my wallet, so I can spend more on the fresh, wild salmon at the market.

Lemelson’s Six Vineyards 2011 is the best deal in Oregon Pinot right now. Grochau’s Willamette Valley 2010 is another late-release 2010 that is rocking, benefitting from the extra time in barrel and bottle. I couldn’t decide which I liked better…whichever was in my glass at the time.

Lemelson Six Vineyards Pinot noir 2011
$16.96 in any 12 bottle order/Build a Case ($18.85 regular)
Wow and wow. This case-worthy value clobbers more than a handful of higher-priced Pinots. Filled with dark cherry and plum, accented by anise and pepper, it’s a pure pleasure to drink, with the right balance of silky and structured. Only available in Oregon, it’s going to FLY!

Grochau Willamette Valley Pinot noir 2010
$21.55 in any 12 bottle order/Build a Case ($23.95 regular)
Like a couple recent favorite values (Et Fille and Whistling Dog) I knew Grochau’s 2010 Willamette Valley was going to be great – I just had to wait. Abundant, cinnamon-spiced red fruit on the nose leads to a rich mouthful of dark cherry and raspberry, with great depth and sweet Pinot goodness on the finish.

Even though it’s 80 degrees and my deck and grill are calling, I’ll be at my desk all day ready to help stock your kitchen with these awesome summer deals.

Thanks for reading and for supporting Avalon.

Marcus

Marcus Looze
Vice President,
Avalon Wine
541-752-7418

marcus@avalonwine.com

The post Two Fantastic Wednesday Night Pinots: Lemelson & Grochau appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

First, Alloro’s Riservata 2010.  It’s #11 in Wine Spectator’s annual Oregon issue (1/31/2013) and 93 points.

And from our friends Howard and Jessica at Et Fille comes their new Kalita Vineyard 2010. It received 92 points from Wine Spectator last week (5/31/2013).

Wine Spectator 93 Points & #11 Top Oregon Pinot noirs
Alloro Riservata Pinot noir 2010
$43.97 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case* ($48.85)
Polished, expressive and distinctive, offering meaty, savory overtones around a silky core of black cherry and mulberry fruit, coming together with intensity and harmony on the finish. Drink now through 2020. – H.S.

Wine Spectator 92 Points
Et Fille Kalita VIneyard Pinot noir 2010
$33.25 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case* ($39.95)
Supple, expressive and distinctive, balancing cherry, currant, anise and black pepper flavors that play easily against light, refined tannins. The finish lingers, offering a lift of acidity. Drink now through 2018. 245 cases made. – H.S.

The post Alloro Riservata and Et Fille 2010 Pinot noirs appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

It’s a boy!

My son Everett William was born two weeks ago on Mother’s Day.  This holiday weekend I’m sharing some favorites with friends and my newly expanded family.  Celebrate with us and take 15% off these 4 wines I’ve been pouring at my house before, during, and after his birth.

Sale runs through the holiday weekend and ends Monday midnight PDT.

Evesham Wood
Illahe Vineyard Pinot noir 2010
$25.45 – is 15% off price ($29.95)
A special wine from a special place.  On the shortlist of reasons to move to the Willamette Valley, our favorite winery is less than an hour from our house.  Evesham introduced me to Willamette Valley Pinot and their 2010 Illahe is singing right now.

A darker expression of Evesham Pinot. Fresh blackberry with red cherry flourish
on the nose.  Orange-spiced tea and cola highlight a creamy textured palate.  Will reward with a few more years in the cellar but wow is this enticing right now. 90 cases produced.

Dusky Goose Pinot noir 2007
$49.95 – is 15% off price ($58.75)
Jo asked for a glass when contractions started and the 07 was just the thing for both of us.  Balanced and beautiful. A rich and graceful perfume of raspberry, rose, cherry, spice box and raspberry tea introduces the superbly layered Dusky Goose 07. Replete with sweet, succulent fruit, the palate fans out with dark dried cherry, raspberries and fresh cream, with hints of darker berries. Full and round, silky and ripe, the Dusky finishes with its classic truffle note, caramel, mixed berries and a touch of dried thyme.

Dowsett Devotion Red 2009
$25.45 – is 15% off price ($29.95)
The big red Jo and I drank during a serious baby name session.  Always around my house for my non Pinot drinking friends. Black and red fruit ripple from the glass interweaving with an incredible note of honey and leather on the nose. The fruit is dark and intense across the palate complimented by a meaty gristle savoriness. Crescendoes with black cherries, gingerbread and surprising, wonderfully welcomed. Soft tannins on the finish make this big red one to enjoy right now.

Marc Hebrart Blanc de Blanc Premier Cru NV
$42.45 – is 15% off price ($49.95)
It is true I do drink wine from outside the Northwest.  We opened a bottle of this rockin’ Blanc de Blanc the night Everett was born and another one the next morning.

Thanks for helping me celebrate and have a great long weekend!

Andy

Andy Osterhaus
Sales Manager
319-541-3763 – cell
andy@avalonwine.com

Avalon Wine’201 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
541-752-7418
store@avalonwine.com
www.avalonwine.com
www.northwest-wine.com

The post It’s A Boy! appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

Few things make me happier than connecting the right wine to the right people. I’ve had a ton of help from Jim Maresh, who’s made some of Oregon’s best wines over the last seven vintages. He’s at it again, with the new release of Maresh and Juliard Vineyard 2011 Pinots.

I wish we could sit down, share a meal and these two Pinots. I highly recommend both – you’ll look forward to the connections you’ll forge when you open a bottle a few years from now.

Arterberry Maresh
Maresh Vineyard Pinot noir 2011
$51.95 (regular $58)
The downright suave and sexy aromas are a shade darker than the typical Maresh vineyard profile, while remaining true Maresh: crushed cherries, brown sugar, orange essence, and incense. The 2011 adds pinches of raspberry and dark strawberry to the Maresh cherry core. The finish is bright, sweet, and long, with a mineral ribbon pulsing throughout. I recommend holding this for 3-6 years to glimpse its full potential.

Arterberry Maresh Juliard Vineyard 2011
$51.95 (regular $58)
The most impressive 2011 Pinot noir I’ve tasted so far. Of all the fruit Jim Maresh brought in to the winery in 2011, this was the best. Sheer intensity and electricity, dark and beastly, with low alcohol and vibrant acidity. Violets, ripe berries, and grated nutmeg scents meet lush black and red raspberry flavors, with incredible fruit structure that boosts the whole wine. You’ll be tempted to open this now, but it has a long (long) life ahead of it. A May Reserve Pinot Noir Club Selection.

Please inquire about further discounts for case purchases – they are not advertised and are only being offered discreetly.

Below, Maresh Vineyard on a foggy winter morning

The post Oregon Pinot noir: Arterberry Maresh New Pinots appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

I love these wines and the brothers who made them. Jared and Mikey Etzel grew up at Beaux Freres among Oregon’s wine pioneers, learning from their Dad Mike and their uncle, famous wine critic Robert Parker.

The 2011 vintage of Jared and Mikey Etzel’s Horsetail Pinot noir ($27.95/$25.15) is made from the prestigious Ana, Guadalupe, and Stony Mountain Vineyards. It’s a luscious Pinot: a mouthwatering sweet blackberry and rose petal scent that is joined by ripe cherry flavors and a hint of forest floor in a long silky finish. Big, juicy, easy to enjoy, it’s a real crowd pleaser.

In contrast to the drink-me-now Horsetails, Two Messengers Pinot noir 2011 $29.95/$ 26.95 is a wine for cellaring. If you must open it now, decant and wait at least a few hours before drinking.

Young and closed in on itself, with decanting for a day the wine expands to show tart red currant and raspberry, cranberry, lamb demi-glace, and umami. Understated elegance, a beguiling, elusive wine with haunting aromas of tobacco, forest floor and fresh turned earth. Fine-grained tannins and a bare tinge of oak finish the palate. A polished, seamless character hints at extraordinary things to come. A wine worth waiting  for.

Louis-Michel Liger-Belair collaborated with Mikey to make this wine. Liger-Belair makes effortless, intriguing Pinot noirs in classic French style. He is all about sophistication, subtlety, and evolution. Very different from most Oregon Pinots, a style new to Oregon.  I’m fascinated – it’s going in my cellar.

Jared and Mikey had a remarkable year. Both men are newly minted general managers/head winemakers for new wineries. Jared (at bottom of page at the site of his new vineyard) has partnered with the son of one of Beaux Freres’ investors to found a new vineyard and winery, as yet unnamed. Located on a prime vineyard site in the middle of the Dundee Hills, the vineyard was planted in April 2013. Expect Jared’s first wine (from purchased fruit) next year.

Mikey (at right below with Mark Tarlov) is now head winemaker at Chapter 24, Mark Tarlov’s (founder of Evening Land Vineyards) new venture. Their first wine, Two Messengers Pinot noir 2011, was recently released. To make the wine, Mikey and consulting winemaker Louis-Michel Liger-Belair were given access to the entire barrel room of Patricia Green Cellars. Together they made their own custom blend, encompassing many Oregon AVAs.

- Jean

Jean Yates

The post Oregon Pinot noir: Two Brothers’ Horsetail, Two Messengers appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

Walla Walla’s Rasa Vineyards Rocks

In just five vintages, Rasa is a mailing list/waiting list winery. We were first in Oregon to offer the wines and thanks to your support we continue to have access to their most coveted releases.

Rasa Vineyards Vox Populi Mourvedre Monette’s Vineyard 2011
$44.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*  ($49.95)
So dense, so different. I love bringing this bottle out at a dinner party. People are blown away by its sheer intensity. A potent black cherry perfume is tinged with Herbes de Provence, smoke, pepper, sandalwood, and bacon fat tinged oak. As the wine opens, the complexity of the 2011 is exposed: smoky tart black cherry, roasted meat, fresh-turned earth, pepper, lavender, thyme, and minerals. Less sweet fruit, more savory, more nuanced than last year’s Vox, the balanced tannins and acidity make this a wine to cellar or enjoy with hearty foods, but not limited to steak or game. The 2011 Vox could pair with rack of lamb and complement the dish rather than overwhelm. This is Vox Populi: the elegant edition. – Jean

The 2011 Vox Populi Mourvedre was sourced 100% from Monette’s Vineyard, located in “the rocks” on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla appellation.

Rasa Vineyards Living in the Limelight Petit Verdot 2011
$49.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*  ($54.95)
The 2011 Living in the Limelight Petit Verdot is 100% sourced from Dionysus Vineyard. So dark purple in color, it’s almost black. Aromas include marionberry, mulberry, violet and dark chocolate. Flavors of huckleberry, marionberry, black cherry with hints of dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, earth and tar. Impressive now but this wine will continue to evolve for 6 to 8 years. Cellar some and reap the rewards for your patience.

Rasa Vineyards primus inter pares Grenache 2011
$49.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*  ($54.95)
Deep dark Grenache from the famous “rocks” area of Walla Walla’s vineyards. Purple color, bouquet of cherry blossom, kirsch, raspberry, white pepper and minerals. The palate is rich and complex, framed by silky tannins revealing notes of raspberry, strawberry, kirsch, minerals, licorice, white pepper and violet. This wine will continue to evolve for 12 to 15 years with an optimum drinking window in about 6 to 8 years. Primus inter pares translates into “first among equals” and that’s how Billo and Pinto feel about the fruit from Monette’s Vineyard..

Rasa Vineyards Occam’s Razor Syrah 2011
$53.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*  ($59.95)
This dark purple, intensely aromatic Syrah reveals scorched earth, incense, blueberry, black raspberry and hints of vanilla, lavender and sage. Silky smooth tannins, full bodied and intense, the palate reveals flavors of black raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, bacon fat, espresso, dark chocolate, vanilla, scorched earth and hints of sage and mint. This wine is approachable now but will evolve and mature for another six to seven years.

Rasa Vineyards Dream Deferred Chardonnay 2011
$40.45 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*  ($44.95)
Balancing the intensity of Walla Walla fruit with a lovely mineral acidity, Rasa’s first Chardonnay is made in their trademark “big” style. The heady scent is a mix of crisp citrus, honeysuckle, pear, smoke, and minerals. On the palate, full-bodied ripe pear and creme brûlée balance a vibrant swathe of pink grapefruit and lime zest. The long finish adds minerals and smoke to a concentrated, full-bodied, creamy Chardonnay that will delight Rasa’s followers. – Jean

Jean Yates

The post Rasa Vineyards Rocks Walla Walla Wines appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

It takes something remarkable to turn our heads. John House and Ksenija Kostic at Ovum did exactly that last week with two stunning Rieslings.

Ovum Wines
Off the Grid Riesling 2011
$21.55 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($23.95 regular)

So mouthwatering my nose puckered when the wine hit the glass. Racy acidity mingles with a touch of natural sweetness. Think the scent of a juicy apple meets a fresh pear.  The intermingled flavors of this perfect summer white are seamless:  mango marries a smoky savoriness with undertones of flinty minerals and a sense of lift on the finish.  At dinner that night, a collective moan was heard through the room when the bottle ran dry. My advice? Buy more than one bottle!

Grown in one of the few vineyards with alluvial soil in Oregon way down south in the Illinois Valley. In the hands of John and Ksenija, Cedar Ranch Vineyard’s potential is tough to beat. - Andy

Ovum Wines
Memorista Riesling 2011
$21.55 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($23.95 regular)

From Argyle’s Lone Star Vineyard, located just below the famed Seven Springs Vineyard owned by Evening Land. The source for Argyle’s Nuthouse Chardonnay and Pinot noir, a few rows of its densely planted Riesling were used to make Memorista. Ksenija says that the name Memorista is an homage to when a wine’s aroma and taste recalls the memory of the first great wine you ever had.

This is Riesling the way it should be. Lush yet buoyant. Musk melon and the lightest, almost airy vanilla cream on the nose.  Both follow through on the mid-palate joined by the purest pineapple. Lip-smacking is the best way to describe the finish.  – Andy

Ovum Wines

Ksenija Kostic and husband John House, the owners and winemakers of Ovum Wines, left their successful winemaking jobs at Chehalem Winery in 2011 to follow their Riesling dreams.

Talented Oregonians with new wineries often throw off the shackles of large winery “production-style” winemaking to handcraft a small amount of wine that expresses their own unique take on their grape of choice. Ovum shares the handcrafted approach, but with a difference: the grape Ksenija and John adore isn’t Oregon’s standard bearer Pinot noir. Riesling is their signature wine.

And not just any Riesling. In a state where most Riesling vines were pulled up or grafted over to Pinot gris in the 1990′s, Ksenija and John traveled the backroads of Oregon looking for the telltale signs of vineyards – trellising in a weedy field, a pile of wooden harvest boxes, or an old sign for a vineyard they’d never heard of.  They hit the motherlode with the site they call Cedar Ranch Vineyard.

On the border between Oregon and California, Cedar Ranch is down a gravel road from a gravel road from the middle of nowhere. And the soils and climate are near duplicates of the soil and climate of the Rhone valley. The soil contains the “galets” found almost exclusively in the Rhone, a mix of silt and round river rocks. From this tiny site they made 71 cases of their 2011 “Off the Grid” Riesling, an extraordinary, not to be missed wine.

Egg-Shaped Wine Fermenters

While the vote is still out on whether egg-shaped wine fermenters channel the energy of the universe, the tank shape has taken off, first in California and now here in Oregon. Rex Hill, A to Z, Illahe are among the wineries either using or planning to use them. Count Ovum among future users.

Egg-shaped fermenters derive from the ancient wine vessels of Greece – clay amphorae buried in the ground. The shape was revived by French winemaker Michel Chapoutier, a pioneering advocate of biodynamic vineyard management. He  promoted the egg shape as having a special power to focus a celestial energy vortex.

Today you can find cement and wooden eggs made by commercial cooperages, with most wineries using the concrete design. The concrete surface is porous and is believed to add more complexity to the wine than stainless steel ferementation. While stainless might be ideal for a lean style, the concrete adds a bit of roundness and textural depth to a wine.

Recently a wooden, egg-shaped fermenter became commercially available. With it, winemakers who swear by wooden cask fermentation will be able to use the biodynamic-recommended egg shape as well.

below, Coopers with their new, egg-shaped wooden fermenter

Riesling Resources

The big daddy of Riesling organizations is the International Riesling Foundation. They describe Oregon as a “Big chunk of land sandwiched in-between Washington and California.” I hope that’s meant to be a joke.

Oregon has its own Oregon Riesling Alliance with 35+ winery members dedicated to promoting Oregon’s most underrated white grape.

If you want to go really Riesling crazy, Chateau Ste Michelle sponsors the Riesling Rendezvous  – a three day event in Seattle this summer. $800 gets you the Grand Tasting, seminars and in-depth blind tastings, and food and Riesling pairings/demonstrations. All Riesling all the time!

Jean Yates

The post Oregon Riesling From Ovum Wines appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

Patty’s 2012′s are a must-try. They exceed  expectations – tasting them in barrel last month was a revelation. This is everything you want in big Oregon Pinots times ten. Intriguing, elusive and hedonistically huge, I can’t stop thinking about these wines.

Buy futures for the best price. Purchase prices upon release are about 15-20% higher if the wines are still available.

at right, Patricia Green

Patricia Green Cellars
Freedom Hill Vineyard 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:
$27.85 in any 12 bottle order ($30.95) (release price $36.00)

In two words: Buy me.  My favorite and the favorite of my tasting partners. Hedonism balanced by grace, intensity by transparency, succulence by juicy freshness, and complexity by sheer deliciousness. Deep, concentrated and full bodied, dark ruby colored, great aromatics of rose petals, blackberries, raspberries, tobacco, and exotic spices. Forkfuls of blackberry pie warm from the oven, juicy black raspberries and blueberries, violets, minerals and earth. A velvety backbone with a finish minutes in length.  Drink now if you must but whoa Nellie, the Freedom Hill is already a stunner – imagine where it will go from here. – Jean

Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:
$23.20 in any 12 bottle futures order (25.75) (release price $27.00)

In two words: dense finesse. And don’t let the price fool you – this is some serious Pinot noir with serious intensity. As Jim puts it “sort of like Baryshnikov doing Swan Lake in a leather jacket while carrying brass knuckles.”

There’s an irresistible bouquet of fresh blueberries, black cherries, violet incense, and the trademark Patty Green hint of fresh turned earth.  With the first sip the lush silky texture pulled me up short – wow – dense yet silky smooth. Crushed blueberry and earthy black cherry fruit dominate, with rose petal perfume, cola, and mineral chiming in. Dark, seductive, a big Pinot every year, the 2012 vintage version takes it to a new level, everything amped up and accentuating the complexity of the old vines in the Estate Vineyard. – Jean

Patricia Green Cellars
Estate Vineyard Old Vines 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:
$31.46 in any 12 bottle futures order (34.95) (release price $40.00)

In a word: terroir. The Estate Vineyard’s oldest vines were planted in 1990 to 1994. Jim and Patty’s meticulous management culminates in this unique, terroir-driven wine. An intense expression of the Ribbon Ridge mineral quality, a  one of a kind Pinot.

Scent of dried blackberry mixed with quarry rock and fresh turned earth. Dark fruit  dominates – blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and currant laced with an extraordinary mineral quality – Jim calls it “liquid quartz” and it comes from the old vines’ roots reaching down into the rocks far below the surface. Dense and brooding, this is a cellar selection, meant to be aged for a few years to a decade before drinking. Pop the cork in 2020 and amaze your friends. – Jean

Patricia Green Cellars Ana Vineyard 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:
$31.45 in any 12 bottle futures order (34.95) (release price $50.00)

In a word? Exotic.  Ana is known for its intense, exotic scents and flavors. This 2012 is a high point for the vineyard. The Ana perfume is present: attar of roses, violets, lilac, and cherry candy, while the 2012 vintage adds smoke, dusty earth, and sweet spices. Fresh blueberry juice and bright red cherry fruit flavors are tinged with earth, sandalwood incense and minerals in a medium-bodied framework of silky tannins. Jim and Patty’s careful selection of vineyards shows – these old vines are managed by superstar  viticulturist Andy Humphrey. If you must drink the Ana immediately, decant for a few hours. Cellaring for several years will bring out the best in this already top of the line Pinot. – Jean

Patricia Green Cellars Balcombe Vineyard 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:
$27.85 in any 12 bottle futures order (release price $36.00)

Gushing is the keyword here. Wow – gushing, black bing cherry, cassis, blackberry, currant, and spice flavors, drinking spectacularly from barrel. Incredibly intense, lush, sexy Pinot with piles of fruit, good structure and amazingly perfect balance. Supple, deep aromatics of black cherries, crushed raspberries, fresh rose petals, red earth spices and a touch of sweet oak – the scent is spot-on Pinot Noir at its most alluring. The wine has the signature velvety texture, richness and long, spicy finish that make up the Balcombe Vineyard character.

Patricia Green Cellars Durant Vineyard Dijon 115 Block 2012
SHIPPING DECEMBER 2013
Futures pricing:  $27.85 in any 12 bottle futures order ($30.95) (release price $50.00)

Two words: full throttle. There is no denying both the full-throttle nature of this wine and the lip-smacking deliciousness of it. This is bold, assertive, rich, deeply red-fruited and lavish in nearly every sense of the word. This is a guilty pleasure of a wine. Release the hounds.  – Jim Anderson

below, Patricia Green Cellars’ Estate vineyard, April 2013
image by Jean Yates

Jean Yates

The post Patricia Green Cellars 2012 Pinot noir Futures appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.

Every year Evesham Wood and its co-winery Haden Fig produce unbeatable values in small production Oregon Pinot noir. The wines are always Avalon bestsellers and favorites.

Winemaker Erin Nuccio has a string of new releases including five cellar-worthy Pinots under $30, plus the fantastic summer sippers Blanc du Puits Sec and Tempranillo Rose.

Evesham Wood
Eola-Amity Pinot noir 2011
$23.35 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($25.95 regular)
Dark cherry, forest floor and pronounced structure. Our Eola-Amity cuvée is essentially the reserve bottling to our Willamette Valley Pinot. Our favorite barrels are selected (from within the Eola-Amity AVA) and aged for an additional 6 months in the caves. This year an equal number of barrels were selected from Eola Springs Vineyard and Hidden Rocks Vineyard. The long, cool growing season of 2011 is well demonstrated here with elegant depth and focus. – the winery

below, view over Evesham Wood’s Le Puits Sec vineyard towards Mt Hood

Evesham Wood
La Grive Bleue Pinot noir 2011
$25.15 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($27.95 regular)
Bolder with darker fruit than the Eola-Amity and a bit rounder texture. 250 cases produced. As always the La Grive Bleue bottling is sourced from our small northeast block on our estate vineyard. While there are some distinct soil and clonal differences (Dijon 777 and 114 as opposed to the rest of Le Puits Sec that is planted heavily to Pommard) the wine displays classic Le Puits Sec notes. – the winery

Haden Fig
Cancilla Vineyard Pinot noir 2011
$26.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($29.95 regular)
Cancilla Vineyard lies in the northern end of the Willamette Valley in the foothills of the Coast Range. This vineyard is a relatively cooler site allowing for full development of flavors while keeping alcohol moderate and preserving acidity. 6 barrels were selected for additional aging in the caves and bottled separately in February. The 2011 shows dusty earth, bright red cherry and dried mushroom. 146 cases produced. – the winery

Haden Fig
Bjornson Vineyard Pinot noir 2011
$26.95 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($29.95 regular)
2011 was our second year working with this relatively young vineyard in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills. Our 4 favorite barrels from the vintage were bottled separately. Dark cherry, deep raspberry and a vivacity that is so distinct to the Eola-Amity Hills. 100 cases produced. – the winery

Haden Fig
Pinot noir Organic #52 2011
$18.85 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($20.95 regular)
This Organic Pinot noir is an incredible value. A fantastically deep nose of bright berries and floral notes.  Coloring is lighter, a notch or two darker than a rose.  Cherry and raspberry interweave on the palate nicely complimented by subtle forest floor. Made from certified organically grown grapes. – Andy

Evesham Wood
Blanc du Puits Sec 2012
$13.05 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($14.49 regular)
A perennial favorite of mine. This racy little crowd-pleaser is a blend of Pinot gris and Gewurztraminer. Floral notes and wet stones on the nose lead to a light citrus and mineral driven summer white that goes great while mowing the lawn or wowing houseguests. – Andy

Evesham Wood
Vin d’une Nuit Rose of Tempranillo 2012
$11.65 in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case*
($12.95 regular)
Sourced exclusively from the Illahe vineyard, this vintage is a rich, crisp wine with watermelon and strawberry flavors and a hint of pepper. Rich flavors followed by a crisp finish. 160 cases produced.

Read – The Artistry of New Classics: Haden Fig and Evesham Wood’s Erin Nuccio

The post Five New Oregon Pinots from Evesham Wood appeared first on Northwest Wine Reviews.