Willamette Weekend #1

[Seattle LawDawg]

#1 because I'll be back down there next weekend. Many of the Willamette Valley wineries are only open during Memorial Day weekend and Thanksgiving Weekend so the big drinking will take place in a week. Nevertheless, I went down and hit quite a few of the open ones.

 

 

Sokol Blosser: I focused on 4 wines here. The Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from the same vineyards from concurrent years. Oh what a difference a year makes.

 

Both 01s were extremely earthy with hints of nut and truffle. The pinot gris was extremely smooth while the Pinot Noir was more in-your-face and full of "grape".

 

The 02s lacked the earthy taste but were bold and full of fruit. The Pinot Gris had incredible apple and pear both on the nose and on the palette. It had a very crisp mouth with a smooth finish. The 02 Pinot Noir had an amazing hit of dark fruits; specifically cherries and raspberries. Unfortunately, the wine turned a little thin and the finish I anticipated never showed.

 

Meditrina: This was an intriguing blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Red Zin. Its a fine blend to open today. It seemed to be a wine that I would serve to people who didn't really appreciate red wine a lot but were starting to get into it. There were a lot of different flavors that could be more easily identified.

 

Torii Mor: I wish Patricia Green had never left.

 

White Vineyard Pinot Noir: Empty. The nose was so lacking of anything, I didn't want to drink it. Oh, I forced myself to, but I did not enjoy this wine. While we often look favorably on wines that taste "earthy", this tasted like dirt.

 

Library Selection: 1999 Reserve: This was the lone bright spot at the winery(Patricia Green was still the winemaker in 1999). Perfectly balanced wine, Great nose full of dark fruits. Initial taste hit every tastebud, fruits, forest, mushroom, a little char, cocoa....it was all there. This was the perfect example of a good Oregon Pinot Noir.

 

2004 Pinot Gris: Honestly, I couldn't tell yet. For a Pinot Gris, this was extremely tight. I would be willing to try it again in a year or so, but for now, it was tough to rate.

 

Ponzi:

 

Ponzi 2003 Pinot Noir: Hmmm. Another wine with potential but very tight right now. 2003 was a difficult year in the Willamette with a very warm season during the harvest / crush. But, as is typical, black fruit filled the nose with light tabacco and pepper supplementing the fruit flavors. Despite being in the barrel less than a year, plenty of oak and tannins were present.

 

Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir: Similar to the other Pinot but with hints of cinnamon....just a little sweeter in general.

 

Archery Summit: This is my favorite NW winery and IMO consistently produces the best Pinots in the country. You just can't go wrong with one of their wines.

 

2003 Premier Cuvee' Pinot Noir: This is a solid Oregon Pinot. Bright ruby color does not dissipate at all towards the edges. Complex but balanced black fruit, currants and spice fill the nose. Broad palate full of fruit, cocoa and smooth tannins. $37

 

2003 Renegade Ridge Estate Pinot Noir: HOLY CRAP. This may have been the biggest pinot I have ever tasted. All fans of big Red Zins and Cabs will love this wine. The color was much deeper than the Premier Cuvee'. The nose was full of tannins, earth, and A LOT of big, dark fruit. Full palette of currants and cherries mixed with earthy mineral. This wine will be amazing for the next 8-10 years. $60

 

2003 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir: The Arcus Estate is consistently my favorite wine. This vintage is no exception. Dark color similar to that of the Renegade Ridge. The same dark fruits are obvious with subtle floral flavors and light wisps of vanilla. The finish kept the fruit and floral flavors through its length. $75

 

2002 Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir: This Pinot is drinking well now (although the bottle had been decanted for 2 hours prior to tasting). The only thing I wrote down was "Incredibly Smooth with plenty of cinnamon complimenting the dark fruit". $75

 

2002 Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir: This wine is only available to Archery Summit Club members but is absolutely amazing if you can get your hands on a bottle. This wine is intense: from color, to nose, to palette, to finish. It is a very strong wine, approaching the complexity of the Renegade Ridge. I was told that the wine should probably be cellared for 6-12 years. That will not be easy. $150

 

 

 

I can't wait till next Saturday.

[Rovers]

I thought this was going to be a beer thread! Willamette hops are the american version of the english fuggle hops. Oh well.... I do like wine too though!