Posts Tagged oregon

I’ve had this wine and brand numerous times over the years. It’s a fairly easy to find Oregon wine. This label along with their higher end Rex Hill label had become a good reliable wine, both in the Pinot Gris but also on the Pinot Noir side. However I’d had a few recent vintages and the quality just hasn’t been there. It could have been a few bad bottles but I was running into wines that were a little too acidic and missing balance. So recently receiving a bottle as a gift, I was less than excited at the prospects.

King Estate Pinot Gris

Taking it for a spin yesterday however, I found a pleasant surprise. King’s was back. This wine had some marked sweetness upfront, with mango, apple and melon. There was also a nice lemon custard to carry it through and not allow the wine to become syrupy. The balanced acidity allowed the wine to have a nice medium-length finish, falling perfectly between the bright racy wines and the buttery Chardonnays. It’s a wine perfect for a Sunday afternoon, when you want something simple and enjoyable. Overall, I’d call this a Brick Solid wine. For $10-12, this wine is right priced and seems to be coming back around as a reliable choice.

Oregon Pinot has to be one of my favorite wine regions. Their pinot tends to be a nice middle-ground between the richer, bolder California wines and the austere French version. They tend to capture both the power and grace, along with the rich flavor complexities. There also tends to be more structure to the wines allowing them to really open up in the glass and expand. Here are some tasting notes on these Oregon beauties.

2004 Ransom Pinot Noir

Not as full bodied as say the Patty Green wines, but still a very rich and mouthfilling wine that delivers the goods. Lots of strawberry and raspberry flavors backed by mushrooms and earthy complexity. Good medium body, and well integrated tannins. Decent finish though a little short. Overall, this wine drinks remarkably well. Priced Around $27.

Rating: 91 pts

2006 Ken Wright Cellars Shea Vineyards Pinot Noir

This was a massive pinot. Priced around $40, it was the perfect blend of New and Old World styles. After decanting for about an hour, the nose really blossomed into a mix of strawberries, wild mushrooms, and black tea spices. The tannins were huge in this wine, probably the most pronounced I’ve ever had for a Pinot. There was a distinct earthy quality to the wine that allowed the flavors to just linger on the tongue. While I admit, it was probably a little soon to try this wine based on the underlying acidity, I can’t say I was disappointed by any means. A great wine!

Rating: 94pts

2005 Witness Tree Vineyards Pinot Noir

This wine has beautiful perfumes of lavenders and lilacs. There are also some strawberry notes on the nose as well. This wine has a medium-bodied, velvety texture, though it drives through with a ton of acidity. The finish is long and elegant. There are very earthy elements in this wine. Mushrooms, dried cherries and strawberry-flavored dirt seem to be sprinkled in. This is a fantastic wine, especially for the price point of around $30. From the Willamette Valley, it’s a great cross between the California fruit-bombs and the funky, Burgundy pinot noirs.

Rating: 93pts

2006 Chateau Bianca Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Oregon

This wine started off with a nice fragrant nose, containing hints of flowers and mulling spices. The flavor started off tasting like cola and cotton candy. There was a sense that this wine was almost over-processed. However over time, the cola sweetness faded away, and the wine found a more earthy nature along with a richer body. It never became a serious wine, but for the price of around $15, it delivered a solid Oregon Pinot experience.

Rating: 88pts

2006 Patricia Green Cellars Eason Vineyard Pinot Noir

This Oregon wine started initially with a light bright red color, however within an hour it darkens significantly. The nose was a bouquet of cranberries and fall spices. The initial taste was full of cranberries and apples, along with a hint of oak and tobacco underneath. Within about an hour however, that taste expanded and the fruit forward wine gave way to an earthy mix of mushrooms and exotic spices. The wine possessed notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with star anise and tea leaves. The finish was long and luscious. This was an extremely well made wine.

Rating: 94pts