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PGC's 2001 futures are going quickly, even in this slow economic climate- Why? Perhaps because her Pinot noirs are so reasonably priced for their quality. We have tasted the 2001 wines in barrel with her several times and are confident that the wines are uniformly excellent, with some standouts that we especially like. In particular, the Shea Vineyard wines are very deeply colored, rich in flavor, yet structured to cellar with good results. Patty has a whole section of her winery named "Shea Stadium" as it is full of barrels of wine from the Shea Vineyard. Everything I tasted there was delicious, complex, cellar worthy, and surprisingly diverse. The 2001 Shea, blended from these barrels, will no doubt be an extraordinary wine. The 2001 Shea was the Avalon staff's favorite of her wines. Avalon has a very small amount of the highly rated PGC Balcombe 1B vineyard 2001 Pinot noir available as futures. This wine will not be seen as a regular release, it has sold out in advance of bottling. The wine is excellent, and if you like trophy wines, this one is sure to get another high rating in the wine magazines. I actually prefer her regular Balcombe Vineyard 2001 Pinot noir, which to me is more complex and interesting, perhaps better balanced than the 1B (just my opinion, Patty!). It was my favorite wine of hers in 2000, and is again this year. The Balcombe 2001 shows what I call the "Patty nose"- a hint of warm vanilla, licorice, tar, applewood smoke and something that I have not been able to define, that makes all her wines uniquely Patty. The Torri Mor wines had the same quality when she made them. (Joe Dobbes and Kelly Fox, who now make the Torii Mor wines, are producing a wonderful product now- in their own evolving and excellent style). I continue to recommend PGC's Estate 2000 Pinot Noir as a keeper, and it is still available, although it is running low. We get more re-orders for this wine than almost any other Pinot Noir- it is well priced, and modelled after the Beaux Freres 99 Pinot Noir- the PGC Estate vineyard is contiguous with the Beaux Freres Estate vineyard, so it makes sense that there would be similarities. Interestingly, it has hints of mint that remind me of the Beaux Freres Pinot, and a big, round, warm finish with lots of very pleasing fruit in a well balanced framework. All that wine lingo adds up to this- it rocks! -----JY Patricia
Green Cellars We've started a new website with information for winemakers, grape growers and people interested in the Oregon wine industry. Check it out- www.oregon-wine.com HIGHEST
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PASCHAL QUARTET Southern OR Meritage Big Red $29.99  Impressive new winery we were turned on to by Ribbon Ridge folk
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regular $24.99 SALE $15.99 
Eugene Wine Cellars Melon 99 regular $18.99  SALE $10.99 Sageland
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Eugene
Wine Cellars Eugene Wine Cellars delivers the goods on Viognier. The story behind EWC is, these guys manage a lot of vineyards all over Oregon and know a heck of a lot about how to get the best out of grapes. I am not sure where the Viognier comes from (I suspect southern Oregon) but there is complexity and rich flavor here in a way that usually costs a lot more. While I would not class the wine quite up with Condrieu (home of the fanciest Viognier in the world and the inspiration for most Viognier winemakers), I also am not paying $60 a half bottle! To me good Viognier displays complex, intriguing, and ever changing hints of floral, fruit, and mineral aromas and flavors within a fairly rich structure. There are lots of Viogniers available, particluarly from CA, that have the richness, but not the complexity. And they are quite expensive. There are also lots of Viogniers that have some degree of complexity in a watery or too light framework. Getting the balance just right must be very difficult, it is so rarely achieved. I would classify the EWC Viognier as just about perfect for the price. I would love to see them try a Reserve Viognier, and go for the intense, viscous richness that some Viogniers from Condrieu have. As far as price performance is concerned, this is the Viognier for me. ---JY Check
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Avalon Recommends: This is the best guide, bar none, to Oregon's wines. Insightful articles, interesting reviews, in depth interviews- you'll find them all here. Worth every penny if you're interested in Oregon wine.
Great
Wedding Gift! The charming pottery in this basket was made by the Monks of Prinknash Abbey. Prinknash is traditionally pronounced ‘Prinage’ - yes really, so woe–betide anyone who gets it wrong. The Benedictine monks at Prinknash Abbey have hand crafted their pottery since the early 1900s. The Abbey is over 1000 years old, its original building dating from the time of William the Conqueror. The Abbey was visited by Henry the Eighth and his second wife, Anne Boleyn in the 16th century, where they enjoyed hunting, feasting, and thinking about how good the Abbey's decor would look in their house, since shortly thereafter Henry abolished the monastery and took the contents of many monasteries for himself or his favored courtiers. Basket contents
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