Oregon Pinot noir

New
Oregon Pinot noirs

June 2006

The tiny 2004 Oregon Pinot noir vintage is out! With only a few important wines yet to be released, the selection of 2004 Oregon Pinot noirs is at its best -- or at least, as good as it's going to get. To quote Kim Coleman (Coleman Vineyard), "a lot of winemakers seem to be having a hard time finding enough wine to offer in the 2004 vintage"

So many lovely 2004 Pinots came and went with hardly more than a few days from release to out of stock. Kim had to turn down over 900 cases in orders last month for her lovely 2004 Estate, and her 2004 Reserve is equally limited. Ayoub, Et Fille, Beaux Freres, Shea Wine Cellars, and Bergstrom are just a few of the wineries mostly or completely sold out of their 2004 Pinot noirs.

Of what is now available, here are our suggestions for exceptional quality and reasonable price. Also note- the 2005 vintage, which was larger than the 2004, contains some simply outstanding wines, perhaps even better than the 2004's. A few 2005's (especially the Bergstrom Willamette Valley 05) are out, and are serving as indicators for savvy consumers of just how great the 2005 vintage is going to be.

Best of the Best- Top New Releases

St Innocent Pinot noir Shea 04 $32.36/$35.95
I ended up with four pages of notes on this wine when we tasted it at the store. Unheard of- but it's soooo good. The 2002 St Innocent Shea received 94 points from Robert Parker-
Imho, this wine is as good or better.

Starting off, the 2004 St Innocent Shea Pinot noir has an opaque, dark ruby color, not quite as dark as the 2003 vintage. Immediately after opening (and this is a young wine) the scent filled the air. Crushed fresh fruit, black cherry, raspberry, black currant, fresh marionberry, a bit of fresh strawberry and hints of fresh saddle leather and just a smidge of toast make up the initial scent impression. And under all the scent elements, that Shea Vineyard characteristic, a dark violet floral perfume.

Flavors are bold and clearly still young, with lots of room for even more complexity. Big black cherry and berry fruit, sweet cherries and plum, black currant, and that Shea undercurrent of dark violets persisted in the flavor as well as the scent. The finish is quite long, and the tannins are very fine, present in good balance for cellaring purposes but not obtrusive. In the finish there are pleasant notes of vanilla, a tiny bit of spice, cedar, and some barrel toast, around which the dark violet perfume and dried rose petal flavors circle.

For customers who enjoyed the Shea Wine Cellars Block 23, now sold out, here is a similar offering with the same forward fruit and violets in the initial impression. The midpalate of the St Innocent Shea is a bit more delicate than the Block 23, with more transparency in the layers of flavors, and lots of spicy cherry and cola in the midpalate. Throughout the impression of the St Innocent, the sweetness of the fruit is balanced by a fresh, uplifting acidity enmeshed with black raspberry.

Andrew Rich Pinot noir 04 $26.95/$29.95

Each year, Andrew's well made, Pinot gets high ratings from devotees of his wines, as well as from the wine press. We tasted this wine along with several $40+ Oregon Pinots, and it bet them for richness, complexity, and general juicy lusciousness.

The nose has creamy red fruit and cherry liqueur mingled with toasted coffee bean and dried rose petal. Flavors are silky and seductive: red cherry, dried red cherry, a tiny hint of cranberry, and a nice acidity that keeps flavors lively The finish features very fine tannins, a medium long finish that reiterates the toasted coffee bean, bittersweet chocolate, red raspberry, dried red cherry, and dried rose petal, with a hint of herbal/spice of white pepper and wild mint. A perfect mesh of depth of flavor and a lifting fruity acidity the finish has a nice hint of spice, fresh fruit, and fresh white pepper that dance on the palate. It's ready to drink but will lay down for 4-8 years. Shipping now!

St Innocent Pinot noir Temperance Hill 04 $22.45/$24.95
Ships in June.
The 2004 Temperance Hill is a deep ruby red. It has lush and very attractive aromas of black cherries and dried, chocolate covered cherries. Red and black fruits dominated the palate with hints of sage and tarragon. Well structured, with ample ripe tannin and significant concentration, this Temperance Hill will open significantly over the next six months and should evolve over 6-10 years.

Winemkaer Mark Vlosak says: " I believe that this wine represents one of, if not the, finest wines I have made from this site. When I fire up the barbecue, this is the wine I serve. It matches perfectly with grilled meats, veggies and potato salad (my favorite summer meal)."

Amalie RObert Amalie's Pinot noir
Amalie Robert Pinot noir

Amalie Robert Pinot noir Amalie's Cuvee 04 $40.46/$44.95
A new winery whose Estate grapes go into Beaux Freres' Belles Soeurs offerings, now Dena and Ernie have their own wines, and they've been an immediate hit with local winemakers and wine lovers.

The Amalie's Cuvee is the winery's signature wine, and scents of white flowers, graham, earth, and hints of wild mushroom introduce the wine. Flavors are predominantly black cherry, blackberry, and black currant, with intriguing hints of an exotic perfume of mint, pepper, warm raspberries, and dark cherry. There's a real sense of terroir in the wine, which is made from young fruit. The complexity bodes well for the vineyard, and future vintages, made as the grapes mature, should show increasingly complex flavors. A very promising new winery.

Amalie Robert Pinot noir Dijon Clone 04 $33.26/$36.95
Tanzer 91 points: "Light red. Flat-out gorgeous nose of red berries, yellow rose and five-spice powder, with a chalky mineral element adding energy and lift. Juicy, vibrant and pure, the nicely concentrated flavors running the red fruit gamut (especially wild strawberry), with an earthy note of rhubarb. Wonderfully clean and brisk, but with no shortage of concentration or flavor impact through the finish. Develops a wild, sweet note of underbrush with air. This is strikingly pure, unadorned and pretty pinot."

Made from Estate grown Dijon clone fruit, the wine opens with scents of raspberry, red fruit, graham, and hints of rose petals. Flavors are of red cherry, red raspberry, black cherry, with subtle hints of tea, culinary herb including tarragon, thyme, and sage, There's classic silky texture to this supple wine, with rose petal in the long finish. Tannins are supple and well integrated, and there's plenty of lively acidity to refresh the palate.

Coeur de Terre Pinot noir 04 $30.56/$33.95
At Oregon's recent "Indie Wine Festival", this wine stood out and called to us. It's exceptional. Raptor Ridge purchased fruit from this same Coeur de Terre Vineyard to make their 93 point (Wine Spectator) Raptor Ridge CdT Pinot noir 03. This wine sneaks up on you. The dark cherry, blackberry and raspberry aromas mix with a little cinnamon spice and some barrel toast, but it whispers instead of shouts. The wine hits your mouth and besides the cherry, cassis, violet and a little spice on the palate, what you notice is how silky it is. The pretty cherry colors and delicate flavors show good concentration without being over extracted. This wine is well balanced and really opens up after awhile in your glass. The finish is long and smooth. This is a finesse Pinot Noir you should get to know. - M.S.

The name Coeur De Terre, or "Heart of the Earth," is an appropriate name for this place that Lisa and Scott Neal have poured their hearts and souls into. The name comes from the very large, heart-shaped boulder they unearthed while digging an irrigation pond.

Bergstrom Pinot noir Willamette Valley 05 $26.95/$29.95
Bergstrom's Willamette Valley always comes and goes in a flash, so if you want some, now's the time!

Caroline Bergstrom says: "May is my favorite month of the year, I get to celebrate my birthday during that month but also experience Spring at its best, Oregon markets are bursting with fresh produce for feasting with friends and family. Back home (France) most markets are just starting to sell strawberries and especially one varietal called the Gariguette (also know as the Rolls Royce of Strawberries)coming directly from the Dordogne region. This berry is intense in flavors and is only sold for a very short period of time. The 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that Bergstrom Wines is just releasing reminds me a lot of my childhood and of these delicious berries, begging my Mom to make us Gariguettes tartes. This is the first Pinot Noir bottling every year from Bergstrom Winery, a wine meant to please the hedonist and collector alike... at a very good price." We could not agree with Caroline more. The 2005's are beginning to be released, and the best offer racy, uplifting acidity, ripe fresh fruit flavors, and delicious, forward cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry hints. Josh always makes some of the very best Oregon wines, and this is his most accessible, ready to drink, well priced offering.

Under $30 2004 Pinot noirs- Recent Releases

Domaine Coteau Pinot noir 04 $24.25/$26.95
Wine Spectator rating 91 points: "Smooth and velvety, qromatic with fruit and spice, a plush mouthful of gorgeous currant, blackberry, and red plum flavors, lightly shaded with delicate sweet oak notes. It all finishes with grace and impressive length. Drink now through 2014." H.S.

A very nice Pinot that shows their best work yet. Nose of black cherries, flavors of juicy black cherries, red cherries and raspberry, and excellent lively acidity. Made from Estate fruit, their small 5 acre vineyard was planted seven years ago, and the vines are really coming into their own. Decanter magazine's April 2006 edition covered North American Pinot Noir with Domaine Coteau being selected as a RECOMMENDED wine.

Decanter Magazine said about the Domaine Coteau 04: “Quite reserved and elegant nose yet shows depth of fruit. Well-structured palate with attractive ripe red fruits, firm tannins and long. 2-5 years.”

Under $20 2004 Pinot noirs - Best Everyday Values

J Daan Pinot noir 04 $17.95/$19.95
J Daan is the winery of Justin Van Zanten, assistant winemaker to Andrew Rich since 2001. With a sweet and appealing nose of perfumed raspbery and violets, entwined with sweet toasty vanilla oak, this is a really nice everyday wine. Flavors of black rasrpberry, red raspberry, red cherry, and a hint of nutmeg make for a juicy, yummy, wasy drinking Pinot. The finish is simple but well made, and it's so easy to drink and enjoy. A promising effort, more than a bit reminiscent of an Andrew Rich wine.

Andrew Rich Pinot noir Cuvee "B" 04 $17.95/$19.95
Andrew's great value Pinot, each year it's one of the best under $20 Oregon Pinots, and this year is no exception. Close to sold out, so order soon if you're interested.

Kathken Pinot noir Reserve 04 $16.61/$18.45
Quite nice Pinot noir for a quite nice price. Made from 100% Estate fruit, this wine hits all the notes- it's balanced, with very fine-grained tannins, nice uplifting acidity, red and black fruit flavors, and warm cinnamon-clove-nutmeg-white pepper spices that all blend nicely into a wine ready to drink, but with enough structure to handle a few years' cellaring. A real nice deal.

The winery says: " A gorgeous garnet red, our 2004 Reserve Pinot Noir exhibits aromas of black cherries, raspberries and a hint of spice on the palate. The magnificent fruit lingers in the mouth, creating the round and supple mouth feel. Medium acid and medium tannin make this a flavorful example of Willamette Valley fruit forward wine and enhance the complexity and soft finish of this wine. "

Spindrift Cellars Pinot noir 04 $17.95/$19.95
Aromas of red cherry and raspberry with notes of spice. Flavors of red raspberry, strawberry, and cherry finish with spice, tobacco and soft tannins. A lively, uplifting quality and excellent balance makes this a fresh, pretty Pinot noir at a quite reasonable price. The winery was formerly known as Sahalie- ownership shifted around and Matt Compton is now winemaker and owner of Spindrift. Spindrift is our neighbor, just down the road in Philomath and near our fav 720 Cellars (Chris Heider). This is another such up-and-coming Indie winery to watch.