These
are the best Pinot noirs we have ever tasted, as a group and individually.
The perfect 99 harvest and Ken's 26 years of winemaking have combined
to make extraordinary wines that show the special magic that is Oregon
Pinot Noir. Each wine is different, reflecting the vineyard sites, clones,
and winemaking, yet all reflect a new, higher level of Ken's special style
that reaches and surpasses the quality of the best Grand Cru Burgundy.
The guys in France will be shaking in their boots after they try these
wines.
1999
Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard
Barrel tasting 12/21/99 $350 case of 12 sold out Our favorite of all Ken's 99s, this wine is a stunner.
Dark dark color staining the glass. Nose had massive cherry fruit, spice,
rapidly evolving array of fruit flavors that kept changing in complex
and interesting ways. Every red and black fruit you could imagine wafted
past the palate in a seemingly never ending series of taste sensations.
Flavors included black berry, black and red raspberry, black cherry, allspice,
clove, nutmeg, even subtle minty herbal hints that could be from adjoining
mint fields. We bought a full barrel of this wine, the best Pinot noir
we have ever experienced, from any part of the world.
The 98 Shea was a Wine Spectator "Cellar Selection" and received
a 93 point rating!
1999
Pinot Noir Nysa Vineyard
Barrel tasting12/21/99
Color was dark ruby. Huge nose explodes from the glass---came right out
of the glass at us, with big perfume, dark spice, and red cherry fruit.
Flavors followed in the same vein,
this young wine showed immense promise.
$350 case of 12 sold out
1999
Pinot Noir Arcus Vineyard
Barrel tasting12/21/99
Color dark black ruby fruit. Nose was highly perfumed with blackberry,
licorice, violet, rose petal all swirling on the palate. The distinct
perfume prevailed in the flavors, hugely opulent, complex, awesome wine.
Tremendously appealing now but shows huge promise for cellaring. This
wine kept changing, evolving, opening to new levels of fruit, mineral,
tannin, and spice that never really settled but continued to please with
new discoveries. Wow!
$350 case of 12 sold out
1999
Pinot Noir Guadalupe Vineyard Barrel tasting12/21/99 $350 case of 12 sold out Our other favorite, the wine has an inky black color that stained
the wine glass. Flavors were of red and black fruits, cedar, mint, black
cherry and plum, massive tannins balanced by huge fruit. Hugely extracted.
We call this the Mohammed Ali of Ken's 99 single vineyard Pinot Noirs-
both huge in body and light on its feet. This is a big, broad shouldered
wine, not for the faint of heart.Sort of a California Cab of Pinot noirs.
Extraordinary!
1999 Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge Vineyard Barrel tasting
12/21/99
Color dark ruby. Stylistically more graceful than powerful, a feminine,
exquisite wine. The nose has herbs, flowers, and exotic tropical fruits,
with a distinct hint of passionfruit. This is a refined, elegant wine.
Grapefruit peel, gunpowder, and lead pencil float through the subtle,
complex finish. A fascinating wine.The 98 Abbey Ridge received 92 points
from Wine Spectator (3/2000). $350 case of 12 sold out
1999
Whistling Ridge Vineyard
Barrel tasting 12/21/99
Color dark ruby. The scent is light, closed, body medium, with flavors
of red and black fruits. This barrel taste was conducted when the wine
was in a "dumb" period, and we must re-taste to truely appreciate
the wine. The finish had cassis and licorice notes, and throughout, the
wine had hints of complexity and nuance, overlaid by a very active malolactic
process. We will retaste in one month. SOLD OUT
1999
Carter Vineyard
Barrel tasting 12/21/99
Color dark garnet/ruby with beautiful inner glow. The nose is smoky, quiet,
the flavors big, with sweet black cherry fruit dominating. Tempting notes
of raspberry and spice show through the very big tannin and acid backbone.
The big fruit flavors are somewhat overwhelmed by the tannins, which is
characteristic of this wine when first made. Ken has worked with the Carter
site for ten years and the wine typically softens and shows stellar flavors
and beautiful, balanced structure, a year or so later than the Canary
Hill or Shea, for example.
$350 case of 12 sold out
1999
Canary Hill Vineyard
Barrel Tasting 12/21/99 Dark ruby color that stained the glass. Flavors of tart black cherry,
chocolate and cassis, flavors cascading off the palate including candied
black cherry, fruitcake, black berry, plum, and black currant, the tannins
are wonderfully integrated in this big, easy drinking wine. Wonderful
balance of big fruit, big tannins, big acid make this an immediate stunner
with a future if laid down a year or so after bottling. SOLD OUT
1999 McCrone Vineyard
Barrel tasting 12/21/99 Dark ruby color. The scent is herbal, with hints of tea and dark black
fruit. The flaovrs are broad, fleshing out beautifully. Red raspberry
and other red fruits dominate, with anise and nutmeg on the finish. A
tightly wound wine, tannins big, but balanced by equally big fruit.
$350 case of 12 sold out
1998
Pinot Noir
Single Vineyard Wines
98 Canary Hill
Vineyard The wine from this site is typically very forward, with aromas
of black cherry and cola.
98 Carter Vineyard The wine is firmer than Canary Hill in its youth but evolves beautifully
after a few years in the bottle to show black fruits and freshy, healthy
earth scents.
98 Nysa Vineyard Right next to Drouhin in the Dundee Hills. Bordering on the exotic
for '99. Had a great spice w/clove fermentation smell. Dark and fairly
forward.
98 Wahle Vineyard
Just above and essentially contiguous with McCrone. In '99 the fruit was
just perfect. This vineyard is older than McCrone and is planted to the
Pommard clone.
98 Shea Vineyard
98 Arcus Vineyard A property of Archery Summit, this wine shows a
natural soft and forward mouth feel and an inherent smokiness and earthy
character to the deep red fruits on the nose and palate.
98 Abbey Ridge Vineyard
98 McCrone Vineyard The wine from this site is powerful, dense, and
deeply colored.
98 Guadalupe Vineyard The wine possesses the character of black fruits,
cocoa, leather, and earth.
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.
