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Christina Kelly,
Avalon Wine Senior Editor

Christina Kelly spent the first half of her career as a journalist for daily newspapers and magazines. She left daily journalism to work in corporate marketing/communications, but as a passionate wine enthusiast, she continues to write about the Northwest wine industry (since 1997) for many national publications.

Christina is a multiple fellowship winner to the Professional Wine Writers Symposium in Napa, including 2012. Christina has written for Avalonwine.com for the past 12 years. She can be reached at winewriter@comcast.net.

Jean Yates
Avalon Wine Owner

Jean first worked with the Oregon wine industry in 1989, when she helped develop marketing brochures for wineries in the South Willamette. She then started Avalon, and has supported the industry through her wine shop and web site ever since. Jean enjoys promoting Oregon and Washington wines and bringing Northwest wines to the notice of the wine-loving public across the country. She previously worked in high tech marketing and research in Silicon Valley.

Jean built and continually updates the Avalon web site, writes our Wine Club Newsletter, numerous e-mail articles on NW wine, and articles for the web site. Her twenty five years of experience working with NW wineries and winemakers gives Avalon a deep knowledge of the industry. She's judged NW wine at various competitions since 1997. Jean's favorite activity is photography, and many of the images on the Avalon web site are hers. She's from NC via Palo Alto, and lives in the South Willamette wine country.

May 28, 2010, at 9:23 am

Oregon Wine – Laura Volkman Vineyards 2008 Pinot noirs

volkman-rachel-novint-250pEach vintage of Laura Volkman Vineyards’ Rachel and Jacob wines lingers fondly in my memory. They come and go in a few weeks each year, and I’ve been waiting impatiently for the 2008′s to be released. Yahoo – they’re here!  I’m delighted to drink and write about these two compelling 2008 Pinot noirs.

The Laura Volkman Vineyards
Jacob 08 $40.46 (any 12):
opulent and forceful, balancing power and finesse. It is complex and exceptional. Blackberry, cherry, rose petal and violet perfume usher in potent flavors of black raspberry, cherry compote, and savory spices. Concentrated and sensuous, it lingers and shows even more complexity in a long, silky finish.

The Laura Volkman Vineyards
Rachel 08 $34.16 (any 12)
: sensuous, supple, and concentrated, with a purity of fruit flavors. Elegant and graceful, sweet red raspberries and rose perfume announce an exceptionally silky textured, sensuous wine. Raspberries and red cherry fruit join sweet spice and minerals in an expansive, luscious balance of refinement and power. A long, smooth finish shows the structure and intensity to cellar and drink well for a decade. A Pinot lover’s treasure.

Laura Volkman single-handedly makes 500 cases of four wines, three Pinot noirs from her small Estate vineyard, and a minuscule amount of Chardonnay from Celilo Vineyard.

Her 2008 St. James Pinot noir 08 is, sadly, sold out. There is a tiny amount of her 2008 Chardonnay available. And we still have a bit of her splendid 2007 Pinots, beautiful wines that should be long gone.

Below, Rachel Volkman and Avalon’s Buffy, August, 2009.

volkman-rachel-buffy-500p

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