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-Highest Rated Oregon Pinot Noir
About Oregon Pinot noir
Articles from our archives
How Pinot noir Ages
by Lisa Shara Hall
The ageability of
Pinot noir--like the aging of any wine--is a
complicated and controversial subject. That topic
was the focus of the most recent International
Pinot noir Celebration (IPNC) in McMinnville,
Oregon. While panelists raised many issues, and winemakers
presented both young and older Burgundian and Oregon
Pinots to taste, not surprisingly, no consensus was
achieved. article
continues
About Oregon Pinot noir
by Jim LaMar
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to
be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Ancient
Romans knew this grape as Helvenacia Minor and vinified
it as early as the first century AD. Recognized worldwide
as a great wine grape, pinot noir has many alias...article
continues
Beyond Expectations
On the Oregon Pinot noir Trail|
by M.L.Lyke
We drove into Oregon wine country with wipers on intermittent,
stereo on low, expectations in check. A fine, soft
rain blurred the outlines of things -- the filbert
orchards and grazing sheep, the slumping red barns
and old-timey storefronts, the rolling green pillows
of land and the acres of vineyards that climbed them.
I had come to investigate the
region's celebrated pinot noir -- the most elusive
of wines, made from the fussiest of grapes, in this
subtlest of Northwest landscapes, tucked beneath
layered blankets of low gray clouds. article continues
article continues
Rock the Cellars!
Music to Make Wine To
by Mike Sherwood
Does listening to jam bands such as ‘Sound
Tribe Sector Nine’ during
harvest make Andrew
Rich’s Syrah taste jammier?
Does ‘punching down’ the fruit to
classical music lend an elegant finish to Beaux
Frères Pinot Noirs? This
is something only your palate and imagination
can decide.
Music
adds a dimension to the wine making process that
doesn’t make it to the back label description.
From the gentle cadence of Gregorian chant at Owen
Roe to the bold strains of the Jimi
Hendrix Experience heard while stirring
a cauldron of biodynamic spray at Brick
House, music is an inspirational partner
in the winemaking process. article continues
The Ways that Winemakers Think
about the Weather
by Jean Yates
What do winemakers and
vineyard managers talk about when they get together?
Chances are, the topic over a beer at Lumpy's (a
tavern in Dundee frequented by lots of wine people)
will be the weather. article
continues
Oregon's 2005 Vintage
info from Oregon Wine Board
Oregon’s 2005 wine
harvest is described as good to excellent by vineyard
owners and winemakers across the state. Increased
crop levels and ripeness profiles indicate favorable
flavor structure and higher acidity than
in past years. In Southern Oregon, particularly,
perfect weather may reult in their highest
quality harvest ever. article continues
Oregon's 2005 VIntage- A Preview
by Cole Danehower
As a wine writer, I get
used to hearing from winemakers how “great” each
vintage is. Never, in the course of asking
how they feel about a new vintage, have I yet
heard a winemaker say: “It sucks!”
Of course, since 1998
in Oregon, none of our vintages really has been
bad. Every vintage has proven to be quite wonderful — each
different (and offering different appeals to consumers),
but each excellent in its own way. article continues
Oregon's 2004 Vintage
by Cole Danehower
Here’s my best end-of-the-year
tip for Oregon wine consumers: Buy 2004 . . . buy,
buy, buy!
Sure, this story is appearing
on a wine retailer’s
website, so I run the risk of looking like an industry
shill. But I’m telling subscribers to my independent
Oregon Wine Report the same thing—and I have
NO wine-selling links with any winery, retailer,
or wholesaler: it doesn’t impact me one whit
whether sales of Oregon’s 2004 vintage rise,
fall, or stagnate.
But I happen to think that 2004
is Oregon’s
best overall vintage since 1999—and perhaps
the lowest-yielding vintage since 1998—so
I still say: be savvy, buy 2004 Oregon wines. article
continues
Shea Vineyard
A Tour, Block by Block
by Jean Yates
Shea Vineyard has
been declared one of only ten "American Grand Crus" by
Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The vineyard's grapes
make some of Oregon's top rated wines, including
wines from Beaux Freres, St Innocent, Penner-Ash,
Broadley, Bergstrom, and Francis Tannahill. The
Shea Vineyard name has become one of the most
prestigious labels in Oregon, placing it squarely
among the elite terroirs of New World Pinot noir.
Owners Dick and Deirdre Shea are in the enviable
position of picking and choosing the wineries
they supply. And in 1998, they started commercial
production of their own wines, under the Shea Wine
Cellars label. article continues
Shea Vineyard
Bottling the 2004 VIntage
by Jean Yates
Have you ever visited
a winery and wondered what the impressive stainless
steel equipment is all about? Or perhaps you've seen
a winery processing grapes or in the middle of bottling.
Shea Wine Cellars bottled their entire 2004 vintage
on August 9 and 10, 2005, and here's what happened.article
continues
Shea Vineyards 2004 Pinot noirs
Wines Reviewed
by Jean Yates
Serious wine collectors,
particularly those who follow American Pinot
noir, are seeking out the winery of the owners of
one of America's top vineyards, Shea
Wine Cellars.
Dick and Dierdre Shea's Shea Vineyard has
received national recognition for the high
quality of its fruit. Robert
Parker's highest
rating given to an Oregon Pinot noir is 96
points, given to a wine made from Shea's
Wadenswil vines. article continues
Oregon's Shea Vineyard in Depth
by Cole Danehower
If you talk
to knowledgeable consumers about the Shea Vineyard
releases that are in the market, it becomes clear
why this single-vineyard designation is so sought
after: aficionados get wonderful wines from a variety
of Oregon’s leading winemakers. article
continues
Shea Vineyard 2002 Pinot noirs Reviewed
by Jean Yates
Back in January of 2003,
Dick Shea, owner of Shea Vineyard and Shea Wine Cellars,
and Sam Tannahill, his winemaker, were kind enough
to show us their then in barrel 2002 Pinot noirs
and we were super impressed. Sam, as winemaker at
Archery Summit, had always made super rich, highly
complex Pinot noirs, but this was the first time
we'd tried his wines out of the Archery context.
They were stunning back in January, and now that
they have been released, we can say that they have
only improved. article continues
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The nose shows off all there is to like in Shea Pinots: ripe fruit, shades of violets, and seductive toasty oak. Rich, delicious layers of blueberry, boysenberry, currant and raspberry coast powerfull
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Avalon Tasting Notes
The most seductive, mouthfilling Beaux Freres Pinot noir to date. Let the fanfare begin!
It's an orchestra of mixed fruits, all delivered in a superbly
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92 points Wine Spectator! "Lithe in texture, with refined tannins, wrapping around a glowing core of raspberry, cherry and cinnamon flavors, drifting through the finish as if unmoored from the cris
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ROCO's 2006 Pinot noir's release in May 2008 coincides with Avalon Wine sending it to our Reserve Pinot noir Club. members will receive 15% off reorders.
The ROCO Pinot noir 2006's deep garnet c
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Antica Terra Pinot noir 06 is lovely - subtle floral notes mingle with scents of raspberry jam and a hint of toast. A beautifully ripe and rich palate of fruit unravels, showing succulent black cherr
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Save $46.45 from $356.40 retail
3- Et Fille Palmer Creek 06 $32
3- Redman Pinot noir 06 $27
3- Cancilla Cellars Pinot noir 06 $30
3-
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6- "The Beaux Freres Vineyard" 06 $80
4- Willamette Valley 06 $50
2- "The Upper Terrace" 06 $90
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Wine Spectator 92 points
"There's a gentle firmness to the texture, with fine tannins
underlying focused black cherry and ripe currant fruit
that lingers beautifully against lea
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The Stewart Pinot noir 2005 is Avalon's favorite of the Boedecker Cellars bottlings for two years in a row! Generous, juicy cherry and ripe raspberry flavors just keep on giving. The wine issuccul
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Patton Valley's 2006 Pinot noir is a fleshy, structured 2006 Pinot loaded with black berry and dark currant fruit, accented with heady aromas of cherry cream. Plums build as the finish powers on, pi
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The 2006 Shea Vineyard Estate 06 Pinot noir is dark garnet in color. Upon opening the bottle, scents of blackberry and cherry are complemented by subtle hints of sweet spice and rose petal.
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Last night I cracked into a 2006 Et Fille Palmer Creek Pinot for the first time since trying it in December. WOW, am I glad I did. It was a bit young last year, but now it's kicking ass. At $32 it
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Did we say Mark Ryan and Willamette Valley? Indeed. Mark loves Pinot noir, and decided to source grapes from Lachini Vineyard to produce four barrels of 2006 Pinot noir, named Black Love after th
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Rose hips, chamomile and light pretty flowers on the nose open to red current, rose, and black bramble notes on the palate. Like a mid-summers rain shower. Really lovely.
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Absolutely solid in fruit profile, tannin stucture, and acidity. Ripe blackberries and big bing cherries mix with dense earth to create an irresistable pinot. The layers of complexity build from the
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Avalon's tasting notes:
Fragrant and spicy, with a pretty perfumed nose of lovely violets, graham and lush red fruit. Opulent, creamy red cherries and berries fill your mouth. Sweet
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Beaux Freres Pinot noir Ribbon Ridge The Upper Terrace 06
Wine Spectator 94 Points and Wine Spectator "HOT" Wine in Wine Spectator "Insider" for May 7, 2008:
Elegant and refin
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Cleo's Hill Pinot noir is made by the owners of Murto Vineyard, from their own fruit. Murto VIneyard is the sourced for fruit that goes into wines from Ken Wright and other top wineries.
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Big and earthy on the nose and opens to a deep concentrated red cherry on the palate. Bits of bramble and fruit leather combine in this very lush 06 Pinot. Chewy tannins on the finish will give this
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Yowza, this is delicious! Deep earthy elements on the nose open up to milk chocolate covered cherry notes on the palate. Little tinges of mineral make their way onto the palate but this is a well in
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Possibly the last of the 2002 Oregon Pinots to be released, 2002 was a near perfect vintage, and comparisons are being made between this wine and the world famous 1975 Eyrie Pinot noir that shook u
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Dang. Beautifully textured and rich, with a density of black fruit, boysenberry, ripe cherry and raspberry flavors accented with dried herbs and earth. Totally seamless.
Maresh Vineyard
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A reserve-level Pinot without the price tag. The 2006 Cadmus opens with red and black cherries, fresh plums, and hints of dark raspberry. One-third new oak contributes an exotic, integrated spice co
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New vintage October 2007
Previous vintage notes:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Ripe aromas of raspberry, plum, and black cherry are nicely complimented by oak spice, cola, and minerality. Th
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Antica Terra Six Pack
2 - Botanica Pinot noir 06 $64.95
4 - Willamette Valley Pinot noi
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This is wine of dark cherries and blueberries wrapped in a rose petal package. The Wadensvil clone (at some point this will likely be the best part of the vineyard) provides such a unique level of fem
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From the Penner-Ash Estate Vineyard. Aromas of dried rose petal, baked cherry pie and spice. Lush, textured palate with hints of sweet vanilla, blackberry and chocolate. Fine tannins move into a seaml
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Redman's 2006 Pinot noir features red fruit in both scent and flavor, which is typical of the 2006 vintage. Aromas of red currant and red raspberry dominate, with hints of fresh turned earth and f
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"cool and beautifully complex nose of briar, dark berry fruit and a nuance of animale merges into barely medium weight flavors that possess impressive focus and detail on the pure and linear finish
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The nose has complex fruit and flower notes. The palate is textured and silky. Ripe red cheries, raspberry notes and black fruit undertones develop as the wine flows onto the lingering finish. Vineyar
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Mind-blowing satiny texture, you can drink it just to appreciate the supple body. Bonus, there's more--sophisticated soft raspberry tones and bits of dried rose petal build through the finish, pickin
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Typically, the Pinot noir from this vineyard is quite forward, with aromas of black cherry and cola. Ken has worked with this vineyard for over ten years.
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. One of the best surprises of the 2005 vintage. Sun-ripened blackberries and milk chocolate aromas are the gateway to a silky, creamy, elegant dark berry and plum core that swe
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Pretty dark cherry and cinnamon stick is just the beginning: juicy, lush, ideally ripe fruit sweetens on the palate, with layers of dark cherry, blackberry, and plum fanning outward. Hints of grah
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A broad-shouldered beauty. Super-ripe, yet with all the necessary
"stuffing"--tons of blueberry and dark dried cherry with spicy
cinnamon cream accents. For fans of bigger Pinots, the Kalita hits it
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A brilliant new find! Bright aromas of red berries, black cherries, thyme, and earth lead into a juicy, seamlessly layered core of raspberry with darker black currant background notes, all laced w
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Forward and big, red black berry and cherry notes with hints of spice. Only made in years that the Estate vineyard produces exceptional fruit.
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The 2006 is an extremely dark, dense wine that combines the red, lifted fruit qualities of the Dundee Hills that are set off beautifully by the minerality of the two Ribbon Ridge sites and the lush, b
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New Pinot from CA fruit.
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Lively red fruit in a silky package. Sweet raspberry pie, red currant, wild strawberry and milk chocolate coats your palate. Juicy acidity balances the almost sappy fruit on the finish The 06 Canci
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A wine of assertive volume, ripe fruit, deep soil minerals, and balanced vine maturity, this wine is worthy of time in the glass while you work on your list of favorite adjectives. Sourced exclusiv
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"a fragrant perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, smoke, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. The layers of sweet black fruits are matched by crisp acidity and well-concealed tannin. The finish is
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Referring to the 2005 vintage of this wine, from Robert Parker's website, 10/07:
"...falls on the dark fruit side of the spectrum both arom
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"It offers a fragrant perfume, a plush palate, and a lighter, more elegant style than its peers. There is bracing acidity to provide uplift, excellent balance, and ample ripe, sweet fruit." -
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Fresh blackberry, black raspberry, and black cherry scents rule in the nose, with sweet black stone and berry fruit flavors following through in the mouth. Smooth, silky tannins bolster heaps of fr
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The 05 Labyrinth opens with concentrated, sweet black cherry and berry aromas mingling with hints of Earl Grey tea, smoke, and dried herbs. A lush attack follows, revealing bright, fleshy red fruits
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Made by Sineann's Master Winemaker, Peter Rosback, the back of the bottle presents his ruminations on this wine:
"What a long fruity journey. Seems like just yesterday. caressed by
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Wine Spectator Rating
"Rich in texture, this harmonious wine shows ripe blackberry and cherry flavors shaded with pepper and licorice notes, mingling smoothly on the graceful fi | |
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