Pinot fans who prize bang for the buck: order this wine!

J. Christopher Basalte Pinot Noir 2019

J. Christopher Basalte Pinot Noir 2019

Regular price$ 29.95
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93 points Wine Spectator Insider 8/9/2023: "Gracefully structured, with a vibrant beam of cherry and raspberry flavors accented by stony minerality and dusky spices. Builds richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030."

Pinot fans who prize bang for the buck: stop what you're doing and order this wine. We are neither joking nor exaggerating—J. Christopher Basalte 2019 is such a world-rocking value in silky, so-deliciously-ready-to-drink Willamette Valley Pinot noir that we were stopped in our tracks upon tasting it and did a triple-take on the price. We're confident you'll feel the same way the first time you pour yourself a glass. 93 is a whopper of a score from Wine Spectator for a sub-$30 Willamette Valley Pinot; forget the accolades if you want and just read our note. An astounding Pinot deal that—just stop reading and start ordering!—has such wonderful silky flavor that it lingers for minutes.

Us: Daaaaaamn this is tasty—so pretty and aromatic with such a big beautiful cherry heart. The extra time in bottle before release has made this as silky as sub-$30 Pinot gets, with remarkable flavor lingering through the finish. For real! Like we said, stop what you're doing and grab some now!


 

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Arterberry Maresh 2021s

If there were any doubts—there weren't from our perspective—the last couple vintages have put them to rest: Arterberry Maresh is solidly among the top 10 Willamette Valley wineries. The sophistication and style of Jim Maresh's wines has miraculously grown—a miracle because the wines were already among the best. And the ratings? That's a whole other but quite similar story—the scores given to Jim Maresh's red and white wines have been jaw-dropping.

So here we are with the "official" release of Jim's 2021 Pinot noirs, weak-in-the-knees-swoon-worthy, not yet rated except for us, your favorite Willamette Valley wine experts having stamped them all with "must-have" ratings. We have a hunch that when the reviews do come for this line-up, the world will clammer for them and gobble them up instantly. It's what happened with Arterberry Maresh 2019s and the '21s are every bit as good—better, we think, because of the incredible fruit quality of the 2021s that makes them sing even now, without sacrificing a lick of age-worthiness.

So today, we advise you to be wise: add the 2021 Arterberry Maresh Pinots to your collection before the reviews drop because their delicious quality demands it.


From Heckler to Believer:

Corollary's brilliant Willamette Valley sparkling wines will make you rethink what Oregon sparkling wine can be.

I'll be the first to admit: for many years, I would have called myself a heckler when it came to Willamette Valley sparkling wine. I'd be in the crowd yelling "Champagne can do it better!" What a jerk.

The first wines to begin changing my perspective came from Michael Lundeen. But still, I saw those wines more as outliers. Then I accepted a tasting appointment with Dan Diephouse, co-proprietor/winemaker of Corollary, a new producer making only Willamette Valley sparkling wine. That's right, only.

Before I even tasted a Corollary sparkling wine I was impressed with Dan's fluency in sparkling wine language, his modesty mixed with quiet confidence. And then came the wines. Like the Grinch who heard all the Whos singing, my heart grew several sizes and I'm here to tell you: I believe in Willamette Valley sparkling wine and I believe in Corollary's wines.

Fans of Blanc des Blancs: you simply have to try the X Omni Vineyard 2018. Our Chardonnay fans will recognize the vineyard from Morgen Long's show-stopper wine. Fans of rosé: Corollary's Momtazi Vineyard Carbonic Rosé 2019 is an utterly brilliant, one-of-a-kind in Willamette Valley wine that delivers on Corollary's promise: to make you rethink what Oregon sparkling wine can be. The well-rounded soul of the program, Cuvée One 2019, will become a new house favorite.

Whether you're closer to the old version of me (heckler) or the new version (believer), if you enjoy sparkling wine even occasionally I urge you to check these out, and to do it quickly because they are ultra-small production. They transcend "special occasion" wines to become their own special occasions: beautiful bottles to savor with your favorite people, any time you choose. Cheers to discovery and to you!!


J.C. Somers Joie de Chien Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021

J.C. Somers Joie de Chien Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021

Regular price$ 29.95
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We have a major "insider" Pinot noir deal for you—a single-vineyard wine from one of the Willamette Valley's most famous neighborhoods, made by a celebrated winemaker—with a fun name, label, and price. Oh, and it's fantastic, too!

Introducing J.C. Somers Joie de Chien Dundee Hills 2021, made by Jay Somers who after a stint at Cameron launched his J. Christopher winery. Jay's newest project is J.C. Somers, one which sees him rely on deep relationships with top-notch growers. Part of the "insider" info: Jay's '21 Joie de Chien is 100% Nicholas Family Vineyard, formerly Bella Vida, a mere driveway from the legendary Maresh Vineyard. Mostly Pommard clone and a little Wadenswil clone Pinot noir from vines nearing 25 years-old, it has outsized character for its humble price.

The name Joie de Chien—joy of dog—references Jay's love of dogs and specifically German Shepherds which have long been integral members of his family. You don't have to be a dog-lover to love this wine; all you need is an appreciation for outstanding and authentic Pinot noir at a great price. Last piece of critical info for such a tasty deal: tiny production means you should pounce on it like a dog on dinner!

I've been sipping on a bottle since Monday evening and I know what fantastic Willamette Valley Pinot smells and tastes like, and this is it! The depth and texture of single-vineyard Pinot noir without the price, this is a joy to open and sip any night of the week and impressive enough for special occasions. I like it so much I threw out the usual flavor descriptors—it's an amazing mouthful of Dundee Hills deep red fruits with elegance to spare. Hurray and grab some while you can! -Marcus

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The best wine in America? Decanter thinks so.

A provocative subject line, so let's examine the numbers. Decanter Magazine's 2023 World Wine Awards is the largest wine competition on the planet. 18,250 wines from 57 countries were entered into the competition, judged by 236 experts worldwide (a significant portion of whom are Masters of Wine). A staggeringly small percentage of wines—only 50—received the top honor: Best in Show. Only 1 American wine received a Best in Show, a Willamette Valley Pinot noir.

As discerning Willamette Valley wine nerds, when we see press like this we have to conduct our own test drive. The results? The wine in question is breathtaking, truly a wine worth celebrating, a perfect example of Dundee Hills Pinot noir. A huge bearhug of congratulations to our good buddy Ian Burch, winemaker at Archery Summit, for his phenomenal Best-in-Show 2021 Dundee Hills Pinot noir!

Archery Summit Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021

Regular price$ 59.95
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Best in Show Decanter World Wine Awards, 97 points. The only American wine to win Best in Show!

"No one is naïve about the difficulties and challenges of growing Pinot Noir away from its home in Burgundy (even there, of course, it isn’t easy). Pinot has taken to Oregon’s Willamette Valley with remarkable success, though, and especially to the red-soiled Dundee Hills. This 2021 wine is a fine example of the charm, balance and satisfaction that fine Dundee Hills Pinot can provide. Translucent scarlet in colour, with magnetically attractive raspberry scents, once on the palate the wine is soft-contoured yet energetic, with arresting intensity of fruit. Here the raspberry shades into something more curranty and tenacious, and there are refreshing bitter notes in the finish, too, with a hint of earthiness perhaps derived from the clays of volcanic origin in which the vines grow. The warm edge of cool climate? Perhaps–and it makes for beautiful drinking."

Us: From the instant I had this in a glass, its gorgeous aromas filled my senses; the note above says "magnetically attractive" and it's spot on. Sometimes in wine competitions you see the biggest/boldest wines excel because of how they stand out but this wins because of its elegant intensity and vitality. To echo the note above, because there really aren't better words, this is pure charm, balance, and satisfaction. After 24 hours opened, I'm still blown away. -Marcus

 

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Archery Summit Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021

One of the world's great Cabs

For many years we've called Andrew Will Sorella one of the country's great Cabernets and now, after reading one of 2018 Sorella's reviews, perhaps we have to change "country's" to "world's."

Our enormous fondness for Sorella is echoed by critics. Whether it's "Trust me, this will pass undetected in a blind lineup of top Bordeaux" or "Set your calendar and put this on your shopping list for when it’s released," it is clear that Sorella is one of the true cornerstones of a Washington red wine collection. Oh, did we mention it is built on a foundation of the legendary 1972-planted Block 1 of Champoux Vineyard, Washington's most famous Cabernet vineyard and source of multiple 100-point Cabernets from a winery with the initials QC.

No need to set your calendar because today is the day: Sorella 2018 is here and ready for you!

Andrew Will Sorella 2018

Andrew Will Sorella 2018

Regular price$ 99.95
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97+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "The flagship from this great estate is the 2018 Sorella, a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend (8% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot and the 4% Petit Verdot) that spent the same 22 months in 35% new French oak. Gorgeous crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, lead pencil, and chocolate define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and has a great, great finish. A classically styled, structured, age-worthy beauty, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. Trust me, this will pass undetected in a blind lineup of top Bordeaux." 


96+ points Wine Advocate: 
"Juicy, dusty and spicy aromas waft from the glass with succulent, floral notes that capture the nose. Spiced red cherries, potpourri and dusty black raspberry essences cartwheel with notions of lavender and rose hip before offering up delicate baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is initially subdued and grows in amplitude while offering a balanced structure with succulent tannins. The longer the wine sits on the palate, it increases in spiciness under the ripe, juicy dark red fruit tones. The Sorella continues to evolve in the mouth with persistence, lingering long, leaving behind flavors graphite, crème de cassis and black cherry skin. Just under 8,000 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in all French oak, 35% new. Set your calendar and put this on your shopping list for when it’s released. Bravo, another stunning vintage of Sorella on the books."

Of course there's power—it is Washington Cabernet—yet Sorella's strength is its suave, sophisticated delivery of simply amazing Cabernet fruit from legendary vines. The 2018 opens plushly, immediately captivating thanks to beautiful aromas (it makes me think of a perfect, still warm black cherry pastry) which pull you into the purple-blue-black velvet robe of magnificent Champoux fruit. Exceptional balance carries the day—it feels buoyant and silky while gradually unveiling its structure with successive sips. I would open one now for the pure pleasure of it, knowing that any bottles you cellar are guaranteed to shine for many (many) years to come. -Marcus

For many years we've called Andrew Will Sorella one of the country's great Cabernets and now, after reading one of 2018 Sorella's reviews, perhaps we have to change "country's" to "world's."

Our enormous fondness for Sorella is echoed by critics. Whether it's "Trust me, this will pass undetected in a blind lineup of top Bordeaux" or "Set your calendar and put this on your shopping list for when it’s released," it is clear that Sorella is one of the true cornerstones of a Washington red wine collection. Oh, did we mention it is built on a foundation of the legendary 1972-planted Block 1 of Champoux Vineyard, Washington's most famous Cabernet vineyard and source of multiple 100-point Cabernets from a winery with the initials QC.

No need to set your calendar because today is the day: Sorella 2018 is here and ready for you!


 

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