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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.1 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 10 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Sycamore on 9/18/2015 & rated 90 points: Fading some. Still really good for the age. Slight bricking. Aromatics a little jumpy -- sometimes muted, sometimes showing some pretty lively fruit and earth. Palate seems in conflict between fading and moving between secondary and tertiary components. Maybe the latter is it. Good wine on the overall. (1374 views) | | | Tasted by Sycamore on 11/27/2013 & rated 92 points: Exceeded expectations. Very youthful in all aspects. Color only very slightly browning, predictably cloudy. Fairly muted aromatics; some earth emerges with time. Might have guessed a wine 8 years or so younger if tasted blind. Enticing mix of spice and earth; some tannins still showing, but well integrated. This is really pretty awesome on the overall. Cadence on remaining bottles should be one next year at this time or so, then pace the other two over the next several years -- its conceivable that this could hit year 20 showing well...... (1741 views) | | | Tasted by Andy Steinman on 3/19/2011: Gone. (2548 views) | | | Tasted by Mallards on 3/23/2009 & rated 92 points: The hits just keep on coming. Fruity and masterful. Probably our 30th bottle of Brick House. Not one has ever disappointed. (2861 views) | | | Tasted by biggwater on 9/12/2008 & rated 95 points: lush, dark fruit, rich style, drinking very well...13.5% alc (2862 views) | | | Tasted by Mallards on 3/8/2008 & rated 92 points: No change in comments from 9/16/2007 comments. (1769 views) | | | Tasted by kstoddard on 10/12/2007 & rated 92 points: Cherry, earth, anise and some cola notes. Nice, elegant finish. My first experience with this producer. A very nice wine that paired quite well with truffle infused venison carpaccio. 13.5% alcohol. (1553 views) | | | Tasted by Mallards on 9/16/2007 & rated 92 points: Brick House wines are built to last. Unlike many of our other top shelf Oregon Pinots, this stuff just keeps getting better over the years! Don't be afraid to hold this, as it still has a couple good years on it. Lush deep dark fruitiness. The organic grapes give this wine an edge. (1250 views) | | | Tasted by lankler2 on 3/18/2007 & rated 90 points: great (1304 views) |
| Brick House Producer Website
In 1994 we began assembling plant material for one of the most exciting slopes on our forty-acre farm: the swale and ridge right outside the front windows of our old brick home. Rolling gently from our north boundary fence to the foot of tall Douglas fir in our woods, it is a south facing ridge with exposure on both the east and west sides of the central spine.
For such a site, we sought the finest plants available: the new “Dijon clones” of Pinot Noir were just beginning to find their way to West Coast nurseries. We ordered Dijon clones 113 and 115 from King Estate’s plant propagation program and grafted clone 114 from the nursery and Domaine Drouhin Oregon and planted them over nearly nine acres of ground one stormy February day in 1995.
Four years later the first wine from the Dijon block -- the 1998 “Les Dijonnais”-- was awarded 94 points by the Wine Spectator. Ten years after that vintage a Spectator retrospective placed the “Les Dijonnais” at the top of the chart of Oregon’s 1998 Pinot Noirs. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate honored the 2002 “Les Dijonnais” with 94 points. The 2005, 2006 and 2007 “D.J.’s” garnered more acclaim as the vines matured and the winemaker grew more confident in how best to handle their wonderful fruit. Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Oregon Oregon Wine, Oregon Wineries (Oregon Wine Board)Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley (Oregon Wine Board)
On weinlagen-info including some single vineyards
Willamette Valley Vintage Reviews
Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley AVA Wikipedia article
#2012 vintage:
"Broadly speaking, the Willamette Valley's 2012 pinots are fleshy and fruit-dominated, with round tannins and forward personalities. The fruit tends to the darker side of the pinot spectrum--think cherry and blackberry rather than strawberry and raspberry, much less cranberry and redcurrant--and this gives the wines massive crowd appeal. The best wines also have the depth to age, so don't be fooled by their accessible nature in the early going." - Josh Raynolds
#2013 vintage:
"The key to a successful foray into the ‘13s is first to understand that in most instances the wines lean to the red fruit side of Pinot Noir; they tend to be tangy and tightly wound but often lack concentration. While some wines may put on weight and gain sweetness with bottle age, that’s a gamble I’ll personally leave to others. The 2013s also tend to lack the tannic structure for more than mid-term aging although they will likely endure on their acidity, which I suspect will usually outlast the fruit in this vintage" - Josh Raynolds
#2014 vintage:
"The 2014 vintage in Oregon may be remembered as the vintage of a lifetime [for growers] . . . these wines as they will be similar to the 2009 vintage . . . lovely, ripe, rich, deeply concentrated and aromatic" - winebusiness.com
"The conditions made it relatively easy to make good wines, with no worries about achieving ripeness, and the lack of frost risk allowed us to keep grapes on the vine as long as we wished." - Casey McClellan |
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