Sunny January day = tasting around off North Valley
Willamette Valley
Tasted Sunday, January 20, 2013 by David Paris (dbp) with 622 views
Introduction
It's rare to get such a beautifully clear day in January, so Ken and I decided to head out and taste wine off of North Valley Road, before winding up heading to Carlton and then back through Dundee. We missed the turn down North Valley, and had to turn around... but before doing so Ken grabbed this nice shot of the frozen trees. It was 23 degrees here this morninig. 
Flight 1 - Adelsheim (7 Notes)
I didn't use to be such a big fan of these wines years ago, but in the last few vintages they've been coming on strong and producing some of the most consistent wines around.
Flight 2 - Aramenta (7 Notes)
I haven't stopped here in a while, but it's always a fun stop, and I really enjoy the visit. The Looney's have owned this property since the 1960s and have converted it from orchards to cattle grassing to vines during their ownership. It's the wine that produces Archery Summit's Looney Vineyard wine that they charge $85 for. You can get fruit from the same winery here for $28. It's not nearly as structured as the Archery wine, but still...
Flight 3 - Bergström (7 Notes)
The 2011 lineup here was one of the best lineups I've had from Bergström... perhaps the leaner year was a good thing for my palate, as usually I'm not a big fan of these highly rated wines.
Flight 4 - Lemelson (5 Notes)
Fun to revisit some of these wines that I tasted on release mid last year. Definitely seeing some positive evolution.
Flight 5 - Noble Pig (5 Notes)
Without knowing where to go, we found a parking spot in Carlton and went to the first door we saw. I think pigs taste delicious, so it seemed a good fit. Too bad the wines don't taste as good as the creature on the cover.
Flight 6 - Dinner at Paulee (1 Note)
I was originally disappointed when Farm to Fork closed down because I used to love dining there after a trip to the valley. However, it certainly had slipped a bit at the end. Once I heard the CV's of the head folks at Paulee though I was quite excited to give it a shot. I was skeptical after I heard Daniel Mondok left Paulee (can the guy stay ANYWHERE?) but after talking to the chef's it sounded like perhaps it was a good thing. We sat at the Chef's table and talked to the folks at the restaurant throughout the evening. We did a 5 course meal and almost everything was fantastic. The only bummer were the mains, actually. But the foie gras and the escargot were divine. As was the coliflower dish. We will definitely be coming back here. 
2011 Adelsheim Chardonnay Caitlin's Reserve 91 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Smells rich, with mild oak spice; smooth and soft. Creamy palate texture that's quite lithe, with good lean green acidity and vibrancy. Penetrating acids on the finish, which is tart. Great stuff here. This is becoming one of my favorite Oregon Chardonnays.
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2011 Adelsheim Auxerrois Blanc Ribbon Springs 86 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Light and lean aromas that come across a bit grassy. The palate shows forward fruit and is tart, but overall quite light. A little tart and funky acidic grass on the finish, which is tart and puckering. Nice wine on the nose and palate, but the coating nature of these gnarly acids isn't too pleasing on the finish.
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2009 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Elizabeth's Reserve 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Loved this wine in 2008, but the '09 isn't nearly as interesting as that wine was, just showing some generic oakiness and darker fruits on the nose. The palate and finish were both quite lean and tart, making my mouth pucker. Very tight.
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2010 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Boulder Bluff 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Tart and very light in aroma, showing just some soft mild cherry. Nice soft texture on the palate, showing tart elegant fruits. Nice balance of acidity and building tannins. Wow, what an explosion of acidity at the end. This is quite tart and puckering. Nice stuff, though tight, this has a great future ahead of it. 90+
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2010 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Ribbon Springs 91 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
From 100% Pommard. This offers lush, creamy aromas with subtle underlying butterscotch and layers of cherry. The palate is more tart and lean, showing some nice green tinged fruit, mild balanced tannins and acidity. Nice and tart. The finish offers a nice eruption of acidity and offering layers and waves of flavor. Nice stuff.
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2009 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Bryan Creek Vineyard 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
Too much 2009ness on this one, with quite a bit larger fruits, yet more oak, and an overall soft profile on the nose. The palate offers mellow fruit, is large in scale but mild overall. Big and tart finish, with plenty of acid at the end, causing lots of puckering. This is a strange package, with the large scale of fruit on the nose and palate and then the lean puckering acid at the end. Doesn't feel in balanced for me and isn't a seamless experience.
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2010 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard 92 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Dark and deep color and aromas which are rich, but layered and complete. Deep in texture, showing nice rich and tart fruits, with impeccable balance. Large body here but it's balanced. Wow, the finish is imposingly structured, but showing some nice tart fruit and very pleasing balanced tannins. The whole thing seems to unfold on your palate after swallowing. Delicious stuff.
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