Willamette Valley Wines presents: Pinot in the City
City Winery, Chicago, IL
Tasted March 7, 2013 by KeithAkers with 1,012 views
Introduction
When I got the email that this would be coming into town, I made sure to RSVP it as fast as possible. To have that many OR wines on display was always going to get my attention. So, I made sure to get there relatively early before the main crowd got there so I could get in more tasting.
Flight 1 - Chehalem Mountains (8 notes)
Taste: Very pretty medium body with medium/high acidity that is very noticeable. The structure certainly lets itself be known along with elegant tones of chinese 5-spice, red cherries, floral tones and some dark red fruits.
Overall: This is a beautiful and feminine pinot. While it is medium bodied, it has a lighter touch and a real prettiness to it. It will need some time to fully show itself and it could really turn into something with time.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some good tannins. The structure is definitely there, but there are pretty and almost delicate tones of red fruits, plums, spice tones, and wild strawberries.
Overall: This is very young, but there is a lot to like right now. It has a delicate quality to it, but it isn't dainty. Instead it leads more towards finesse and nuance to achieve it's goal.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. This is well balanced with very good tones of plums, red cherries, red fruits, and rose petals. The acidity isn't too overpowering and there are good supporting tannins as well.
Overall: This could use a couple of years, but the structure isn't too overpowering.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity. The feel is very smooth with a fatter style to it along with tones of peaches, spiced pears, star fruits, and cream tones.
Overall: This is a quality viognier. It has some good depth with it being more on the larger side.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and good tannins. The structure is showing its youth with lovely tones of red fruits, red cherries, spice tones and red florals.
Overall: This is a really pretty young pinot. There is very good balance on both the nose and palate with nice depth as well. This also has a nice laid back quality to it as well.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity. The feel is smooth and plush with tones of berries, red cherries, and baking spices.
Overall: This is a nice and plush pinot. It does lack some depth, but the fruit is good and upfront right now.
Taste: Nice and balanced medium body with medium+ acidity. The acidity is a bit noticeable along with tones of cherries, spices, and red florals.
Overall: This is a very good pinot noir. It shows a lighter side to it with very good balance, but it just slightly lacks some depth. It's a very pretty wine right now and should develop with a few more years.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. There are some noticeable tannins as well. The structure is a bit imposing along with very good depth and classy tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones, rhubarb, and wild strawberries.
Overall: This is a really good young pinot noir. There is very good balance and depth with really good tones on both the nose and palate. This really could develop into something special.
Flight 2 - Ribbon Ridge (3 notes)
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some sneaky tannins. The structure catches you by surprise along with pretty tones of red fruits, spices, and floral tones.
Overall: This is an elegant Pinot. There is a real nice style to it with good elegance and finesse.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The structure is showing the youth right now along with tones of hi-tones red fruits, cherries, wild flowers, and spice tones.
Overall: This is a very pretty Pinot. There is very good balance on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Gorgeous and silky medium body with medium/high acidity. The structure shows its youth along with beautiful tones of red fruits, cherries, plums, roses, and lots of wild flowers.
Overall: This was showing beautifully. This was one of the best wines on the day and was more open than in january. There was very good depth and layering already. I would love to see where this goes with age.
Flight 3 - Dundee (15 notes)
Taste: Light bodied with crisp medium/high acidity. The feel is very nice and there are very good tones of red fruits, strawberries, and some white fruits.
Overall: This is a really good rose. There is good balance to it on both the nose and palate with a real refreshing quality as well.
Taste: There is a real sexy medium feel to this with noticeable medium+ acidity and some silky tannins. The structure is a bit sneaky as it comes up more on the back end. This also has some very pretty and silky tones of red cherries, minerals, red fruits, and all sorts of roses on the back end.
Overall: This is a gorgeous debut pinot from Antica Terra. Shows the nuance of the vintage and runs with the elegance. I'd love to see where this goes in the future.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some nice and silky tannins. The feel is very pretty with tones of rhubarb, spices, mineral rich earth, and red cherries.
Overall: This is a very young an precocious Pinot. There is very good depth on both the nose and palate with a real freshness to it as well.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and some noticeable tannins. The tones of plums, oak, wood spices and dark red cherries show a richer side.
Overall: This is a chunky and four square wine. It's decent, but really doesn't show the qualities of the vintage
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and some chewy tannins. The tones of dark red cherries, oak, wood spices, and some candy tones are on the richer side.
Overall: The oak is on the heavier handed side, but this does seem to hold it better.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The feel is polished with very good tones of apples, minerals, pears, and some white fruits.
Overall: This is a real quality sparkler. The minerality has a racy side to it with good balance on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity. There is nice balance to the tones of creams, roasted nuts, and peaches.
Overall: This is a quality chard. It's a fuller bodied chard, but it isn't too big. There is good balance on both the palate and nose with a creaminess as well.
Taste: Medium bodies with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The tones of roses, spice tones, red fruits, and fresh picked berries lean towards the feminine.
Overall: This is a lovely Pinot. It has a more feminine style to it and is very attractive.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. There was good balance to the tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones and wild flowers. The tones are more cool and are fairly laid back.
Overall: This feels like it's drinking pretty well right now. It could use some more depth on both the nose and palate, but the cool and laid back quality to the tones is very attractive.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity. The feel is more plush with solid tones of dark red fruits, rhubarb, dark berries, and a bit of strawberries.
Overall: This was a solid pinot. It has good balance, but it lacks depth along with it's more forward nature.
Taste: Light bodied with crisp medium+ acidity. The tones of peaches and white fruits are nice and fresh.
Overall: This is a nice and straightforward pinot gris. It's not the most complex wine, but it's balanced and crisp.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The tones of red fruits, cherries, and strawberries are well balanced with good depth. The structure shows the youth of the wine.
Overall: While the complexity isn't fully there yet, there is nice depth and balance on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some silky tannins. The tones of red fruits, violets, red cherries, strawberries, and a bit of rhubarb are pretty with very good balance.
Overall: The structure isn't too big, but the wine is on the youthful side. The nose is wound a bit more tight than the palate, but there is a really good wine waiting to emerge down the road.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and good tannins. This is nicely balanced with darker tones of dark red cherries, spices, and crushed rocks.
Overall: This is a very nice 09. It isn't as forward as others that I have come across. It has a darker quality to it and it could take a couple of years to fully round into form.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and some good tannins. The structure is there, but not overpowering. There is good balance tones the tones of dark red fruits, raspberries, crushed rocks, and spice tones.
Overall: This could also use a couple of years to round into form. This has good balance on both the nose and palate with a lot of rock and mineral based tones.
Flight 4 - Yamhill-Carlton (25 notes)
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The feel is more on the forward side with warm tones of red fruits, cherries, plums, and bits of spice. This is just lacking some depth that would really make this better.
Overall: this is a very good pinot. It has a more forward quality to it, but the fruit is nice and balanced. It is slightly lacking some depth, but is very easy to like.
Taste: light bodied with medium+ acidity. While it lacks some depth, there are very good tones of peaches, lemon zest, and mineral tones.
Overall: While not the most complex pinot gris, it has a nice mineral quality to it. It's very easy to drink and is nice and refreshing.
Taste: Light bodied with medium acidity. The tones of lemon zest, minerals, and white fruits are easy, but lacking depth.
Overall: This lacks depth and any real definition. It's a nice wine, but not all too memorable.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some noticeable tannins. The acidity is on the sharp side along with tones of red fruits, cherries, and some spice tones.
Overall: This is a nice and pretty pinot. It could use a couple of years to sort itself, but it's very drinkable right now.
Taste: Light bodied with crisp medium+ acidity. The tones of minerals and white florals are nice, but the mid-palate is lacking.
Overall: This is a nice Pinot Gris, but it isn't all too memorable. The tones are nice, but there isn't too much depth on either the nose or palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some nice tannins. The palate leans green with some stemmy tones, herbs, red fruits, and rhubarb tones.
Overall: This is on the greener side. It is on the delicate side, but is just a bit too herbal.
Taste: Lighter bodied with medium+ acidity. There are good and balanced tones of red fruits and spices.
Overall: This didn't taste like most 09s I've had. It seems to have a cooler expression, but it did lack complexity and depth on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity. There is some real polish to the feel and tones of peaches, custard, red apples, and some cream tones with a touch of minerals.
Overall: This is a quality chard. It has a creaminess to it on both the nose and palate, but is far from being too rich and big.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and some polished tannins. Very balanced with silky and polished tones of dark red fruits, baking spices, roses, and some red cherries.
Overall: This has some really good balance with a slightly larger take to it. This has a lot of polish and class to it, it just needs to smooth out.
Taste: Fuller bodied with medium acidity with some supporting tannins. Well balanced with plump, but slightly chunky tones of licorice, dark red fruits, and black cherries.
Overall: It's hard to tell where this will go. It is chunky, plump, and lacking some expression. If it can shed some of that fat then it could really improve. But, right now, it isn't that.
Taste: Full bodied with very good balance and some very noticeable medium/high acidity. The feel is classy with the structure being a bit imposing, but there are excellent tones of minerals, lemon curds, white peaches, and red apples.
Overall: This is a real winner. It will need some time to balance out, but this could really be a stunner with some age.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some silky tannins. The structure shows the youth of the wine along with pretty tones of roses, violets, fresh picked berries, and spice tones.
Overall: This is a gorgeous young pinot. It needs some time as it's more nuanced and subtle, but it's really pretty right now.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity that is showing off the youth of the wine. There is nice depth with nuanced tones of cherries, red berries, plums, and lots of red floral tones.
Overall: This is an elegant and pretty pinot. It is a bit precocious right now, but it has some great materials with really good depth as well.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and good balanced tannins. The structure is showing the youth, but there are very pretty tones of florals, red fuits, and spice tones.
Overall: This was a gorgeous young pinot. It could use a couple of years to be at its best, but it's very attractive right now.
Taste: Medium bodied with very noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is fairly big right now, but there are really good tones of pears, green and red apples, and mineral tones as well.
Overall: This is a really good chardonnay. There is some nice poise and balance to this on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some good tannins. The structure is noticeable along with tones of violets, wild strawberries, red fruits, and chinese 5-spice.
Overall This is a sexy pinot. There is a little more plumpness to this than other 11s, but that is just fine. There is some good youthful structure on this and this should be one to watch down the road.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some silky tannins. Well balanced with silky tones of roses, violets, red florals, red fruits, and some cherries.
Overall: This is a gorgeous pinot. There is very good depth and style on both the nose and palate. While this is very attractive now, it feels like it can develop into something even better.
Taste: Very silky medium body with medium/high acidity and good tannins. The structure isn't too big and there are really good tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones, and fresh picked berries.
Overall: This is a pretty young pinot. There is nice depth on both the nose and palate with the younger tones having a real freshness to them.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and nice tannins. There is good balance to the tones of fresh picked berries, wild flowers, spice tones, and red cherries.
Overall: This could use some time to fully sort itself out. It's wound a little tight right now, but is also really good.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. There is nice balance to the lighter tones of red fruits and cherries.
Overall: This is a nice and straightforward pinot. It's not complex or deep, but it is a very nice wine that is easy to drink.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. There's very good balance to the tones of crushed rocks, dark red cherries, and spice tones.
Overall: This is a very interesting pinot noir. It's well balanced with a good mineral quality on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and noticeable tannins. The structure is youthful, but there are pretty and silky tones of dark red fruits, fresh picked berries, red cherries, and some floral tones.
Overall: This is a gorgeous pinot right now. It can age, but it is shockingly open right now.
Taste: Light bodied with crisp higher acidity. The tones of white fruits, white peaches, pears, and some floral tones.
Overall: This is a very good Pinot Gris. It had a very aromatic and floral take to it with nice depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity. The tones of cherries, spices, and berries are pretty, but are lacking depth.
Overall: This is a nice pinot. It has good aromatics and good balance, but it just doesn't have too much in the depth department.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and some good tannins. The tones of roses, incense, red fruits, and earth toned are well balanced with nice depth.
Overall: This is a very pretty and precocious wine right now. It could use a few years to fully come together and it should benefit from age.
Flight 5 - McMinnville (9 notes)
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium/high acidity. The structure is fairly imposing with the acidity being very tart and there are some noticeable tannins as well. Underneath the structure are some seeking tones of red fruits, dark red cherries, and red berries.
Overall: This is certainly on the young side and it does need some patience. There is an extremely good pinot here and it should reveal something gorgeous with age.
Taste: Full bodied with medium/high acidity and some chewy tannins. The palate is a bit chunky with the bigger structure and tones of dark red cherries, plums, some wood spices and a slight bit of oak as well.
Overall: If this can smooth out it can be really good. Right now it's a bit chunky and foursquare, but there are very good tones on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Light bodied with crisp medium/high acidity. There are nice and fresh tones of slate, minerals, and pears. The acidity is very refreshing with a tartness to it as well.
Overall: This is a very good pinot gris. It is nice and refreshing with a real crisp quality on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Light bodied with zippy high acidity. The acidity is a bit overpowering, but behind that there are tones of quince, pears, and nectarines.
Overall: This was a interesting pinot gris. It did lack some depth, but it was a different expression from the estate.
Taste: Medium bodied with tart medium/high acidity and some good tannins. The tones of herbs, red cherries, rhubarb, and spice tones are well balanced with decent depth.
Overall: This is a very good pinot. It could use a couple of years to sort itself out, but is pretty accessible right now.
Taste: Medium bodied with very noticeable medium/high acidity. The structure is making itself known along with tones of red cherries, red berries, spice tones, and wild flowers.
Overall: This needs some time to unravel, but there is a very pretty pinot waiting to come out. There is very good balance on both the nose and palate with a more hi-toned nature to the tones.
Taste: Gorgeous medium body with medium/high acidity that is extremely noticeable. The palate is extremely youthful with flowing tones of spices, red berries, earth tones, incense, and red cherries.
Overall: This is a very young, but very pretty pinot. There is a lot to like about it already with a real sense of style and class on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Fuller bodied with lower acidity. The feel is very good and plump with tones of oils, white fruits, white peaches, and pears. There is good balance to this with decent depth.
Overall : This was a really good viognier. There is a fatness to it on both the nose and palate, but it is far from flabby.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and nice supporting tannins. Well balanced with tones of red berries, red cherries, red florals, and spice tones.
Overall: This was pretty open right now. It shows off the elegant side of the vintage, but it's slightly lacking some depth.
Flight 6 - Eola-Amity (16 notes)
Taste: Light bodied with zippy medium+ acidity. Nice and crisp with very good tones of minerals, crushed rocks, and white fruits.
Overall: This is a very good pinot gris. It isn't the most complex, but it is well balanced and very refreshing.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. The tones of melons, marmalade, and white fruits are well balanced but the mid-palate is completely lacking.
Overall: This is a good pinot blanc. It isn't as crisp and focused as I would want and seems a bit larger, but the lacking of a mid-palate is the main problem. It's a very drinkable wine, just not a memorable one.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity. The tones of dark red fruits, cherries, and oak are balanced, but are lacking depth.
Overall: This is more on the simple side. It is balanced and has nice tones, but doesn't have that much depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. This had a nice feel with balanced tones of red apples, peaches, and acacia flowers.
Overall: This was a very good chardonnay. There is good balance to it with solid depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The tones of roses, red fruits, cherries, and some baking spices are very pretty with some real nuance to it.
Overall: This will need a couple of years to round into form. It has a real perfumed and elegant take to it with nice depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and sneaky tannins. There is a plushness to the tones of rhubarb, dark red fruits, plums, and some chalk tones.
Overall: This shows some of the fleshier side of the vintage while holding the fruit well. It could use a couple of years to fully round into form, but it isn't a long distance wine.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity. There is nice balance to the tones of red fruits, berries, and spice tones. The tones are more straightforward, but are lacking some depth.
Overall: This is a very good pinot and a solid buy for under $20. This is a nice and pretty pinot that is easily drinkable right now.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and some sneaky tannins. There is some real elegance to the tones of hi-toned red fruits, spices, red cherries, and roses with a touch of rhubarb.
Overall: This does need some time to fully show itself. There is a real nice elegance to it with a silky and seamless take on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and some silky tannins. Very well balanced with tones of red fruits, cherries, fresh picked berries, and some herbal whole cluster notes.
Overall: This is a pretty and slighter larger scaled pinot. It needs some time to fully show itself, but it should be really good when it comes around.
Taste: Lighter bodied with medium acidity. The tones of red fruits, spices, plums, and cherries are elegant and feminine, but the mid-palate is lacking.
Overall: This is a very good pinot. It has a lighter touch to it though it does lack some depth on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. There is very good balance with delicate tones of roses, red cherries, fresh picked berries, and spice tones.
Overall: This definitely needs some time as it is a more nuanced and delicate pinot. There are a lot of attractive tones on both the nose and palate. The wine is on the precocious side right now, but could really blossom.
Taste: Silky medium body with medium+ acidity and understated tannins. This is holding back a slight bit, but the tones of wild flowers, red cherries, spices, and roses are very well balanced and feminine.
Overall: This is in need of time to fully show itself. It is a gorgeous pinot right now with a real silky and feminine quality to it.
Taste: Medium bodied with some very tart higher acidity. The structure is very imposing, but there is very good depth and tones of apples lemon peels, minerals, and white florals.
Overall: This is a really good chardonnay. There is real good depth and balance on both the nose and palate. The youth is really showing right now and it would be a lot of fun to see where this goes.
Taste: Medium bodied with tart medium/high acidity. The feel is more nuanced with elegant tones of red berries, cherries, and floral tones.
Overall: This is very well balanced and pretty, but it just lacks some depth to really make it. Still, it's a pretty pinot and one that could develop more.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with tart medium/high acidity and good tannins. The structure is showing the youth of the wine along with silky and refined tones of red fruits, smoke, red cherries, and floral tones.
Overall: This is a beautiful wine. It's very youthful right now, but this feel like it can really go somewhere. It has a real silky quality right now with very good depth on both the nose and palate.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is pretty with tones of chalk, rhubarb, red berries, spices, and some underlying mineral tones.
Overall: This is a very pretty and balanced Pinot. It is lacking some depth on both the nose and palate, but it makes up for that with its softer touch.
Closing
This was an absolute monster of a tasting. Tons of wineries and tons of wines. It's hard to really talk with the winemakers or owners in this environment (though some people do like to bogart said owners and winemakers), but it's nice to get to meet them in person and try to quickly talk to them.
I hope this event happens again next year as it was a real blast with a lot of good wine.