Fantastic. Very Burgundian and surprisingly so good with so much age for a domestic pinot. Tasted blind and called Oregon with 3 somms called Burg so of course I was stoked. Lol.
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Similar notes but not as good as our previous tasing 8 years ago. Still good but fifteen years was probably too long. Cherries, earthiness and licorice in the nose. Dark berries in the flavor with some herbal notes. Nicely balanced and a medium to long finish.
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Loved this. From 2015 when I drank my first of these until my last of six now 8 years later, this wine has been fantastic. I have sensed no decline with this vintage at this point. The wine was smooth, balanced, and delicious.
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Compared to the 08’ Homer the other night, this was a let down. Has not aged nearly as well. Still a nice Oregon Pinot from a famed vintage, but less than I expected. Fruit was still nice and bright, with a nice mouth feel, but not well balanced and too much acidity.
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Short decant. You can see the age, the wine is bricking but still lively in the nose. Not a lot of fruit left, it smells of forest floor - fresh, like spring. Some darker berry fruit on the palate, it’s subtle but it’s hanging on. Damp soil, mushrooms, cocoa powder, thyme. Soft, resolved and easy to drink.
Its time though, by the last glass some four hours open it was close to spent.
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End of life but just excellent. Was perfect for about 45 mins and then showed it’s doneness. So lovely though right out of the bottle. Very elegant, nice bouquet, a la Gevrey Chamberlin.
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A very special pinot that has multiple surging components all in their right places. Exhibiting a little less force than a couple of years ago, and arguably the better for it. It is a perfect time to drink these over the next few years -2022
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Similar to my last tasting, only five months ago: "Deep dark garnet; somewhat opaque, rim still purple. An exquisite nose of raspberry, dense strawberry, cinnamon, spice, licorice, vanillian. Exceptionally rich and intense fruit. Big for a pinot noir, but still seems delicate. Good structure and nicely balanced." However, I deducted a point from the last tasting. My thoughts are that the wine has fully evolved to its drinking plateau and could be starting a slow decline. I'd drink up now or in the not too distant future.
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Deep dark garnet; somewhat opaque, rim still purple. An exquisite nose of raspberry, dense strawberry, cinnamon, spice, licorice, vanillian. Exceptionally rich and intense fruit. Big for a pinot noir, but still seems delicate. Good structure and nicely balanced.
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On the paler side of medium ruby, but a beautiful looking wine. The nose is a little reluctant, but it has a very nice floral quality. This is a very acidic wine, but it gives it an air of energy and lift and I think disguises a deceptive level of tannin that makes for an excellent structure. The fruit is primarily driven by brambly raspberry notes with a blood orange like citrus quality to it. There are spicy barrel notes, a bit of clove and anise notes. The finish is a bit dominated by a strong, bitter, black licorice note that might be the worst part of the wine. This is in a very good spot, but I think it has the structure and concentration of fruit to age for at least five more years. With the pronounced acid, this was excellent with salmon and it would be great cutting through any fatty or oily foods. Very good.
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Oh Larry Stone you out did yourself here. Enjoyed on NYE 2015 with sous vide salmon. Spectacular wine. Wish I had bought more. Huge nose of blueberries, some Seven Springs dusty soil, with a beautiful round burgundy-like fruit finish!
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Needed about an hour to show it's stuff. More earth, minerals and savory flavors with some cherry notes on its long finish. Well balanced and drinking well now. Holding up well with lots of life left.
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I'm baffled by the high ratings given to this wine. It's a simple, one-dimensional Pinot not unlike Dujac Morey St. Denis. Disappointing given it's price.
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Nicely balanced medium color, berries, currants, maple vanilla, some funk with a nice balanced acid. Long finish, lingering and lovely. Drinking great but will improve. Have 4 more.
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RASPBERRIES, CHERRIES, LICORICE, AND EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. BLACK RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS AND A TOUCH OF HERBAL IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Hands down the BEST Oregon Pinot Noir I've ever had. Also one of the most Burgundian Pinots in the States. Its a dead-ringer for Morey St Denis, in my opinion.
I've had the pleasure of consuming this wine on numerous occasions over the past 3 years, and it is extremely consistent.
I have served this wine blind against Premier Cru Red Burgundies and this wine consistently beats out Red Burgundies that cost 5-6x the price of this wine.
I agree with previous posters that for a 2008 Oregon Pinot, this wine has been extremely accessible in its youth, but should continue to improve for at least another decade. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find a bottle!
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Most of the 2008 Oregon Pinots have been tight and even closed down. However, this bottle (375 ml) was full, rich and opulent. Fabulous complexity in the mid palate with a long finish. Well balanced with good acidity that paired perfectly with salmon.
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Did not take notes - went great with pan seared duck breast. Great combination of nice fruit with earthiness & complexity you would expect from a Burgundy. 92+ would buy again.
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I know you may not be able to find this wine anymore, but it may be worth the effort to do so. The initial impression was one of intense minerality...I could almost taste the rock and dirt that these grapes were grown in. I have never quite experienced such a sense of place before. I am glad I have one more bottle, and wish I had more.
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I think this wine needs more time, a little one dimensional with loads of dark sour cheery. Light body and med+ acidity. I will hold my other bottle a few years, hope the fruit fades a little and some secondary characteristics come out.
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Deep Roots Coalition; 2008 Oregon Pinot noir 4-flight tasting: 4-flight tasting; 2008 vintage sampling from producer-members of the Deep Roots Coalition (Google it) HIGHLY recommend consuming within the first 2 hours of opening. Decanted 1 hour and consumed over 7 hours. This should really be a pop-n-pour, as it really seemed to fall off a cliff after hour 3. A very feminine style with a sweet, ripe raspberry foundation; supported by early dusty notes in hour 1, then transforms into the floral end of the spectrum by hour 2. It’s in that 1-2 hour window when this baby really shines. I’d give WS the 96 pt nod if the juice would just maintain the magic of that 1-2 hour window. Alas, 93 pts over-all score for the 7 hour evening. This has integrated nicely over the last 18 months and is likely entered the early stages of its peak arc. The shallow drinking window concerns me though; leading me to believe that its life may be short lived. Advisable to drink the majority of what you have by 2015.
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Outstanding. Almost seamless. This is showing great purity at this point with loads of dark black cherry fruit, stone and layers of baking spice. Great acidity (much brighter than most other wines tasted from this vintage). Near-perfect balance. If this wine is going to get better, look out! It should drink at least this good over the next 5-7 years. One of the top Oregon Pinots I have ever tasted.
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Probably the best Oregon Pinot I've had. Supple and complex. Lots of minerals and earth tones. My one hesitation is the vegetal note start to finish. I could see this improving with age. Drink next bottle 2015.
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I regret not giving this the attention it deserved (based on the bottle we drank over a year ago) but can report that it had appealing, unpresumptuous fruit, and nice transparency, spice, and minerality.
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Drank this at the fabulous Gruner restaurant in Portland for a special dinner. No decanting, and out of the bottle, it has definitely evolved since my last tasting note several months ago. I looked at the label again to be sure it was a 2008. Nose was spicy with dark fruits and sandalwood and sweet rich earth. Soft and inviting nose. Mouthfeel was silky with a weghtiness to it that lingered all the way to the finish. Dark juicy fruit, clove, nutmeg, chanterelles, tumbling over smooth river rock is what I tasted chased by really good acids winning over the softer tannins. I think we hit this wine in its youth in a serious "smart" phase. It was showing beautifuly with no juvenile antics of disjoint and disharmony. On the contrary, the wine kept on getting better in the glass through each course. We had a fabulous meal of fried oysters and sublime roasted quail and chicken and spatzle, polenta croquette. Beautifuly evening, beautiful wine. In time, this wine will continue to go through a metamorphosis and lean out and I think I'll be able to taste more minerality and earth. But in the meantime. Holy cow, while the wine was young and possessed a youthful exuberance, it was acting like an old soul when we drank it. This wine received WS highest score for an Oregon Pinot Noir - 96. I could taste its potential - delicious now.
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What a wonderful adolescent! Gorgeous fruit & minerality blended elegantly and with a complexity that will develop as this teenager shows great promise! Piercing strawberry on a fruit forward wine initially on the palate that evolved into a raspberry, cherry and mushroom secondary pleasures all wrapped in still too tannic but yet balanced wine that should age gracefully. Went well with seared duck and golden beets for Christmas dinner and a lingering sweetness made dessert unnecessary. More Evening Land Oregon Pinot please!
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Smooth medium bodied with supple fruit and actually pretty restrained compared to some other 08 OR Pinots I have had.
Had this wine during a 5 person blind tasting against 1 other OR, a CA RRV and Burgundy Pinot. This wine was the consensus clear cut winner. Final voting, 1) 2008 Evening Land La Source, 2) Tie- 2008 Ken Wright Abbott Claim and 2004 Rochioli River Block and 4) 2009 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru "Bressandes.
4 out of the 5 tasters scored this as their number one Pinot of the tasting and it actually tied for the 3rd highest score out of a total of 17 wines.
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From 375: great Oregon Pinot. Big nose, cola, sour fruit. Flavor is big; tart fruits, nice minerality and acid; smooth transition. Sour red fruit with a great finish. Great balance on this wine.
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A very nice wine but it felt very closed. Guessing this wine needs a few more years to develop. The fruit was not nearly as expressive on the nose or the palate as I had expected.
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Quite good, but not seeing this as a present or future 96 point wine (as rated in WS). Very oaky. Good underlying material, but so oaked, its hard to call out distinguishing characteristics. Wait 'til about late 2013 to try again......
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Medium bodied Pinot. Opened up after about an hour. Nice nose of mushrooms and dark cherries. Light flavoring of dark berries and cherries. Long finish.
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I knew I was opening up the bottle in its very youth, but wanted to benchmark it. Nose is dewy plump red fruit despite alcohol blowing off. Dark fresh earth and wet basalt and aromatic mushroom. Good length even for a baby, not super tannic or acidic. Mouthfeel shows silky promise. 92 now, but it is all there, primary and tertiary flavors and structure. Great aging potential. Well done Isabelle Meunier! Excellent wine making with the imagination, restraint and skill needed to rein in the bigger 2008 vintage.
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96 pt (WS) score; the second highest WS rated Oregon Pinot ever. Worthy of the distinction? In a word; maybe.
Pros: Likely to have broad appeal. In a land of so many pinots that span such a broad array of styles, the La Source is so dead-center in the middle of the spectrum, that it may just become the poster-child-pinot of the Northwest, simply due to its ability to offend no one. Medium bodied, but still retains a unique personality that will appeal to those in the lighter/ terroir-forward camp. But also expresses a very solid fruit core; for those who prefer a bold & ripe mouthfeel. But what really sets this one apart from the masses, and makes the critics take notice, is its perfect balance of everything that makes this varietal so great. Oh yeah, it also delivers it with a knock-out punch of flavor intensity and a block-buster finish that goes on forever. (at least for the first 2 hours)
So why no higher than my 93? Ever date a girl that just blew you away in the first hour and then just simply ran out of things to talk about by the end of the evening? Without a doubt, this one was a superstar in the 60 – 120 minute window; fantastic first impression and easily deserving of its published high marks. But over the course of the evening, began the slow let down; as the nose intensity started to quickly dissipate into the mediocre. Sure, a minor grievance, perhaps. Will it shed its short-comings over time and mature into the legend it’s supposed to be? Maybe. But when you’re talking about being included in the rare company of 95+ pt Oregon pinots, I think you should talk about where it’s at now before you talk about where it might be later.
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I was almost afraid to try this one after how much I loved the 2007; if a problematic, cool vintage could render something so perfectly balanced, how could the riper 2008 be any better? And indeed it doesn't have the quite the flawless, suave construction of the 2007 (and won't nearly as easily be confused for Burgundy), but it goes a long way towards making up for it through the sheer force of its personality. The mineral elements that were quiet in the 2007 are strong and vivid here: on each sip you get a few moments to savor the plush, pure red fruits before the soil inflects the wine with this black mineral tinge that's half volcanic rock and half scorched earth. The fruit seems to be more vibrant than the '07 but not otherwise showing the flavors of extra ripeness -- there is nothing candied or any other kind of sur-maturité in the fruit. However, it does have some obvious alcoholic warmth to it that feels a little stiff on the entry but especially constricting on the back end. It nagged me from the very first sip and almost made my heart sink. Fortunately the other stuff in the wine is so expressive that you can set aside the sting and write it off as a minor flaw; I hope that continues to be the case as it ages, but who can say for sure?
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Slow oxed for a few hours followed by a splash decant. Nose of morel mushrooms, wet earth and red fruit aromas keep me coming back to the glass. Black and red raspberries and cherries are rounded out by a fungal and floral note that build on the mid palate through finish. Tannins are fine grained and ripe. This wine is surprisingly showing well and open for business, compared to others that had mentioned it needing time. The best of both worlds; richness and ripeness of New world, with the complexity and earthiness of the Old.
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dgro's Bday at Apiary (Apiary): Ruby red, fairly translucent in glass. Big nose of bright sour cherry, forest floor, some clove. Very vibrant. On the palate huge sour cherry, concentration city, oak is noticeable but not overbearing. Ripping acidity takes over on the midpalate, still a little imposing on the long finish. This is a baby, but it's really, really good. Excellent. Wow.
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Exquisite balance here, fruit, oak, acid and tannins in amazing harmony. The fruit just keeps hitting you all the way through the very long, velvety finish.
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I opened this to let it warm up a bit, and the aromas are hitting me from over a foot away on the table. The nose is very expressive when engaged directly. I get lots of dark cherry scents as well as some molasses and cloves, as if someone is cooking a holiday dessert. A hint of heat edges in if you really get into the nose, and some brighter fruit seems to be trying to escape from the background as well. It's clean on entry with dark but gentle cherries mingling with an asphalt note. Cherry juice lingers long as fairly sophisticated tannins slowly grip up on the palate. The acidity is balanced, but doesn't stand out much. When I take a few sips quickly, the tannins dry pretty heavily, encouraging me to take my time. The molasses from the nose is a ghost behind the cherry flavors. I really like how the juicy flavors rise above the cherry skins as the wine works its way to the finish. Some nutmeg is showing in the background too. I get the feeling of full, ripe fruit here, and the spice persists. 89+
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Bright cherries show on the nose right away, blended with darker cherry notes, and backed by some full oak. The oak shows on the palate with dark cherries. A big rise of raspberry flavors occurs on the mid palate, and the vanilla oak rises on the finish. The fruit on the mid palate is nice and bright and everything transitions to be more gentle on the finish.
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Didn't measure up to the hype it's received. Found it to be a rather average Pinot - average for California, but maybe the best for Oregon. Found it disappointing on nose and taste. It was thin and watered down on flavors. Gave it a good 1.5 hr decant, and smelled along the way. Never improved, never gained any complexity.
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Took an hour to reveal mineral silk and an undeniable but modest vector of varietal characteristics--which this wine makes you believe is how a pinot should be. Four classy gold bracelets.
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I was sure this wine was going to be big and brooding and mostly a joke. I was surprised at both the complexity and style. it was all oregon nose and first sip, but soon developed into a very nice almost chambolel/volnay like style. Excellent wine but not value at $58 ...
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Popped and poured; drank over 4 hours. Fairly deep, dark color red for Pinot Noir. Nose is large in scale, expressing quite a lot of spiced cranberries, heavy Umeboshi, and some burning dirt. The palate is soft and light on its feet with great balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit, expressing more typical flavors: tart ripe raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, pine needles, briar, some soil, and lots of building tannins. The finish kicks up with spiced cranberry pie, apple skin, and coats the mouth in quite a bit of spice flavors and tannic structure. The tongue is a little zingy which is an indication that the alcohol is noticeable, and knocks things out of balance on the finish, leaving my mouth yearning for more pleasure. This definitely has the stuffing for the cellar, and I won't be touching my remaining bottles for some time, but today it's not all together. I'll keep some in the glass and see if it improves by tomorrow.
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3/28/2024 - Dmax808 wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic. Very Burgundian and surprisingly so good with so much age for a domestic pinot. Tasted blind and called Oregon with 3 somms called Burg so of course I was stoked. Lol.
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2/10/2024 - Driveway wrote:
The most Burgundian Oregon Pinot I’ve had. Excellent.
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7/2/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes but not as good as our previous tasing 8 years ago. Still good but fifteen years was probably too long. Cherries, earthiness and licorice in the nose. Dark berries in the flavor with some herbal notes. Nicely balanced and a medium to long finish.
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4/5/2023 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loved this. From 2015 when I drank my first of these until my last of six now 8 years later, this wine has been fantastic. I have sensed no decline with this vintage at this point. The wine was smooth, balanced, and delicious.
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3/13/2023 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Browning on the edges. Meaty nose. Sweetness in mid palate. short finish. On decline. Drink up
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3/4/2023 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Mature Sous bois, earthy Lacks a bit in the mid palate. Soft tannins. Drink up. Lobely
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7/6/2022 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Light, and slightly fading. Drink up! Still deep flavors, but becoming too mature. Nice finish, balance and mouthfeel.
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9/1/2021 - sanjuanlewis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Compared to the 08’ Homer the other night, this was a let down. Has not aged nearly as well. Still a nice Oregon Pinot from a famed vintage, but less than I expected. Fruit was still nice and bright, with a nice mouth feel, but not well balanced and too much acidity.
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7/17/2021 - Ewhite30 Likes this wine:
Short decant. You can see the age, the wine is bricking but still lively in the nose. Not a lot of fruit left, it smells of forest floor - fresh, like spring. Some darker berry fruit on the palate, it’s subtle but it’s hanging on. Damp soil, mushrooms, cocoa powder, thyme. Soft, resolved and easy to drink.
Its time though, by the last glass some four hours open it was close to spent.
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6/26/2021 - mat600 wrote: 92 Points
Superbe fruit et ne démérite pas comparé à un Rousseau mazy-chambertin du même millésime. Le fruit est séduisant sur une excellente longueur.
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4/25/2021 - The Bugle wrote:
End of life but just excellent. Was perfect for about 45 mins and then showed it’s doneness. So lovely though right out of the bottle. Very elegant, nice bouquet, a la Gevrey Chamberlin.
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9/4/2020 - jimmymac wrote: 91 Points
A little past it's prime, but still delicious.
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6/20/2020 - Seafoam Manor wrote: flawed
Corked to a nearly impossible degree, which is always a shame on a final bottle of something.
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6/7/2019 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 92 Points
Shared over dinner. At peak and probably beginning the downhill slide a bit. Very nicely integrated tannins, with the fruit showing a bit of age.
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9/23/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
A very special pinot that has multiple surging components all in their right places. Exhibiting a little less force than a couple of years ago, and arguably the better for it. It is a perfect time to drink these over the next few years -2022
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9/4/2018 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Similar to my last tasting, only five months ago: "Deep dark garnet; somewhat opaque, rim still purple. An exquisite nose of raspberry, dense strawberry, cinnamon, spice, licorice, vanillian. Exceptionally rich and intense fruit. Big for a pinot noir, but still seems delicate. Good structure and nicely balanced." However, I deducted a point from the last tasting. My thoughts are that the wine has fully evolved to its drinking plateau and could be starting a slow decline. I'd drink up now or in the not too distant future.
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6/17/2018 - Snoski62 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Savory Pinot. Still drinking really well - very well balanced with cedar planked salmon and grilled vegetables.
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4/10/2018 - Chainthroer wrote: 95 Points
Deep dark garnet; somewhat opaque, rim still purple. An exquisite nose of raspberry, dense strawberry, cinnamon, spice, licorice, vanillian. Exceptionally rich and intense fruit. Big for a pinot noir, but still seems delicate. Good structure and nicely balanced.
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8/6/2016 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 94 Points
On the paler side of medium ruby, but a beautiful looking wine. The nose is a little reluctant, but it has a very nice floral quality. This is a very acidic wine, but it gives it an air of energy and lift and I think disguises a deceptive level of tannin that makes for an excellent structure. The fruit is primarily driven by brambly raspberry notes with a blood orange like citrus quality to it. There are spicy barrel notes, a bit of clove and anise notes. The finish is a bit dominated by a strong, bitter, black licorice note that might be the worst part of the wine. This is in a very good spot, but I think it has the structure and concentration of fruit to age for at least five more years. With the pronounced acid, this was excellent with salmon and it would be great cutting through any fatty or oily foods. Very good.
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7/24/2016 - Rollerball wrote:
This wine is just so thoroughly and deeply appealing. Captivating; somehow both warm and cool.
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3/26/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Single Blind Tasting a Dozen Wines (Rollerball's Place): Involved in the most seamless way, this is gentle, expansive, and delicious but the two aged Burgundies next to it really highlighted how soft its edge is.
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1/1/2016 - charleshetzel wrote: 97 Points
Oh Larry Stone you out did yourself here. Enjoyed on NYE 2015 with sous vide salmon. Spectacular wine. Wish I had bought more. Huge nose of blueberries, some Seven Springs dusty soil, with a beautiful round burgundy-like fruit finish!
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11/27/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed about an hour to show it's stuff. More earth, minerals and savory flavors with some cherry notes on its long finish. Well balanced and drinking well now. Holding up well with lots of life left.
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11/27/2015 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cherry, cranberry, earth, roses, dried leaves, vanilla
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8/15/2015 - ctjared Likes this wine:
very good stuff right out of the gate. mix of red and black fruit. long finish.
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7/1/2015 - wineduggery wrote: 89 Points
I'm baffled by the high ratings given to this wine. It's a simple, one-dimensional Pinot not unlike Dujac Morey St. Denis. Disappointing given it's price.
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6/15/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 93 Points
beautiful pinot in every way. No formal notes written for now, as I have several more to consider for future impressions to share.
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1/26/2015 - Junedog1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nicely balanced medium color, berries, currants, maple vanilla, some funk with a nice balanced acid. Long finish, lingering and lovely. Drinking great but will improve. Have 4 more.
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12/26/2014 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
RASPBERRIES, CHERRIES, LICORICE, AND EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. BLACK RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS AND A TOUCH OF HERBAL IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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11/8/2014 - Bon and Nate wrote: 94 Points
One of the most outstanding wines we've drunk. Amazing, and wish we had more.
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8/23/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened by Steve8 at Pasti's with Seaquam. Black fruits, currants and some funk. Nice, but needs time.
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4/11/2014 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 98 Points
Hands down the BEST Oregon Pinot Noir I've ever had. Also one of the most Burgundian Pinots in the States. Its a dead-ringer for Morey St Denis, in my opinion.
I've had the pleasure of consuming this wine on numerous occasions over the past 3 years, and it is extremely consistent.
I have served this wine blind against Premier Cru Red Burgundies and this wine consistently beats out Red Burgundies that cost 5-6x the price of this wine.
I agree with previous posters that for a 2008 Oregon Pinot, this wine has been extremely accessible in its youth, but should continue to improve for at least another decade. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find a bottle!
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4/5/2014 - jbouchy wrote: 93 Points
Most of the 2008 Oregon Pinots have been tight and even closed down. However, this bottle (375 ml) was full, rich and opulent. Fabulous complexity in the mid palate with a long finish. Well balanced with good acidity that paired perfectly with salmon.
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3/30/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Did not take notes - went great with pan seared duck breast. Great combination of nice fruit with earthiness & complexity you would expect from a Burgundy. 92+ would buy again.
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3/15/2014 - dkhale4 wrote: 94 Points
I know you may not be able to find this wine anymore, but it may be worth the effort to do so. The initial impression was one of intense minerality...I could almost taste the rock and dirt that these grapes were grown in. I have never quite experienced such a sense of place before. I am glad I have one more bottle, and wish I had more.
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7/11/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Terrific as usual
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3/31/2013 - wine maestro wrote: 92 Points
Easter with Evening Land
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2/16/2013 - njAndrew wrote:
I think this wine needs more time, a little one dimensional with loads of dark sour cheery. Light body and med+ acidity. I will hold my other bottle a few years, hope the fruit fades a little and some secondary characteristics come out.
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12/15/2012 - pinothoarder wrote: 93 Points
Deep Roots Coalition; 2008 Oregon Pinot noir 4-flight tasting: 4-flight tasting; 2008 vintage sampling from producer-members of the Deep Roots Coalition (Google it)
HIGHLY recommend consuming within the first 2 hours of opening.
Decanted 1 hour and consumed over 7 hours. This should really be a pop-n-pour, as it really seemed to fall off a cliff after hour 3.
A very feminine style with a sweet, ripe raspberry foundation; supported by early dusty notes in hour 1, then transforms into the floral end of the spectrum by hour 2. It’s in that 1-2 hour window when this baby really shines. I’d give WS the 96 pt nod if the juice would just maintain the magic of that 1-2 hour window. Alas, 93 pts over-all score for the 7 hour evening. This has integrated nicely over the last 18 months and is likely entered the early stages of its peak arc. The shallow drinking window concerns me though; leading me to believe that its life may be short lived. Advisable to drink the majority of what you have by 2015.
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8/4/2012 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 90 Points
Full pinot; some good aging ahead. Big berry with a decent finish. 50/5/12/14/9
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7/22/2012 - eric@cwm wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding. Almost seamless. This is showing great purity at this point with loads of dark black cherry fruit, stone and layers of baking spice. Great acidity (much brighter than most other wines tasted from this vintage). Near-perfect balance. If this wine is going to get better, look out! It should drink at least this good over the next 5-7 years. One of the top Oregon Pinots I have ever tasted.
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7/22/2012 - ctjared wrote:
After some air, very nice.
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6/17/2012 - Eros Coniglio wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose and finish...bit too much oak for me.
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6/15/2012 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very very good, but not as good as right off the bat. Worth the price still.
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6/2/2012 - jtinto wrote: 92 Points
Probably the best Oregon Pinot I've had. Supple and complex. Lots of minerals and earth tones. My one hesitation is the vegetal note start to finish. I could see this improving with age. Drink next bottle 2015.
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3/3/2012 - Rollerball wrote:
I regret not giving this the attention it deserved (based on the bottle we drank over a year ago) but can report that it had appealing, unpresumptuous fruit, and nice transparency, spice, and minerality.
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2/27/2012 - rosesandthorns wrote: 92 Points
Drank this at the fabulous Gruner restaurant in Portland for a special dinner. No decanting, and out of the bottle, it has definitely evolved since my last tasting note several months ago. I looked at the label again to be sure it was a 2008. Nose was spicy with dark fruits and sandalwood and sweet rich earth. Soft and inviting nose. Mouthfeel was silky with a weghtiness to it that lingered all the way to the finish. Dark juicy fruit, clove, nutmeg, chanterelles, tumbling over smooth river rock is what I tasted chased by really good acids winning over the softer tannins. I think we hit this wine in its youth in a serious "smart" phase. It was showing beautifuly with no juvenile antics of disjoint and disharmony. On the contrary, the wine kept on getting better in the glass through each course. We had a fabulous meal of fried oysters and sublime roasted quail and chicken and spatzle, polenta croquette. Beautifuly evening, beautiful wine. In time, this wine will continue to go through a metamorphosis and lean out and I think I'll be able to taste more minerality and earth. But in the meantime. Holy cow, while the wine was young and possessed a youthful exuberance, it was acting like an old soul when we drank it. This wine received WS highest score for an Oregon Pinot Noir - 96. I could taste its potential - delicious now.
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12/25/2011 - Vinomark wrote: 92 Points
What a wonderful adolescent! Gorgeous fruit & minerality blended elegantly and with a complexity that will develop as this teenager shows great promise! Piercing strawberry on a fruit forward wine initially on the palate that evolved into a raspberry, cherry and mushroom secondary pleasures all wrapped in still too tannic but yet balanced wine that should age gracefully. Went well with seared duck and golden beets for Christmas dinner and a lingering sweetness made dessert unnecessary. More Evening Land Oregon Pinot please!
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12/2/2011 - Porchino wrote: 91 Points
Bought this in Atlanta had it in Eugene Oregon very nice dry Oregon pinot
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11/28/2011 - hdchappy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth medium bodied with supple fruit and actually pretty restrained compared to some other 08 OR Pinots I have had.
Had this wine during a 5 person blind tasting against 1 other OR, a CA RRV and Burgundy Pinot. This wine was the consensus clear cut winner. Final voting, 1) 2008 Evening Land La Source, 2) Tie- 2008 Ken Wright Abbott Claim and 2004 Rochioli River Block and 4) 2009 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru "Bressandes.
4 out of the 5 tasters scored this as their number one Pinot of the tasting and it actually tied for the 3rd highest score out of a total of 17 wines.
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8/27/2011 - benkearney wrote: 93 Points
From 375: great Oregon Pinot. Big nose, cola, sour fruit. Flavor is big; tart fruits, nice minerality and acid; smooth transition. Sour red fruit with a great finish. Great balance on this wine.
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8/14/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 90 Points
A very nice wine but it felt very closed. Guessing this wine needs a few more years to develop. The fruit was not nearly as expressive on the nose or the palate as I had expected.
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6/10/2011 - Sycamore wrote: 88 Points
Quite good, but not seeing this as a present or future 96 point wine (as rated in WS). Very oaky. Good underlying material, but so oaked, its hard to call out distinguishing characteristics. Wait 'til about late 2013 to try again......
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6/5/2011 - qhdeputy wrote: 93 Points
Medium bodied Pinot. Opened up after about an hour. Nice nose of mushrooms and dark cherries. Light flavoring of dark berries and cherries. Long finish.
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5/14/2011 - kingkanu wrote: 88 Points
Decanter new world Pinot noir masterclass (Landmark hotel London): Fairly deep and consistent purple colour. Clear Oregon Pinot nose with some red earth. Redvcherry, earth and goodndepth of flavour on the palate and good full length. Fine tannins
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5/11/2011 - RobertDwyer wrote: 92 Points
Good vibrant Oregon Pinot Noir. Nothing magical though.
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4/28/2011 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful deep, dark richness. Loaded with plum and bitter chocolate, ultra ripe strawberry and a touch of oolong tea.
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4/2/2011 - douggator wrote: 93 Points
Deep and rich Pinot with dark cherry and earth. Nice complexity
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3/26/2011 - rosesandthorns wrote: 91 Points
I knew I was opening up the bottle in its very youth, but wanted to benchmark it. Nose is dewy plump red fruit despite alcohol blowing off. Dark fresh earth and wet basalt and aromatic mushroom. Good length even for a baby, not super tannic or acidic. Mouthfeel shows silky promise. 92 now, but it is all there, primary and tertiary flavors and structure. Great aging potential. Well done Isabelle Meunier! Excellent wine making with the imagination, restraint and skill needed to rein in the bigger 2008 vintage.
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3/22/2011 - pinothoarder wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 60 minutes, and consumed over 6 hours.
96 pt (WS) score; the second highest WS rated Oregon Pinot ever. Worthy of the distinction? In a word; maybe.
Pros: Likely to have broad appeal. In a land of so many pinots that span such a broad array of styles, the La Source is so dead-center in the middle of the spectrum, that it may just become the poster-child-pinot of the Northwest, simply due to its ability to offend no one. Medium bodied, but still retains a unique personality that will appeal to those in the lighter/ terroir-forward camp. But also expresses a very solid fruit core; for those who prefer a bold & ripe mouthfeel. But what really sets this one apart from the masses, and makes the critics take notice, is its perfect balance of everything that makes this varietal so great. Oh yeah, it also delivers it with a knock-out punch of flavor intensity and a block-buster finish that goes on forever. (at least for the first 2 hours)
So why no higher than my 93?
Ever date a girl that just blew you away in the first hour and then just simply ran out of things to talk about by the end of the evening? Without a doubt, this one was a superstar in the 60 – 120 minute window; fantastic first impression and easily deserving of its published high marks. But over the course of the evening, began the slow let down; as the nose intensity started to quickly dissipate into the mediocre. Sure, a minor grievance, perhaps. Will it shed its short-comings over time and mature into the legend it’s supposed to be? Maybe. But when you’re talking about being included in the rare company of 95+ pt Oregon pinots, I think you should talk about where it’s at now before you talk about where it might be later.
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2/25/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 92 Points
I was almost afraid to try this one after how much I loved the 2007; if a problematic, cool vintage could render something so perfectly balanced, how could the riper 2008 be any better? And indeed it doesn't have the quite the flawless, suave construction of the 2007 (and won't nearly as easily be confused for Burgundy), but it goes a long way towards making up for it through the sheer force of its personality. The mineral elements that were quiet in the 2007 are strong and vivid here: on each sip you get a few moments to savor the plush, pure red fruits before the soil inflects the wine with this black mineral tinge that's half volcanic rock and half scorched earth. The fruit seems to be more vibrant than the '07 but not otherwise showing the flavors of extra ripeness -- there is nothing candied or any other kind of sur-maturité in the fruit. However, it does have some obvious alcoholic warmth to it that feels a little stiff on the entry but especially constricting on the back end. It nagged me from the very first sip and almost made my heart sink. Fortunately the other stuff in the wine is so expressive that you can set aside the sting and write it off as a minor flaw; I hope that continues to be the case as it ages, but who can say for sure?
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2/1/2011 - troutmonster wrote: 93 Points
Slow oxed for a few hours followed by a splash decant. Nose of morel mushrooms, wet earth and red fruit aromas keep me coming back to the glass. Black and red raspberries and cherries are rounded out by a fungal and floral note that build on the mid palate through finish. Tannins are fine grained and ripe. This wine is surprisingly showing well and open for business, compared to others that had mentioned it needing time. The best of both worlds; richness and ripeness of New world, with the complexity and earthiness of the Old.
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1/31/2011 - DRod wrote: 94 Points
dgro's Bday at Apiary (Apiary): Ruby red, fairly translucent in glass. Big nose of bright sour cherry, forest floor, some clove. Very vibrant. On the palate huge sour cherry, concentration city, oak is noticeable but not overbearing. Ripping acidity takes over on the midpalate, still a little imposing on the long finish. This is a baby, but it's really, really good. Excellent. Wow.
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1/14/2011 - pbard Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exquisite balance here, fruit, oak, acid and tannins in amazing harmony. The fruit just keeps hitting you all the way through the very long, velvety finish.
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1/10/2011 - subtlet Likes this wine: 89 Points
I opened this to let it warm up a bit, and the aromas are hitting me from over a foot away on the table. The nose is very expressive when engaged directly. I get lots of dark cherry scents as well as some molasses and cloves, as if someone is cooking a holiday dessert. A hint of heat edges in if you really get into the nose, and some brighter fruit seems to be trying to escape from the background as well. It's clean on entry with dark but gentle cherries mingling with an asphalt note. Cherry juice lingers long as fairly sophisticated tannins slowly grip up on the palate. The acidity is balanced, but doesn't stand out much. When I take a few sips quickly, the tannins dry pretty heavily, encouraging me to take my time. The molasses from the nose is a ghost behind the cherry flavors. I really like how the juicy flavors rise above the cherry skins as the wine works its way to the finish. Some nutmeg is showing in the background too. I get the feeling of full, ripe fruit here, and the spice persists. 89+
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12/26/2010 - subtlet Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bright cherries show on the nose right away, blended with darker cherry notes, and backed by some full oak. The oak shows on the palate with dark cherries. A big rise of raspberry flavors occurs on the mid palate, and the vanilla oak rises on the finish. The fruit on the mid palate is nice and bright and everything transitions to be more gentle on the finish.
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12/18/2010 - pmilne wrote: 87 Points
Didn't measure up to the hype it's received. Found it to be a rather average Pinot - average for California, but maybe the best for Oregon. Found it disappointing on nose and taste. It was thin and watered down on flavors. Gave it a good 1.5 hr decant, and smelled along the way. Never improved, never gained any complexity.
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12/16/2010 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Took an hour to reveal mineral silk and an undeniable but modest vector of varietal characteristics--which this wine makes you believe is how a pinot should be. Four classy gold bracelets.
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12/10/2010 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
I was sure this wine was going to be big and brooding and mostly a joke. I was surprised at both the complexity and style. it was all oregon nose and first sip, but soon developed into a very nice almost chambolel/volnay like style. Excellent wine but not value at $58 ...
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10/19/2010 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured; drank over 4 hours. Fairly deep, dark color red for Pinot Noir. Nose is large in scale, expressing quite a lot of spiced cranberries, heavy Umeboshi, and some burning dirt. The palate is soft and light on its feet with great balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit, expressing more typical flavors: tart ripe raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, pine needles, briar, some soil, and lots of building tannins. The finish kicks up with spiced cranberry pie, apple skin, and coats the mouth in quite a bit of spice flavors and tannic structure. The tongue is a little zingy which is an indication that the alcohol is noticeable, and knocks things out of balance on the finish, leaving my mouth yearning for more pleasure. This definitely has the stuffing for the cellar, and I won't be touching my remaining bottles for some time, but today it's not all together. I'll keep some in the glass and see if it improves by tomorrow.
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