| | My regular Albany-area tasting group met to taste Oregon Pinot Noir (with one bad Napa ringer). No one in our group has a special interest in this area, so I'm not sure why it was chosen or how knowledgeable people view these particular wines.
Only the organizer knew what the wines were. The rest of us only knew what we brought, but not which one it was.
The food at Salty's was excellent as usual.
These notes have been posted with food pictures on Wine Berserkers:
http://www.wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?p=117299#p117299 Flight 1 Mushroom Tart with Goat Cheese and Roasted Fennel. (The filling was fresh and delicious. The crust tasted frozen.) - 1988 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
[Cork crumbled.] Mature Burgundian nose of autumn leaves and dried cherries. Delicate in the mouth with appealing sour cherries and a touch of mint. Drink up! (88 pts.)
- 1988 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Merde nose. Burns my mouth. This sucks! (FLAWED)
- 1991 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Mulchy, dirty nose. Sour and a bit dirty in the mouth. Not appealing. (72 pts.)
- 1998 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Appealing nose of wet stones and ripe strawberries. In the mouth, rich cherries. More body and thickness than the others wines in this flight. Is it much younger? Nice. Should drink well for 5 more years. (91 pts.)
Flight 2 Slow Roasted Salmon with Sliced Beets and Stewed Leeks & Shallots. (The Salmon was excellent.) - 2007 Erath Pinot Noir Oregon - USA, Oregon
[Screw cap.] Unusually light in color (like a dark rose). Strawberry nose. Light and fruity with quite a green bite on the finish. Many here think it's Gamay and not Pinot. I can understand that thinking. (84 pts.)
- 2002 Ribbon Ridge Winery Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Appealing, waxy nose of dark red fruit. Silky minty cherries with a slight green streak that keeps it from being outstanding. (88 pts.)
- 2002 Stangeland Pinot Noir Stand Sure Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Huge wild cherry nose with very appealing forest floor notes. Complex and appealing in the mouth. Quite Burgundian in style. My favorite wine so far in this tasting. (92 pts.)
Flight 3 Sliced Duck Breast with Sautéed Spinach & Arugula and Cassoulet. (A very special dish. Terrific unadorned duck complemented the Cassoulet brilliantly. The Cassoulet was served in a cute little iron fry pan.) - 2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Muted nose. Very slatey and slightly green in the mouth. (87 pts.)
- 1998 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Archery Summit Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Appealing wine. Good fruit. Maybe it needs a couple of years to show more? (90 pts.)
- 2006 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Nysa Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Sweet cherries. Good structure. A cut above almost everything so far. (92 pts.)
- 2007 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Nysa Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Mellow, minerally. Very similar to the previous wine, but a bit more earthy. Very nice. (92 pts.)
Flight 4 Braised Beef Short Ribs in Pot-Roast Style with Veal Sweetbreads, roasted root vegetables, and Gnocchi. (Killer dish. The short ribs were so tender and flavorful. The sweetbread delicate and delicious. The gnocchi were a little chewy.) - 2006 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais Ribbon Ridge - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Red fruit and mint nose. Not very appealing in the mouth. (84 pts.)
- 2005 Torii Mor Pinot Noir Member's Reserve La Cuillere - USA, Oregon
Thick rich long. More Californian than Burgundian. Very appealing. Goes well with Beef Short ribs! (92 pts.)
- 2005 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge
Complex nose. Big and rich. Very far from classic Burgundy, but quite appealing in a thick grapey sort of way. Intensely ripe, almost syrupy. Not typical of Pinot, but still quite appealing. Good with Short Ribs of Beef. (92 pts.)
Overall, I was not that impressed, but I'm not a big Pinot fan. Still, there were several that were eminently drinkable. Specifically, the Stangeland seems like a very good value and the Ken Wrights are excellent. The Torri Mor and Beaux Frères are excellent wines with less Pinot character. |
