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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2015 (based on 6 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Atwellian on 5/1/2020 & rated 93 points: Dark strawberry red, very slight bricking. Dusty cherry and cassis nose. Red fruit, primarily strawberry, with cassis, complex flavor profile going on. In a great window for drinking. Excellent! (579 views) | | | Tasted by KPieper on 2/9/2014: The acidity was pretty strong on opening, but subsided after an hour or so of decant. Nice red fruits/cranberry and cherry. Some earthy tones, wet forest floor maybe. Overall, I liked it, but I liked my one Murto better. (1923 views) | | | Tasted by brianakrin on 11/26/2013 & rated 90 points: nice rich round Oregon pinot. ready (rated compared to other domestic pinots) (1194 views) | | | Tasted by Emvip on 10/28/2013 & rated 88 points: Dark fruits with some noticeable oak and a touch of acidity. Lacked depth or a strong finish, but enjoyable. No need to wait if you have some bottles left I'd drink over the next 2 years max (2029 views) | | | Tasted by Emvip on 8/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Not a bad Pinot, but lacked depth and complexity to me. Darker fruit flavors and a lot of oak and smokiness. Short finish, but above average Pinot (2032 views) | | | Tasted by dmellinger on 6/22/2013 & rated 96 points: Smooth. Great nose, lost of fruit on tongue. Blackberry, cherry. No tannin. Apricot forward. (1073 views) | | | Tasted by dmellinger on 6/16/2013 & rated 92 points: Nicely aged with fruit forward smooth taste. Lived it (960 views) | | | Tasted by btock on 2/1/2013 & rated 88 points: Tastes like an '06. It's "big boned." Lots of purple fruit, not hot, just full flavored. Drinking well now, don't think it will gain much in complexity so I would advocate enjoying the fruit on the younger side. The balance of vintages like '02/'04/'05 in OR isn't really here to carry it the distance. A good wine for tasters than like Russian River PN as I found more similarities to that than the "classic" OR style. (1753 views) | | | Tasted by wffinn on 1/16/2013 & rated 90 points: The excellent bouquet suggested a complex wine but not entirely so. The fruit - while not intense - was multi-layered but lacked an equivalent finish. (975 views) | | | Tasted by vancouvermatt on 1/16/2013 & rated 90 points: Grippy and young, with a good amount of oak. (1843 views) | | | Tasted by pbard on 11/25/2012 & rated 92 points: Oak and some very typical Oregon pinot character on the nose, touch of barnyard and red fruit. Succulent on the palette (!), wrapped in ripe, tart cherry moving through to a spicy mid palette and finishing in ultrasmooth tannins. Bravo Brian! (772 views) | | | Tasted by Traxx on 11/15/2012 & rated 80 points: The vintage really shines through here, maybe also not playing well with the house style. Heat and real spicy oak (I assume) on the finish. Avoided the stewed fruits one often finds with 06 Oregon pinot, but honestly nothing endearing about this wine. I'd be really surprised if this could turn into something good at this point, drink em up... (839 views) | | | Tasted by rmgroves on 6/25/2012 & rated 90 points: Very nice smooth subtle red fruit. Not much complexity but nice nevertheless (1051 views) | | | Tasted by atubbs on 1/9/2012 & rated 92 points: Rather nice; lots of lovely acid and structure left. A little heavy on the wood. Shame; the fruit has a lot of potential that is overshadowed by it, it seems. (1106 views) | | | Tasted by JoachimS on 12/26/2011 & rated 91 points: Scored this at 92 in 2011. Had it again this thanksgiving, and would rate it 90. Still very nice, but not as vibrant. (607 views) | | | Tasted by Porchino on 12/6/2011 & rated 90 points: Not as fruity as 09 but still a nice pinot (1124 views) | | | Tasted by cbbrown3 on 4/3/2011 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2 hours. A medium to light ruby color. Cherries, smoke, dried leaves, wet earth, and a slight herbal note on the nose. Light to medium body with very soft, ripe tannins and very good acidity. Crisp and clean on the palate with the red fruit and earthy elements coating the palate and slowly giving way to the spice and herbal elements. Decent length on the finish. I may not have been able to guess Oregon, but this is definitely from a cool region/vintage. I liked this a lot and wish I had more. (1281 views) | | | Tasted by Atwellian on 9/26/2010 & rated 93 points: Sept. 25, 2010. Second Blind Pinot Noir tasting of 6 Oregon wines with the Johnsons. Dinner was green beans and grilled tuna steaks with peach/mango salsa. Beautiful evening on the deck.
2006 Belle Pente Estate Reserve 93.25 avg. for the 4 of us. Burgundy color, lovely fruit, strong finish. C correctly id'ed blind. G and R tied for favorite.
Blind tastings make you humble! We are clearly paying for labels and reputations in many cases. Next time mix up the varietals and open the wines and let them breath for an hour or so (Difficult to do when people coming from a distance). Great evening! (1624 views) | | | Tasted by mye on 2/28/2010 & rated 89 points: medium red color, pop an dpour. Lovely nose of cherries, and red fruit. bright acidity. medium finish. good effort from Belle Pente (1827 views) | | | Tasted by cmlee7 on 2/21/2010: classic "cool weather" pinot. lighter in color. bright cherry. interspersed with hints of leather, tobacco, barnyard. good value in oregon pinot. (1604 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisBeacham on 2/18/2010 & rated 92 points: This will be a mini TN. Opened last night to mark the passing of a very special man and a friend. Lovely last night, it continues to expand on the nose and palate. More smoke, more spice, more coffee and a bit of brown sugar (2006 sneaking in there). What an expression of ripe Pinot fruit that still includes enough acid and beautiful tea and mineral notes. Brian does a great job. Serious thumbs up. (1926 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 3/30/2009 & rated 91 points: Expedition Wines American Homegrown: nose: very tart nose filled with cherries, mixed berries, bits of spices and round tones of plum. Fairly plush and relatively forward on the nose, but still retains its oregonian sensibility
taste: well balanced with medium acidity providing tones of tart cherries, plums, and spices
overall: a very nice and relatively forward wine. Fairly typical of the good 06 oregon pinots as it is well put together with plentiful fruit and good expression. Not disjointed like some other 06s that I've come across and while forward it is still fairly oregon (2755 views) |
| Belle Pente Producer WebsitePinot 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
Yamhill-CarltonThe vineyards of the Yamhill-Carlton District were planted mostly in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The primary soil of this area is called Willakenzie, named after the Willamette and McKenzie rivers. It is a sedimentary soil with a sandstone base rock. The sand content is quite high and the soil therefore very well drained. The sites are generally on the lower slopes of a volcanic ridge. Wines of the area possess aromas of red and black fruits, with added elements of cocoa, leather and fresh-turned earth. Acidity levels are generally lower than other regions, prompting these wines to be lush and agreeable in their youth.
The single vineyards on weinlagen-info |
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