A pre-birthday visit to some new places in the Willamette Valley

What seems to becoming a tradition, for the fourth year in a row, Ken and I went wine tasting the weekend of/before my birthday. There was no real plan for the day, and we just meandered through the valley, visiting a lot of new places that were recommended along the way. We found some fantastic stuff that was unexpected, and had a great time as usual.

In December when we visited Argyle they gave us an envelope that needed to be open on the premises during January or February to see a prize that we won. The smallest prize was a free tasting and the largest was membership to the winery club for a year. We stopped in to open our envelops and both of us had won a winery tour (a $20 value). Of course the tour was unavailable the day we arrived, so we have to come for yet a third time. In December we tasted basically everything we wanted to taste, so there wasn't really any point in re-doing the lineup. I had only one wine that I had not had, and there was a reason why I didn't bother with it last time, as it's known to be their largest wine in the lineup...

• 2009 Argyle Pinot Noir Nuthouse Eola - Amity Hills 84 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

  This was very oaky on the nose, with spicy, macerated dark fruits. The palate is large and pretty monolithic of massive fruit coating the palate. This really doesn't even feel like North West Pinot Noir. Spicy and alcoholic finish, with very slightly tart flavors that save this from being a complete disaster. Still, entirely too large for what I seek in Pinot Noir. This is better suited for California.

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I remember seeing the cool bottles of Daedalus 6 years ago or so, but more recently they have redesigned the label, which I don't like nearly as much. Apparently the winery is in the middle of a divorce, the wife retaining ownership of the winery, and they are in the process of re-branding themselves perhaps again (maybe even a new name). For the most part the lineup today was all pretty decent stuff, and we had a fun conversation with the woman pouring, but nothing stood out as exemplary.

• 2009 Daedalus Cellars Pinot Gris 85 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Fairly creamy and lush aromas. Decent size on the palate as well, which is creamy and kind of chunky in texture, showing light acid. The finish shows spicy acid and really coats the mouth.

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• 2009 Daedalus Cellars Grüner Veltliner Elton Vineyard 82 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Very soft aromas (but this was served ice cold, so no wonder). Pretty steely flavors, but very rich and thick in texture. Light acids are in the background. The finish is metallic and not too pleasant.

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• 2009 Daedalus Cellars Riesling Maresh Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Very nice, typical Riesling aromas, even expressing some slight petrol note. The palate is soft in texture, light in fruit, but unctuous, with very slight tart acids. Very coating finish, with a metallic tinge. Nice on the nose but this really doesn't follow through to keep the interest up.

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• 2010 Jezebel Blanc 86 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Wow, the every day table wine at a low price was by far the best white of the lineup. It showed pretty funky melon and squash aromas, definitely seeming heavy on the Pinot Gris. The palate is nice and soft, with decent texture and not coating like the others have been. Good balance. Nice finish, which feels complete and soft. Good stuff for the price.

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• 2009 Jezebel Pinot Noir 85 Points

  USA, Oregon

  Very fruit forward, yet pretty on the nose. Light red berry flavors are all this really expresses on the palate. It's pretty, but light. Pretty nice acid on the finish, with a mild greenish red fruit. Pretty good for the low end.

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• 2008 Daedalus Cellars Pinot Noir 86 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  This smells quite nice and balanced. Light for sure, but bigger than their Jezebel. Very soft and light on palate entry, this shows pleasing red fruits without much complexity. Light finish, but really high in acid. Wish this had some more depth to it.

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• 2008 Daedalus Cellars Pinot Noir Labyrinth 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Quite light color here, with light, yet balanced aromas. This is nicely structured on the palate for a bit of future evolution. It shows nice light red fruits balanced with good acid and light tannic structure. Nice smokiness to the finish, again with good acid balance.

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• 2008 Daedalus Cellars Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light aromas and light color, again. Lighter on the palate than the Labyrinth, this shows tart fruit and nice acid; really, it's all tight structure right now. The finish is very very smooth, starting out very tight but then slowly coming out of its shell a little. Still, just too tight, but this has the structure to open up in a few years to something fairly pretty.

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• 2006 Daedalus Cellars Syrah McDuffee Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley

  Wow, Ken nailed the nose on this one as it smells exactly like banana bread. So strange, but delicious. Definitely pretty rich and lush for only a 13% Syrah. The palate is equally rich, but not over extracted. Pretty nice balance, but there's no mistake that this is anything but a new world Syrah. Intense spice on the finish that I really like, and it never grows too big as many CV Syrah's do. Nice stuff.

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• 2009 Daedalus Cellars Sweet Riesling Maresh Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Tangerine nose. The palate is creamy, with nice viscosity, mild acid, and pretty white fruit flavors. Very tropical and nice. Wow, the first notion on the finish is the acid, which is impressive. Most North American dessert wines miss the acid necessity, but this one drains it on a grippy, coating finish. Very nice.

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Just a quick stop since we were in the parking lot anyway... I wan't really taking notes here, but I had to put a note up for the Riesling to warn other folks of engaging in such a horrible affair...

• 2010 Cathedral Ridge Riesling 67 Points

  USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge

  This didn't start out too bad, but wow does it lose fans on the finish... the aromas are simply light, with mild spice. Tart acids interestingly enter the palate... the finish, though, is like a long night of drinking vodka and pineapples, consuming copious amounts of pizza, and then vomiting all that up through your nose for hours. No mater how long I wait these vomit flavors do not leave my senses, and every sip I take I feel more and more like I just vomited and I have that flavor left in my mouth. This is very intense and dominant (no other flavors). Consistent experience for my friend who tasted this with me. Just horrible.

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• NV Cathedral Ridge halbtrocken 82 Points

  USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge

  No detailed notes... this was tart, with mild acids and pretty non-descript throughout... far better than their 2010 Riesling, though. I stopped taking notes here after this wine.

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We heard about this place from Argyle. The vineyard is in McMinnville but the tasting room is just outside of Dundee. I found a listing online from a relator selling this property. I'm not sure if that's an old listing or new? Being that the tasting room is brand new, I would expect old, but it was only a year old. Anyway, the tasting room was impressive, and the wines were all quite good. This is definitely a spot I will visit regularly throughout the year.

• 2009 Hyland Estates Riesling 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  Dials in at 12.3% alcohol, and this shows some interesting, soft pear and pineapple aromas. Pretty fruity. The palate shows plenty of funky squash, and is overall pretty mild, slightly spicy, but interesting. Nice mild acid on the finish, with light tart white fruit. Pretty, and very soft.

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• 2010 Hyland Estates Gewürztraminer Old Vine 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  Awesome tropical fruits on the nose coupled with gummy bears. There's also a slight plastic aroma that's in the background and takes away from the juiciness slightly. The palate is a nice soft ball of fruit. Pretty, but light despite the sizable texture. Pretty drying finish, with no sweetness noticeable. There's a slightly metallic, bitter flavor immediately noticeable. I could actually go for a little bit of residual sugar here, as it's a little harsh as is. Unfortunately, the pretty delicious nose doesn't follow through on this one.

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• 2009 Hyland Estates Pinot Noir 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  Dials in at 14.1%, to be expected for 2009. Very pretty fruit aromas, with nice spice and herbs. Very slight alcohol is coming through on the nose. The fruit is exuberant on the palate, but this shows very nice balance with mild acid, despite the obvious ripeness of the fruit. Big acid on the finish and again balanced. I think this is one of the rarer 2009s that will improve from here. 90+

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• 2010 Hyland Estates Pinot Noir Old Vine Coury Clone 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  Minuscule 90 case production on this guy, which dials in at 13.7% alcohol. Surprisingly, this smells larger than the 2009 Estate, with more woody and fake extracted fruit flavors. Not really enjoyable aromas. The palate is very soft in texture, with large fruits of natural jam, and a solid raspberry flavor. Nice acids build. The finish has some acid which balances the large jammy fruit. Still, there's something about this wine that just seems dialed up too much from what the fruit wanted to give.

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A recommendation from the Tasting Room Manager at Hyland Estates. Alexana has been planted for under 10 years, and their estate tasting room just opened within the last few months (previously they had a tasting room in Carlton). Another beautiful tasting room on a beautiful plot of sloped land. They're in the process of building a connected winery that is hoped to be finished for the 2012 harvest. The wines are made by Lynn Penner-Ash. I usually am not a fan of Penner-Ash wines, but these were pretty remarkable. The 2009 Pinot Noirs here were amazingly graceful efforts; likely the best 2009s I've had up until this point (The Lemelson wines just a week later were nearly as good). The texture of these wines was some of the best texture I've ever experienced in Oregon Pinot Noir. Very surprising find. We were lucky to be able to try the Signature, which is usually not open (a wine club member requested it be opened earlier, so we got to try it). Good thing, as that was the real revelation. Ken picked up three bottles and a Magnum.

• 2010 Alexana Pinot Gris Revana Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light melon and squash aromas. The palate is light in body, with plenty of gummy bear and other candied flavors. Fresh acids present as well. Good acid on the finish, and this is very tart, but a little off balanced overall.

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• 2010 Alexana Riesling Revana Vineyard 86 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  A little funky for me on the nose. Lots of exuberant soft fruits on the palate, with good acid. Robust texture. Lots of acid on the tart and grippy finish. Not too much definition though.

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• 2009 Alexana Pinot Noir Revana Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Very large fruit flavors on the nose, with some extract, but also nice green tinge to the fruit as well. Nice. The palate is very very lush and soft. Feels and tastes like a berry cake. Plenty of incredibly soft red fruit. Quite elegant. The finish is soft again, with lush fruit and impressive acid. Very slight alcohol coming through which holds me from going higher, but this is nice stuff, with potential for some future evolution. 90+

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• 2009 Alexana Pinot Noir Signature 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Impressive depth on the nose, with a primary green, spicy fruit aroma. Smells like there's some whole cluster in here. Awesome, gorgeous fruit aromas. Wow, very soft and impressive texture on the palate. This takes the standard Revana elegance and dials it up considerably, but I still wasn't expecting this level of lushness. Impressive. So soft, like a plush blanket, yet also showing acid as it sits on the tongue. The palate presence is pretty incredible for an Oregon Pinot. The finish attacks with really nice spices and greatly balanced acids. This is killer stuff! I'm shocked this is 14.8% alcohol... that young fruit sure hides it well. The best 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir I've had, and one of the finest young Oregon wines period.

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• 2008 Alexana Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Very nice and balanced aromas, but there's definitely some jammy fruit. Very very large fruit on the palate, but plenty of spice and alcohol. Palate gets puckering as its kept there. Very grippy finish, with nice spicy fruit, and pretty yummy and delicious.

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• 2010 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Nuit Blanche Coast Range Estate 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Powdery aromas. Soft, light, and dusty, with some floral, pollen note coupled with tropical fruit. The palate is soft, very lush, and creamy. Quite pretty and nice. Soft, and really nice candied fruit on the finish. I'm impressed how delicious this is. One of the better (the best?) white Pinot Noirs I've had.

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• 2009 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Trisae 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  This was very light in color despite its 14.1% alcohol. Really spicy wood aromas on the tart smelling nose. Pretty nice. Quite exuberant fruit on the palate, with plenty of oak flavors. Still nice and soft. Light acidic finish with not much depth.

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• 2009 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Artist Series No. 9 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  This shows tons of spice and soft clove. Tart, yet exuberant aromas that get larger the more it gets air. The palate expresses plenty of large scale fruit and is nicely balanced. Not much depth, but very bit and voluptuous. Spicy finish, with some alcohol coming through, and again not much depth. Soft flavors and this is still pretty juicy and delicious at current.

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• 2009 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Artist Series No. 10 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Softer than the no 9, with more fruit. Lacking some of the tart aromas I liked in the no 9, though. The palate is pleasing and shows quite luxuriously appointed red fruit. Very soft and again showing very nice balance. Certainly pretty forward with its fruit, but it is all in check. Tart, tannic fruit on the finish. Again, good balance. Pleasing all around, with potential in its future. 90+

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• 2009 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Estates Reserve 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Comprised of the best 16 barrels in the cellar. This shows very spicy and herbal aromas, coupled with pretty red fruits. The palate is very largely fruited, but still nice; exuberant, yet pretty. Very juicy on the finish. This is quite nice, but doesn't have the structure or balance of the artist series wines I had today. Seems the "best" barrels were the fruitiest barrels, perhaps not the most balanced or structured for aging.

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• 2010 Trisaetum Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge Estate 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

  Very light color. This shows nicely balanced aromas with plenty of soft berry flavors. Lots of fruit on the palate, with impressive, soft texture. Quite delicious. Tart fruit on the finish. Good stuff.

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• 2009 Trisaetum Riesling Lassa

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

  Smells of candied Riesling and gummy bears. The palate is big and rich, with nice fruit and soft spice. Tart acids. The finish goes a little flaccid, with lots of sweetness. Good but not too much in the way of intensity, which I think is necessary for sweet rieslings. This is just soft and light, with candied fruit.

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I've had these wines on a few occasions and enjoyed them, but not quite as much as everyone who recommends them. This was my first visit to the winery. Another nice spot, but it was dark by the time we got here.

• 2009 Colene Clemens Pinot Noir 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains

  Today the aroma is giving nothing but tons of very spicy fruits. Again spicy, tart red/green fruit on the palate. The finish is tart and a little bitter. Makes me pucker.

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• 2009 Colene Clemens Pinot Noir Estate Reserve 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains

  Lots of fruit forward aromas, coupled with some tart fruit, clove and interesting bubble gum note. Quite nice. The palate expresses lush, soft fruit. Pretty pleasing. The finish is tart, with mild acids. Overall though, this shows very large, soft fruit. Too big for my preference.

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• 2009 Colene Clemens Pinot Noir Victoria 86 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains

  The best of the lineup? I found it the least interesting. This has the largest, juiciest fruit of the bunch. Massive on the palate. Shows some nice rich fruits, but wow does it feel extracted. Spicy, but again a huge notion of extracted fruit on the finish. And 14.8% alcohol? I expect this out of California, but not what I seek in Oregon Pinot Noir. I can see why Jay Miller likes it so. Don't get me wrong, it was very tasty for sure, but it wasn't interesting.

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