Pacific Northwest Tasting Trip Day 2

Willamette Valley & Portland
Tasted Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - Thursday, April 12, 2012 by manonthemoon with 730 views

Introduction

The second morning started out similar with a little VD, except this time it was a Maple Bacon Bar, and then we were off to the Coffee Cottage in Newberg where they make some excellent espresso very creamy with a nice hint of citrus peel. It was next that we went to Patricia Green Cellars to meet up with Jim and after an extended tasting we needed a bite so Jim recommended Red Hills Market where we enjoyed some pizza and sandwiches.

Flight 1 - Patricia Green Cellars (Newburg, OR) (11 Notes)

We met Jim out at the winery for an early morning tasting. It was excellent to try a couple of barrel sample of the two white wines they are doing for 2011 and quite a few bottles of pinot. Jim was great as this was our first time with him leading us through as Patty has usually been the one, but it was nice to get his take on the wines and the different vintages. After talking to him a little while about some things and missing him the night prior at OWOB and he decided to pop an extra couple of bottles and take us outside to show us chompers favorite pass time of llama herding. Really enjoyed the lineup, all solid wines. Great visit and can't wait to drop again next time we are in the valley.

Flight 2 - Tyson Crowley Cellars at August Cellars (Newberg, OR)

Right as we got to the CO-OP it started hailing and by the time we left there was over an inch of accumilation on the ground, good thing the vines were inacctive throughout the area. Tyson showed us around the two barrel rooms and the steel containers that he was prepairing to bottle. He was kind enough to have us try a dozen or so barrel samples between the different chards and pinots from 2010 and 2011. It was great to see the different barrel treatments on similar blocks and different clones that will end up in different blends. Really impressed with one of the barrels he tended to think Bob from Liner Elsen was going to choose for a private bottling. Tyson was very accomidating as always and we really enjoyed the visit.

Flight 3 - Argyle Tasting Room (Dundee, OR) (6 Notes)

We stopped into Argyle for a little change of pace with some bubbles prior to heading back to Portland. The staff was very accomidating and suprised us by starting us off with a taste of the 2001 Tirage which was impressive. It was kind of a hard act to follow up afterwards as the others didn't have the complexity or depth of it. Good stuff overall besides the Black Brut which isn't one of my favorite styles of sparkling to say the least. I still find this a must stop in Willamette though as it gives you a nice break from all the Pinot.

  • 2001 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut 93 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/5/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of apple core, little honey, and brioche.
    Palate of more of the same with honey, apple, brioche, and yeast showing.
    Finish was above average to long in length, and great acidity was present.
    I didn't realize they had started us off with this as I was not around when it was poured and I was immediately shocked at how good I thought the regular brut was.
    Such a delightful sparkler and a steal for the price IMO. 92-93

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Argyle Vintage Brut 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/5/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of pear core and minerals.
    Palate of lemon, pear, minerals, and spice.
    Finish was average in length decent cut.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Argyle Brut Knudsen Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/4/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of apple core, light toast, minerals.
    Palate of tropical fruit, coconut, cream.
    Finish was average in length, decent cut.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Argyle Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs 88 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/5/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of toasty bread and yeast.
    Palate of biscuit, apple, yeast.
    Finish was average in length decent cut, more mouthfeel than others.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Argyle Brut Rosé 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/5/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of raspberry, roses, and spice.
    Palate of raspberry, pomegranite, spice.
    Finish was average in length, okay cut.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Argyle Pinot Noir Black Brut 72 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/5/2012)

    Tasted at the Tasting room.
    Nose of raspberry and currants.
    Palate of jolly rancher raspberry, cherry, blackberry, and spice.
    Finish was above average in length, but below average cut.
    Not my style of sparkler to say the least.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 4 - Le Pigeon (Portland, OR) (3 Notes)

My third visit to this great resturant and I think this was my favorite ever, just a quality menu all around. After a long day of tasting we headed out to our favorite Portland resturant, Le Pigeon, and indulged ourselves with a 7 course tasting menu that included a caviar quail egg dish radish foam, scallop with squid ink, quail leg dish, pink grouper rice green garlic pesto, rabbit hindquarters and truffel pasta, desert was a little carot gelee cardomon ice cream carrot cake and a foie gras proffiteral. I also had an interesting farmhouse style ale that was brewed with fennel by the resturant and the other two bottles were opened the day prior so we finished at the hotel.

  • NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé 90 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (4/6/2012)

    Had this at Le Pigeon in Portland to pair with a tasting course.
    Nose was lighter than I recalled, probably due to serving temp, but as it warmed up the strawberry florals stated to show more.
    Palate was good with red fruit, a little earth, and some minerals showing.
    The acidity was still strong and cut was nice.
    Paired very well with everything.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 Cameron Blanc Clos Electrique 94 Points

    USA, Oregon

    (4/5/2012)

    Notes from day 2.
    Gold color.
    N: pineapple rind, honey, cream, funk, minerals.
    P: pineapple, lemon curd, cream, minerals, nuts.
    F: long finish, great mouthfeel and acidity, some nuttiness coming.
    Nice find at Tina's in Dundee and had to get even with lunch the day before, great white wine.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Cameron Giuliano 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/5/2012)

    Notes from day 2.
    Light gold in color.
    N: lots of florals,tropical fruit, minerals
    P: florals, yellow fruit, spice, minerals
    F: ave in length, good acidity.
    Great qpr and the acidity would go great with lots of food.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Closing

Great day overall, one of my favorite dinners in a long time and some great wines is never a bad thing.

×
×