A Taste of the Willamette Valley
Vancouver, WA and the Willamette Valley, OR
Tasted Friday, June 28, 2024 - Sunday, June 30, 2024 by La Cave d'Argent with 185 views
Introduction
Visiting our dear relatives in Camas, WA is always a treat. This three-night trip was ostensibly to celebrate two birthdays, but there was plenty of additional fun to go around. We elected to stay at the Vancouver Waterfront Hilton, which is a well-appointed hotel not far from Camas. Our room had a large balcony with a great view of the public park directly across the street.
Flight 1 - Lunch and Tasting at Willamette Valley Vineyards Vancouver (June 28,2024) (5 Notes)
Willamette Valley Vineyards has a beautiful tasting room and restaurant along the Vancouver waterfront, where we sampled numerous wines while consuming Mahi Mahi tacos and a delicious spring salad with added chicken. Unfortunately, one of us could not resist taking a bite from a taco before the photo was taken! Consuming excellent food and wines while soaking in the gorgeous views of the Columbia River is quite a memorable experience.
Flight 2 - Dinner at The Hammond (June 28, 2024) (3 Notes)
During our first evening, family members dined at The Hammond Kitchen and Craft Bar in Camas. I ordered grilled Sockeye Salmon while my wife ordered the seafood brochette. Both dishes were excellent and paired very well with the 2021 Willamette Valley Vineyards Elton and Estate Pinots, both bottles having been purchased earlier in the day while having lunch.
After dinner, we returned to the family's home in Camas. Other relatives were staying at the home and we had a designated driver to our hotel, so no one was shy about enjoying snacks and additional red wine.
Flight 3 - Tasting at Résonance Wines (June 29, 2024) (6 Notes)
Our first stop on this day devoted to wine tasting was Résonance Wines. This is a beautiful facility nestled in the hills of Carlton. With the exception of a TCA-tainted bottle, the wines were uniformly impressive, especially the Les Côteaux Chardonnay and the Choix du Coeur Pinot.
Flight 4 - Tasting at White Rose Estate (June 29, 2024) (4 Notes)
Located in Dundee, White Rose Estate is a beautiful winery in a very bucolic setting. Although they have a nice indoor tasting room, we elected to be seated at one of the outdoor pergolas, where we were served by a very knowledgeable employee.
While the wines of White Rose are well-crafted and quite good, the labeling of their wines is somewhat confusing (with various categories such as "Convivial Wines," "Explorer Wines," "Epicurean Wines" and "Collectors Wines"). This is exacerbated by the fact that some of their bottlings do not have the name of the winery or wine on the front label.
Flight 5 - Tasting at Chehalem (June 29, 2024) (7 Notes)
Our Willamette Valley excursion concluded at the Chehalem tasting room in Newberg. Low-key, friendly and willing to open library wines, this was a fun experience. I'm quite convinced that these well-trained employees, sensing that we actually cared about what we were tasting, felt compelled to impress us with the best that this winery has to offer.
Flight 6 - Dinners in Camas (June 29, 2024 and June 30, 2024)
These evenings were spent at the home in Camas, where our talented family member prepared grilled rack of lamb one night and grilled ribeye steaks au poivre the next. Both meals were enjoyed with wines that had been purchased on our wine tasting journey. Enjoying great food, wonderful wines and dear family while taking in the view was a special occasion that will long be remembered.
Closing
The Pacific Northwest is a special part of the country. We are blessed to have family in the area and are even more blessed by their generosity and hospitality. We can't wait to return!
2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris Estate 91 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
(6/28/2024)
Blended from the best lots of Pinot Gris that were sourced entirely from estate vineyards, this straw-colored wine serves up an aromatic array of citrus, quince, honeycrisp apples, wet stones and rose petals. Light-to-medium-bodied, well-lifted, unoaked and seamlessly alcoholic (13.6%), it offers a refreshing flavor profile that mirrors the aromas. Solid on the midpalate, it moves on to a lengthy, saline-laden finish. Willamette Valley Vineyards is off to a great start with the inaugural release of this wine. Drink now-2028.
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2022 Willamette Valley Vineyards White Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate 89 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Tualatin Hills
(6/28/2024)
This pale yellow wine was made from Pinot Noir grapes that were immediately gently pressed, resulting in free run juice without the color or tannins from the skins. Following fermentation, the wine was aged for nine months in neutral oak. Quite perfumed on the nose, it offers a core of Pippin apples and white peaches that are accented with notes of jasmine, chamomile, ginger, coriander and a hint of vanilla. Light-bodied, crisply acidic and without noticeable alcohol (12.9%), it delivers flavors congruent with the aromas, adding a nice degree of minerality and a wisp of wood. Dense in the middle and medium in length on the finish, this is an enjoyable summertime sipper that should be at its best over the next couple of years. Drink now-2026.
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2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
(6/28/2024)
Sourced from the winery's Elton and Tualatin Estate Vineyards, the Pinot Noir grapes for this wine were gently whole-cluster pressed and fermented entirely in stainless steel. Medium rose-colored, it offers fresh aromas and flavors of strawberries, apricots, honeydew, lemon verbena and ginger. Light-bodied, dry, energetic and with well-integrated alcohol (13.5%), it has good mid-palate density and finishes medium-to-long. This is just what the doctor would order for a warm summer day. Drink now-2026.
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2021 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Elton Vineyard 92 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
(6/28/2024)
Sourced from the estate's Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA, this Pinot was aged for 16 months in French oak barriques (35% new). Medium ruby in color, it serves up an aromatic package of raspberries, blood oranges, baking spices, rose petals and cocoa. Medium-bodied and with lively acids, it delivers flavors mirroring the aromas, wrapping them with silky-textured tannins and staying solid on the midpalate. The oak is beautifully proportionate and the wine's 13.9% alcohol is nicely integrated. Concluding with a lengthy finish, this is a Pinot that is hard to resist. Enjoy it throughout the remainder of this decade. Drink now-2024.
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2022 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
(6/28/2024)
Sourced from the winery's three estate vineyards (Bernau, Tualatin and Elton), this Pinot was aged for 10 months in French oak barriques (10% new). Medium-to-deep ruby in color, it flaunts an aromatic array of Montmorency cherries, cranberries, cloves, coriander seed and vanilla. Medium-bodied, nicely lifted, judiciously oaked and without alcoholic heat (13.5%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, wrapping them with medium-weight, slightly coarse tannins. Solid on the midpalate, it moves on to a lengthy finish that flexes some tannic grip. This will benefit from a couple of more years in the cellar, and will very likely merit a higher score if it fleshes out as anticipated. Drink 2026-2032.
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