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North Willamette Vintner's Wine Trail Weekend
Tasted April 9, 2011 - April 10, 2011 by David Paris (dbp) with 744 views
Introduction
I had a fun time doing this event last year so I figured I'd give it another whirl this year. Definitely a lot of wine for your money... but as last year, in all the wines tried I think there are only one or two that I'd actually consider buying.
Flight 1 - Garden Vineyards (3 notes)
White
2009 Garden Vineyards White Table Wine
88 points
Nice fruit on the nose with a slight citrus note. The palate is mildly creamy and luscious, with nice soft fruits. Light on acid, and a metallic hub cap. There's some mild squash on the finish, lemon, and lightly tart. Light in flavor, but the fruity nature of this is delicious. Well balanced. Perhaps not quite as good as last year, but very tasty.
Rosé
2009 Garden Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé Noir
84 points
Very light aromas; feels a little watery, though there is mild candied fruits. This wine was pretty darkly hued, and it definitely does taste more of a mediocre light Pinot Noir than a Rose. Light in body, with light sweet berries. The finish shows some green notes, and a metallic notion coupled with strange acidity that makes it feel off balanced.
Red
2009 Garden Vineyards Pinot Noir
85 points
Very light aromas... typical ones, but not much going on. The palate is very light, with some minor wood and steminess. Very mild, with a slightly funky fruit that stays on the tongue a while. Mildly dusty. Brighter acid on the finish, tart, with some VA.
Flight 2 - Helvetia Vineyards and Tree Farm (4 notes)
White
2007 Helvetia Vineyards Chardonnay
79 points
Showed much better than last year. The aromas are slightly nasty green apple sourness... like that of fermenting apples. There's more funky green apples on the palate, with mild acids, and this really nasty metallic streak. Similar on the finish; raspy metallic fruit that has been sitting in a barn for too long.
Red
2008 Helvetia Vineyards Pinot Noir
87 points
Pretty funky, nasty oak on the nose, with some rotting chemically rubber band. The palate is much nicer, though, showing some pleasing large fruit that's quite lush, coupled with bright acid. Pretty decent. The finish shows nice acid and tart fruit. Smooth throughout, though the nose is definitely off putting compared to the showing last year.
White - Off-dry
2008 Helvetia Vineyards Gewürztraminer Grrrr-vertz
73 points
Way worse than last year. Really funky, nastiness on the nose, with some sweetness. Sweet again on the palate, with tart, generic sweet, slightly rotting apples. The finish is really bitter and tart, showing rotting apple pie. Really funky and chemical driven. I didn't note anything attractive about the texture this time.
Red
2008 Helvetia Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve
88 points
Very slight pour, so hard to really tell... this did have some nice lightly fruited aromas, with nice spiciness. The palate and finish were similarly spicy... hard to tell, but it seemed nice.
Flight 3 - Purple Cow (5 notes)
White
2009 Purple Cow Muscat
89 points
Really interesting and different aromas. Yeah it does feel a little sweet, like sweet pumpkin, but that's coupled with a nice dustiness. The palate is like a tangerine without the pulp. There's a slight chemical notion as well, but it's not very distracting. Some Japanese citrus fruit on the finish, and a strange candy with a beefy flavor. There's also nice spice. A tasty wine.
Red
2007 Purple Cow Pinot Noir Sophie's Edition
84 points
Nice aromas, though a little large considering the vintage. The palate is tart, fairly thin, and shows some strangely stewed fruits, with mild acid.Tart and tannic, with drying finish and light spice. A light whiff of alcohol.
Red
2007 Purple Cow Gabriela
83 points
Woodsy, sappy, and very mild and subdued nose. Pretty big and balanced on the palate, with very light and soft texture. Some candied fruit. The finish is big and grippy, with chunky, thick fruit. More woods. Just too large a style for me.
Red
2007 Purple Cow Tempranillo Reserve California
80 points
Bit spice, and some alcohol. The texture is chunky and kind of nasty... I really can't get past it. Mild finish with massive fruit.
Red
2006 Purple Cow Durif Reserve
76 points
Big and thick aromas. Massive fruit on the palate, and it builds burning booze quickly as it remains in the mouth. Wow, incredibly hot finish and sickeningly creamy fruit. Not enjoyable.
Flight 4 - Apolloni (7 notes)
This place had one of the best events last year, and this year as well. This time they were allowing us to try Pinot Gris done in a variety of styles: Stainless with no lees stirring, stainless with lees stirring, oak with no lees stirring, and oak with lees stirring. Really interesting exploration.
White
2009 Apolloni Pinot Grigio
85 points
Very light aromas of apple and citrus. Some tropical fruits as well... I am really impressed with the fruit aromas here. The palate is soft and mild, with gummy candy, bright fruit and nice texture. The finish feels chunky, with some acids, but definitely quite off balanced compared to the nose and palate. Not too enjoyable in the end.
White
2008 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris Dundee Hills
87 points
This one had lees stirring.The aromas are quite nutty, with pretty delicious whole fruit and a slight butterscotch notion. The palate is funky, fuller in body, and shows more nuts, and a little weed flavors. Very interesting. Lots of wood noted, but the acid is kicked up nicely. The finish shows even more acid, and it really begins to dry out on the finish. A little funky, but I really like the big wallop of acid.
White
2009 Daedalus Cellars Pinot Gris
84 points
This wine was done in barrel, but with no lees stirring. The aromas are much crisper, with nice tropical flavors, and very light browned toast. The palate is light, showing mild flavors, some tartness & acid which is nice. The texture is a little chunky, which I don't care for. Pretty boring on the finish.
White
2005 Paul Ginglinger Tokay Pinot Gris Cuvée des Prélats
82 points
Very nice, slightly sweet aromas and flavors, which interesting peach fruit. The palate is very soft and mild, and a little too creamy, showing an off balanced funky flavor.
Red
2007 Apolloni Pinot Noir Ruby Vineyard
90 points
Really floral aromas, with awesome raspberry, and yummy spice. Nice fruit on the palate, with good light raspberries. Tannins build strong, showing spice and tartness. Really well structured. Great finish, with a slightly green notion, but overall impressive balance.
Red
2008 Apolloni Pinot Noir
83 points
Really rich aromas, and feels a little funky. It smells like a wine with Marechal foch in it. The palate is big, rich, and lush. Thickly tannic, and really too big in size. Feels like there's something other than Pinot Noir in here. Lots of spice on the finish, and plenty of boozy alcohol. Strange for 2008.
Red
2008 Apolloni Soleggio Conti di Val Seriana
82 points
Rich, thick color. Tart aromas, and rich, almost chocolate like. The palate is drying and tannic, tart, and really doesn't shot too much fruit. The fruit that is there though is on the darker, heavier side, and there's quite a bit of alcohol felt as well. After I ate a piece of cheese, this wine finishes like I just ate some chocolate cheese cake. Not too interesting for me.
Flight 5 - Tualatin Estate (5 notes)
White
2003 Tualatin Estate Chardonnay
84 points
Oaky spice on the nose, and something I can only describe as fermented nuts. It's definitely overall very nutty and slightly oxidized. The palate is light on anything interesting, with mild acid, light funk, and more oxidized taste. Now we're onto fermenting meat on the finish. Mild acid, and more oxidized note. My score is higher than expected reading the note... I guess these flavors weren't all that off putting.
Red
2005 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir
85 points
A bit oaky and generic on the nose. The wine feels manufactured. The palate shows brighter fruit, and the wine is beginning to mellow. Fairly light with mild tannins, and slightly stemmy fruit. Tart and green finish.
Red
2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate
87 points
Much lighter than the 2005. Rich, funky green notes. Nice richness and balance on the palate, with bright fruit. The finish is a little green as many 2007s are, but it's still pretty balanced and pleasing.
Red
2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate
83 points
A bit too 2006 for me. Soft and mild deep fruited aromas. This goes to large fruit on the palate, showing rich, soft fruit. Nice spice on the finish, but really no complexity. All it shows is some decent fruit, but no acid to keep it together. Feels flabby.
Red
2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate
83 points
Light, and slightly alcoholic aromas. Rich, with better balance than the nose, but still not too much interest. Mediocre finish... just a very standard Pinot.
Flight 6 - Ponzi (3 notes)
White
2003 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve
88 points
Really mellow aromas, though what's there displays a quite vibrant fruit forward nature with just a bit of oak. The palate is also quite mellow, showing light acidity. Sharp and light lemon. Spicy oak on the finish. Tart. Not much depth, and it honestly doesn't taste that aged. Pretty good.
White
2006 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve
85 points
A little buttery on the nose, with light melon and lemon. Quite a bit larger than the 2003, with lusher fruit. Nice and soft with mild acids. The finish shows a bit more oak, and some slightly volatile acidity. Kind of raspy.
White
2008 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve
85 points
Very light aromas... maybe slightly oaky, and a little eggy. Mild, with larger fruit in the way of mellow tart apple on the palate. This leads to a mouth coating finish of green apple tartness.
Flight 7 - Cooper Mountain Vineyards (1 note)
A waisted stop... 2 wines and the pours were so slight that you could hardly taste them. I didn't even bother noting the Pinot Gris due to my inability to taste anything.
Red
2008 Cooper Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve
86 points
Very oaky and spicy on the nose. Quite mild, and a very generic Oregon Pinot Noir. Slightly tart red fruit on the finish.
Flight 8 - Smith Berry Barn (9 notes)
It was nice that the Smith Berry Barn allows three different growers to taste here, however, the event was out doors where it was in the 40s. A bit too cold to be tasting Pinot Noir effectively. Everyone was freezing. I certainly wasn't prepared to sit outside for an hour tasting wine.
Red
2006 Gresser Vineyard Pinot Noir
86 points
A little green and herbaceously spicy (sage and rosemary). Similar herbs on the palate, but there are some bits of fruit poking through it here. Definitely some alcohol and spice noticed on the finish, with some stewed fruits. Interesting for the herbaceous quality...
Red
2007 Gresser Vineyard Pinot Noir
83 points
Much much lighter than the 2006, with an odd shrimp shell thing, and very bright light cherry. Mild palate flavors, which are slightly green in nature. Some spice and earth, but not much in the way of complexity despite some additional light red fruits. The finish is light and again green and hollow, with a slightly metallic taste trailing off.
Red
2008 Gresser Vineyard Pinot Noir
86 points
Spicy, earthy aromas. Dried leafs and slight berry scents. Really grippy tannins and tight on the palate, not really yielding much other than the structure. The finish is similar, but it does begin to open up to some light berry note. Definite potential here, but right now it's all structure. I hope it opens.
White
2010 Dion Vineyard Pinot Gris
81 points
Very nice bright up front fruit aromas. The palate shows nice melon through and through. Tart and really strange finish... straight forward with no acidity at all. Started alright, but the lack of acid was a real disappointment and made this unenjoyable.
Red
2008 Dion Vineyard Pinot Noir
84 points
Spicy and light aromas. Slightly tart palate, with grippy tannins and tons of structure. There's hardly any fruit at present. Green tannins dominate the finish, which is tart and grippy. Strange, as I don't get any red fruits here. It's all green.
Red
2009 Dion Vineyard Pinot Noir
83 points
Strange rubber ball scents. Plastic as well. Mild tight fruit. Nice fruit on the palate, with pleasing earthiness and good green fruit shavings. Tart and tight on the finish though, and again, not showing much at all.
White
2009 Provincial Vineyards Pinot Gris
77 points
Typical Pinot Gris aromas, with some light sweetness to this one. The palate is light in flavor and feels like sugar water in texture, but it doesn't really taste all that sweet. The finish is intensely bitter. Pretty nasty, kind of like licking an aluminum ball with sugar on top.
White
2010 Provincial Vineyards Pinot Gris
72 points
Sweeter aromas than the 2009, with light aromas including that of bathroom cleaner. I couldn't get past that, so didn't focus too much on the rest...
Red
2009 Provincial Vineyards Pinot Noir
88 points
Pretty nice barrel spice aromas, with nice mild fruit and earth. Again with some mild fruit on the palate, some of which is candied but not sweet. Pleasing. Good sweet fruit and spicy earth on the finish. Pretty enjoyable, and a breakthrough after the nasty Pinot Gris'.
Flight 9 - Raptor Ridge (5 notes)
A really nice tasting room that I had never been to before. Too bad the wines were across the board mediocre. I couldn't believe the alcohol levels here.
Rosé
2010 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Rosé
82 points
Tons of forward strawberry fruit. It's intense, like candy, or a sweet muscat from Italy. The palate is light and not nearly as interesting or delicious as the aromas. Light flavors and fairly dry. Spicy dry, mild finish.
Red
2005 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Stony Mountain
83 points
Light aromas, a little smoky. It's also kind of like some crustini bread. Full flavored palate, but light in complexity. No richness despite the softness. Very very light flavors on the finish, which is fairly hollow. Really no depth here.
Red
2006 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Stony Mountain
83 points
Light a chemical booziness on the nose. This smells like jungle juice. Big spiced vodka fruit flavors on the palate. Really doesn't feel hot, but it does taste like a cocktail. A well made raspberry cocktail at that, but still, a cocktail. Again like heavy stewed fruit cocktail, with massive spice on the finish. Not really what I want when I reach for Pinot Noir... In a martini glass with ice, this could work.
Red
2007 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Stony Mountain
84 points
Light, spicy and rocky aromas. Light fruit on the palate, which is soft and mellow. Fairly pleasing with mild tannins. The finish is very mellow and not much tannins present at all. Really soft with little structure.
Red
2008 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Stony Mountain
85 points
14.3% is pretty darn high for 2008. This wine was rich and dark in color. It has a deep penetrating nose of a rubber ball and plastic. Light, yet thick fruits including red apples and red berries dominate. Brighter fruit on the palate, but the fruit is quite big and thick. Massive tannins build as its held on the palate, but these are sweet tannins. Thick, rich finish that's quite massive, though boring. Just too big of a wine for me.
Flight 10 - J. Albin (4 notes)
Rosé - Sparkling
2007 J. Albin Brut Rosé Laurel Vineyard
86 points
Light aromas of crisp apples. The palate is slightly sweet, with light fruit, mild yeastiness. Tart. Mildly drying texture. Lots of dried apples on the finish. It's crisp and drying.
White
2009 J. Albin Pinot Gris
82 points
Unfortunately I've never been much of a fan of the Pinot Gris here. This year it shows very light aromas, some dusty wood shavings from a band saw, and that's about it. The palate is very light and mild. Tart and generic finish. There's just no depth here.
Rosé
2008 J. Albin Pinot Noir “Saignee”
85 points
Lots of really bright strawberry fruit on the nose. Similar luscious strawberry on the palate, which is kind of chunky in texture. Very light acid. The finish drops off a bit though, which is quite empty with no depth.
Red
2008 J. Albin Pinot Noir Laurel Vineyard
86 points
Fairly exuberant aromas. Lots of big fruit. Deep penetrating chalky berry notes. The palate is lush and thick. Tart, with nice balance but not much depth to the flavors. The finish is again balanced with fruit, acid, and tannins, but there isn't much complexity of flavors at current. It's all there, but doesn't quite put it all together as a whole package. I look forward to trying it in the future.