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Pinot Weekend - Second Willamette Valley Trip
Dundee, OR
Tasted August 30, 2013 - September 2, 2013 by Nutty08 with 568 views
Flight 1 - Ayres (5 notes)
Joe was a terrific host. This was a great place to kick off the weekend. The wines were in a fresh and vibrant style but had enough fruit to balance in the leaner '11 vintage. Great stuff in an energetic food friendly style that's well priced.
Red
2011 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
88 points
This had a lot going on despite being the entry level bottling. Light nose with an interesting mix of distinct red fruit (cherry) and blue fruit (blackberry). Lean on the palate with plenty of zip. Moderate finish adding a hint of spice. Chalky mouthfeel, quite refreshing. Needs a couple years to settle down, though approachable now. If the '07 is any indication, short to medium term cellaring will be rewarded. 88+
Red
2007 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
90 points
This was much more expressive than the '11's. Nose was similar to the '11, but had a wonderful mushroom and sandalwood overtone that added another dimension of complexity. Palate was quite smooth upon entry, with black cherry notes quite prominent, but seemed much more expansive than the '11. Moderate loam and stone finish. Quite nice. Probably at the beginning of its drinking plateau. 90
Red
2011 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Perspective Ribbon Ridge
91 points
Saline and blackberry nose--again a little shy and tight. Palate leaned towards a daker styled fruit, quite narrow on the palate with prominent acidity. Spicy vibrant through the finish. Another bottle enjoyed through the weekend stayed fresh and vibrant over several days. Coiled up, needs 3-5yrs at least. 91+
Red
2011 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Lewis Rogers Lane Ribbon Ridge
92 points
I really enjoyed this one, maybe my favorite of the tasting given the darker fruit profile. This leaned towards a blue/black style compared to the others and was quite expressive on the nose. Strangely, more closed on the palate than the other bottlings, but plenty of structure with some fine chalky tannins and crunchy acidity. Will need some serious time. 91-92+
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Red
2011 Ayres Vineyard Pinot Noir Pioneer Ribbon Ridge
93 points
The most complex of the wines tasted. Saline, sandalwood, and hint of meat on the nose. Palate was quite vibrant, but less angular and more polished than the other bottlings, showing more berries (boysenberry/blackberry). A touch of sweetness to the fruit carries this through the finish which is quite long and complex. Hold for sure. 92-93+
Flight 2 - Brickhouse (5 notes)
Second visit here. It always seems to be a challenge to get in, but once we do, Allan takes care of us and we have a great time. The wines are sensational.
White
2011 Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia
91 points
A nice wine that is rather light in color and showing more of a white fruit character with distinct chardonnay character. Lush soft caressing mouthfeel that is rather light. Quite nice, but didn't seem to have the complexity I expected. Quite a caressing enjoyable mouthfeel though. 91-92
Red
2011 Brick House Gamay Noir Ribbon Ridge
90 points
This is such an interesting wine. Black pepper really dominates the nose. Palate is quite dense and structured, tannins are a bit coarse, with meat/game notes and a black cherry and blackberry profile. Finish is a bit clipped, but still a nice interesting expression of gamay.
Red
2011 Brick House Pinot Noir Cuvée du Tonnelier
92 points
Sensational wine, with baking spices, blackberry, and leather on the nose. Palate has a dense core of black cherry fruit despite the '11 vintage, but the '11 acidity is there keeping this tightly coiled on the palate. Has some coarse tannin on a lengthy finish. 92-93+
Red
2011 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais Ribbon Ridge
92 points
Distinct from the Cuvee, has a pleasant citrus note from ont he nose and palate, almost pommagranite. Black cherry fruit, some baking spices again, and a slightly darker fruit profile. Less expressive at this stage than the others 92+
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Red
2011 Brick House Pinot Noir Evelyn's
94 points
Always a favorite and again a little denser and more concentrated than the other Pinots. Has a fantastic rose petal/floral note to the nose while the palate is dense, concentrated, and a little closed at this stage. Sandalwood comes through on the finish. Hold this one for a while. 94+
Flight 3 - Late lunch at Recipe (1 note)
One of the best burgers I've had, though it did require a nap to make it through the day.
Red
2009 Zimri Cellars Pinot Noir
88 points
Big fruity wine. Quite forward and ripe with a black cherry and blackberry profile. Almost borders on over ripeness, but has enough structure to keep it from being flabby. Simple finish with a bit of pepper on the finish. Shows the '09 vintage and is a fine wine to drink now at the price point.
Flight 4 - Back at house, dinner (2 notes)
Red
2011 Ceritas Pinot Noir Costalina
93 points
Pomegranate and spice on the nose. More of a red fruit profile on the palate with a bit sweetness to the fruit. The acidity fit quite well with the Oregon Pinots, but the sweetness of the fruit was more consistent with California. Mineral finish. This could really use some time to integrate more. 93+
Red
2010 Rhys Pinot Noir San Mateo County
93 points
Almost has some mint on the nose (which I assume is the whole cluster), spicy herbs, black fruits. Palate is rather smooth, with the stem inclusion standing out from the fruit. I was surprised how dark the fruit profile was compared to the Oregon Pinots (which I also thought had a blue-ish tone to the fruit) Lengthy finish. This is really going to be a nice pinot if I can stop drinking them. Best sip was the last, after about 4hrs air. 93+ Best bottle yet
Flight 5 - Matello (10 notes)
Marcus was kind enough to host us despite changing the visit time twice and losing half our group to other events. A gracious host, we ended up having a vertical tasting mixed in with the '11's. Marcus is clearly very passionate about his wines and seems to take a serious structured approach. The '11's were in a leaner more acidic style, and I struggled to really get a good grasp of the character of these wines. They are clearly well built to age and show site typicity, but I am not sure if they are almost too lean and angular. I came away being a little perplexed, though having the opportunity to try some with a bit of bottle age was very helpful and should add some optimism. These may prove to be a little too "lean" for my palate, but I purchased several to follow over the next few years. I was hoping to spend a little more time with a Pinot, but didn't get the chance.
White
2012 Matello Pinot Gris
89 points
I can't say I've ever loves a Pinot Gris, but this had a nice core of peak fruit with a cut of acidity that keep it fresh and lively on the palate. Despite the acidity, it had a lush roundness to the palate that was quite pleasing. Quite nice. 89
White
2011 Matello Caprice
87 points
Mostly Pinot Gris and barrel fermented prior to extended barrel aging. Has a prominent toast note through the white and golden fruit that I couldn't get past. This was slight rounder than the steel fermented example. Likely needs some time to integrate. 88
White
2012 Matello Pinot Gris Whistling Ridge Vineyard Ribbon Ridge
90 points
A very interesting field blend. Leans towards more of a golden styled fruit, with a touch of melon and lemon citrus. Bold and lively on the palate, again with a caressing roundness that is quite pleasing. Has a hint of residual sugar(not a negative). 90
White
2011 Matello Chardonnay Richard's Cuvee
88 points
Golden styled fruit, soft round lush mouthfeel. Toast is rather prominent again, which according to Marcus is from it's time exposed to lees rather than oak. Didn't quite work for me, maybe will integrate with time. 88
Red
2011 Matello Pinot Noir Lazarus
88 points
Lighter styled, with slightly angular acidity with a tart cherry profile on the palate. Finishes with some tea leaves and spice. Quite narrow on the palate. Should be an excellent food wine for the price. 88
Red
2011 Matello Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge Vineyard Ribbon Ridge
91 points
Hints of blue fruit complement the cherry pit flavors on the palate. Acidity here is quite prominent, and there's a bit of tartness to the fruit. Finishes with a promiennt stone/chalk/spice character. Tannins are there but quite fine. While narrow on the palate I'm fairly confident this will smooth out and add weight with time. 91+
Red
2011 Matello Pinot Noir Souris
90 points
Similar profile to the Whistling Ridge, but the whole cluster stands out from the fruit some, and I found it angular and difficult to access. Once compared to the '08 and '07, I think it is just tightly wound and somewhat closed at this point. 90+
Red
2007 Matello Pinot Noir Souris
90 points
I'm guessing this is more comparable to the '11. Quite expressive, has more of a mushroom character than the '08, but more elegant and less powerful. Cherry palate with a bit of leather and baking spice. Seems to be in its drinking plateau. This was one I would like to spend more time with. 90
Red
2008 Matello Pinot Noir Souris
92 points
Popped and poured. Surprisingly much more expressive than the '11s even without extended aeration. The nose has a fantastic sandalwood leather character, along with blueberry and cherry fruit. The palate was still quite structured, with prominent chalky tannins. Complex lengthy finish, with a leafy herbs, earth, and spice. Still needs some time but very good. 92+
Red
2010 Matello Fool's Journey Deux Vert
92 points
This was quite a surprise. Meat, pepper, and game on the nose but in a nuanced, elegant, floral style. Palate is rather lean at this point but the fruit is there and there's already plenty of depth and complexity. A wine I'm quite excited to try in 5yrs. I doubt I could pick this out of a lineup of northern rhones as the ripeness of the fruit and the acidity betrays its american roots. 91-92+
Flight 6 - Erath (6 notes)
A suggestion from a member of the group that are big fans of the wines. A good visit if somewhat corperate, but the view from the drive and on the hill was fantastic.
White
2012 Erath Pinot Blanc
87 points
Light and soft, with a green apple character along with pear. Soft mouthfeel, with a touch of acidity to keep it bright. Fine for the price if simple. 87-88
White
2012 Erath Pinot Blanc Quail Run Vineyard
85 points
Extended barrel aging, softer than the baseline offering, with a creamy vanilla and toast flavor that dominated the subtle fruit. 85-86
Rosé
2012 Erath Pinot Gris Rosé Knight's Gambit
82 points
Had a real hart time with this. Acidic and lean, with a little strawberry but otherwise rather bland. All acid and alcohol
Red
2011 Erath Pinot Noir Oregon
87 points
Soft, simple, round styled pinot, that is a little lean. Fine, just simple and a touch boring but certainly nothing wrong with it at the price point. 87
Red
2010 Erath Pinot Noir Oregon
89 points
A step up and a better vintage, but quite soft and round, with a black cherry profile. Rather simple overall, and a wine to drink now 89-90
Red
2010 Erath Pinot Noir Prince Hill
88 points
- Has a nice purity to the red leaning fruit. Quite soft and round on the palate coming across as rather simple. Prominent toasty character on the finish is a little off putting. Fine, but hard to justify the price point. 88-89
Flight 7 - Dinner at the house (4 notes)
Fresh Halibut, Albacore Tuna
Red
2007 DuMOL Pinot Noir Estate
92 points
Very expressive nose of dark and black fruits, plum, mocha. Slight cola palate, fine acidity and tannin. Finish a bit short but repeating fruit notes. Sweet fruit, well concentrated and despite the ripeness and scale I didn't notice any heat. Oak influence is pretty well integrated at this point. Unclear where this is on its evolution, but I have trouble seeming how it could improve. Despite its scale and fruit concentration, it's not an especially complex wine.
Red
2010 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Botanica
92 points
Hits a nice sweet spot in a bigger bolder styled Oregon Pinot. Big sweet fruit with complementing creamy oak. More of a blackberry and red fruit mix. Acidity still prominent on the palate but the lushness of the fruit really gives this a smooth mouthfeel from start to finish. Finish is a little short, but the upfront payoff is quite good. A step up from the '09, but even so, I find my palate moving away from this style. 91-92
Red
2010 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
92 points
Herbal and spicy nose, orange rind and back cherry fruit. Palate is quite structured, sandy tannin. Surprisingly a dark dark styled fruit palate. Moderate finish where mushroom and loam notes round this out. I was quite impressed at this price point. 91-92
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Red
2010 Big Table Farm Syrah White Hawk Vineyard
93 points
A last minute addition that capped off a great night of Oregon Pinot. This clearly stood out and delivered quite a wallop of pepper and spice in a large scaled wine. Still, this was well balanced and delicious. Meat and game on the nose. Palate is quite spicey, with dark fruit, game and and just a fantastic pepper note. Long finish. Not as seamless or polished as other White Hawk syrah, but very nice in a slightly brawny style.
Closing
A fantastic weekend of wines, new friends and fellowship. Weekend highlights included a fantastic burger at Recipe, and fresh Halibit and Albacore, Rubarb pie and ice cream. Weather was perfect. Great time all around and as usual, we missed so many great places to visit. Sould we move to Oregon?