7/18/2022 - gjport Likes this wine:

Quite the surprise. Gets better as one drinks. Nice dark cherries on the palate, with tannins providing the backbone.

7/1/2018 - gjport Likes this wine:

A perfectly drinkable Val. Ripaso at a very reasonable T.J.'s price. Fragrant nose of dark berries, impressive body on the palate, displaying those berries, with a nice finish. Went well with our egg plant parmigiana. Will buy more as an everyday sipper.

2/9/2017 - gjport Does not like this wine:

Very disappointing. Sensed nothing on the nose; my wife sensed a bit of red fruit. Palate was all cherry juice. No earthiness, no funk, no complexity. A fruit bomb, nothing more. About as unBurgundian as you can get.

10/30/2016 - gjport Likes this wine:

A classic 2008 Pinot at a very good price point.

3/28/2012 - gjport wrote:

The near-perfect expression of a 2008 Oregon Pinot. Lovely color, wonderful aromatics -- perfectly subdued, but apparent, barnyard/tilled earth funk, A full mouth of layered dark and red fruit, pleasingly balanced, with enough acid and soft tannins providing a backbone to complete a long, enjoyable red cherry finish. I loved this wine.

2/15/2012 - gjport wrote:

I loved this wine. Very nice citrus impressions on the nose, in the mouth. Perfect acidity, great depth, balance, nice lingering finish. Wonderful Summer sipper. Only wish we had grabbed a case when we had the chance.

2/15/2012 - gjport wrote:

Belle Pente is one of my favorite Oregon producers. Therefore, it was a no brainer to grab this wine to serve with a leg of lamb for a nice Valentine's Day din. Quite disappointing, as the wine was overly restrained from the initial pour. Decanted a couple of hours before din, first sip found everything restrained -- nose, fruit, finish. While it went ok with the lamb, it simply brought nothing more than a $12 N.Z. pinot did that we recently had. Some may find this style of pinot exactly what they like, light on the nose, light on the palate, no funkiness, no acid, etc, but for us, it just isn't an Oregon pinot and it isn't an '08.

2/12/2012 - gjport wrote:

Received this bottle as a gift. Broke it out for a special occasion. Didn't disappoint. Just a very nice pinot, generous nose of cherries, rotting cedar, vanilla, and more. On the palate, red fruit nicely integrated. Long finish with tart cherries dominating at the end. As good as this was, not sure I could justify the price if I were to purchase, as I have had several '06 Oregon pinots at half its price that match or exceed in quality, at least for my palate.

2/5/2012 - gjport wrote:

This is one of those love-hate pinots where there's not much room for an opinion in the middle. For me and me wife, it was a big, yummy pinot that we enjoyed all by itself. Big brooding nose of dark fruit and vanilla, and nice jolt of funk, all coming thru. Full in the mouth and on the palate, mostly dark cherries, not leaving room for much else. Perhaps lacking the layers of flavors which would give it more complexity that would move it up to being an exceptional wine, it was still quite pleasing. Those who want a lighter, more nuanced, pinot, this one you will not care for. For those who want a wine that leaves no doubt that it's a full, rich pinot, this will fill the bill. Big enough to pair with a number of dishes, I would think. Age worthy? Perhaps not. But would like to put down a couple of bottles to see if 3-5 additional years might allow it to develop greater complexity.

10/26/2011 - gjport wrote:

This was one of those 'can't pass' deals from Lot 18, with bonus and free shipping, brought the price down to a 'what could go wrong' level. Well, after 2 bottles, what's wrong is I have 4 bottles of this swill taking up space in the cellar. Not sure how you can blend grenache, carignan and syrah and end up with a wine so thin, totally without body as this is. Had it been flawed it would have made for a better wine. I wouldn't even have this with a badly made pizza. Unquestionably, the poorest wine I have had in a very, very long time.

9/28/2011 - gjport wrote:

Another wonderful pinot from Cameron. Popped and poured. Aromatics left no question that this has all the stuff of a classic Oregon pinot. There's the lovely funk of mushrooms and soil, layered on red and dark fruit. A palate swirl provides an amazing amount of complexity for a youngster. Found raspberries and red cherries dominating the palate. Will make room in the cellar for many more.

9/20/2011 - gjport wrote:

What a lovely surprise. Received this wine as a gift. We began drinking this wine with one meal and stopped. Wrong pairing. And we knew exactly the match: diver scallops with fennel. Next eve that's what we had and it may have been the most ideal pairing we have ever had. The wine presents a wonderful nose of citrus, lychee, kiwi and lemon zest. So far, this is looking (smelling) to be some good stuff. In the mouth, wow! With all the components from the nose swirling around the palate this makes for a perfectly wonderful gathering of all that one wants in a sauv blanc. We loved this wine.

5/11/2011 - gjport wrote:

At this time, a rather pedestrian cab from WA. Great color, undistinguished nose, and a pleasant, but ordinary, experience for the palate. The wine has some heft, fair amount of red berries in the body, not out of balance, but just ---- ordinary. Probably a sin to even pour this youngen at this time. But I was looking for potential. Whether this cab merits laying down for 4-8 years, I just don't know.

7/19/2010 - gjport wrote:

Have now experienced a couple of bottles of this entry level pinot from Chehalem. And it has yet to disappoint. Lovely nose of mushrooms and funk, nicely measured. Nice red fruit on the palate, with reasonably long finish for a youngster. Lots of tart cherries and other stuff, here. So approachable now, difficult to think about cellaring. And I won't, as i just order another case to enjoy though the year. I Like This Wine. Well done, Harry!

4/27/2010 - gjport wrote:

Always concerned when grabbing a somewhat older Panther Creek from the secondary mkt at a very reasonable price that it probably will be on the downside, flawed or just not up to my expectations for a PC. However, this 2001 Nysa was no disappointment. Lovely ruby color, huge nose of dark and red fruit, funky mushrooms, mocha and chocolate, and hints of spice. Full bodied, with lots of sass on the palate. Dark fruit initially, giving away to cherries and red berries. Big, long finish. Nothing subtle here. This PN would stand up to lots of food pairings.

4/25/2010 - gjport wrote:

It's young, somewhat simple at this point, under developed -- and delicious! Just had to pop this to see if purchasing more for some extended cellar time was appropriate. Color is a rather typical OR PN light ruby. Aromatics were quite nice, just a bit subdued. Got some red and dark fruit, some funk, nice bit of apple pie spice? Brought a smile. Quite smooth on the palate, tannins were soft. Started out with a blend of bright red fruit, morphing into red cherries at the finish, which was moderate in length. Light to medium body made this a very enjoyable pinot all by itself, but it did go nicely with a roasted chicken. As approachable as this wine is now, I am hoping that cellaring will bring about greater character and depth. If this is an example of what 2008 OR PNs will be bringing, we are in for a lovely ride. Will be buying more.

3/30/2010 - gjport wrote:

First tried this in 2006 and was unimpressed. At the time, quite vegetal with fruit subdued. What a difference 4 years makes. No formal notes taken this time, but served at a dinner party for 4 (braised ribs). Dark color, nice aromatics (absolutely no vegetal aspect) of dark fruit. On the palate, a beautifully balanced wine that one would swear came from a top Rhone producer. No Aussie or Cali fruit bomb here. Just a nice measure of dark and red fruit, spices, soft tannins and acid, all nicely balanced. Medium body, nice silky finish. This was bottle labeled 754 of 4,000.

3/23/2010 - gjport wrote:

Gave this bottle just a little air time. Color a bit darker than typical Or PN. The nose was just plain lovely. Deep, brooding bouquet of dark fruit, a touch of old, rotting wood, and ......? Whatever, the aromatics remained constant, with each pour. On the palate, Nice expression of rred fruit with cherries being dominant, but not overwhelming. Near perfectly balanced, soft expression of tannins, just enough acidic bite. Good weight thru the finish. This is one, perhaps the most, pleasing '06 Or PN that I have had.

2/15/2010 - gjport wrote:

This is the oddest pinot that I have ever had. Color was a remarkably dark ruby, by far the darkest of any pinot that I have had. Initially, a rather earthy nose is obvious, but soon diminishes to allow ripe raspberries to flourish. This continues thru about half the bottle, when red cherries become prominent. On the palate, sweet-tart notes , with a nearly syrupy fruit-wine aspect, with raspberries and cherries dominating, which gives this a dessert-wine character. Would have no idea what food to match this with, except for chocolates? I didn't care for the wine, but my wife liked, so I balanced the score to reflect this.

2/14/2010 - gjport wrote:

Splash poured, nothing on nose, very tannic on palate, virtually no fruit. Waited a couple of hours for something to show. Didn't help. Aromatics, flavor and character are seriously lacking. Quite light --- actually, quite thin. Aside from the tannins, not much to describe. Will put the remaining bottles sideways for a few years with slight hope that something might develop. My score is generous. Very disappointing.

12/28/2009 - gjport wrote:

Disappointing. Nice color, but that's the highlight. This Gloria was fairly light, with some sparse dark fruit and obvious black olives on the nose. Some dark fruit on the palate, but not much more. Short finish. Perhaps having this with beef wellington was too much for this wine to handle. Air was not a friend, as the wine deteriated over the eve. What was left hours after the meal was not drinkable.

12/8/2009 - gjport wrote:

Picked up a few bottles after doing some tasting at the winery over T-giving weekend. This eve, had a bottle with grilled salmon.

Very nice aroma, classic Or. pinot of dried cherries and a fair chunk of farmyard dirt. Med-to-full body of red fruit, particularly presenting sweet-tart cherries, which we love. Reasonably lengthy finish. Tannins were present, but not unpleasant. As a value PN at $20-23, this is a very nice wine.

11/9/2009 - gjport wrote:

Decanted for about an hour. Color typical of a pinot. Nose was a bit subdued, but showed some red fruit, not much funk. On the palate, tart cherries dominates. Medium body, held up ok with our meal of grilled salmon burgers. I found the tartness rather off putting, my wife liked it. Finish was rather short. Not alot of complexity or depth to this wine. Expected more from this producer, particularly with this vintage.

10/31/2009 - gjport wrote:

Grabbed a bottle of this '07 Artrerberry Maresh WilVal when I saw the price drop from +$30$ to $20. As Jim's '06 effort was superb, wanted to know if the '07 was worth purchasing multiple bottles for the cellar. After this experience, that will be a 'no'. Quite disappointing. Very light in color, even for a Pinot, an absence of nose, and nothing but a vague semblance of an Oregon pinot on the palate. Little fruit, no grip, very light, even thin. Simply, no character. 4 of us had this wine, all gave a thumbs down for its current drinkability and for its cellar potential. Very disappointing.

10/4/2009 - gjport wrote:

An early release from Evesham Wood, this is their entry level pinot (I think) which I spotted at a local market. Was curious about the 2008 vintage, so grabbed a bottle. Expectations weren't too high, given its immaturity and price point. But pulled the cork, poured a couple of ounces, gave it a look, sniff and taste. Color was a bit light, even for an Oregon pinot. Sniff was fairly impressive, showing some blackberries, bit of burnt rubber, and spice. Shared with the palate, and found it equally impressive, red and dark fruit dominating. Some tannic presence gave it grip, body -- and left a satisfying finish. However, was surprised at the near-absence of cherries, on nose and palate, which is so characteristic of most Or PNs.

We revisited the wine this evening, finishing off the bottle with our meal. Even after a day of 'air', I didn't find much difference from my initial take.

There's some rough edges to the wine, as totally integration is at least a year away. So 'silky smooth' and perfectly balanced it is not. But we enjoyed the experience and hope that it is a portent of the '08's. And this bottle cost about 16$, which gives it a favorable QPR.

8/22/2009 - gjport wrote:

Very nice, typical, Oregon Pinot, with a generous nose of barnyard, forest floor funk. Good fruit on the palate,with some dark and red fruit showing their stuff. Medium body, reasonable finish. For the price, not at all dissapointing. Quite young, showing promise for cellaring.

6/28/2009 - gjport wrote:

Rather typical color for an Oregon Pinot, perhaps a touch darker, deeper ruby. On the nose, not much funk, but some very pleasant, bright fruitiness, mostly of blackberry and blueberry. I also got a whiff of butterscotch, which I liked. Although a bit lite on the palate, there's lots of fruit, with some tartness. Finish was pleasant, but short. This wine is a baby, and it has a distance to go before presenting its true colors. I like its potential.

6/22/2009 - gjport wrote:

There were some nice characteristics to this wine, but all rather understated. Some dark and red fuit on the nose, with a hint of wet wood, smoke and dried mushrooms. On the palate, a pleasant, but light presentation of those fruits, accompanied by some of the smokiness and wood. Nicely in balance, there werer no flaws to the wine. But everything was so understated ---- rather frustrating. Short finish was disappointing.

6/12/2009 - gjport wrote:

This wine started out with promise -- nice nose, with good dark fruit, bit of funk, a touch of wood. Initially on the palate, quite full with the dark fruit being pronounced. Then things went south. The wine became more and more tannic, losing any semblence of the nice fruit I initially liked. By end of bottle, there wasn't much there except for the tannins. From pleasant to very austere -- not a wine I can warm to.

5/10/2009 - gjport wrote:

I tried this wine shortly after bottling and found it quite tight, austere. What dif a year or 2 can make. Lovely nose of red fruit, coffee beans and spice. Med body on the palate, with perfect balance of fruit, softening tannins and acidity - and a nice touch of mustiness? Nice med length on finish. We had this wine with rare prime rib and it went perfectly. Will be visiting Felix soon to grab a few more bottles.

5/7/2009 - gjport wrote:

Perhaps bottle variance, but the last two bottles we have had have been noticeably better than the first. So, will revise my score and notes. Much less heat, fuller body, and fair amount of drk fruit meets the nose and palate. Still, don't believe it is worth a price exceeding 10$.

5/6/2009 - gjport wrote:

Mike Stevenson can make wine! Panther Creek is too often overlooked as a serious, quality Pinot Noir producer. This is a very nice wine, and an 'entry level' pinot, at that, Lovely nose of red fruit, some funk, leather, bit of black pepper. On the palate, very interesting layers of red fruit, with tart cherries most notable. But there's more, with some rasberries slipping in, and something else?? Nice, long finish of tart cherries. Wish I had purchased more at the silly price that I paid.

5/5/2009 - gjport wrote:

Did a quick pop and pour, then decanted for a meal later on. The initial impression was somewhat expected, but a bit disappointing that it has yet to show much development. Quite tight on the nose, very tannic on the palate. We then had it with a pot roast about 90 min later. Much more approachable, but still quite raw, tight. Not much on the nose, but some subtle, but pleasant tart berry fruit on the palate, with a promising finish. Went well with the roast, providing enough body heft to match the meat and gravy. This wine has much more growing to do before becoming a good Bordeaux. Will revisit in a few years. Fingers are crossed.

4/16/2009 - gjport wrote:

Perhaps the only disappointment with this wine is it is now nearly impossible to find. This is exactly what I expect in a very good Oregon pinot. Great nose with all sorts of complexity -- mushrooms, leather, farmyard funk, spices -- and all this was carried forward to the palate. Great body, near perfect balance, displays of dark fruit and tart cherries. A lovely, long finish that continued to represent what was there on the palate, particularly the cherry tartness, brought an end to a very enjoyable experience.

3/17/2009 - gjport wrote:

For a 10$ Oregon fruit-sourced PN, this wasn't at all bad. Quite approachable, carried enough body to offset its youth (syrah infused to promote this?) Nice cherry fruit, with a some spices. Went well with cedar-planked salmon. For a daily PN drinker, this is quite acceptable. Overall, a nice surprise.

3/17/2009 - gjport wrote:

A value-priced pinot from a great Oregon PN producer. A typically light pinot colour, but the nose is big. And it is funky. Some veggie (rotten, but not in a bad way) and singed rubber character, along with an earthy, musty kicker. Sour cherries on the palate. Sort of fun to analyze, as it has character and complexity. Finish isn't too long. Much more approachable now than the GC Commuter PN. Will buy more as a daily drinker when an inexpensive PN is needed.

3/12/2009 - gjport wrote:

This is a Patty Green PN that I wished I had bought more, much more. A very nice wine at an attractive price. Lovely funky nose, med to full body with sour cherries on the palate, nice finish.

3/12/2009 - gjport wrote:

Subtle nose of dark fruit, bit hot on the nose. Rather hot, quite tannic on initial taste, with some fruit. Honestly, I have no idea what anyone found interesting in this wine. Found it to be a very simple, typical of a 6-8$ grocery store 'house' wine. There are dozens of wines for half the price that offer far more honest flavor and fullness than this cuvee. I have no doubt that this wine would not fare well against 2$C in blind tasting.

2/4/2009 - gjport wrote:

Pulled cork and poured. Initial reaction: on the nose, somewhat vegetal, perhaps celery and cabbage?? No fruit. Wife had same response. Quick sip, very little fruit, rather tannic and acidic. Not a good start. Decanted for an hour or so. With dinner (Grilled pork chops), no or little change. Just no character, complexity. Neither of us got much fruit. Label recommends this wine be cellared for 10+ years. Perhaps this wine has yet to evolve, but it has a long ways to go before we can consider it a true Bergstrom. Will lay down remaining bottle for a few years, but will not be purchasing additional ones.

4/6/2008 - gjport wrote:

We picked up a couple of bottles of this Odfjell Cab in hopes of finding a solid under-$10 daily red. This might be a winner. After a rather 'funky nose' beginning, this juice showed a good deal of body, nicely balanced, with dark fruit quite evident on the mid palate. No phony fruit bomb here -- just a generous offering of black berries, cherries, some dirt, nice acidity, -- a surprisingly nice, reasonably long finish. Will buy more.