This is the flagship wine, 100% Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and night. The nose is dusty with black cherries. Light tannins. Good balance. On the palate, black cherries and cherries with a musky quality that is interesting. Good finish. This is an earthy, musky Pinot that Burgundy lovers might really enjoy. It is nice on its own but would be better with food. It would work well with some soft, stinky cheese. Drink over the next ten years.
This is a nice, middle-of-the-road in style, Pinot Noir. Cristom's flagship Pinot is generally a good value and high quality. Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, sandalwood and slight baking spices. Firm tannins. Soft texture. Good balance. On the palate, great cherry fruit with some spice and just a hint of forest floor. This is very young and needs air or more cellaring. That said, it is very enjoyable and drinks well on its own. It will also work well with many foods from grilled salmon to roasted fowl. Drink over the next eight to fifteen ye
Founded in 1987, Argyle wanted to make sparkling wines that could hold their own with Champagne. Comprised of mainly Pinot Noir, there is 4% Chardonnay blended in with this 2019. What at first seems a mild sparkler, with notes of brioche bread, soft lemon and mild apricot, reveals a different side. The stone fruits and minerality come out mid palate and finish strong. Acidity is the real story here revealed with this wine, making this ideal with a variety of foods.
I don't think this vineyard is in production any longer which is a shame as they were the source of some great Pinot Noir. Luckily, there is still some out there and it is beautiful. Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, sour cherries, and spice. Great texture. Good balance. On the palate, this is deep. Flavors of sour cherries and slight cranberries. Long finish. This is at peak at age 17 but still has about five to seven years at this level if well stored. Nice on its own but better with food. It would go well with pasta in a mushroom sauce.
This vineyard's Pinots keep getting better and better. Deep ruby in color, clear and bright. A nice nose with black cherries, cherries and baking spices. Medium bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, plenty of cherries and black cherries. This is drinking well now and should continue to for another ten to fifteen years. It is nice on its own and will work nicely with pork chops.
One of the great things typical of Oregon Pinot Noir is that these wines have an earthiness to them that California Pinot does not necessarily possess. The fruit is more subdued, and in the case of this Argyle, you get a nice balance, something reminiscent of Burgundy that has expressive fruit, but an earthy, mellow aged quality that drinks very well.
Deeper ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, spices and char. Medium to full bodied. Silky texture. Firm tannins. On the palate, black cherries with some forest floor and char. Long finish. This is delicious and deep and should improve with some short term cellaring. It is on the bigger side (for Oregon) but it has the stuffing to develop. Nice on its own, this will work wellw ith flavorful food. A good choice with duck. Great value.
Very light ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries with green herbal streak. Soft texture. Light to medium tannins. Moderate acidity. On the palate, plenty of cherries with a slight bitter cherry note. Long finish with some heat. Overall, a nice Pinot that is drinking well and should continue over the next five to eight years. It is better with food and would work well with savory pasta and mushroom dishes.
