2015 Alloro Vineyard Pinot Noir Justina Estate, USA, Oregon, Chehalem Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

This is a bigger in style for Oregon pinot Noir.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has sour cherries, a slight earthiness and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  An interesting soft texture.  On the palate, sour cherries and a very slight anise note.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is a delicious Pinot Noir that seems to be getting close to peak.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  Great on its own, this would work well with Salmon and could stand up to big flavorful sauces.  

2010 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard, USA, New York, Finger Lakes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is a dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes region in New York.  At age 14, it is showing some age but still offering up plenty.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has canned peaches, slight petrol, and a bit of minerality.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, the peached come thru but also a bit of  bitterness.  Seems a bit part prime but the acidity is keeping it going.  Nice finish.  If you own any, drink up, but certainly worth drinking.  Better with some food.  It would be nice with a beet and goat cheese salad.  

2021 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir, USA, Oregon, Dundee Hills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

Drouhin has been making wines in Oregon for a long time now and they really make some excellent wines.  This is their basic version.  Medium ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with sour cherries, cherries, slight sandalwood, slight cranberries and slight coffee.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  It's classic Oregon in style.  Flavors of cherries, sour cherries, cranberries, spice and slight char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  Still on the young side, this should add complexity with age.  Its drinks great on its own and better with f

2018 Mellen Meyer Brut Nature, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2024
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

This is a sparkling wine from Oregon made from a 55/45 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Pale gold in color with some silvery hues, clear with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  The nose is fruity (mostly apples but some pears) and slight oxidation.  With air, some lemons come out.  A bit of mint on the back end.  Good acidity.  On the palate, lemons with a slight herbal note.  Long finish.  This is very nice and drinks well on its own.  Very food friendly, this would be nice to sip with popcorn while streaming.  Drink over the next five years.  Nice value in Sparkling wines.  

2002 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Nice to revisit this.  The vineyard is now owned by Louis Jadot (of Burgundy fame) but for many years, this was the top wine in the Sineann portfolio and 2002 was as good as it gets.  Now, at age 22, this wine was brilliant.  Deep garnet with slight purple swirls in color, no signs of browning, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight sour cherries, spices, sandalwood, slight earthiness and slight char.  Deep and complex.  Medium to full bodied.  Light remnants of tannins left.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is deep, layered and complex.  Plenty of fresh cherries, some

2019 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard, USA, Oregon, McMinnville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$42.00USD

Consumed over two days, this was better on day 2.  Momtazi is an interesting vineyard with a bit different profile than most Oregon Pinot Noir vineyards.  It seems to produce bigger wines with a few different qualities such as coffee, char and dry forest floor when young.  Ruby/Purple in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums, coffee beans and char.  On day 2, more red fruit cam out along with a bit of forest floor - dry leaves.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Good balance.  The palate has black cherry flavors.  On day 2 there were also some red cherries and a

2021 Forge Cellars Pinot Noir Classique, USA, New York, Finger Lakes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

As temperatures rise, the Finger Lakes is positioned well to make very good Pinot Noir's on a more consistent basis.  The biggest challenge is having to deal with late spring frosts and early autumn hail.  This one is good if not great.  From what I have been told, this  was a cool, wet vintage in the Finger Lakes.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  It looks to already have some bricking.  The nose has cherries and a curious dandelion note.  Light to medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, a bit of cherry fruit with a fresh plantlike green streak.  It would undoubtedly work bet

2022 J. K. Carriere Pinot Noir Vespidae, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

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.  

2021 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique, USA, New York, Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

This is a dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes in NY, an area that has continued to raise the quality of its wineries and wines over the lest twenty years.  This is outstanding.  Deeper gold in color with some green hues.  I would assume it is fermented and aged in neutral oak due to the color, but can not verify this.  On the nose its more about minerality with slight lemony notes.  Oily texture.  Medium bodied.  Good balance and acidity.

2019 Barboursville Vineyards Paxxito, USA, Virginia, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This dessert wine is a 50/50 blend of Moscato and Vidal Blanc from Virginia.  Deep golden/amber in color, clear and bright.  The nose is honeyed with peach.  Viscous texture.  Nice acidity.  Sweet but not cloying.  On the palate, canned peaches with a touch of honey.  A bit of sour citrus candy on the finish which is nice.  A little goes a long way.  This is a very nice dessert wine that is great on its own and would work with a not too sweet cookie, perhaps short bread.  Drink over the next ten years.  It comes in a 375ml bottle.  

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