Oregon Pinot Noir Tasting at Wine Watch

"It's a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It's, uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression."

Miles - Sideways

We LOVE the Pinot Noir varietal here at Wine Watch and Oregon has become the new world Mecca for this varietal.

I remember my trip to Oregon in the summer of 1994 for the IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration) this is one of the best wine parties that I have ever attended. The festival is limited to 500 attendees as it is hosted by McMinnville College and that is all they can accommodate in their lecture facilities. I remember not only were the quality of the wines at the highest level but the people in attendance were some of the most passionate Pinot Noir lovers that I had ever come across. And although winemaking began in the 19th century in this state it is only recently that its potential has been recognized by the rest of the world.

It was in 1979 when serious wine producers started to look at the potential of this area as Eyrie Vineyards' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 of Burgundy-style wines at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades, and was rated the top Pinot Noir. This send the news around the wine world and shortly after Robert Drouhin, head of Burgundy's legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin, was visiting America's west coast promoting the Drouhin Burgundies. The California wine industry was just starting to receive its first recognition back then, but there was little if anything going on in Oregon. Robert's first visit to the Northwest and its earliest vineyards left him with the impression that it quite possibly would be Oregon, not California, that would ultimately prove to be the best place to grow the great grape of Burgundy - Pinot noir.

Inspired by his trip to Oregon and the results of 1979 tasting that was held in Paris, where, for the first time, the best new Oregon Pinot noirs were tasted in competition with the finest Burgundies. Robert decided to hold his own blind tasting in 1980 at the Drouhin cellars in France, with several of the best Oregon Pinot noirs going up against the finest Drouhin Grand Crus. It was a Drouhin Grand Cru that took first place this time, but an Oregon wine (the now legendary 1975 Eyrie Vineyards South Block) placed 2nd by a very narrow margin with the French experts. News of this tasting brought the first widespread international attention to Oregon Pinot noir.

After a few years time Robert's daughter Véronique just graduated with an advanced degree in enology from the University of Dijon, and wanted to expand her experience by working in Oregon. Véronique interned with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights, and Eyrie for the 1986 vintage. Later on, Robert mentioned to David Adelsheim that it might be interesting to buy a piece of land in Oregon, to see what it might produce. What started as a passing thought began its transformation into reality when Adelsheim phoned the Drouhins in Beaune not long thereafter to tell them of a property that was for sale that they might be interested in. The rest is history and with one of Burgundies foremost wine producing families moving to Oregon the writing was on the wall that this wine producing region would soon get its much deserved recognition as one of the world's premier Pinot Noir growing regions.

Today, the state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.

American Viticultural Areas entirely within the state include the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley, and Rogue Valley AVAs. Parts of the Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, and Snake River Valley AVAs lie within Oregon. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are the top two grapes grown, with over 16,000 tons (14,515 metric tons) harvested in 2005. As of 2005, Oregon wine makers produced over 1.5 million cases combined.

Currently there are over 300 wineries in Oregon and a bustling tourism industry has developed around wine tasting. Much of the tourism focuses on the wineries and tasting rooms in and around the Yamhill Valley southwest of Portland.

You don’t have to travel to Oregon to see some of the top wines being made here as we have brought the wines to you. Tonight we will taste over 30 of this state’s top wines and Wine Watch Catering's Toni Lampasone is making a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $45 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Oregon Wine Tasting at Wine Watch
Friday, September 18
7pm

Tasting Line-up

2014 Evesham Wood Blanc de Puit Sec
Price: $20.00    Sale $17.60    Case $204

A rich, floral and spicy wine with pear, citrus, mineral and rose petal. Blending 85% Pinot gris with 15% Gewurztraminer (all certified organically grown at Evesham's estate) makes for a more intriguing yet no less satisfying spring and summer thirst quencher.

Made from certified organic grapes.

2013 Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
 Price: $22.50    Sale $19.80    Case $230

 Evesham Wood harvests their entry-level 2013 from several vineyards in Northern Willamette Valley. With a focus on quality viticulture, these vineyards are all dry-farmed and cultivated sustainably. Grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, fermented in small lots, and aged in French oak (10% new) for 10 months before bottling. This adds up to an excellent value for deftly handmade and terroir-driven Pinot Noir. The winery describes the profile as "Bright and crunchy with cranberry, red cherry and cinnamon with a bit of firmness on finish.

2013 Evesham Wood Eola Amity Hills Pinot Noir
Price: $28.00    Sale $24.64    Case $286

Located in Oregon’s Wilamette Valley and planted in 1986 to eight acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, the estate vineyard at Evesham Wood, “Les Puits Sec”, has been certified organic since 2000. Since then it has expanded to include an additional 4.5 acres, all of which are farmed using the membership guidelines sanctioned by Deep Roots Coalition (DRC), a group of local growers/producers that advocate the use of natural methods in the vineyard and cellar, including dry farming. “The concept of terroir would have little validity in an irrigated vineyard,” writes Russ and Mary Raney, who founded the winery in 1986.

In 2010, the Raneys sold Evesham Wood to Erin and Jordan Nuccio (of Haden Fig Wines), though the Raneys continue to live in close proximity to the estate, as they also continue to consult on the growing and natural winemaking at Evesham Wood.

2014 Haden Fig Pinot Gris Willamette Valley
Price: $21.00    Sale $18.48    Case $215

Red pear and green apple get a fragrantly spicy, minerally lift on the nose. One of our favorite Pinot gris each year - too bad there's not more!  Made with fruit from the Mahonia Vineyard.

2013 Haden Fig Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Price: $28.00    Sale $24.64    Case $286

2013 Haden Fig Bjornson Vineyard Pinot Noir
Price: $32.50    Sale $28.60    Case $332

Vine Craft

Antica Terra Pinot Noir “Ceras” 2012
Price: $84.00    Sale $73.92    Case $857

 The Antikythera Mechanism is a geared, bronze-age device that was used to calculate astronomical positions with incredible precision. Sponge divers recovered it from the Antikythera wreck, in 1900, off the coast of Point Glyphadia. It’s significance for us began as wordplay. While pronounced differently, Antikythera looks remarkably like Antica Terra. This similarity has become a way to understand the changing identity of our site. Since 2009, the site itself and the character of the wine it produces been dramatically transformed. There is an expression of place that we could not imagine was possible before. Choosing the name Antikythera allowed us to link the wine to the history of the site while indicating that it was something completely different than what had come before.  516 cases produced

Brittan Vineyards “Basalt Block” 2012
Price: $52.50    Sale $46.20    Case $536

This is the seventh vintage of Brittan Vineyards Pinot Noir by Winemaker Robert Brittan, a wine industry veteran with over 40 harvests under his belt. Robert has always had a passion for Pinot Noir; a love affair that began in the 80’s when he made several vintages under his own label. In 2004, Robert decided to leave Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa and start a Pinot Noir project in the cool climate of the North Willamette Valley. After a long search, he and his wife Ellen purchased a 128-acre parcel Southwest of McMinnville. Robert selected this mountain site for its rugged, broken basalt, glacial deposits and volcanic soils on the edge of the Coastal Range in the McMinnville AVA, convinced that from this site he would be able to make wines that speak of this unique place.

The Basalt block comes from the parts of the vineyard that have the heaviest concentration of broken sub-marine basalts, resulting in low yielding vines that produce intense flavors and layers of complexity. The 2012 vintage in the Willamette Valley was a moderately warm vintage with no rain in summer or fall. Yields in the Basalt blocks were just one ton per acre. The 2012 Basalt Pinot exhibits rich notes of blackberry, Italian plum, dried orange peel and cassis, with spice notes of coriander and nutmeg. On the palate, the intense flavors are reminiscent of black cherry, dried blackberry, bergamot, aged black tea and sweet plum. The sweet fruit flavors are supported by a very structured mid-palate, with an intensely focused and lengthy finish.

The Pinot Noir for the Basalt Block consists predominantly of the Pommard selection, blended with clonal selections 667, 777, 115 and Swan. The vines are planted on Riparia Gloire, 3309 and 101-14 rootstocks. The fruit for the 2012 vintage was picked in mid October and allowed to cold soak for four days before fermentation began. After fermentation, the wine was aged in French Oak barrels, approximately 27% new. The wine went through malo-lactic fermentation in barrel and was barrel-aged for 13 months prior to bottling.   Production: 780 cases

Mouton Noir Pinot Noir “Oregogne” 2012
Price: $45.00    Sale $39.60    Case $459

Oregogne Pinot Noir is blended from two single vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills A.V.A. at different elevations. Bright cherry fruit, blueberry, bramble and sous-bois, followed by flowing minerality from start to finish.

Eminent domain 2013 “first protocol"
Price: $31.50    Sale $27.72    Case $322

Bright ruby color with great clarity.  Aromas of fresh raspberries and dusty blackberries immediately jump from the glass followed by some nice spice box with cinnamon, cardamom and clove.  The palate is smooth and balanced showing a nice mix of warm brown spice and lush red fruit.  Softer tannin and easy drinking in style this wine just makes you happy to be drinking Oregon Pinot Noir!

Stacole

J. Christopher Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Dundee Hills Cuvee 2012
Price: $40.00       Sale $35.20          Case $408

This terroir series cuvée is a blend of selected barrels from several excellent vineyard sites in the red Jory clay of the Dundee Hills AVA. The 2012 was sourced from three sites: La Colina, Meyer, and Charlie’s Vineyard. Rich and dark, it still shows the high-toned elegance of the Dundee Hills, with a fine mix of raspberry and rhubarb held together with a stony grip and a firm acid structure. There’s a lively edge to the wine, with fine tannins that lead to a long, sweet finish. Alcohol: 13.8%. 943 cases produced.

2012 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley Willamette
Price: $35.00       Sale $30.80          Case $357
Quantity in Stock: 35

The 2012 vintage will be regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the Willamette Valley. A warm, early spring flowering helped to begin and ensure full ripening under consistent, sunny skies throughout most of the growing season, which included harvest time. For us, the vintage has yielded hedonistic Pinot Noirs that do not sacrifice balance or focus. They will be enjoyable young, and age for years to come. Aromas and flavors of perfectly ripe raspberries, plus blue and black fruits, are laced with notes of passion fruit. Additional nuances of ripe cane berries, pie spice and earth layer in complexity. The wine has great energy, with cherry pit and mineral elements contributing a fine sense of grip. In 2012, our North Valley Pinot Noir also represents the highest caliber of combined vineyard sources we have been privileged to work with, which include Beacon Hill, Momtazi, Zena Crown and Vista Hills.

A blend of purchased fruit from one of the top producers in Oregon, this wine has pretty cherry pie like fruit with pretty floral notes on the nose very forward and seductive bouquet.  A good amount of juicy red cherry berry fruit with smooth and silky tannins, with pretty floral notes and nice spice but the focus here is on the ripe juicy fruit.  Finish 35+ Excellent

2013 Soter Pinot Noir Planet Oregon
Price: $21.00       Sale $18.48          Case $215

Planet Oregon, a new project from one of Oregon's most celebrated winemakers, Tony Soter, aims to always produce a well-priced, delicious, regionally representative, and most importantly, environmentally sustainable Oregon Pinot Noir. For every bottle sold, Tony Soter pledges $1 to the Oregon Environmental Council.Planet Oregon is his chance to make wines for a broader audience and make a bigger positive impact on the planet. He wants Planet Oregon Wines to embody the conscious choice we all have to endorse and support sustainably produced wines.

2013 Cloudline Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 
Price: $21.00       Sale $18.48          Case $215

Raspberry and strawberry like fruit pretty floral and spice notes. A nice richness on the palate with red cherry jolly rancher like fruit, rose petal floral notes and a nice touch of spice and earthy notes on the finish. Finish 35+ Very Good +

2012 St Innocent Pinot Noir Zenith Eola Amity Hills
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

Our Estate wine, the 2012 Zenith Vineyard Pinot noir, has heady and pungent red and dark red berry, bright floral and sweet spice aromas with dried cherry and cranberry notes in the background. Lush dark red fruits illuminate your entire mouth followed by a darker halo of fruit, ground allspice, and forest flavors. Its broad texture over your upper palate with supple tannin, juicy acidity, and a lovely length of concentrated fruit are a signature of this site. Its concentration into the finish gently fades and remains juicy with spice and dark cherry flavors.  The addition of five new vineyard blocks into our Estate wine created a breadth and depth of flavor that rivals all of my previous wines from this engaging and pleasurable site. Its multidimensional components will evolve over a dozen or more years.  Mark Vlossak, Winemaker

Menu

Pesto Chicken Panini

Salmon Mango Tartar on Black Sesame Crisp

Brown Sugar Cured Bacon Wrapped around Soy infused Water Chestnut

Selection of Cheese

This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters.  The fee for this event is $45 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Oregon Wines in the store:

A Rose and a few whites:

2013 Van Duzer Pinot Noir Rose Willamette Valley
Price: $18.00    Your Price: $15.84
Quantity in Stock: 8

This wine is not a saignee rose, they do a short cold soak with limited skin contact only in bottle for three weeks, has a very pretty bouquet of wild strawberry and watermelon fruit with pretty rose petal floral notes on the nose. Tart mouth watering light red berry and watermelon fruit on the tongue with a bone dry finish, pretty floral notes through the finish. Finish 35+ Every Good +

2009 Biggio Hamina Riesling Amity Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Willamette
Price: $13.50    Your Price: $11.88
Quantity in Stock: 6

(88 points)   I also tasted a yet further two-barrel selection from each of Deux Vert and Zenith designed to push the qualitative envelope, but which due to their pre-bottling condition this June (not to mention their as yet lacking a name), Todd Hamina and I decided I would wait to report on until next year. While Hamina was for some reason not ready to show me his 2010, the Biggio Hamina 2009 Riesling Amity Vineyard is not only still very attractive – its meld of honeydew melon, mint, and nut oils could be that of a Sauvignon, here backed by subtle residual sugar that helps override significant bitterness – but for what little experience I have with Oregon Riesling might perhaps remain that way for a few more years. There is a lovely subtle creaminess to this, signaling an uncanny sublimation of acidity, but that doesn’t mean this wine’s springs of vitality have unwound. Give it a try! (Incidentally, Todd Hamina tells me that he is the only person to whom Amity’s Myron Redford sells fruit, in this instance from vines planted nearly four decades ago.)  Wine Advocate #202 Aug 2012

2012 Mouton Chardonnay Oregogne Willamette Valley
Price: $48.75    Your Price: $42.90
Quantity in Stock: 10

Sommelier from Thomas Keller, Andre Mack and he is behind this label, this has a very pretty nose vanilla bean and nutmeg spice a flinty mineral like character, the fruit is all sourced here, white peach and lemon citrus fruit, nice intensity of aromas and quite burgundian in style.  Thick and viscous on the tongue with a good amount of citrus and tree fruit, smooth creamy texture and a long mineral laced finish.  Finish 45+    Excellent +

2013 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot gris Willamette Valley
 Price: $20.25    Your Price: $17.82
Quantity in Stock: 3

Pinot Noir

2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvee Willamette
Price: $44.50    Your Price: $39.16
Quantity in Stock: 1

Deep ruby red in color, the 2006 Premier Cuvée opens with lifted aromas of red berries, violets, vanilla and a hint of savory spice. Black cherry, currant, pomegranate and blueberry notes mingle on the palate with mulling spices, anise and clean earth. The wine is precocious and bright with layers of mineral, flint and spice surrounding a seductive black cherry core. There is balance and good concentration here; tannins are rich but restrained, revealing a wine with depth of flavor and clean lines. Elegant and focused, this wine is ready for enjoyment now, however may improve with proper cellaring over the next five to eight years.

2013 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $65.25    Your Price: $57.42
Quantity in Stock: 5

A glowing medium ruby color. Redolent of Juicy strawberry and bright cherry fruit on the nose. Aromatic intrigue is heightened by the slight damp earth and warm spice components. The fruit follows through on the velvety textured palate. A great balance of fruit purity and a hedonistic lushness.

Our Willamette Valley cuvée features fruit grown on select vineyard sites in the Northern Willamette Valley. The wines benet from the same integrity in the winemaking process as our estate wines. The sites are farmed sustainably and managed to very low yields.  We age the wines in the same French oak barrels used in our estate bottling, however the percentage of new oak is intentionally lower. This wine is not fined or filtered.

The 2013 cuvée consists of wine made from the following vineyards: Gran Moraine in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Zena Crown, Willakia & Roserock in the Eloa Amity AVA, Hyland in the McMinnville AVA, Upper Terrace & Saikkonen in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, and Guadalupe in the Dundee Hills AVA.

2011 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Murto Vineyard Willamette Valley
Price: $44.00    Your Price: $38.72
Quantity in Stock: 7

Two thousand eleven was the latest harvest on record at Belle Pente.  The grapes for this Murto Vineyard Pinot were actually picked during the first few days of November, and the wine went into barrel the day before Thanksgiving!   Bud break occurred several weeks late, and warm, dry conditions during flowering in early July set the stage for a sizable crop.  Given the "lateness" of the season, rigorous crop thinning was necessary to get the yields into a manageable range.  Even with diligent work in the vineyard, we were just barely able to achieve full ripeness by the end of the season.

As fans of Mike and Robin Murto's Dundee Hills vineyard know, this is a high elevation site that can struggle to get ripe in cool vintages.  However, these 30+ year-old vines somehow manage to pull it off every year!  This particular wine started out "lean and mean", but went through a profound transformation during it's second winter in barrel, and has continued to evolve beautifully over it's first year in the bottle.  This is perhaps our most "Burgundian" Pinot Noir to date, checking in at  whopping 12.3% alcohol!  It is fun to drink today, but has the balance and structure to age beautifully for many, many years.

We have made single vineyard Pinot Noir wines from Murto since 1996.  Over the 16 vintages, we can see significant variation in the textural aspects of the wine, but the core sensory characteristics are remarkably consistent from year to year: red fruit, fresh earth, and spice.  This 2011 version reveals reticent strawberry and red cherry flavor and aromas, with alluring notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, Asian 5-spice, sandalwood, white and black pepper.  It is medium bodied with moderate, polished tannins and bright, fresh acidity.  620 Cases Produced

2011 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard Willamette Valley
Price: $40.25    Your Price: $35.42
Quantity in Stock: 11

This wine echoes the freshness and vitality of the Murto but with somewhat riper characteristics.  Our Yamhill-Carlton wines always lean more towards the dark fruit end of the spectrum, with black raspberry and blueberry notes revealed in this 2011 version.  The fruit is complimented by complex overtones of coffee, fresh herbs, and flowers.  The tannins are firm but smooth with a savory quality that keeps you coming back for more.  Intriguing now, this wine will continue to evolve in a very positive direction for at least 10 more years.

2011 was our latest harvest ever.  Bud break occurred around May 7th (3 weeks later than normal), and full bloom came between July 6th and 8th.  Summer didn't start until the 15th of July, and was pretty much over by mid-August.  Fortunately, the early fall was relatively warm and dry, with significant precipitation holding off until early November.  Our Pinot Noir harvest at the estate vineyard commenced on October 17th, and concluded on the 28th.

Fruit set in the vineyard was quite heavy, much more than we could possibly ripen in a cool year.  We made an unprecedented 4 passes of crop thinning during the season!  After an initial round to get close to our target levels, we made additional "hi-grading" passes to improve the consistency and quality of the grapes prior to harvest.  And even with that we discarded another 10% on the sorting line!   In the end, we averaged 2.8 tons per acre ... prior to thinning, we might have had 5!

This "flagship" Pinot from our Belle Pente Estate vineyard included grapes from all 8 blocks representing 6 different clonal selections (mostly Pommard and Dijon 115, but with sprinklings of 114, 113, 777, and Wadensvil).  Vine age ranges from 11 to 18 years.  As always, over 2/3 of the grapes come from the east blocks of the vineyard, which get morning sun, but are shielded from the intense afternoon heat that we get in the west-facing blocks.  675 Cases Produced

2012 Benton Lane Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $22.00    Your Price: $19.36
Quantity in Stock: 2

This dark crimson hued wine has aromas of black cherry,cassis and red licorice. The texture is quite plush and velvety with integrated tannin, so it will pair with a variety of cuisines. The flavors are classic Oregon Pinot Noir cherry and berry nuances, with notes of cured meats and baking spices layered in. With a little less acidity and structure than a typical Benton-Lane Pinot Noir, it’s precocious enough to enjoy now, but will improve with 1-2 years aging.

2010 Brittan Vineyard Pinot Noir Gestalt Willamette
Price: $48.75    Your Price: $42.90
Quantity in Stock: 3

The Basalt block comes from the parts of the vineyard that have the heaviest concentration of broken sub-marine basalts, resulting in low yielding vines that produce intense flavors and layers of complexity. The 2010 vintage in the Willamette Valley was a cool and late ripening vintage that produced wines with vibrant flavors of raspberries, boysenberries and exotic spice notes of anise and cardamom, with undertones of minerality, gunpowder and gravel dust. The clarity of the fruit is immediate on the palette, with bright acid leading into a supple but deeply structured mid-palate. The acid-driven core rounded by soft tannins carry through purposefully yet lithely, giving way to a lengthy and elegant finish of dark raspberry and plum.

The Pinot Noir for the Basalt Block consists predominantly of the Pommard selection, blended with clonal selections 667, 777 and 115. The vines are planted on Riparia Gloire, 3309 and 101-14 rootstocks. The fruit for the 2010 vintage was picked in late October and allowed to cold soak for five days before fermentation began. After fermentation, the wine was aged in French Oak barrels, approximately 25% new. The wine went through malo-lactic fermentation in barrel and was aged for 9 months prior to bottling.

2011 Bergstrom Pinot Noir Gregory Ranch Willamette Valley
Price: $62.50    Your Price: $55.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2012 Bergstrom Pinot Noir Silice Willamette Valley
Price: $73.75    Your Price: $64.90
Quantity in Stock: 2

The 2012 Silice Pinot Noir is dark ruby with dark violet tints. Its explosive aromatics burst from the glass with high-toned red and purple flowers, bright raspberry, cherry and a comforting sweet, spicy profile reminiscent of fresh-baked berry pies. But for all its opulence, there is a stony mineral cut to this wine that keeps it honest and poignant, and it is this harmony between ripe lushness and sandstone minerality that makes the wine so delicious now. Our 2012 Silice will drink well upon release and should perform well in the bottle for the next 5-8 years.

2012 Bergstrom Pinot Noir Silice Willamette Valley
Price: $73.75       Your Price: $64.90
Quantity in Stock: 2

The 2012 Silice Pinot Noir is dark ruby with dark violet tints. Its explosive aromatics burst from the glass with high-toned red and purple flowers, bright raspberry, cherry and a comforting sweet, spicy profile reminiscent of fresh-baked berry pies. But for all its opulence, there is a stony mineral cut to this wine that keeps it honest and poignant, and it is this harmony between ripe lushness and sandstone minerality that makes the wine so delicious now. Our 2012 Silice will drink well upon release and should perform well in the bottle for the next 5-8 years.

2013 Bergstrom Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve Willamette
Price: $47.75    Your Price: $42.02
Quantity in Stock: 5

A very pretty bouquet of baking spice, red cherry and raspberry fruit and a loamy earthy note to the bouquet. Bright and refreshin on the tongue with silky smooth tannins and a nice zest and spice to the finish along with light earthy notes. Finish 40+ Excellent +

2010 Biggio Hamina Caroline Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $75.00    Your Price: $66.00
Quantity in Stock: 12

There were only 2 barrels of this wine produced and the main difference is that this wine was 1900% Whole cluster and you really notice the spice and nuance level in the bouquet is up a notch here, an array of oriental spices, dried flowers, mint and red berry fruit, raspberry and wild strawberry.  Lovely intensity on the tongue with lots of everything, spice, zesty acidity and fresh red berry fruit, a very long finish that is layered and silky smooth tannins very long finish.  Finish 50+                Most Excellent +

2011 Chehalem 3 Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette
Price: $33.75    Your Price: $29.70
Quantity in Stock: 1

(87 points)  The Chehalem 2011 Pinot Noir 3 Vineyard displays tart-edged plum and dark cherry, its frisky juiciness helping to assuage the effects of rather grainy tannins, but with what I call “the memory of malic” revealed in a slightly grating and tooth-numbing if invigorating finish. (A 2011 Gamay from Ridgecrest was even more that way.) Cherry pit and walnut piquancy have a more positive influence in this wine’s undeniably sustained and juicy finish. I can’t help wondering with a red like this whether the winery’s reliance on screw caps (which they strongly advocate) could accentuate the hard and bitter elements at least at this youthful stage. I would want to revisit this in another year before attempting a prognostication concerning its aging potential.  eRobertParker.com #209 Oct 2013

2013 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $50.00    Your Price: $44.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

The Drouhin family helped put Oregon on the Pinot Noir map when they moved in in the early 1980's this wine has a bright bouquet of raspberry and red cherry fruit with fresh earth truffle and spice notes. Smooth and silky on the tongue with nice structure a firm hand of acidity and that truffle and spice lasting to the end. Finish 40+ Excellent

2011 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Willamette Valley
Price: $78.00    Your Price: $68.64
Quantity in Stock: 9

2012 Elk Cove Willamette Pinot Noir 375ml
Price: $17.00    Your Price: $14.96
Quantity in Stock: 8

(90 points)  Fresh and vibrant, showing polish to its currant and blackberry flavors. Finishes with density and finesse. Drink now through 2020. 17,300 cases made. –HS  Wine Spectator     Issue: Oct 31, 2014

2010 Eminent Domaine Pinot Noir Willamette
Price: $45.00    Your Price: $39.60
Quantity in Stock: 4

Bright ruby. Spicy, racy, bold aromas of dark cherry. Warm vintage Burgundian red fruit core, with plenty of weight and pent-up muscle. Rich and energetic with the excellent persistence.

2012 Erath Pinot Noir Oregon
Price: $19.25    Your Price: $16.94
Quantity in Stock: 5

A blend of different vineyard sites in Oregon, this wine is a fruit forward, ready-to-drink style of Pinot Noir designed to highlight the variety’s best characteristics. A bit of a campari like note to the aromas of dark cherry and plum like fruit on the nose. Smooth and silky on the tongue with an array of spice and earth notes to the finish, nice balance and freshness. Finish 45+ Very Good

2012 The Four Graces Pinot Noir Willamette
Price: $22.50       Your Price: $19.80
Quantity in Stock: 7

This is all estate juice Bill Foley purchased this winery, vineyards and all in March of 2014. Black family estate in Dundee Hills and Yamhill Carleton area so a blend of different vineyard sources. They only produce 30,000 cases and this wine has a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers, fresh earth black raspberry and light smoke. A very smooth and silky texture with a nice hand of exotic spices, dark raspberry fruit and a long fresh finish, some truffle like earthy notes coming out on the second day. Finish 40+ Excellent +

2008 Pali Pinot Noir Momtazi Willamette
Price: $53.25       Your Price: $46.86
Quantity in Stock: 6

2013 Soter Pinot Noir Planet Oregon
Price: $21.00    Your Price: $18.48
Not in Store: Available in 5 - 7 days

Planet Oregon, a new project from one of Oregon's most celebrated winemakers, Tony Soter, aims to always produce a well-priced, delicious, regionally representative, and most importantly, environmentally sustainable Oregon Pinot Noir. For every bottle sold, Tony Soter pledges $1 to the Oregon Environmental Council.Planet Oregon is his chance to make wines for a broader audience and make a bigger positive impact on the planet. He wants Planet Oregon Wines to embody the conscious choice we all have to endorse and support sustainably produced wines.

2012 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley Willamette
Price: $35.00    Your Price: $30.80
Quantity in Stock: 35

 The 2012 vintage will be regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the Willamette Valley. A warm, early spring flowering helped to begin and ensure full ripening under consistent, sunny skies throughout most of the growing season, which included harvest time. For us, the vintage has yielded hedonistic Pinot Noirs that do not sacrifice balance or focus. They will be enjoyable young, and age for years to come. Aromas and flavors of perfectly ripe raspberries, plus blue and black fruits, are laced with notes of passion fruit. Additional nuances of ripe cane berries, pie spice and earth layer in complexity. The wine has great energy, with cherry pit and mineral elements contributing a fine sense of grip. In 2012, our North Valley Pinot Noir also represents the highest caliber of combined vineyard sources we have been privileged to work with, which include Beacon Hill, Momtazi, Zena Crown and Vista Hills.

A blend of purchased fruit from one of the top producers in Oregon, this wine has pretty cherry pie like fruit with pretty floral notes on the nose very forward and seductive bouquet.  A good amount of juicy red cherry berry fruit with smooth and silky tannins, with pretty floral notes and nice spice but the focus here is on the ripe juicy fruit.  Finish 35+ Excellent

2011 Soter Mineral Springs Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton
Price: $104.00    Your Price: $91.52
Quantity in Stock: 4

Very fragrant and multifaceted aromas evoke ripe cane berries, Bing cherries, cola, exotic spices toasted nuts, mineral and earth. The wine is remarkable for its sense of power and restraint and many layers slowly reveal themselves over hours open in the glass, suggesting many years of cellaring development.  The finish is lengthy and multidimensional with a balance of dense grape material, mysterious earthiness, herbal nuance and sappy mouth coating purity of fruit.

2011 Soter Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Ranch Yamhill Carlton District
Price: $64.00    Your Price: $56.32
Quantity in Stock: 3

2011 will be remembered as a late, great Oregon Pinot Noir vintage.  Like 2010, it was a cool growing season and in both years we harvested in late October, weeks later than average, and produced delicious wines with modest alcohol levels, but the 2010 and 2011 are very different styles of wine. We enjoyed beautiful weather in September of 2011.  It still took all of October to get our Pinot Noir fully ripe and it was almost November before we completed harvest.  The resulting wines proved to be worth waiting for, expressing balance, purity and fine structure – the rewards for patience and good fortune.

Signature scents of ripe cane berries, dried fruits, spice and sandalwood dominate the aromatic profile. Silky on entry, the wine offers a burst of ripe berry flavors and vibrant acidity.  It is juicy, fresh and mouth-coating with lovely, sweet fruit qualities.  A core of black cherry lingers with hints of earth and game emerging on the palate.  Beautifully balanced with richness, ample grip, fine persistence and minerality.  Fine-grained tannins contribute to the drive and energy on the palate.  There is an impressive sense of ripeness and intensity that is somewhat reminiscent of 2008.

2011 St Innocent Pinot Noir Zenith Willamette
Price: $36.00    Your Price: $31.68
Quantity in Stock: 10

(91 points)   Dried cherry and cranberry tinged with ginger, white pepper, clove and resin make for a penetrating and pungent nose to the St. Innocent 2011 Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard. The tartness of its red berries and tactile impingement of its spicy elements make for a similarly audacious palate presentation, which an emerging aura of holly berry distillate only encourages. The gripping, invigorating finish retains a welcome measure of refreshing primary juiciness; and unlike a good many other St. Innocent (or Zenith Estate) Pinots, this seems simply to slough-off its (ca. 30%) share of new oak. I suspect it will merit attention through at least 2020.  eRobertParker.com #209, Oct 2013

2008 Van Duzer Westside Blocks Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $56.25    Your Price: $49.50
Quantity in Stock: 1

(90 Points) The 2008 Pinot Noir Westside Block displays just a bit more layering, succulence, and length. Give it 2-3 years and drink it from 2013 to 2023.  Wine Advocate #191 Oct 2010 Reviewer: Jay S Miller