WINE REVIEWS
2015 St. Innocent
“MomtaziVineyard” Pinot Noir:
Owner Mark Vlossak’s interest in
wine began with a fascination for Champagne. He searched for a location that was ideally suited for the grapes of Champagne, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, settling in Salem,
Oregon in 1988. This vineyard is located at the highest peak of a hilltop between two ridges and is closest to the cooling influences of the Van Duzer Corridor. This low - yielding 8.2-acre site produces small berries with thick skins. The resulting creation is a wine with a dark fleshy color, intense aromatic spices and rich savory overtones. There are plentiful black fruits and complexity at every turn that is is delicately balanced with
acidity. Mark describes this as his “umami wine.”
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2016 Domaine Drouhin
“Dundee Hills” Pinot Noir:
Maison Joseph Drouhin has a century's old reputation of accomplishments in Beaune, France, dating back to 1880. Third generation family member, Robert Drouhin, was inspired when he visited the landscape of Willamette Valley in 1961. Celebrating their 31st vintage, his sister Veronique Drouhin has been the director of winemaking since its inception in 1988. Along with assistant winemaker Aaron Bell, they have a talent and passion for crafting some of the best pedigree of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Willamette Valley. With vineyards resting at elevations between 400-800 feet elevation, the Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is rich in rose petal aromatics. There are nuisances of sliced red cherries and brambly fruits intermixed with minerals that gracefully find harmony in the middle. The finish is long and inviting. Over time you will respect the age worthiness of the wines from Domaine Drouhin, Oregon.
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2017 Chehalem Mountains
Pinot Noir:
Southwest of Portland, Chehalem Mountains are an uplifted seabed of diverse subsoils within a countryside of rolling elevations. Bill Stoller of Stoller Family Estate in Dundee, Oregon acquired full ownership of the winery and vineyards in 2018. With a medium rose color, this Pinot Noir reveals vibrant Burgundian-like aromatics of earth, mushroom and cardamom. The soul of this wine is laced with red plums and pomegranate that layer the glass. It rests long in the mouth and has bright flavors throughout the finish.
2016 Stoller Family Estate
“Reserve” Pinot Noir:
Oregon native, Bill Stoller already had achieved a successful career before moving back to where he was raised. Sourced from an older vineyard, this “reserve” bottling reveals a bright ruby color with notes of violets and warm baking spices. The wine is endowed with baked plums, red raspberries and hints of cocoa powder wrapped in ripe tannins. The middle core of this wine has a creaminess and supple character that is easy to love. It is long and lasting in the finish.
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2016 Lange Estate
Vineyard Pinot Noir:
Don and Wendy Lange founded this Dundee Hills property in 1989 and it is now under the guidance of second generation winemaker and general manager Jesse Lange. This father and son partnership currently crafts six different Pinot Noirs. Each of the 50 blocks of vineyards used in this Pinot Noir are fermented separately. This wine is deeply flavored with crushed red fruits and blackberry compote that are nicely framed with delicate acidity. There are hints of dark Asian spicesthat add to the overall complexity, along with a lusciousness that makes it immediately appealing.
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2015 Shea Wine Cellars
“ Shea Vineyard” Pinot Noir
Grape growers Dick and Deirdre Shea source this fruit from their 140-acre estate hillside property in the Yamhill- Carlton AVA of Willamette Valley. They hold back 25% for their own production, selling the remaining grapes to other prestigious producers. Planted in 1989 the vineyard rests on sedimentary rock and sandstone. From some of the best expressions of blocks from Shea Vineyard, this wine reveals an abundance of ripe mouth-filling black and red fruits and subtle minerality that are nicely wound together in a silky package. At this early stage, the wine is unusually accessible with tapered edges that lead to a lovely, long finish.