Memorial Day Weekend!

Spring is upon us, the economic stimulus checks are in the mail...and, well...it's still rainy in the Willamette Valley. All the more reason to take that check from the government and spend it on wine, and what a better opportunity than Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country! This extravegant weekend is one where nearly 200 wineries in the Willamette Valley open their doors for tasting all weekend. Often there are special tastings, deals, food, and some wineries that aren't typically open for public tasting welcome visitors, May 24 - 26. A group of us went last year and had an excellent lunch at the Dundee Bistro in the middle of the day. My advice -- make a plan and hit the wineries you are really excited about early in the day, before the crowds get out and about. Most of the wineries open at 11 AM. Beware, our law enforcement friends like to make their presence known on this particular weekend especially. As always play safe!

Of particular note, Willamette Valley Vineyards will be hosting a Memorial Day open house, including a chance to become a winemaker for the day! Details can be found here. Sokol Blosser recently announced they would be releasing Meditrina 5, their famed red blend, July 1. With that release will come a brand new label. I, for one, am a huge fan of red blends when it comes to a day-to-day drinkable wine. I've loved Meditrina since a magical night in Calgary, and am looking forward to this release.

Well, friends, enjoy you're wine -- for it's the weekend and we've certainly earned it.

Weekend Musings

Happy Saturday to all you oenephiles! Posts have been a little light here recently mostly due to the fact that all the staff have been busy with travel and our paying jobs; we'll try to do a better job. I don't have anything in depth to report, but I have had two excellent bottles of wine recently that are worthy of The Oregon Wine Blog recommendation.

First, the 2004 Griffin Creek Syrah, from Willamette Valley Vineyards. This vintage won the 2007 Oregon State Fair, and I picked up a bottle pre-release and had been hanging on to it for a special moment. I found out my soon to be picked up Oregon Wine Guild shipment includes a bottle, so we cracked open the one I had been saving and certainly was not disappointed. The second bottle that I really enjoyed was a 2006 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir. This bottle has been sitting on the shelf for a while as well, and I've actually been meaning to get out to the winery for a visit. Regardless, some good friends were in town from Utah so we opened this baby up and it was gone in short order. A delicious Pinot!

In other news, I've been drinking a lot more beer recently due to the opening of Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery here in Corvallis about 2 months ago. A number of us here at TOWB have played various roles in the opening process, and the owners are certainly supporters of the blog. Something I'm looking forward to is the pending release of King's Gold -- a golden ale that is slated to undergo secondary fermentation in an old wine barrel from King Estate's pinot. The brewer is expecting the beer to take on some characteristics from the french oak barrel and pinot residue, so expect a review once it is released. Also, if you are looking for something to do in Corvallis tomorrow (4/20/08) check out Block 15's Grand Opening and Earth Day celebration. Food specials, live music, great beer, wine...what more can you ask for?

2008 Wine Pairing Feature - Traditional Holiday Dinner

The Oregon Wine Blog staff is proud to present our inaugural Wine Pairing Feature – this edition detailing a traditional holiday dinner. This year we were privileged to have Willamette Valley Vineyards partner with us to provide the wine for the wonderful experience. Many of the staff writers here at The Oregon Wine Blog are members of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Oregon Wine Guild, and thus have become very familiar with their wines.

In preparation for the big evening Meg Hursh, WVV's Wine Club Manager & Shelby Zadow, their Marketing Manager previewed our pre-planned dinner menu and selectively chose wines to match the courses of the evening. Our plan from the start was to provide you, our readership, with a wine-pairing guide for a typical holiday turkey dinner. Our hope is that you might take away at least one idea for a great wine pairing for your next holiday dinner whether it be with the entire family or just that one special person.

The Appetizer:
To start the evening off as our guests were arriving we enjoyed a delicious cream cheese based smoked salmon spread with dill, capers, and red onion on crackers. This was a dish prepared by Chris, our Culinary Specialist and will likely appear on the menu of a new restaurant soon to open in Corvallis. WVV paired a 2004 Griffin Creek Cabernet Franc with this appetizer. The Cab Franc was a “perfect complement” to the smoked salmon dip most agreed. The subtle creaminess of the salmon spread was accompanied well by the peppery finish of the Cab Franc.

The Salad:
To begin the main part of the dinner we gathered around the table to enjoy a candied walnut and bleu-cheese pear salad with Oregon mixed field greens and a red wine vinaigrette dressing prepared by our Public Relations Director Megan. For this salad, rather extravagant for mid-January in Oregon, WVV paired two wines a 2006 Willamette Valley Vineyard Riesling and a 2003 Griffin Creek Viognier. For those who found the bleu-cheese to have added a pungent and powerful flavor to the salad, the Riesling enriched it with a “soothingly sweet yet balanced” contrast. However, for those who do not care for the sweetness of the Riesling, the Viognier also added a balanced dryer perspective for both the bleu-cheese as well as the candied walnuts, and was noted as having a subtle taste of summer melons. Overall, our staff and guests were very evenly split between the two wines. Both were excellent pairings for the strong flavors found in this salad, both sweet and bold. In the end our recommendation for this salad will not be settled on one wine but rather recommend them both.

The Main Course:
Before I can begin to describe the delicious wine pairings available to us for dinner, let me take a moment to define the dishes which were brought by each of us that comprised the main course:

• Traditional Holiday Turkey – The turkey, stuffed with orange, lemon, onion and carrot wedges, had whole stocks of rosemary inserted under the skin of the breast, lightly sprinkled on top with salt and pepper.
  
• Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing – cornbread, cranberries, and thinly sliced onions.
  
• Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes – Potatoes with finely chopped fresh rosemary, mashed with boiled whole garlic cloves.
  
• Roasted Green Beans with Prosciutto – Green beans lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper roasted with thinly sliced prosciutto and onions.

On the side we also had traditional homemade turkey gravy to each of these dishes as desired by our guests and staff.

WVV paired two wines for this dinner, a 2005 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir and a 2006 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. These two wines, albeit very similar, are indeed worlds apart in flavor, each with their own beautiful noses and palettes. Pinot Noir would not usually be a wine paired with a turkey dinner, as these fares are more traditionally paired with a subtle white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay. However, Meg and Shelby thought it appropriate to pair with a bolder wine like the Pinot Noirs because of the bold flavors we’ve added to the dishes of the evening.

Our guests and staff began enjoying the main course in silence for a few minutes as they savored their first wine selection and its balancing tones with each dish, followed by a change in wine to make an adequate comparison. After the personal enjoyment of the wines with the food the conversations began and lasted into the evening. At the end of the main course we regrouped to discuss our thoughts and provide comments on each of the Pinot Noirs.

First we examined and discussed the Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. It was unanimously agreed upon that this delicate wine needed time to air out and decant prior to enjoying it to its fullest potential, so heed that warning before you enjoy it too. This wine in particular matched the prevalent flavor of rosemary in the meal very well. We all agreed that this wine was absolutely meant to be a complementary wine to great cuisine, and not a stand alone wine. Pairing this with dinner made for a great experience, however, most having tried this as a stand-alone sipping wine agreed it needed some strong flavorful fare to augment it best.

Secondly we examined and discussed the Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir. This wine was a mellow and smoother wine than the Whole Cluster, however it did not pair as well with the food. A great wine, nonetheless it was much better as a post cuisine drink making it more of a companion to great conversations and less to the food on the table. This wine is among the staff favorites for everyday drinking because of its versatility, however all agreed it was best enjoyed alone, as it needed no complement with which to pair.

At the end of our course it was evident that the crowd favorite for dinner was the Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir, followed up with a small sample of the Estate Vineyard to finish off the meal.

Dessert:
As our staff worked to prepare the menu we were equally torn between two wonderful, yet vastly different desserts for which we could choose. The first was a Pear and Ginger Galette, which is best described, for those who’ve never seen or had a galette, as a fruit pie made without the use of a pie-tin. The second delectable dessert was a chocolate-stout mousse, a menu item for the soon to open Block 15 Brewery in Corvallis, Ore. for which Chris, our culinary specialist, is the head chef.

So, rather than choose between two equally delicious desserts, we opted for the route requiring less self-control and kept them both on the menu. Meg and Shelby from WVV paired a wine with each, thus providing us once again with the task, and some may say burden, of sampling both desserts and accompanying wines, all for the sake of our readers and friends. Regardless of the burden for which we all undertook, we were happy to do it, and provide all those reading with our feedback.

First up for our reviewing, was the Pear and Candied Ginger Galette, with which was paired a 2006 Semi-Sparkling Muscat Frizzanté made by Tualatin Estate of Willamette Valley Vineyards. To nearly identically associate with the pear in the galette was the strong pear flavor and nose of the Frizzanté. These matching flavors provided for a perfectly logical pairing on the part of WVV. However, the truly amazing part of the entire pairing was the final anchoring point of the cuisine, and that was the matching of the traditional flavors of the Muscat grape with the candied crystal ginger pieces in the Pear and Ginger Galette. These two final flavors of Muscat and sweetened ginger were the capstone of the pairing.

For the Chocolate-Stout Mousse, WVV paired their amazingly delectable, and hard to find, 2004 Quinta Reserva Pinot Noir Style Port. This Port, which I’ve only found and tried once before is absolutely amazing. Retailing for approximately $50, this is a wine that if you ever find yourself in an opportunity to buy, do not hesitate. If you like Port, or know someone else who does, spend the money and buy this Port. Alas, I digress. The pairing of the mousse with the port created a warm feeling that made for a smooth and relaxing finish to a holiday gathering of friends and colleagues. Not much else can be said for the Port, other than pointing out the fact that with eight people present for the dinner, the only two wines we finished in their entirety were the Frizzanté and the Pinot Noir Port. This fact alone says something about these two wines. Even the few spouses in the group who are not as big of wine fans as their partners were able to enjoy both of these exquisite wines.

In closing, we’d like to thank our partners and friends Meg Hursh and Shelby Zadow from Willamette Valley Vineyards for their professional wine pairings and most especially for agreeing to be the sponsor for our inaugural Holiday Dinner Wine Pairing Guide. Look for this publication again, however next year it will be published by early December of 2008 so that its advise and ideas for both menus and wine pairings can be utilized to the fullest in the holiday seasons with friends and family. We are also kicking around the ideas of having a Summer BBQ Wine Pairing Guide, as well as a possibly others. So look for more to come as we continue to be a source of wine enthusiasm and advice for people looking to enjoy the fruits of the vine with the fruits of the land.

Until next time, Cheers!

----------------------
Editor's Note: The staff of The Oregon Wine Blog plan to run quarterly feature length articles on various topics, including the previously noted Summer BBQ Pairing feature, as well as in depth looks at local wineries of the Oregon and Washington viticulture.

2007 Top Stories

In their January issue, Oregon Wine Press staff put together a feature listing what they consider to be the top 10 stories of 2007 in the Oregon wine industry. This was an interesting list to peruse, and I was excited to note that we have covered a number of the issues on The Oregon Wine Blog over the previous 6 months. Here are the top 10 (from OWP):

1. Yes on 49: Oregonians support Measure 49, maintaining protectios on forests, famrland, and vineyards.


2. Green scene: With global warming in the news, Oregon's wine industry is doing its part on being green. Read about a leading green winery in The Oregon Wine Blog.


3. Labor limbo: Illegal worker issue will impact wine industry.


4. Cuvee coup: The lastest updates on regulations offer Oregon's wine industry flexibility to create the highest quality in an increasingly competitive market. Read about this in The Oregon Wine Blog.


5. Harvest '07: Weather presented some real challenges, but diligent farming and skillful winemaking will result in many hight quality, lower alcohol wines. Read about this in The Oregon Wine Blog.


6. Fruit sources refashioned: Three of the most well-respected vineyards cmae under new ownership or long-term contract.


7. Moratorium on AVA approvals: Temporary suspension of AVA approvals leaves Oregon's growing industry in appellation limbo. Read about this in The Oregon Wine Blog.


8. Oregon Riedel: Oregon Pinot now has its own wineglass from one of the best crystal designers in the world.


9. The Allison: Details of Oregon wine region's first luxury inn, spa revealed at groundbreaking ceremony.


10. Salud! '07: The latest pinot relases shine and record money is raised at the industry's most beloved auction benefitting Oregon's vineyard workers.

Do you agree with this list? Are there other stories that should be included? How did these issues impact your Oregon wine experience in 2007?

In other industry news, The Oregonian reported on Thursday that Wine Business Monthly recently named Willamette Valley Vineyards as the hottest small brand of 2007. WVV is Oregon's only publicly held winery (Nasdaq: WVVI) and has been showing record growth while maintaining high quality product.

1998 Willamette Valley Vineyards 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir

To celebrate a belated anniversary, Megan and I had an important decision to make. What wine in our collection would be worthy of such an occasion? Our choice was a true treat - a 1998 Fredom Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards, which represents one of the WVV single vineyard signature Pinot Noirs.

After sampling this sultry deep red, unfiltered gem (91 points by Wine Enthusiast) nearly one year previously, Megan and I decided that this indeed was our favorite Pinot Noir. By the way, the Hoodview and Karina Vineyard Pinots are absolutely superb too! Stay tuned for reviews on these beauties! Ok, back to the review...

After a brief breathing period, two glasses were poured. My first observation was the rich deep red color and supple texture resulting in a smooth mouthfeel superior to other, less refined Pinots. I attribute this unique texture and mouthfeel to the unfiltered nature of this wine.

Placing one's nose over the glass results in a very complex reward that is rich in oak, caramel, black cherry, and vanilla. A brief sip confirms these olfactory signals, while bringing anise and cinnaman to the pallete. The wine is ever so subtly sweet and spicy, rich with the taste of dried black cherries. There is no bite, the Freedom Hill is smooth all the way from sip to swallow. It's the kind of wine that is perfectly suited to drinking in front of a warm fire, rich and elegant, yet comforting and soft.

If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy one of WVV's single vinyard Pinot Noirs, take it. The single vinyard yield allows the winemaker to bring out the subtulty of a specific grape and highlight each unique characteristic. An effort well appreciated in the 1998 Willamette Valley Vineyards Freedom Hill Pinot Noir.

Inaugural Holiday Pairing Guide - COMING SOON!

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and Happy Festivus to you all! As this season of holidays is well underway, we at The Oregon Wine Blog have done little to recognize the season. That is because as you may have already read we are planning an inaugural Holiday Dinner and Wine Pairing Party! This is a staff celebration for the Holiday Season that will take place in early January. Timing and schedules did not allow for a pre- or mid-season Dinner Party, thus a post-season party is the result.

Alas, this is no regular holiday party, it is indeed a party worthy of a wonderful partner. For our inaugural party we are proud to announce that Willamette Valley Vineyards has graciously partnered with us to provide you, our readership, with the 2007 Holiday Pairing Guide. The pairing guide will provide wines to be paired with a traditional holiday turkey dinner from appetizers all the way through to dessert! Some of the staff favorites from Willamette Valley Vineyards will come out; look for wines like the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, the Pinot Gris, and even the ever elusive Pinot Noir Port will appear (so elusive no link can be provided!).

Soon after the Holiday Party, when we've all had a chance to confer and compare notes, a summary of the party and subsequent pairings will be posted for all to read. Should you have any questions or comments please feel free to let us know! Our emails can all be found to the right in the staff contact list.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and take time to enjoy some wonderful wine with family and friends. Also, give the gift to someone that keeps on giving and teach them to enjoy the wonders of the viticulture of the Pacific Northwest.

-Cheers!

2006 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris

It's time for Mr. Red to dabble in reviewing the 'other side'... Considering my venture, I wanted to discuss a white that I have a bit of experience with, Willamette Valley Vineyards' Pinot Gris.

This varietal was one of the first adult grape juices that I was exposed to, and it has had a spot in the wine rack since. Why? Well, it is versatile to pair tasty treats and friendly to less experienced palates (Yep, that was a little Red Snootiness coming through, although admittedly, I am no professional...).

On to the specifics... The 2006 Gris is actually a blend of 91% Colmar clone Gris, 7% Pinot Blanc, 1% Auxerrois, and 1% Muscat that was picked late September/early October. Fermentation was performed in stainless with the 1% Auxerrois, followed by French Oak.

OK, here are my thoughts... 1) the nose on this bottle is mostly citrus with melon and oak components playing second and third place. 2) at first sip, the typical Gris citrus and melon carry through from the nose and the 7% Blanc and oak intensify. 3) the finish is clean, baby-butt smooth, with a touch of mineral; no doubt from the volcanic soils that this blend was sourced.

What about the Auxerrois and Muscat? Sorry folks, I did not detect them. This is not a negative, as previously indicated, this wine will likely always hold a spot in my collection because of its versatility.

My favorite combination for this wine is lemon herb halibut, rice, and fresh veggies, preferably on a warm summer day. Willamette Valley Vineyards says that this is their 'Salmon Wine'. I would encourage anyone to invest $15 in a bottle and figure out what paring works best for you.

Cheers Friends!

2005 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir (Estate Grown)

Should wines be given a second chance?

I pondered this as I sit here after having given a wine a second chance, something that had I thought about it earlier in the week would not have happened. The wine this evening I am talking about is the 2005 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards. Let me make it clear - I love Willamette Valley Vineyards, and since my time in Oregon, most of my wines have come from there. As a member of the wine guild, I do feel a certain amount of loyalty to them, but, I was quite taken aback when I opened this bottle of wine on Thursday and took a sip.

My most recent post talked about red wines, wines that I didn't like as much, and my writing more about those. I got a response from a friend of the Oregon Wine Blog, the Beer Blog, commenting that we might be less prone to write about wine we dislike for numerous reasons. All the same, I was certain that this Pinot Noir would be the first on that list, but not completely.

I first opened this bottle of wine on Thursday. I let it sit open for about 15-20 minutes while I decompressed from the day. I poured a bit into the glass and was immediately struck by the color. It was a very distinct cranberry-grape color, which I liked. I took the nose on it to really be able to bring about the oak, or something wood (I am not sure what kind of apparatus it is aged in) with some some of the spices. I swirled the wine and noticed the nice coat it gave my glass. Then came the sip...I found my first glass of this wine to be very harsh, very strong, and reminiscent of why it is I am less prone to reds over whites. The aftertaste was lasting and it was almost as though I had taken some cold medicine. I thought it might have been my first sip of something that I did wrong. After pouring more into my glass, I would realize this was not the case. I continued to drink my glass of wine, "You never leave a man behind" is a favorite saying of someone here on the Oregon Wine Blog when referring to glasses of wine. I drank about 3/4 of my glass before I decided I was done with this wine for the evening.

That brings us to today. I think it completely okay to start the week off with a glass of wine or two in my apartment, as long as I am responsible. I decided, almost reluctantly, to give the Tualatin another chance, despite having a white wine chilled (I will write about that one later). I recently purchased a vacuum sealer for wines - it is not responsible of me to put away a whole bottle of wine every time I open one - and used it for the first time when I closed this bottle on Thursday. I opened the seal and poured my glass of wine. The color and coat were the same. The nose seemed to bring out more of a cinnamon scent with the wood, and then I took the plunge.

With a little trepidation, I took the sip and was relieved. The flavor and richness that was on my palate this evening was what I remembered this wine tasting like when I first tried it before. The flavor is one that still lingers, but it is no where near as strong as it was on Thursday. There is just a lite tingle that you feel at the back of the cheeks. While hard to describe, I like the spices that I taste with this wine. And while we sometimes talk about what we are eating or would eat while drinking our wines, I am going to be a little less conventional this evening. As I drink my Pinot Noir, I think that it would go well with some chocolate brownies. The sweet sugar of the brownies would be a good offset with the subtle and after-swallow lite tartness of this Pinot Noir.

I was very happy that I decided to give this wine a second chance, and would encourage others to continue to try old wines, even those that might not have made a good first impression. While I am not saying this is my favorite Pinot Noir, that will come later, I would rank this one in my top 5...for now :-)

Apex II Late Harvest Semillon

In our last Creme' de Cru wine shipment from Willamette Valley Vineyards we received a small 375ml bottle of Apex II Late Harvest Semillon from Apex Cellars out of the Yakima Valley Washington. This Late Harvest Semillon is a sweet, but not too sweet wine. Although not from the great state of Oregon, this wine was sent to me from our favorite Oregon winery as a part of a club shipment.

When I opened the bottle of wine the first thing I noticed was the synthetic cork in the bottle. This small interesting bottle, with a rather faux modern label, had a black synthetic cork. Following the synthetic cork the wine had the typical late harvest thickness. However, upon the first flavor the thing I most noticed was its lack of extreme sweetness like most other late harvest wines. This wine was, as stated, sweet but not too sweet.

Being at a friend's house with her cat has largely blocked my nose from enjoying this wine's nose. However, the sweet flavors have all been experienced. The sweet honey flavor is complimented by a creamy backdrop of apricots and peaches. This sweet wine was enjoyed in the company of friends and a good suspenseful movie. A great warm summer evening wine for the enjoyment of good times with good friends.

-Cheers!

WVV 2001 Hoodview Vineyard Pinot Noir

We were in the tasting room at Willamette Valley Vineyards this evening, and convinced Jon (the tasting room manager) to open up a bottle of the 2001 Hoodview Vineyard Pinot Noir--the only single-vineyard pinot they currently have in stock that I hadn't tried. It was good. Real good. A nice nose of leather with a smooth silky taste and a quicker finish.

This vineyard was planted 1990 off Hoodview Road in the Eola Hills. The microclimate at this location favors Pinot noir as it is a warm, southeast facing slope of well drained Jory soil. This soil is 4 to 7 feet deep and dark red from its iron content.

Hoodview is the first Pinot that Jon fell in love with, and while I won't go that far, it's a good bottle of wine.

Miscellany and stuff

Today was an eventful day in the wonderful world of wine, in oh so many ways. The backstory is important on this one--I had the stomach flu on Thursday night and Friday so that hampered my tasting ability for today. Nonetheless, we started out at a Bite of Oregon in Portland where I introduced my friend Burl from North Carolina to the bounty of Oregon food and drink. He did a bit of wine tasting, and found a little gem after tasting Hip Chicks do Wine, Airlee, and Eola Hills.

Burl is a fan of big, dry reds so the Eola guy suggested that we stop by Zerba and test out their Malbec. Now, I didn't have it, but Burl gives it two thumbs up, and it won a gold medal in the "other" category at the Bite. Zerba is an Oregon winery in the Walla Walla valley--Milton Freewater to be exact. Now, I think this is sort of a cheating way of calling Washington wine as Oregon (not that there is a darn thing wrong with Washington wine). Anyway, Zerba is getting great reviews so keep an eye on it over the next few years.

After Portland, we headed to Dundee to the Torii Mor winery, a small, super-premium winery that focuses on small lots of handcrafted, vineyard-designated Pinot noir in the Dundee Hills AVA. They have a wonderful tasting flight that includes 2 whites, 3 pinots, and 2 dessert wines for $10. While the Noir's were great, I walked away with a 2005 Reserve Pinot Gris. This gris comes from 4 vineyards, and is fruit-forward with flavors of apple, pear, lemon, and some herb spices. It was great upon tasting, and I'll do a more in-depth analysis when I crack open the bottle. On the way down the hill from the winery, I met one of Dundee's finest in a speed trap on 9th street. Beware, they don't cut any slack there and I have a hefty ticket to show for it.

Next was a stop by the old standby, Willamette Valley Vineyards. Of note there today were the new release of the 2005 Tualitan Estate Pinot Noir and the 2005 Willamette Signature Cuvee Pinot Noir. They haven't had a signature cuvee since 2001, so expect good things from that one!

2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Unlike my other contributors, I am not much of a blogger, so I will probably be more of a silent contributor contributing on a more sporadic basis.

For the last couple of evenings I have been enjoying a bottle of 2005 Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley. I remember obtaining this bottle on my first trip to the vineyard when I became a member of the wine guild. It must be noted that I am preferential to white wines, and generally only drink reds when I "have" to.

I want to talk a bit about this award winning wine. The color of it is one of the first things that I notice. Holding it up to light, it has the appearance of a deep grape red color. When swirled it lightly coats the glass. The nose on this Pinot is not too strong - it enters the nostrils warmly, and has a very light tart aroma. If you don't let it breathe a bit, both in the bottle and in your glass, the first sip can be a bit strong. After a few moments, however, one gets to taste a real full flavor that lasts just for a moment as the wine goes down the throat - there is no real aftertaste, and it is surprising that for such full flavor, it doesn't linger. This could be a good thing for those of us who are not overly huge fans of red wines.

In one of his recent posts, Desilet talked about what he imagined his wine to go well with. This afternoon and now, while enjoying glasses of this Pinot, I imagine it going well with a nice medium rare Fillet Mignon (and I like my meat well done), lightly grilled potatoes seasoned in garlic and rosemary, with asparagus and carrots as the vegetables. This could also go well with a nice lamb.

1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards

For those who know me, they know it takes a special kind of red wine to get my taste buds rolling. Today during our trip to Willamette Valley Vineyards I came across one such magnificent red wine, the 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir by Willamette Valley Vineyards. Only a few reds have caught my attention like this red did, and I consider myself a discriminating drinker of reds.

Gana's previous post gave a clear indication as to the service we continuously receive from the folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards, which is one of the reasons all of us The Wine Blog authors are Guild Members of one level or another.

The 1998 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir was selected from the special shelf by our tasting room guide this afternoon for us. We're not quite sure as to why or what the occasion was that prompted such a wonderful and tasty treat but whatever the reason it was well received. The wine has a quintessential dark ruby red coloring. Upon sniffing this wine you receive wonderful aromas of raspberries, cinnamon and spices. I had a harder time identifying the cinnamon but after the second sip it was there. Once on the palate a smoky array of blackberries and cream were present finishing with a long smooth rich finish with a hint of spice. Again, this red is top-notch in my book and has obviously aged well since its 1998 vintage date. Wine Enthusiast too enjoyed their tasting of the wine. So much so they rated this 1998 vintage of Willamette Valley's Freedom Hill Pinot Noir a 91/100. I bought a bottle and cannot wait to pair this with a great rack of ribs, or a well spiced prime rib or roast, or even those lamb chops I've been telling everyone I'll cook. It should make for a great evening of food, wine and certainly friends.

Cheers!

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Today brought a trip to Willamette Valley Vineyards, perhaps one of my favorite wine producers due to their great service, famous Pinot, and diverse portfolio of varietals--all done well. In fact, I'm such a fan, I'm a stockholder (see the bias coming out?) WVV is the largest producing winery in the state of Oregon and was one of the founders of this appellation. They are known for their Pinot Noir's, they have a darn good Pinot Gris (Wine Spectator best buy), a good Riesling, and an up-and-coming Chardonney. For the dessert wine conniosuers, can't beat their semi-sparkling muscat frizzante...marketed under the Tualatin Estate label.

The trip today was to pick up the most recent shipment from the Oregon Wine Guild premier cru, a wonderful wine club that bring a red and a white every other month, with no membership fees, free reserve tastings, and a 20% discount on the shipments plus all wine purchased through the winery. Today's shipment included the 2006 Riesling as well as a 2004 Griffin Creek Cabernet Franc. Of course, stopping by the winery, a tasting was required. For some reason they were opening the really good stuff for us--we got into the 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot and the 1999 Karina Vineyard Pinot, in addition to the standard fare. After the winery, a group of us proceeded to the Vina's for a BBQ, and that is where we cracked open the wine that I'll be reviewing today -- 2002 Griffin Creek Cabernet Sauvignon.

Griffin Creek is the label WVV uses mostly on the bigger reds, as the grapes come from the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon so the Willamette Valley label can't be used. This cab is a gorgeous dark red, almost burgundy, and as could be expected from a big red like this had good legs on it. The nose had strong peppery notes, and on the second glass after it had opened up a bit I started picking up some toffee and leather aroma. Upon tasting, it has a warm spicy feel with a lingering finish. After opening up, I detected a jammy fruitiness that could be overpowered by the bold spice if you aren't careful. For the technical details...the wine retails for $35, fermented in 100% stainless and barrelled in 50% new oak. It's 14.6% in alcohol and 886 cases bottled. This is a great wine meant to be consumed with heavy food.

That's it for now--you'll be reading more about WVV in the future though (we have a lot of their wine to drink).