2005 Patricia Green Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

The Willamette Valley in Oregon is not especially large in relation to other wine producing regions of the world. Nor is it crammed with wineries, per se. There is still some breathing room there, though this seems to become less and less the case every year. All of this to say, loving Oregon Pinot Noir like we do for so many years we get really, really excited when we come across a winery we have not heard of before. Patricia Green Cellars was entirely new to us.

That is because it is a relatively new winery, started in 2000 by Patricia Green and Jim Anderson. Patrica "Patty" Green began making wine in Oregon in the mid 1980's, and quickly established herself as a reputable winemaker and consultant, influencing the wine at several Willamette Valley wineries. Jim Anderson's story is a little less traditional. He came to wine in the mid 1990's after being asked to be free labor for the harvest at Amity vineyards. His history is peppered with stints as an activist for a bunch of different causes, attendance at a couple different colleges, and unsuccessful attempts at a few different careers. Then he and Patty met. The wine featured here is a result of this partnership. Enough said.

Jim and Patty make some great single vineyard Pinot Noirs, and if you can't do that in the Willamette Valley you have serious problems. This wine, though, holds a special place for them as they appreciate the challenge of making a terrific wine that solidly represents their skills as winemakers and stands as a good "introduction" to their winery and their approach. For some wineries, the entry level wine is a result of fruit that was not good enough to make the cut in the single vineyard wines. For these guys, this wine is a labor of love that is "composed" of specific quality elements from several of their vineyards.

We decanted this wine for about 45 minutes or so and poured to taste. The color was deep ruby red with brighter reds around the rim. The nose has a lot of rich, cherry fruit with some hints of dark chocolate. The palate is rich as well, and deep with more of the dark cherry, a little raspberry, and a really slight herbal component. There is a subtle earthiness (we wanted more!) and quiet tannins nicely restrained but still present. Good structure, nice finish, great flavors. This wine is drinking well now, only two years after its release, but we are wanting to check it out again in a couple more years to see how it softens. For the money, it is a terrific value and competes favorably with other Oregon Pinots at $10 to $15 more a bottle. We are excited to try some of the vineyard designated wines from these two, but of the "entry level" Pinot Noirs we have tasted from Oregon wineries... this one rocks the most.

cost - $23.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.७५

this wine available at wineaccess

2005 King Estate Signature Pinot Noir, Lorane Valley, Oregon

And the endless parade of Oregon wines continues. What can I say, there are so many to enjoy and we like enjoying them. This wine was no different, but the story behind King Estate is almost as good as the wine itself.

King Estate was born in 1991, realizing a twelve year fantasy for Ed King and his father. Ed moved to Oregon in 1979 to pursue his MBA, but quickly realized he had a passion for winemaking. His father sold off his business and retired in 1985, doing quite well. They began looking for vineyard property and found an excellent 600 acre plot. They dove in. Today King Estate is nearly 1200 acres of certified organic vineyards producing very high quality fruit. It is a winery known for decidedly Burgundian/European sensibilities and as a result has a reputation for producing consistently beautiful wines. Ed and his dad still lead the winery.

This Pinot Noir could be considered entry-level for their catalog of wines. That in no way detracts from it, though. In the glass the wine is vibrant and bright garnet colored. The nose is full of black currants and raspberry. There is also some all-spice and hints of oak. On the palate there shows deep fruit, with blueberry and cherry jam-like flavors. There is an interesting taste that is almost like baking oatmeal cookies that we really liked a lot. All of this is balanced by a smoky quality that lingers into the finish. Medium bodied with a short finish, this wine was nice and easy to drink. It is a good wine with lighter food, but is also fine as a sipping wine on its own. Though this is a 2005 and will get better with some age under it, it is drinking well now and offers a nice value for a solid Oregonian Pinot Noir from an all organic estate.

cost - $22.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2005 St. Innocent Vitae Springs Vineyard Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Part two of our St. Innocent double header, and the takeaway here is that Mark Vlossak makes fantastic Pinot Gris, a varietal that I feel is too often overlooked. We reviewed the Adelsheim Pinot Gris earlier, another winery in the Willamette Valley, and the point I made then is how terrific a food wine Pinot Gris really is, and that it sits between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

The style of this wine is focused on the fruit. St. Innocent does not barrel age the Vitae Pinot Gris so as to emphasize the incredible fruit that comes from their low yield vineyard. The nose is full of pear, honeysuckle and a little orange peal. It has a dry sweetness to it that draws you in and on the palate there is really nice round fruit with pear, lemony citrus, vanilla and a spiced fruit quality. It is a very dry wine, but incredibly sophisticated and though it finishes cleanly, the roundness and richness of the fruit lingers on your palate. There is great structure and enough acidity here to pair this wine with spicier foods, and I could see having this with a Szechuan seafood dish or with a spicy fish or chicken preparation. This Pinot Gris would be an excellent white staple wine for your cellar, and we plan to enjoy more of it on the patio this summer.

cost - $17.00

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2004 St. Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, WIllamette Valley, Oregon

Some people are born into wine and others find their way to it. In that second group there are some who get there by happy accident, and others who carefully chart their path. Like the 10 year old who knows that he wants to become a lawyer (?) or an astronaut... and then becomes what they set out to do. Mark Vlossak, the founder and winemaker of St. Innocent was decidedly in that last category. His father is a wine distributor in the Milwaukee/Chicagoland area and Mark grew up being exposed to an appreciation for excellent wine. He made his way west and in 1988 began making wine at St. Innocent. It's a good thing he did, too, as few wineries rival the consistent excellence across all varietals that Mark and his team are able to attain... that, and despite the quality, effort, attention to detail, and reputation St. Innocent keeps its wines priced so as to remain within the reach of most of us.

If you look across the winery landscape of the Willamette Valley in Oregon there is an interesting phenomenon. Several of the wineries are owned or wines made by people from the Midwest. Panther Creek Cellars is owned by Ron Kaplan and his wife, originally from Iowa. Mark Vlossak heralds from Wisconsin. Domaine Serene is owned by the Ken and Grace Evenstad of Minnesota. There are other similar stories, but I love that folks from flyover territory head west and make killer wine. In all three of these cases, really killer wine. I believe that Panther Creek actually contracts with Mark Vlossak to make their wines, which is just smart thinking.

Over the years I have been fortunate to enjoy many of St. Innocent's wines. It had been awhile, though, and Cat and I were excited to open up this Shea vineyard Pinot Noir. The Shea vineyard is just outside of Portland, in the Yamhill foothills. As we have discussed here at winecommando previously, this is ground zero for growing and making incredible Pinot Noir. For us, this wine is quintessential St. Innocent, totally classic in style and very sophisticated. We readily admit that it may be premature to open this bottle, but part of the fun of owning and enjoying wine is to experience it as it ages, to chart its changes. We opened and decanted it, pouring just about an ounce each to taste immediately. The first thing we were both struck by is the color. In the center of the glass it is dark, almost a black red with more electric reds around the ring of the glass. The nose, just out of the bottle, presented bright cherry fruit with edges of autumnal scents, like raked leaves... a more distinct earthy quality. The palate was intense, but a little sharp. We let it sit for about three hours or so.

When we came back to it we found the nose to have softened. It was incredibly fragrant, still with that cherry fruit, but richer and deeper now. There was an herbal quality, almost like rosemary, but sweeter. All of this was complimented by a flowery, almost perfume like scent that, though subtle, gave the nose an interesting complexity. We found the earthy/autumnal quality almost unnoticeable. On the palate the wine was deep and intense. The fruit was of cherry and currants, hints of nuts... like chestnuts or walnuts (I have a tough time remembering which tastes like which). The palate was balanced with tannins present, but not out of line. We picked up more of that perfume on the palate, and it was almost like lilac. The finish was nice. This Pinot Noir will only get better, but it was very enjoyable for us now. It is a terrific food wine, and the intensity of the palate and its structure would give it the flexibility allow you to experiment with its food pairing, breaking away from convention. We paired it with seared salmon topped with a sweet Vidalia onion and balsamic vinegar chutney, and a mixed vegetable salad with white balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil.

cost - $37.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9.25

2005 Erath Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Pretty nice wine for the price. We liked it despite the screwtop, and that says a lot. It's not that we have an aversion to screwtops and nice wine, but we have an aversion to screwtops and nice wine... if you get my drift. In so many ways, and much like the Faiveley Bourgogne that we reviewed a few weeks ago, this would be a terrific house Pinot Noir, a terrific house wine. Not expensive, good quality, and the screwtop makes for easy access when every second between bottle, glass, and mouth counts.

Seriously, though, Erath has a solid reputation and IS making wine in what is perhaps the most "perfect" place to grow and vint Pinot Noir... the Willamette Valley. Erath is in the northern part of the Willamette Valley, in the Dundee Hills, which is akin to being in the best place in the best place for growing and making great Pinots. Really, most Pinot Noirs from this area are typically that great mix of wonderfully opulent fruit, great winemakers, and Burgundian "influence" to the winemaking style. Works well for Cat and I.

We found this Pinot Noir immediately accessible. It smells bright with just a little sharpness to the fruit. There are hints of raspberry and strawberry, a little bubblegum (which is cool to us), and subtle Pinot Noir earthiness. The palate delivers soft, round strawberry fruit and is surprisingly balanced and elegant for a wine at this price point. The palate did not offer up much sophistication, though, beyond the fruit and some hints of vanilla. The finish was shortish, with some pepper and spiciness. We wanted more depth in the palate and a slightly longer finish. Still, though, it's solid and for a daily wine with dinner it is hard to beat a one with this flexibility at this price point. Between this, the Faiveley Bourgogne, and the Joseph Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir (which we will review shortly) you could put together a very cost efficient base to your cellar. Sort of the bond fund of your wine portfolio. I can't believe I just said that out loud.

cost - $14.99 on sale from $17.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 7.75

2004 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

The Willamette Valley is a pretty special place, holding very high esteem in the hearts of Pinot Noir lovers. It is one of those unique areas where the weather, the soil, and the winemaking talent come together in just the right way to make amazing wine. Consistently. Domaine Drouhin, Adlesheim, Panther Creek, Ken Wright, St. Innocent, King Estate, and Domaine Serene. These are just the ones that came to mind now, there are several others, but these wineries have put the Willamette Valley on the Pinot Noir map and the wines being produced here, including also Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Melon are award winning.

Ken and Grace Evenstad, originally from Minnesota, purchased the Domane Serene winery in 1989 to pursue their passion for great wine. They released their first wine, the Evenstad Reserve, in 1990 and this marked the first wine in a long list of consistently excellent vintages. They brought to the winery the best talent and the best winemaking practices, focusing on low yield vineyards producing only the best and most concentrated fruit. Their relentless care and attention to detail is enhanced by their very hands-on approach to creating their wines. The grapes are picked by hand, sorted by hand, and matured in the best French oak. The winery prefers an estate single-vineyard approach to their wines, with the wine being reviewed here, the Yamhill Cuvee, being from estate grown fruit from Yamhill County, Oregon.

This wine saw 13 months in French oak and is unfined and unfiltered. We opened and decanted it and saw a little bit of sediment. We let it sit for about 20 minutes. When we tasted we found the nose full and rich, with cranberry and cherry, hints of smoke, and a nice lingering sweetness... almost like cotton candy, but only very subtly. The nose is really enticing, and very complex. The palate showed very even plum and raspberry, a little bit of oak, and wonderful earthiness. Supremely elegant, medium bodied, balanced and with a soft finish... we loved this wine. Delicious. After tasting for a bit we thought we were smelling basil in the nose in a way that can best be described as fragrant.

I'll be honest. I have never been disappointed with a wine from Domaine Serene. They have always been worth the price... which is typically a little more than I want to spend but always find worth it. Consistently excellent and of top quality is a great way to summarize the reputation of the wines they produce.

cost - $34.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9.5

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

The pinot gris grape has been grown in Europe, from an area in the north that includes Alsace, through Burgundy and all the way south to Northern Italy, for a very, very long time. It is a grape very well suited to this region and they produce some outstanding wines. Look for the Alsatian pinot gris by Lucien Albrecht, especially the reserve. Great wine.

Pinot gris was introduced to the United States in Oregon, and Adelsheim is one of the oldest producers of a pinot gris in the US, since 1984. It was a small production wine at the beginning, but the wine has grown in popularity through the efforts of many of the Oregonian producers who vint one. The area of the Willamette Valley is very well suited to grow great pinot gris, much as it is to grow exceptional pinot noir. I think that pinot gris is a great food wine, given its structure, and is an excellent alternative to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. For Cat and I, it falls somewhere between the two.

This wine was very crisp and bright. We picked up nice round fruit in the nose, like ripe pear. It was enticing and very smooth on the palate with more pear fruit, very subtle lemony citrus, and a really nice creaminess. I tasted a little vanilla in the finish. It's hard to explain, but it is as crisp and refreshing as many great sauvignon blancs, but it offers a depth and complexity that sauvignon blanc just does not have. This pinot gris was delicious, and would pair very well with lighter fish dishes, vegetarian options and fowl. It would also be very nice as a before dinner wine with appetizers.

So let's explain the label. As long as I have been familiar with the wines from Adelsheim, the labels of their wines have had portraits of the women in the Adelsheim family. The portraits are drawn by Ginny Adelsheim, David Adelsheim's wife, and the woman on this label is Ginny's older sister. I think that is cool and truly makes the making of these wines a family affair, which so often it very much is.

cost - $17.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8