Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2021 Quarry Butte
The color is a deep ruby, with a lovely nose of black plum, coffee, blackberry, and a touch of minerality. On the palate, it is full-bodied with ripe fruit, yet approachable in structure.
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Flight
When it comes to drinking US Pinot Noirs, my first impulse is to look to the Willamette (sounds like damn it) Valley. The Willamette Valley is Oregon’s primary wine region, boasts over 700 wineries and is recognized for producing excellent Pinot noir. Its cool climate, protected by surrounding mountain ranges, creates distinct wine character within short distances. The valley includes 11 nested appellations, Chehalem Mountains; Dundee […]
Evesham Wood Pinot Noir WIllamette 2021
Although the Evesham Wood Willamette is the largest wine produced by this maker, it is still of considerable quality. The wine is a blend of grapes from Illahe (Mt. Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon AVA) and Mahonia (Willamette Valley, located in the Jory hills just south of Salem). Despite never having tried this particular wine before, I paired it with baked cod, dirty rice, and roasted […]
One French and One American
Our host asked for a wine with “soft tannins” as the food to be served was Asian-inspired flavors with fish as the main course. Most people think of fish and white wine, personally, I prefer to consider the time of year and flavors. In this case, it was also the dead of winter. My thoughts immediately leaned toward Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Bobal. I decided […]