Much bigger and more tropical than the European pinot gris and pinot grigio wines I’m used to, this wine was a surprise to me. It begins with sweet florals that continue onto the palate, morphing into honey and honeysuckle. As the wine opens it shows hints of citrus along with
When a small industry becomes wildly successfully very quickly, conventional wisdom will tell you that the relationship among the leaders of said industry will fracture. On a recent trip out to Oregon for Willamette’s Pinot Noir Auction, I saw firsthand that the Oregon wine industry is contradicting that trend. Instead
The nose is a bit shy, offering light aromas of cherry and dried raspberry. Cranberry and raspberry dominates on the palate, with soft tannins and racy acidity. It is fresh and clean, and rather straightforward. Drink with fried pork tenderloin. Recommended. 88 points. DBH WHO: Roco WHAT: Pinot Noir WHEN: 2013 DESIGNATION: Gravel Road
The nose offers honeysuckle and citrus blossoms. Tropical fruit comes out on the palate, guava and papaya, with Meyer lemon on the mid-palate. This wine is intensely tropical and floral, and remarkable for the price. Drink with ham and pineapple. Recommended. 89 points. DBH WHO: Cameron Hughes WHAT: Chardonnay WHEN:
The color is very pale, clear around the edge, a translucent brick red in the center. Strawberries and brambles show on the nose. On the palate, the stalks included in fermentation show as brambles, while sweet strawberry from the nose gets more complex on the palate. Cranberry, raspberry, and sage
The color is garnet, and the wine opaque. The nose has lovely and interesting aromas of cherries and magnolias. On the palate, there is real complexity. It leads with tart, deep red fruit, cranberry and wild strawberry. The fruit darkens on the mid-palate, to cherry and fresh strawberry, with rich
Intensely fruity with undertones of fresh earth. Dark cherries, loam, and a touch of vanilla are on the nose. Tart red fruits dominate the palate, led by cranberry, with wild strawberries and sour cherry. Hints of freshly-turned earth show around the edges. Tartness lingers on the finish. Tannins are rustic
The nose is earthy and rich, showing black cherry and loam. Rich and Burgundian, this has so much going for it. Flavors fly from fruit to umami, earth to high-flying freshness, all with a cola background, underlying hints of smoke, and a smooth, silky mouth-feel. It's a terrific food wine,