Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Dom. Drouhin Oregon from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The 2004 Laurene is vibrantly seductive with aromas of fresh cherry & red berry, and a floral mix of cherry blossoms and rose petals. These sensations follow through on the palate, with added clove and spice character. Firm, layered tannins coat the mouth, but the real stars are the rich, velvety touch and well rounded, perrsistent finish. As the Laurene opens up, hints of blue fruit, cola & fresh undergrowth emerge. Similar to 2001 and '93 in finesse and sophistication, the '04 Laurene is full of life and promised much in the years to come. Enjoy now, and anytime over the next 8-12 years.

Red Wine by Benton Lane from Willamette Valley, Oregon. This deep ruby colored wine exhibits classic aromas of cherry and blackberries, with complex underlying scents of plum, truffle, anise, cedar, and forest floor. Very ripe, fine tannins and balanced acidity create a rich, velvety texture that leads into an extremely long finish. The exquisite balance in this wine makes it a very versatile food wine.

Red Wine by Archery Summit from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Scarlet red in color, the 2006 Premier Cuvee opens with lifted aromas of black cherries, rose petal, vanilla and a hint of savory spice. Pomegranate, currant floral notes notes mingle on the palate with mulling spices, anise, juicy plum and clean earth. The wine is sumptuous and bright with layers of mineral, flint and spice surrounding a seductive black cherry core. There is balance and good concentration; tannins are rich but restrained, revealing a wine with depth of flavor and clean lines. Succulent and focused, this wine is ready for enjoyment now, however may improve with proper cellaring over the next five to eight years.

Red Wine by Penner-Ash from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Black cherry, cassis and black pepper aromas lead into a creamy, broad palate of fresh blackberry, red cherry and violets. A purity of both red and black fruits combined with round tannins provide a lingering finish of baking spice and vanilla.

Red Wine by Dom. Drouhin Oregon from Willamette Valley, Oregon. All of Dom. Drouhin Oregon's Pinot Noir is handpicked into 25-pound totes, then hand sorted and de-stemmed at their four-level gravity flow winery. Fermentations are long and careful. By the middle of November, all of their wine was safely in barrel. Dom. Drouhin Oregon uses approximately 20% new oak with their Pinot Noir, which allows the character of the wine and vintage to show through. Barrels are custom made for them in Burgundy, using oak from France's best forests. Their goal is to produce Pinot Noirs with balance, elegance and finesse. From their earliest days in barrel, the 2005 Pinot Noirs have been deep, dense wines. In contrast to the more delicate 2004, the 2005 is built on larger shoulders, with a strong backbone that will certainly reward with extended aging. Pinot Noir's more delicate heart beats beneath, but for now the 2005 is true to the vintage. Of course, one can happily enjoy the wine now with its expressive nose of lilac and violet blossoms, and a wild array of red and black fruits, white pepper, clove and orange peel. The body is rich and the finish long and silky, suggesting a minimum aging of 7 to 10 years.

Red Wine by Argyle from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The Nuthouse designation is used for Argyle's biggest, boldest, and tumescent style of Pinot Noir. This Nuthouse blend is predominantly based on Pinot Noir fruit from low elevation blocks at their estate Lone Star Vineyard in the Eola Hills. Nuthouse takes its name from where it is barrel aged and fermented - in Argyle's winery that was formerly a hazelnut drying facility. This is a very powerful Pinot Noir from an interesting vintage. This wine rewards the patient imbiber who lingers over a glass of wine while it develops in the glass. The aromas are comprised of a concentrated blackberry center with radiating essences of cedar cigar box, roasted pecan, vanilla bean, jam packed dark chocolate Black Forest Tort, and a wonderful black truffle earthy component. Foretold by the aromas intensity, the palate of this wine is Nuthouse concentrated. A juicy plus core is wrapped up by blackberry fruit leather, red cedar box, and a long fruity blackberry to blueberry finish. The big time tannins of this wine are hidden under a very juicy sweetness.

Red Wine by Sineann from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Can't say enough good things about this wine - one of the real thrills of the vintage. We expect Resonance to shine. Phelps Creek is automatic. To have this vineyard step up to that level of quality is very exciting. Located at fairly high elevation in the Hood River Valley, 1600 feet, the grapes are able to retain higher natural acidity. The higher acidity gives the wine brightness in its youth and a better ability to age gracefully. That and great concentration of fruit (from 1.5 ton per acre crop sizing) have produced a delicious wine.

Red Wine by Argyle from Willamette Valley, Oregon. This Pinot Noir has a seductively rich, super dark ruby-violet color. Aromas leap out of the glass with black cherry, black cherry leather and cedar, along with a ripping portion of cinnamon spice. The wine finishes with a hint of violet flower patch. Use of new oak was delicate, so the aromas are authentic Pinot Noir. The flavor is a big juicy mouthful, with firm tannin structure framed by velvet texture. The fruit is all about black cherry all the way to a very long finish. Spice of far away lands rounds out the complexity of this exciting, cool-season vintage Pinot Noir.

Red Wine by Dom. Drouhin Oregon from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Ve?ronique's Tasting Notes:  The 2004 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is quintessential Pinot to me:  beautiful, soft, feminine, and obviously pleasurable.  The color is classic ruby red, and the wine has the medium body I look for.  On the nose, the ‘04 is all cherries and crushed berries.  On the palate, the wine is luscious and concentrated, leading to a long finish.  I wouldn’t hesitate to drink the wine now, but I would be very happy to save several bottles to enjoy over the next 10+ years. 

Red Wine by Anne Amie from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The 2004 Winemaker's Selection is a fantastic classic Oregon Pinot! This is the first release of Anne Amie's Winemaker's Selection Pinot Noir, which is a synergistic blend of their finest barrels. These wines are then married to create a harmonious whole defined by the style and elegance of wines from distinctive vineyards of great character. The wine is a brilliant light ruby with sparkling garnet highlights. Leaping from the glass are smoky touches of oak laced with exotic spices and tart ripe wild cherry fruit. It is graceful and balanced on the palate with gripping wild red raspberry fruit flavors layered over hints of sweet tobacco, new leather and touches of just cracked vanilla beans. The finish is firm with a racy, tart acidity that makes the wine very lively and fresh bringing lightness of spirit to the rich fruit and oak flavors. The elegant structure of this wine gives mouthwatering zest and a distinctive Oregonian style. While drinkable now, the firm structure and balance would suggest several more years of aging before reaching its peak.

Red Wine by Willamette Valley Vineyards from Willamette Valley, Oregon. An elegant, supple and stylish wine. Vibrant aromas of black cherries, brown sugar, spices, rose petals, vanilla and typical Pinot Noir dust. Initial spicy flavors of nutmeg and barrel toast with ripe flavors of strawberries and cherries and mineral overtones. The mouth feel is soft, round and warm in sensation with and almost sweet and juicy impression of ripe fruit. The finish is long with lingering flavors of spices, well integrated oak, ripe sweet tannins and good acidity. Wonderful with grilled fish, lamb, beef, wild game and turkey. Serve at slightly less than room temperature.

Red Wine by Adelsheim from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The intent Adelsheim brings to producing and blending the Willamette Valley Pinot noir is to unite the elements - especially the fresh fruit flavors - that typify Pinot noir in this region, albeit as tempered by the vagaries of the vintage. By blending the diverse flavors and textures of multiple vineyards, Winemaker Dave Paige produces a richly supple and focused Pinot noir. This wine displays red fruit and dark cherry characters, both in the nose and on the palate. Wild cherry and juicy raspberry flavors intermingle with hints of spice. Pair this fruit-forward, satin-textured beauty with salmon or ahi, veal or pork, poultry (think duck) and hearty vegetarian entrees.