As a native Oregonian and still being newer to wine (couple of years) and brand new to these forums I was wondering what those of you not from here (especially not from the local area) thought about the Oregon Pinot's and which you enjoyed. I have many that I enjoy but with so many options so nearby it varies pretty drastically depending on occasion and budget.

I think many are very, very good as long as the weather cooperates. Now that these folks seem to be reducing yirlds pretty dramatically, the future looks better for quality, weather permitting.

"Pray for the retirement of John Paul Stevens."

DN, if you haven't driven the hour to hour and a half down to the Dundee-McMinnville area to taste at the wineries, I hope you will soon. OR produces a lot of excellent Pinot Noir, though it seems to need more bottle age than its counterpart from CA. The 2002 vintage is the best I've ever tasted from your state, but the 1998 and 1999 vintages are the ones I'd be drinking now. The 1993s are still going strong. Favorite wineries are Chehalem, Ken Wright, Sineann, Argyle, Evesham Wood, and our own BHVineyard's Le Cadeau.

I second the nod to Ken Wright. That is fabulous juice.

Sineann (especially the Resonance), Penner-Ash, & Beaux Frères (top of the line, but $$)

Van Duzer makes a nice $25 PN and Patricia Green’s are priced very well.

In addition to those mentioned, some of the most-reliable producers include Argyle, Brick House, Adelsheim, Domaine Serene and Bergström.

Tim Fish
Associate Editor

Tim,

Good call on the Domaine Serene. In fact, their '02 Evenstad Reserve is the best Oregon Pinot I've had. Kind of pricey, though.

I think the Torii Mor basic bottling is an outstanding value. For a little more, I enjoy Penner-Ash and Carlton Road's End.

There are good suggestions here. I definately agree with Beaux Freres, Domaine Serene, Ken Wright and Le Cadeau.

In addition to these, I would add Lemelson, Thomas and Witness Tree. The 2000 Witness Tree Vintage Select is my favorite Oregon Pinot -- that I have tasted so far.

My friends in the area have also had good things to say about Cherry Hill (one of the newer wineries), but I have not personally tasted any of their wine.

I definately agree to many of these statements.

My faves:

Anne Amie, Argyle, Adelsheim, Archery Summit, Penner-Ash, Sokol-Blosser (sure to catch hell from Board-O on this one).

I haven't tried many of the more pricey producers, so can't really say there.

Good QPR's: Argyle regular bottlings, Benton-Lane, A to Z Wineworks, Big Fire (R. Stuart & Co.), and the list goes on and on.

Definately take the drive down the Valley and visit as many wineries as possible. Lord knows, if I lived in Portland I'd be there every weekend.

I would like to add the pinots of Cristom to this list, especially the individual vineyard bottlings.

Dick

I love Oregon PN! It sort of bridges the gap between Burgundy and California.

I'll second or third the Willamette Valley tasting tour. And add a couple of my favorites not previously mentioned: J. K. Carriere and Hammacher

quote:

Originally posted by RobM:
My faves:
Anne Amie, Argyle, Adelsheim, Archery Summit, Penner-Ash, Sokol-Blosser (sure to catch hell from Board-O on this one).

You've got quite a memory. My comments on Sokol-Blosser were based solely on a one hour visit to the winery. If they make anything good, they kept it under wraps when we were there.

How does St Innocent keep flying under the radar? Awesome stuff for under $35 that will rival anything produced in the state. I'd also add Ana Vineyards and Siltstone (great QPR) to some of the names listed above.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by RobM:
My faves:
Anne Amie, Argyle, Adelsheim, Archery Summit, Penner-Ash, Sokol-Blosser (sure to catch hell from Board-O on this one).

You've got quite a memory. My comments on Sokol-Blosser were based solely on a one hour visit to the winery. If they make anything good, they kept it under wraps when we were there.

Just a little good-natured ribbing, Board-O. You're not the only one that has expressed dis-interest in their wines, but the one I remember most.

My wife and I have been making the trek from Seattle to the OR coast every year for 8 years now. We always spend at least a day in OR wine country. It is always a blast. I think what makes OR wine country so special is the low key / informal / one-on-one experience we always have. Going to places like Sineann, Owen Roe, JK Carriere, Willakenze, Brick House, Patty Green, Cuneo, etc. is great because the winemakers always seems to be able to squeeze us in and in many cases we are the only people there.

Check out this link. This one might be worth reading, too.

Many names that I already love but definately some I'll put on my list to try. Interesting to see what everyone out there enjoys. Always a different perspective when its in your own back yard.

I was very disappointed with the bottle of Willakenzie Aliette 2002 (with cork) that I had last weekend. I don't think it deserved the 91 WS rating it received.

I enjoyed the 2002 Nuthouse from Argyle much more. It was also very interesting to compare it to the 2003 RRV Gary farrell I had the same weekend.

The 02 nuthouse is a nice wine. I just picked up the last bottles from a local grocery store. At $32, it was a good price.

benchland - good call on the Siltstone. I didn't think that wine made it past the state line!

Le Cadeau, Argyle

quote:

Originally posted by DrinkumAll:
benchland - good call on the Siltstone. I didn't think that wine made it past the state line!

I picked up a couple of cases for the family restaurant in Pacific City after tasting them. The 01 was great too. Have you had the 03 yet?

The 03 Siltstone is a nice wine. I liked the 02 better, but that was probably because the fruit was better overall that year. Regardless, it is hard to find a bad wine out of the Guadalupe vineyard in most any year.

It is a little expensive to consider it a house wine, but we tend to drink a lot of the 03.

I'm a big fan of Erath. Their 2000 Anniversary Pinot was fantastic (sold out at the winery as of mid-fall 05, may still find some in stores) and I also bought a bottle of the 2002 Leland Estate. Their whites are quite crisp and pleasant as well.

kyliep, welcome to the site. When we visited Erath 2 1/2 years ago, I found their wines largely disappointing. I didn't try the 2000 PN you mention, but the 1999 Reserve was sharp with no nose.