The proper use of hypens on the back labels of the Knudsen Vineyards wines told me that this family - now run by the second generation cast of Cal Jr., Page, Colin and David - clearly pays attention to details. That's a good thing as they have 230 acres (with 130 acres planted to vines) that they tend to, right in the heart of Dundee Hills. Not only do the Knudsens farm a lot of prime land, they've been doing it a long time. They've been caring for this former walnut orchard since 1971, making their vineyards some of Oregon's oldest.
Read MoreLoimer NV Rosé Brut Sekt Reserve: This sekt stretches the imagination. A blend of Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and St. Laurent, it would be hard to place it in a blind tasting, even if its fruit purity, fine perlage and long finish clearly place it in a high quality region.
Read MoreWinemaker Todd Graff has been making the wines at Frank Family Vineyards since 2003. The family calls him "our magician", which is a pretty endearing - as well as appropriate - term for a someone who orchestrates the production of about twenty very different wines every vintage. Not only does Todd utilize a wide array of varieties, he makes four sparkling wines, a port and a late harvest wine in addition to all of the still wines!
Read MoreThe 2018 vintage in Germany gave whites and reds alike a patina of grace and elegance. These wines are ready for immediate - and unreserved - enjoyment.
Read MoreThe back label is signed "Viens Avec Nous", which means "Come With Us". While I wonder how many people understand that in the US, it does manage to seem appropriate for this blend of some of the Willamette Valleys "best of" (a nod to Jay Boberg's time in the music industry) vineyards. These include Nicolas-Jay's own Bishop Creek along with Temperance Hill, Hyland, Knight's Gambit and Momtazi.
Read MoreFEL 2017 Chardonnay Savoy Vineyard Anderson Valley: Scrumptious and demonstrative, this texturally fueled, gastro tasting experience is as dynamic as ever.
Read MoreThe environment friendly pedigree of the Cline Family Cellars wines definitely feels good. Their back labels lay out their vision: Sonoma County Sustainable, Vegan and Gluten Free (note: all wine is gluten free) with nods to "renew and reuse".
Read MoreChehalem Winery has a new 'do. Since the winery's purchase in early 2018, the font of the winery name went from "ALL CAPS" to "Sentence case". (The winery's founders previously used CHEHALEM to distinguish the use of the winery from the American Viticultural Area, or AVA, of the same name.) Then, this year, the label got a full makeover (now: sexy and sleek in black vs then: wine geeky and laid-back with colorful photos). My favorite part is the offer a new nugget of information: Chehalem is a Calapooia tribe word that means "Valley of Flowers".
Read MoreWinemakers travel so much these days - especially Grégory Viennois of Maison de la Chapelle and Domaine Laroche, both located in northern Burgundy's Yonne region - that it is not infrequent to taste without them, even when I'm on their home turf. I am grateful, however, that Gregory left the Maison de la Chapelle wines for me to taste when I was visiting in July. This gave me the chance to taste them over the course of several evenings. All of these wines open up nicely with air and time, which is not something that I would have witnessed tasting them in one go with Grégory.
Read MoreFEL 2018 Pinot Gris Anderson Valley: This is robust and vigorous with crunchy and broad tannins, a bit unusual for Pinot Noir. Black plums and açai make for an interesting palate combo, accented by a dusting of cinnamon. Full-bodied with slightly chunky glycerol and well-integrated acidity, this drinks nicely now.
Read MoreMelissa Burr has been making wine at Stoller Family Estate for years. Moreover, she was born and raised Oregonian. Her wines taste like they are ready to be the centerpiece - even the host - of a great conversation. There's clearly a lot of heart, personal grit and local love that goes into her wines!
Read MoreI recently had the chance to taste through these two wines thoughtfully, watching them evolve for several hours after opening. The two tenants of Bollinger's style were clearly present from start to finish: the attractive oxidation from the oak barrel aging of at least half of the base wines (all vintage and reserve wines are made exclusively using oak barrels from a range of ages) and the house's signature power supplied by a majority of Pinot Noir in the two blends.
Read MoreI love airplanes. So when I was invited to take a ride on The Spirit of Benovia, the renovated C-53 World War II aircraft that participated in the D-Day invastion, I was beyond excited. Then, realizing that other commitments wouldn't allow me to participate sent me into a tailspin. At least I had the chance to savor the wine crafted and named in honor of the plane to be released for the 75th "vintage" commemoration of that heroic WWII campaign to liberate France.
Read MoreThis array of Rodney Strong wines over-delivers for its price points. Per my previous post, this isn’t surprising. They have a smartly balanced oak influence, meaning that any new oak flavors present are well-integrated and don’t over take the fresh fruit nuances. They also do a terrific job of showing regional and varietal typicity. I’ll gladly endorse these, especially the Chardonnay Chalk Hill and the Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley.
Read MoreAs an admirer of FEL for many years, I was curious to see what these different vineyards had to say. I must say that I was impressed by the differences in their voices! The two Pinot Noirs offer a surprising contrast of weight, texture and fruit aromas given how small Anderson Valley is – it’s barely longer than the island of Manhattan – and how relatively closely these vineyards sit!
Read MoreThree bottles of wine arrived with no advance notice on my doorstep a few weeks ago. Intrigued, I opened them all over several days last week. They are very accessible, ready-to-drink Oregon bottlings from the Willamette that carry very reasonable price tags. The Chardonnay is the Goldilocks wine of the trio for QPR. I’m so curious to learn more about why I received these wines, but it is always a pleasure to see what is happening in Oregon through the window of a sample set!
Read MoreThese Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tastings were primarily conducted in Sonoma over the course of two visits (one for ten days, one for three days). My ten-day visit was thorough, covering eight hundred and four miles (1,294 km) and 39 winery appointments.
Read MoreNicolas Jay 2016 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley: If the wine continues as is, this third vintage from Nicolas Jay may take the longest of the Willamette Valley-labeled trio to open up in bottle. It’s pleasant now, but there should be no rush to open any bottles you have. Decant it if you can’t resist!
Read MoreWindvane 2015 Pinot Noir Carneros: Brimming with youthfulness, this Pinot Noir boasts showy, bold fruits. Black plum, blackberry and a hint of anise give this wine lovely definition.
Read MoreDomaines Schlumberger 2014 Pinot Noir Les Princes Abbés: I’m totally blown away by the drinkability of this Pinot Noir. It’s downright slurpable! It is impressively harmonious, fragrant and very Pinot Noir in character.
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