Our Wine

Reviews

2008 Statement Pinot Noir

94 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, October 2010, Jay Miller
The yet to be released 2008 Pinot Noir Statement Ridgecrest Vineyard is performing at another level. Darker, denser, richer, and opulent, this beautifully balanced, mouth-filling Pinot is one of the stars of a great vintage. It should effortlessly see its 20th birthday.

93 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Vivid ruby. Powerful, exotically scented nose of blackberry, cherry compote, potpourri and spicecake, picking up a smoky quality with aeration. Broad, palate-coating red and dark berry flavors boast impressive depth and focus, with a firm mineral spine adding structure. The finish is sappy, clinging and very persistent. This is very expressive now but has serious depth and the stuffing to age.

2008 Reserve Pinot Noir

93 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Bright ruby-red. Highly aromatic bouquet of raspberry, Asian spices and potpourri, with a suave mineral quality adding vivacity. Lively and precise, offering sappy red fruit flavors and exotic floral and spicecake qualities. Finishes with very good clarity and spicy thrust, with the red fruit and floral notes echoing. This is delicious now but should age well on its balance.

93 Wine Spectator, December 2010, Harvey Steiman
Polished, open-textured and inviting for its cinnamon-accented red berry and wet earth flavors, mingling effectively on the refined finish. A bit disjointed, but cellaring should bring it all together nicely. Best from 2013 through 2020.

92 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, October 2010, Jay Miller
The 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir Reserve, sourced entirely from the Ribbon Ridge AVA, was a selection of the most elegant barrels in the cellar. It proffers a sensual perfume worthy Catherine Deneuve, a silky texture with subtle flavors of wild cherry and raspberry, outstanding concentration, and well-concealed tannins that will allow 4-6 years of graceful evolution. This lengthy, finesse-filled effort will be at its best from 2014 to 2023, but that is a conservative estimate.

2009 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir

91 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Deep, bright red. Blackberry, cola, violet and mocha on the nose, with complicating notes of Asian spices and musky herbs. Fleshy and penetrating on the palate, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors braced by gentle acidity. The dark berry note recurs on the long, sappy finish, which features a sexy floral quality. Delicious right now.

2009 Corral Creek Vineyards Pinot Noir

91 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Red with a bright rim. Fragrant scents of raspberry, fresh rose, spices and exotic blood orange. Lively and precise on entry, then fleshier and deeper in the mid-palate, displaying juicy red and dark berry flavors enlivened by a touch of peppery spice. Finishes silky and long, with a lingering note of allspice and subtle florality. Drinks very easily now but I suspect that this will age on its balance.

2009 Wind Ridge Pinot Noir

91 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Glass-staining ruby. Black raspberry, cherry-cola and smoky Indian spices on the fragrant nose. Lush and sappy on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering juicy red and dark berry flavors of noteworthy depth and clarity. Turns spicier on the finish, which features notes of blackberry and cherry compote. This drinks very well right now.

2009 Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot Noir, 25th Harvest Anniversary

91 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
Vivid red. High-pitched aromas of black raspberry and fresh flowers, with deeper cherry and anise qualities emerging with aeration. Densely packed but energetic, offering sappy dark berry flavors and notes of spicecake and cocoa powder. The smooth, pliant finish leaves notes of candied cherry and violet behind. I suspect that this will reach prime-time drinking shape in about four or five years.

2009 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir

90 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011, Josh Raynolds
(35% from Ridgecrest, 35% from Stoller and 30% from Corral Creek vineyards.) Bright red. High-pitched red berry and floral aromas are complicated by Asian spices and orange peel. Silky in texture and gently sweet, with vibrant strawberry and black raspberry flavors and a touch of bitter cherry. The supple, intensely fruit finish is spicy, focused and nicely persistent. This drinks well now but has the spine to age.
OWP Value Picks Oregon Wine Press, Fall 2011

Though this blend is the winery’s earliest and largest release, it may prove to be every bit as good as its individual vineyard brethren. Lush, sweet cherry wrapped in a dark, velvety robe of soft tannins is gracefully round and palate pleasing. A big, bold, beautifully balanced Pinot.

2010 3 Vineyard Pinot Gris

Recommended Food and Wine, October 2011, Ray Isle
But, regardless of economic, attitudinal or which-cultural-moment-is-it considerations, here are a few wine suggestions for the foods that have always made us happy.

Mac and Cheese
You’ve basically got two ingredients here: cheese and pasta, and one of them has effectively no flavor. The other has flavor and fat (I’ve never had non-fat mac and cheese; I’m sure it exists, but the idea scares me). A full-bodied white with firm acidity would be great - Oregon Pinot Gris for example, like the lively 2010 Chehalem 3 Vineyards.

2009 Corral Creek Vineyards Riesling

92 Wine Enthusiast, October 1, 2011, Paul Gregutt
Corral Creek is considered to be the best of the four estate vineyards that grow Riesling. The acidity has a lip-puckering, lemony character that carries over into the fruit. A citrusy serenade of lemon, tart tangerine and grapefruit. Excellent mass and depth, with plenty of grip and power.

91 Wine Spectator, December 2010, Harvey Steiman

2009 Reserve Dry Riesling

91 Wine Enthusiast,October 1, 2011, Paul Gregutt
Sappy and deep, this brings a mouth-pleasing mix of citrus and stone fruits, broadening into a full midpalate. Full-bodied, it puts the emphasis on fruit, with just a trace of minerality.

89 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate,October 2010, Jay Miller

88 Wine Spectator,December 2010, Harvey Steiman

2010 Reserve SEXT Riesling

88 Wine Enthusiast,October 1, 2011, Paul Gregutt
A delightful wine, done in a sparkling Moscato style, but with Riesling grapes. It’s delicious, low alcohol and moderately sweet—perfect for today’s consumer. Just the right amount of fizz, and a pleasing orange character.

2010 Gruner Veltliner, Ribbon Ridge

Recommended Wine Press Northwest, Fall 2011
Known primarily in its native Austria, Gruner is starting to find a home in western Oregon. The grapes for this example were grown in the Northwest’s smallest appellation, which is in the northern Willamette Valley. It opens with aromas of limes, lemons and minerals, followed by bright, edgy flavors of limes and apples. It shows great acidity and would pair beautifully with shellfish in a light sauce. (207 cases, 12.9% alc.)