That bottle looks very familiar. Thank you. Maybe I should expound on my OP. I was asked for my input on a wine list for a restaurant and to be honest with you all, I was flattered as I don't think I'm the person to ask. Nevertheless, I've yet to meet a female that doesn't enjoy Pinot Noir and offered my input based on my limited experiences. When people order wine by the glass, often times with out looking at a menu, I thought it would be nice to give the staff the opportunity to engage with the customer. I'm hoping to showcase just how different a Pinot Noir can be from the next. From that light and often times familiar taste that is very common, to the more robust and bold taste that I've recently been made aware of. Am I being too optimistic thinking I'll be able to find that bottle for less than $20?
Found this guy locally for $13. Not quite what I was looking for but well worth it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No affiliation to either wineries except as a Wine Club Member. Stoller - good pinot at a fair price. They've become pretty commercial/pedestrian following a nice write-up in Wine Spectator a few years back. ~$40 per bottle. Their reserve wines are in the $60 - $100 range. The wine pick-up parties have become parking lots and "Taste of X City" fests, if that appeals. Trisaetum - boutique winery. GREAT pinot and Riesling. Pinot around $60 per bottle. Limited production Artist Series or Library Collection (latter not listed, you have to ask staffer for it) available. My favorite. If you visit, book early (online) for their private tour ($35 for members). Great experience in their wine cave. If you have a Trader Joes in your neighborhood, the following are good-value pinots: Adelsheim - ~$15 - $20 Ponzi - ~$15 - $20 Erath - ~$15 - $20 For kicks and giggles, assuming you have a Trader Joes in your neighborhood, look for "Cherry Blossom" California pinot...$3.99
Thanks Frank...good to see this thread active again...I will start to post more frequently as Oregon PN is a favorite of ours. Last weekend we made a duck with raspberries and opened a 2008 Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee, I have 3 bottles left from a case I bought a few years ago. Still going strong and wonderfully delicious.
Hi Keith. Given that you like Cristom (flavor profile, price range, alcohol level, etc.), see if you can find any of the following labels below in your area. For reference, 2012 is a GREAT year for Oregon Pinot Noir (you almost cannot miss...pick any label; Wine Spectator rates the vintage 97 out of 100). 2013 is ok (rain at harvest so it's a bit "watered down" IMO; WS = 88). 2014 is shaping up nicely and available now (WS = 94 to 97). 2012 is starting to run low. Plenty of 2013 available. 2014 beginning to show up on shelves. Ghost Hills (they also make a wonderful Rose for summer sipping) Dobbs Elk Cove Alexana Erath Anna Amie For boutique wineries: Patricia Green (private list; open to Members Only on Memorial Day, Labor Day & Thanksgiving weekend [except Thursday]; Oregon Pinot pioneer as the first woman-owned winery in Oregon) Trisaetum. As I mentioned earlier, they also make a wonderful Riesling. The 2014 gained notoriety after it was served at a White House dinner a few months back. Beaux Freres. Same AVA (American Viticultural Area) as Trisaetum (Ribbon Ridge). Happy sipping!
Thanks Frank. I have drunk the Elk Cove, Erath and enjoyed several bottle of B. F. over the years. I began subscribing to Parker in 1983 when he printed a newsletter and had a column in the Washington Post. Ivery much enjoy the Dom. Drouhin, Archery Summit. I used to be higher on Dom. Serene but been underwhelmed a little lately.
Update: Bourgogne production will be at least 20% less than last year by volume, and about two weeks late. Champagne will be at least 35% less than last year by volume, and a week late. Bordeaux about 10% less. Rgds
Nerofer. Thank you for this and the link. It is a difficult life for the growers in Burgundy. Those of us who enjoy the beauty of pinot noir will either pay up or go without...or find alternatives. I can report a lovely under $ 30 Bourgogne from Regis Bouvier "en Montre Cul" I have had several vintages, currently we are getting the 2014 here. It is imported by Kermit Lynch, who is not perfect but certainly the most senior and one of the respected importers of grower wines in Burgundy.
And it could still evolve (for the better or worse (?) in quality, not volume), this due to this week heat wave: 100° fahrenheit / 38° celsius expected today there, more or less around this figures for the whole week...no rain. Rgds
For the posters above looking for inexpensive Oregon Pinot. I think A to Z is reliably the best QPR at that level, although their expanded production is worrisome. For God's sake, don't even pick up - let along taste - the Mark West stuff that is heavily promoted.
Daviday. We are making duck for dinner Saturday and I am thinking of opening one of the older Cristoms I have or a Bethel Heights. Will post results.
False alarm. I drank something else...a lower level PN from California called "The Pinot Project" It was recommend to me and was good.
This was sent to me by the wine club that turned me on to the Pinot that made me start this thread. It's not from Oregon but Cali... I'll try to snag a bottle soon and post a review. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last Sat night. Dom. Drouhin 2010. grilled salmon w/ sauce bernaise. football potatoes in duck fat. This wine is drinking beautifully, probably has a good five years ahead of it. Just a little amber at the edges. sour cherries dominates. 45 second finish with just a little grab at the end. Wine was opened and decanted 90 minutes served at 55 degrees. Very pleasant
Eric Asimov had a wine school feature on selected Oregon PN in this week's Wine Talk column. They guy is a big fan so take that into consideration
3Point8. Yes, that is what I was referring to..."Wine Talk" is the weekly (Wednesday) feature Eric took over from Frank Prial several years ago. Eric is the son of the famous sci fi writer. I'm going to start a thread on Thanksgiving wines next week and Oregon Pinots are a nice compliment to many American T-giving tables
Bump the thread by a quick update about the french grapes this year, for those interested... Probably the worst year in quantity of grapes since 1991: minus 18% on average compared to 2016, which was already low. Explanation is of course the weather: a period of violent freeze in April, after March being too mild, by contrast; since April: almost no rain, and when it rained, it was mostly hail. No indication about quality for the time being. Les vendanges 2017 s?annoncent historiquement basses en France Rgds
Nerofer. Thank you for posting. We have been following the travails of the farmers and vintners. Italy also is have a terrible year in most regions. We have had a very good string of very nice vintages....the 2015 were spectacular in many regions (best Beaujolais in recent memory). As you and I have agreed in the past, the skill of the winemaker comes to the fore in difficult vintages. A votre sante Keith
read a short article in the Times that overall French production expected to be down 17% and Italy as much as 25% for the 2017 vintage. Everybody is harvesting two weeks early.
PLus the fact that french winemakers, even the wealthiest of them, still have a secret part of "the french peasant spirit" somewhere. The french peasant are never happy; things are never good; they always have something to complain about. And when they tell you that "it ain't so bad", it actually means that they are making a ton of money. Let's wait and see to know if lower quantity will be compensated by better quality; fact is that the weather has been really strange this summer (very hot in June and at the begining of July, rather indifferent in August except in the South...) but we could have some nice surprises. Rgds
So I think I found what prompted the start of this thread. Or I’m happily close enough to share with you all what my taste buds are content with. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One of the better ones I’ve had recently. Not flowery and very smooth. Also not from Oregon. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk