2007 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

WINE TALK
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Hello all, I am new to the forum. I am about to open a bottle of 2007 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley this week. This will be my first bottle of pinot noir from Penner-Ash and second from Oregon (I opened a bottle of 2007 Montinore Estate Willamette Valley yesterday). I plan to decant using the Soiree in bottle aerator which I received as a gift. Also, I have an old world palate and this bottle will be my first in the US$40-US$50 price range. Any advice, recommendations or insight on the wine or other pinot noir in this price range would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

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I haven’t had many P-N Pinots but FWIW I find them a bit pricey compared to their OR competitors. Good quality just a tad high on the tariff.

2007 is a good but tough vintage. Successful producers were able to bottle medium weight, mostly elegant wines that ought to match an old world palate well. FWIW, John Raynolds of IWC liked the 07 Willamette Vly bottling pretty well; I haven’t tried it.

Oh…and welcome to WB!

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We just enjoyed a 2007 Penner Ash WV that she is making for Revana Family Wines on new years eve and it was simply stunning juice. Decanted for two hours.

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If you have an old-world palate you’ll probably be disappointed in the Penner-Ash wines in most vintages. I haven’t tasted her 2007s but the overall elegance of the vintage should bring her on-the-edge style back into something you’ll like. For your palate, I’d suggest you branch out a bit, assuming you can source more than a few Oregon pinot noirs - something that’s problematical in many markets.

I’ll bet you were disappointed in the Montinore. If not, I’m all ears.

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William, curious to know what you thought about this considering you say you have an old world palate. I find Penner Ash to be on the complete opposite end of the spectrum - very “new world.” However, I haven’t tried any of the 07’s, and I’m only basing that on the 06’s I tasted.

If you want to try something at the other end of the spectrum, I’d recommend something like Eyrie.

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Thank you for the response. Yes, I can source other pinot noir’s. I usually drink French Burgundy. I purchased a bottle of 2006 Faiveley Domaine Mercurey today!

My main goal, at this time, is to further diversify/develop my palate. I started drinking wine, what I consider somewhat serious, two years ago. I love old-world wines but I have not tasted many new-world wines. The new-world wines I have tasted either have too much residual sugar/oak. I like spice but in my opinion vanilla should stay in ice cream.

Anyway, to reach this goal, I plan to focus on new-world domestic product. I am currently searching for domestic vineyards and wine producers which use old world or a mix of old and new world production methods. I also want to try an aged wine. The oldest wine I’ve tasted is a 1999 Leroy Bourgogne Rouge. I loved it!

I am inexperienced at describing wine, so please bear with the following description of the Montinore. The Montinore had a little too much oak and strawberry/cherry bubble gum for my taste. I did taste some licorice and earth which I liked. The wine was complex which made every taste interesting. I also think this wine would have been better with food. With that said, it did not blow me away.

Thanks again

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I plan on opening it up this evening. I am going to decant using the Soiree as previously mentioned. I will let you know what I think.

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Tasted some of her 07s back in July - WV, Palmer Creek, Carabella, and Shea

I liked the WV but thought it a bit young. The air will help smooth some mild bitterness on the finish. In general she seems to use a little more oak than my preference and I’m typically not a fan of hers in ripe vintages. I preferred the 07 Carabella but the WV was not far behind. The winery, tasting room and property are impressive. At $25 - $45 I would be more interested…at $35 - $100, there are better values in OR.

RT

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Given your palate, try some of the following (listed in no particular order), but avoid the 2006s if you can.

Cristom
Bethel Heights
Cameron
J. Albin
La Bete
Eyrie
Westrey
Seven of Hearts
Brick House
Ayres
Belle Pente
Scott Paul
Thomas (good luck finding any)
St. Innocent (avoid young wines)
Arterberry-Maresh

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William, there are some threads both here and elsewhere that give a broad and rigorous lay of the land on Oregon PN. The threads can get rather heated (not acrimonious) because there are people here who deeply love the wines and have strong stylistic opinions. I’m betting that Bob Wood is the poster child for the kind of wines that you are more likely to take to. The knowledge and experience on both sides (all sides?) is deep and thoughtful.

Look around and ask questions. I have neither the knowledge nor experience of Bob, Richard T, Gordan et al, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Dundee once so I’ll give you my 2 cents as well!

Oops, I see Bob has already started the ball rolling!

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The Wood-man to the rescue… [help.gif]

[cheers.gif] Hope you had a great holiday season.

RT

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Now we know you’re full of it, Chris. The closest Holiday Inn Express is in Wilsonville. [berserker.gif]

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…what Bob said…for sure.

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I haven’t tried anything from them recently, but I’ve heard things have dramatically changed at Montinore. That was long an underachieving producer. Apparently there’s new life there? Anybody know more?

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  • Evesham Wood
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I’ve heard a few rumblings myself. The only thing I can tell you that’s concrete is that I was by there in September and there was a shload of crop hanging on the vines. Bad sign.

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Of course! [welldone.gif]

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Bob, so that’s where that picture was from…interesting.

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You have a good memory but no, that pic was not from Montinore. It was from a place a little closer to home; up on a mountain and surrounded by McMansions. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

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If you are looking to diversify your palate, you might actually avoid the 2007’s, as what some call “elegant” others call “austere”!

On the other hand, 2006’s will offer lots of fruit and nice mouthfeel.

If you are going to 2007’s, I’d recommend the Ken Wright wines, as he did a nice job of softening a challenging vintage. His are the first wines I’d recommend. It’s his best job, relative the competition, since 1997!