I’ve been traveling quite a bit the past few weeks and decided to unwind a bit on Saturday and try several of the new '08 Oregon Pinot offerings. My brother-in-law and his wife joined in the fun. We stared off with a couple of whites non-blind.
2007 Cakebread Napa Valley Savignon Blanc: A crisp citrusy nose with grassy accents. Balanced acidity gives this a clean attack. The finish was a bit short. Somewhat simple, overall, but definately pleasant. This went well with cilantro shrimp.
2008 Cakebread Napa Valley Chardonnay: Fresh pome-fruited nose of d’anju pears and golden delicious apples. This carries through on the palate, with pleasant mineral undertones. I liked this very much.
On to the main event: four '08 Oregon Pinots served single-blind. All wines were opened one hour prior and tasted over a five hour period.
Wine #1: Dark translucent purple color. Candied cherry fruit jumps out of the glass on the first whiff. After swirling, there are massive legs on the side of the glass (thunder thighs would be a more apt description). The perceived sweetness carries through on the palate; however, I don’t taste any alcohol. It is well balanced. This is not a bad wine, just not quite my cup of tea.
Wine #2: Somewhat lighter color than Wine #1, but only slightly so and still a dark translucent purple. Elegant nose showing notes of lavender and asian spice. Silky mouthfeel, giving way to a moderate finish puncuated with soft tannins. I’m liking this a lot.
Wine #3: Same color profile. The nose is a cross between Wine #1 and Wine #2. There are no candied notes, but the fruit is bigger and secondary accents are less prominent. The full palate is highlighted by dark cherry and plum. This is very nice.
Wine #4: Slightly lighter color, but still hanging with the dark translucent purple theme of the evening. Back to the Elegant nose of Wine #2. A bit more reticent, but still showing full dark red fruit with hints of wild flowers and spice. This is the most structured of the four. Refined tannins lead to a long finish. Drinking well now, and an appearant very positive upside with age.
Now to the voting, which was based on preference, as drinking that night.
Wine #1: 2 - 3rd place & 2 - 4th place; for a total of 6 points and the honor of last horse in a four horse race. (My vote was 4th place.)
Wine #2: 3 - 1st place & 1 - 2nd place; for a total of 15 points and WOTN. (My vote was 1st place.)
Wine #3: 1 - 1st place, 1 - 2nd place & 2 - 3rd place; for a total of 11 points and runner-up WOTN. (My vote was 3rd place.)
Wine #4: 2 - 2nd place & 2 - 4th place; for a total of 8 points and 3rd overall. (My vote was 2nd place.)
The wines?
Wine #1: 2008 Ayres Pioneer Pinot Noir (4th place)
Wine #2: 2008 Evesham Wood Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir (WOTN)
Wine #3: 2008 Ayres Lewis Rogers Lane Pinot Noir (2nd Place)
Wine #4: 2008 Evesham Wood La Brive Bleue Pinot Noir (3rd Place)
The biggest surprise of the night for me was the fruit profile of the Ayres Pinots. Based on previous positive reviews, I certainly was not expecting candied fruit. Like I said, certainly not bad or flawed wines, just not quite hitting my taste preference.
