Thanksgiving Weekend in Willamette

Willamette Valley OR
Tasted Friday, November 25, 2005 - Sunday, November 27, 2005 by Burgundy Al with 723 views

Flight 1 - Domaine Drouhin (4 Notes)

  • 2004 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Nice white fruit on the nose with some floral charm. Fruit was less forthcoming on the palate, but showed apricot and pear. Showed some good acidity and mineral character, I'd cellar this for a few years before drinking.

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  • 2002 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir 88 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Somewhat restrained red fruit - strawberry and red cherry. Very classically styled, without the heavier weight some 2002 Willamette Pinot Noirs show today. Nice elegant tannins and acidity, I would expect this to drink very well in a couple of years.

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  • 2002 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Not quite a vibrant as when tasted one year ago. Fruit is slightly shut down already, hidden behind tannins today. Bright acidity and long finish suggest this will be better, probably worth holding to 2009 or 2010.

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  • 2003 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Pre-release. Mixture of red and black fruit, probably a bit more black than I'd prefer. Better acidity than many other 2003s. Moderate length and finish, I'd be drinking this before its 2002 counterpart.

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Flight 2 - St. Innocent (6 Notes)

  • 2003 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard 86 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Intense boysenberry on nose and palate. Ever-so-slightly roasted fruit, somewhat simple, lower acidity than normal. Drink young, perhaps by 2010.

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  • 2003 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Moderate nose of ripe fruit that continues on to the palate. Slightly coarse tannins from middle to finish. I'm not sure how the ripe fruit and big, rustic structure will integrate. I'd give this 5 years, crossing my fingers.

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  • 2003 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Anden 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Dark fruit on nose and palate. Intense, but not roasted or over-ripe. Lots of structure plus some good acidity form a barrier to really appreciate the fruit. This will take until 2010 or later to come around.

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  • 2003 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Rich dark fruit - boysenberry and blackberry on nose and palate. More accessible than most other vintages of St. Innocent Seven Springs, with just moderate tannins, ok acidity and almost over-ripe fruit.

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  • 2004 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Special Selection Seven Springs Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/25/2005)

    Barrel tasting at winery. Incredibly pure, bright red fruit on nose and palate to start. Not much spice on nose, but some Asian-style spice comes through on palate. well structured with good tannin, acid. Really good textures and nuance already coming through on finish. Impressive at this stage in its development.

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  • 2004 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Justice Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

    (11/25/2005)

    This is a moderately priced wine made from a block typically blended in St. Innocent's Willamette Valley Pinot. It has a nice floral aroma with some good blackberry and cherry flavors. Less spice or intensity than some of the other wines. Moderate length, this wine will drink nicely young. Good value.

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Flight 3 - Archery Summit (5 Notes)

Flight 5 - Shea Cellars (4 Notes)

  • 2003 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Shea Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at Shea Open House. Strawberry and floral nose with taste to match. Good, big fruit but certainly not massive. Tannins in balance, seems a bit short on acidity and energy. Short finish. Drink young.

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  • 2004 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Block 23 Shea Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at Shea Open House. Nice floral nose works well with good red fruit aromatics. Great start. Palate a big darker, showing black cherry flavors. Oak seems a bit out of proportion right now, but that will most likely integrate shortly. Seems a bit sweet on finish.

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  • 2004 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Wädenswil Clone Shea Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at Shea Open house. Lush nose shows lots of red fruit with some traces of roses. Same red cherry and raspberry on the palate with traces of spice. Very good mouth texture and length on this wine. I understand this comes from Blocks 25 and 32 that formerly went into Sine Qua Non's Shea Pinot Noir. I like this a bit better than many of the SQNs from prior vintages. This will benefit from a bit more time in bottle, but since it comes across as dense and composed today that it has little risk of falling apart for probably a decade. Well done.

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  • 2004 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Homer Shea Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at Shea Open house. Super concentrated fruit - showing blackberry on both nose and palate, with just a hint of florals. Intense black fruit with some very good structure to support it. This has some upside to be a better wine than I'm assessing today - if more spice emergees from behind the tannins, the fruit becomes a bit more elegant and the finish shows more finesse.

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Flight 6 - JK Carriere (3 Notes)

Flight 7 - Lachini (2 Notes)

  • 2003 Lachini Pinot Noir Ana Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Very ripe fruit aromas. Bright strawberry flavors.Good structure for the vintage, best in the next few years.

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  • 2004 Lachini Pinot Noir Cuvée Giselle 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/26/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Very good aromatic start with strawberry and red cherry. Similar fruit on palate, but somewhat hidden for now behind tannic structure. Good length, good finish. This has upside if it integrates better int he next few years.

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Flight 8 - Panther Creek (2 Notes)

  • 2003 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard 83 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/27/2005)

    Tasting at winery. Pleasant nose shows red cherry with some good floral character. Really ripe fruit on palate that isn't completely balanced to me. Perhaps this will soften in 3 or 4 years, but I'd be afraid it might turn flabby.

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  • 2004 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (11/27/2005)

    Barrel tasting at winery. Bright red fruit on nose with some elegant floral notes. Lush fruit with good spice in background. Well structured with good textures and excellent finish. Good potential overall.

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Flight 9 - Penner-Ash (3 Notes)

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