Charmes de Kirwan, Margaux, 2002
Smell: Earthy, mushroom, moss, wood/bark, dead wood, and pine.
Taste: Pork, mushroom, gamey (elk and venison). Blackberry and cherry. Like a cold lake.
Finish: Blackberry and blueberry. Chalky.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Kramer Vineyards, Pinot Noir, 2003
Smell: Wood, oak and maybe cedar. Sour, chemical and alcohol.
Taste: Cherry, blackberry and raspberry. A bit tannic. Tastes like an armpit (in a bad way)--yeasty and sweaty.
Finish: Raspberry, apple and hints of lime. The lime makes it sour, but its more sour than it ought to be. Those yeast and sweat flavors again--like licking a giant armpit. Very smooth though.
Cost:
Rating:
4.0
Stag Hollow, 'Vendange Selection', Pinot Noir, 2001
Smell: Mushroom, moss, earth, vanilla and oak.
Taste: Dark cherry. Good texture.
Finish: A bit raspy, sour and citrus. 2% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
Carabella, Chardonnay, 2005
Smell: Pear and citrus.
Taste: PEAR! And lemon with a hint of apple.
Finish: Lime. Crisp. 2% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
Our Journey to the Mecca
Marcia: Marcia is a former interior decorator. She loves to golf, sew, cook and work on craft projects.
Lunch: Today, we journeyed to our Mecca--loaded up the car and shot off like a bullet down highway 99, straight into Oregon wine country. The crisp, woody air and slopes tumbling with gnarled grape vines were a much-needed respite from the city. We visited three wineries: Beaux Freres, Ken Wright and WillaKenzie.
Of the three, the most impressive was the cold concrete warehouse of Beaux Freres. The four Beaux Freres winemakers donned flannel shirts, and when they weren't pouring tasting samples, they shoved their gristly hands into the pockets of their faded Levis. These men could have easily been smoking cigarettes against a fence post or eating steak around a campfire. Instead, they poured tastings of their delicate, ethereal creations reminiscent of roses, fine silk and ballerinas. Quite literally, these four plain men in their unadorned warehouse blew us away. It is the best pinot we've ever tasted.
For lunch we located a delicious French bistro, Cuvee. The owner/chef's demeanor was as dry and biting as a martini, but our dishes were anything but acrid. The food was absolutely spectacular--gently guided and lovingly refined by this gruff person. Only in Oregon does one meet such contradictions.
- sauteed mushrooms in a cream sauce with semolina cake
- salad with boiled eggs, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and poached salmon
- pan-fried oysters with noodles
- scallop and shrimp crepe
- vegetable fritatta with goat cheese and french fries
Posted by Denise on November 18, 2007 5:05:00 PM PST
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Willakenzie, Late Harvest Pinot Gris, 2006
Smell: Pear, grape, mandarin and floral (Lilacs and Nasturtiums). Definitely sweet.
Taste: Big honey with a hint of peach and fig. Like a baked fruit tart--mellowed-out and melded together.
Finish: Honey--but not sickly sweet. Like sucking on a fresh honeycomb. Thick but not syrupy. Smooth.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Willakenzie, 'Emery', Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Cantaloupe, cherry, soil and pomegranate with hints of vanilla and blackberry.
Taste: Pear, boysenberry and citrus rind.
Finish: Pepper and freshly cut wood--like a tree branch. The citrus fizzles on your tongue, like pear cider. Very subtle. The flavors pop and then they're gone. A skim milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Willakenzie, 'Kiana', Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Currant, wood, vanilla, pepper, prune/date and spice. Hint of nectarine. Reminiscent of a freshly barkdusted yard.
Taste: Cherry and currant.
Finish: Wood with a hint of mandarin. The dry chalkiness of unsweetened pomegranates and cranberries.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Willakenzie, 'Pierre Leon', Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Cherry, pepper, vanilla, chopped wood and bark.
Taste: Cherry and currant with a hint of maple. The sweetness is reminiscent of a date.
Finish: Dark cherry, pepper, vanilla, oak and wood. A hint of crisp lettuce and cucumber. A 2% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Willakenzie, 'Thibaud's Cuvee', Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Vanilla, pepper, plum and sugar cookie. A hint of clove. The nose is stuffed with aroma like a fluffy ball of cotton.
Taste: Plum and black cherry.
Finish: Boysenberry. Chalky and tangy. Ends quickly--just falls off the palate like jumping off a cliff. A 1% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Willakenzie, Gamay Noir, 2005
Smell: Pepper, vanilla and blackberry with hints of strawberry. Smells like the bark of a freshly scratched tree. Brings back memories of picking pie cherries with the juice dripping down both arms, making them syrupy sticky.
Taste: Boysenberry, blackberry, cherry, spice and pepper. Like freshly chopped wood.
Finish: Blackberry with a hint of grapefruit. A bit chalky and sour.
Cost:
Rating:
7.5
Willakenzie, Pinot Gris, 2006
Smell: Lychee, white peach, pear and other tree fruit. Hint of thyme. There's a cucumber crispness about the smell of this wine.
Taste: Pear and peach.
Finish: Peach and pear with hints of cucumber and mandarins. The aftertaste of satsuma mandarin.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Willakenzie, Pinot Blanc, 2006
Smell: Dill pickles! Secondarily, peaches and pears.
Taste: Dill, lime and pear. This wine crawls across the tongue like waves in the ocean.
Finish: Pear with a hint of mandarin.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Ken Wright Cellars, 'Guadalupe', Pinot Noir 2007
Smell: Fig, prune, earth and gingerbread.
Taste: Raspberry and cherry. A slight effervescence.
Finish: Apple and orange.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0(Wine from the barrel)
Posted by Jason on November 18, 2007 1:26:00 PM PST
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Ken Wright Cellars, 'Freedom Hill', Pinot Noir 2007
Smell: Earthy, hay, Band-aids and brown sugar. Barnyard something (indiscernible).
Taste: Boysenberry, blackberry and floral with a hint of kiwi.
Finish: Blackberry and vegetable flavors with a hint of asparagus.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0(Wine from the barrel)
Posted by Jason on November 18, 2007 1:22:00 PM PST
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Ken Wright Cellars, Pinot Blanc, 2006
Smell: Sharp cheese. Like an armpit (in a bad way).
Taste: Pear, floral (predominantly Carnations) and lime. Slightly bitter and sour.
Finish: Lime and floral. Bitter.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
Beaux Freres, 'The Upper Terrace', Grenache, 2006
Smell: Strawberry, pear and Nasturtium flowers. Like gourmet strawberry jam.
Taste: Cherry, raspberry and pepper. Very subtle flavors. Surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet like some grenaches.
Finish: Delicate and slightly chalky. A 1% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5(Wine from the barrel)
Beaux Freres, 'The Upper Terrace' (Ribbon Ridge), Pinot Noir, 2006
Smell: Roses, vanilla and oak. Like a big bouquet of flowers from the garden.
Taste: Rose and currant with a hint of pear. Flirty and fun to drink. This is an amazing bottle of wine.
Finish: Rose and pomegranate. Extremely smooth for so being so young. Very delicate and dainty.
Cost:
Rating:
9.0(Wine from the barrel)
Beaux Freres, 'Ribbon Ridge', Pinot Noir, 2006
Smell: Prune, vanilla and pepper with a hint of gruyere cheese.
Taste: Prune and cherry.
Finish: Rose petals. A slight alcohol bite. Very light on the tongue.
Cost:
Rating:
9.0(Wine from the barrel)
Beaux Freres, 'Willamette Valley', Pinot Noir, 2006
Smell: Brie cheese and vanilla.
Taste: Rose and marionberry. Like a red silk shawl that keeps slipping off the shoulders.
Finish: Berry and bark. A very light wine--skim milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5(Wine from the barrel)
Beaux Freres, 'Ribbon Ridge', Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Vanilla, oak and flowers.
Taste: Dark fruit, plum and dirt. A beautiful and elegant wine. Very subtle.
Finish: Prune and rose. Very light on tongue. It dances in your mouth.
Cost:
Rating:
9.0
Zerba Cellars, Syrah Ice Wine, 2005
Smell: Sweet and innocent.
Taste: Raspberry, cranberry and pomegranate. Sweet but not sickly. Very yummy. Tastes like a snow cone (in a good way).
Finish: Cherry, apple, cranberry and pomegranate.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Domaine Serene, 'Mark Bradford', Pinot Noir 2003
Smell: Oak, vanilla and floral. Like fancy cosmetics and perfume. Very regal smelling.
Taste: Raspberry, blackberry and a hint of cherry. Peppery. Absolutely delicious!
Finish: Berry and vanilla. Incredible. Woo hoo--the Velvet Hammer!!!
Cost:
Rating:
9.0
Black Hills, 'Nota Bene', Red Wine, 2001
Smell: Mossy, earthy, mushrooms and oak. Smells like a walk through a damp Oregon forest.
Taste: Prunes, mushrooms and vegetables with a hint of bell pepper. Like sitting on a old musky log with large mushrooms attached it its crumbling bark. Like misty rain on ferns and dirt.
Finish: Prune. Very smooth. Absolutely beautiful.
Cost:
Rating:
9.0(Cabernet Sauvignon 46%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 19% ... Okanagan Valley, Canada)
Ken Wright Cellars, Pinot Blanc, 2005
Smell: Melon and citrus. Light alcohol.
Taste: Fruity but not sweet. A hint of grapefruit. Like grapes in a glass. Tastes like a pinot blanc.
Finish: Like the inside of a grape.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Guest Critics: Blake and Jess
Jess: Jess works for Nike. She has a big family who really loves wine--in fact, her uncle makes his own wine. Jess stomped her first grapes when she was seven years old. Jess likes wine because it brings people together.
Blake Wehling: Blake is an Account Manager at the Trailblazers--basically, he sells tickets and takes care of people. Blake enjoys golfing, eating at Voodoo Donuts and watching football, but basketball takes up most of his time. Currently, Blake's bank account is recovering from microfracture knee surgery. If you ever want to buy Blazer tickets from Blake, you can contact him at: 503.963.3964.
Dinner:
- mixed greens with a sweetened fig vinaigrette
- spinach and potato garlic soup
- browned carrots with parmesan cheese
- roasted beets with thyme and blue cheese
- grilled salmon with mashed potatoes
- butternut squash ravioli with marinara sauce
- cheese
- raspberries in dark chocolate cups with a milk chocolate drizzle
- satsuma mandarins
Wine:
- Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chardonnay, 2005
- Sass, Pinor Noir, 2006
Posted by Jason on November 16, 2007 8:00:00 PM PST
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Sass, Pinot Noir, 2006
Smell: Cherries, wood and hard alcohol (chemically). A sweet smell, but it does not taste sweet.
Taste: Strawberry, currant and vanilla. It tastes pink! Very subtle flavors. Damn good wine for what we paid for it. The label is rustic and unpretentious--feels like someone made this wine in their basement. The wine also tastes unpretentious.
Finish: Nice and smooth. No huge aftertaste, very subtle. A bit of an alcohol finish.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chardonnay, 2005
Smell: Oak, butter and nail polish.
Taste: Caramel, buttery, leafy, butterscotch and hazelnut. A sweet wine with a hint of citrus. Tastes like Al Gore: smart, sexy and liberal.
Finish: Butter. A bit of an alcohol finish.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
House Wine (The Magnificient Wine Co), Columbia Valley, 2005
Smell: Gravelly--mineral. Strawberry and blueberry with a hint of kiwi. Subtle woody and vanilla. Slight alcohol. All the smells are very subtle on the nose.
Taste: Blueberry and cherry. Rose and geranium. Firm tannins. This is an excellent table wine to have regularly with dinners.
Finish: Blueberry, cherry, geranium and vanilla. A 2% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5(Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 30%, Syrah 11%, Malbec 3%, Cabernet Franc 2%)
Guest Critics: Rick and Nick, Ken, Blake and Temmi
Rick & Nick (In Dr. Seuss style, this cute rhyming couple needs to have a tandem bio): Rick and Nick are an old married couple. They have been together for 21 years. They enjoy quiet nights at home with a good bottle of wine. Rick is a technical writer and Nick is a business analyst. Nick owns a nice mid-life crisis car.
Ken: Ken is a Portland ex-pat stuck in Florida. Ken makes maps for the local government, but likes to build things in his spare time. Ken tiled Jason and Denise's bathroom and has worked extensively on Rick and Nick's Seattle home.
Blake: Blake really likes wine. He is a software architect for a Portland domain name company. Blake prefers the old world style of wine--le terroir!
Temmi: Temmi is a linguist. She likes to cook and shop at the Farmer's Markets. 90% of her food comes from local sources.
Dinner:
- mixed green salad with cranberries, glazed nuts and blue cheese
- cauliflower soup with pesto
- squash gratin with gruyere cheese
- cauliflower quiche with mango sauce
- ratatouille with herbed couscous
- artichoke ravioli with marinara sauce
- cheese
- apple crisp with vanilla ice cream
Wine:
- Big Fire, Pinot Noir, 2006
- Nysa Vineyards (Dundee Hills), Pinot Noir, 2004
- Eyrie Vineyards, Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2001
- Hop Kiln, 'Russian River Red', California Red Wine (Rhone blend), 2005
Posted by Jason on November 10, 2007 9:00:00 PM PST
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Hop Kiln, 'Russian River Red', California Red Wine (Rhone blend), 2005
Smell: Oak and vanilla.
Taste: Chocolate, licorice, anise, marionberry and a hint of kiwi. Very rich--buttery and carmelly.
Finish: Metallic--a bit of tannins.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0(86% Syrah, 14% Grenache)
Eyrie Vineyards, Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2001
Smell: Alcohol that lessened with time.
Taste: Grapefruit, strawberry and manure. Like walking through a barnyard. This wine got more interesting over time.
Finish: Strawberry, floral and soil. A light bodied wine--skim milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Nysa Vineyards (Dundee Hills), Pinot Noir, 2004
Smell: Cocoa, coffee, tobacco, oak and vanilla.
Taste: Cherry, currant, slate and granite. Tastes meaty--like rotting flesh and steak musk (in a good way) A very complex wine. Excellent.
Finish: Raspberry and vanilla. Rusty--like licking a wagon. Smooth with a bit of chalkiness.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Big Fire, Pinot Noir, 2006
Smell: Fruity, honey and berry (cherry). Hot alcohol hit.
Taste: Cherry and currant. It's a fruit bomb. A very young wine.
Finish: The fire lingers--a lot of alcohol.
Cost:
Rating:
4.0
Guest Critics: Herb and Alexandra
Herb: Herb works for Providence in the mental health field. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Herb is a closet historian and may have anarchistic leanings.
Alexandra: Alexandra is a mental health therapist. Alexandra loves to cook, read, tackle crossword puzzles and frequent the beach.
Dinner: This dinner took place at Alexandra and Herb's house in celebration of my birthday. Four chatty wine afficionados around the dinner table can do quite a bit of damage. But this lazy Sunday evening was met with self-control, and, thankfully, the morning after wasn't greeted by headaches.
- cheese and roasted garlic cloves
- salad with walnuts and tangerines
- beets and butternut squash
- pan-fried oysters with tartar sauce
- scallops in a cream sauce with rice
- raspberry tart with ice cream
Wine:
- Medici Vinyards, 'Eastern Vineyard Estate Reserve', Pinot Noir, 2000
- Chehalem, Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2003
- Roads End, Pinot Noir, 2004
Posted by Jason on November 4, 2007 8:00:00 PM PST
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Chehalem, Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2003
Smell: Cherry with a hint of bark. Subtle vanilla.
Taste: Blackberry with a hint of cherry. Spicy, peppery, minerally, mushroomy and earthy. Tastes like wine.
Finish: Earthy. Jam. Firm tannins. 2% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Medici Vinyards, 'Eastern Vineyard Estate Reserve', Pinot Noir, 2000
Smell: Mineral, gravel--terroir.
Taste: Black currant with a hint of prune. A jam taste.
Finish: Black currant with a hint of prune. Again, the jam taste. 1% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Guest Critic: Chris and Kinnari
Chris: Chris is a computer programmer, former philosopher and native Portlander. He is also a dark chocolate aficionado and strict vegetarian. Interestingly, Chris is a non-drinker (although for this occasion, he swirled a few sips in his mouth).
Kinnari: Kinnari is a lawyer escapee. She grew up in Vermont and Arizona. Kinnari is a stay-at-home mom to her 2 1/2 year old son and is pregnant with her second child--a perfect combination for the wine blog! (Actually, it is. A pregnant woman's super sensitive nose is a wonderful tool for smelling wine.)
Dinner:
- garden salad
- cream of celery soup
- lemon braised artichokes
- sauteed chanterelle mushrooms in butter reduction
- beans in a vegetable and tomato sauce with rice pilaf
- vegan brownies
- grapes
- cheese
Wine:
- Elk Cove, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2005
Posted by Denise on November 3, 2007 7:00:00 PM PDT
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Elk Cove, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2005
Smell: Vanilla, plumb, metallic, minerally. Sour--bites the nose.
Taste: Lots of lemon and citrus. Spicy and peppery. At first, underwhelming, but the real flavor emerges at the end once swallowed.
Finish: Lemon and orange--but a bit warmer than a lemon. Very smooth. This wine blossoms in the mouth and really ramps up in the swallow. 1% milk consistency.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
