Wine & Spirits - February 2018 - 80

US NEW RELEASES
amel oak adorning its strawberry accents.
There's a fine interplay between a kind of
resinous savor and invigoratingly juicy fruit
flavors, with a lasting coniferous impression,
for something like rosemary roast chicken.
(2,000 cases)
509712

93 | Cristom

$65

2015 Eola-Amity Hills Louise Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ A warm site that often produces
Cristom's most expressive wine, Louise is
anomalous in 2015: It seems like the lightest, most translucent of Cristom's vineyard
designates. It hides a juicy red-fruit scent,
almost like watermelon, behind elements
of tobacco and earthy minerals. That watermelon note gains concentration and depth
with air, while the savory notes fill in, deftly
buoyed by an acidity that will make you think
of crisp apples. (945 cases)
509709

93 | Cristom

$70

2015 Eola-Amity Hills Marjorie Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ From one of Cristom's oldest and
own-rooted single-vineyard sources, Marjorie is perhaps the prettiest, most high toned,
most trim of Cristom's 2015s. From the first
swirl in the glass, its light touch is on display,
in the red cherry scent, the lift of the fruit
and the dry savory pull of anise and pine on
the palate. It's already complex, and will gain
even more depth with some cellar time. (554
cases)
509711

92 | Cristom

$65

2015 Eola-Amity Hills Eileen Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ Eileen is Cristom's highest,
most exposed vineyard, topping out at 720
feet. In 2015 it is an assertive wine, leading
with scents of dark strawberry and orange
peel, along with a hint of bergamot-the
whole-cluster-fermentation character lurking underneath. Indeed, there's a rootiness
to the texture that grounds the flavors, but
the lasting impression is of acidity, propelling an otherwise velvety texture that would
pair well with herbed pork loin. (1,043 cases)
509589
80

WINE & SPIRITS

$50

2015 Ribbon Ridge AVA Series Pinot
Noir ^ A posh, stylish pinot, with lushness all
around its raspberry fruit, this is leavened
by a savory note of tobacco and forest floor.
Those flavors are a bit oak driven, in a caramel through line that should mellow with cellar time. (150 cases)
509608

90 | Penner-ash

$65

2015 Eola-Amity Hills Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ Lynn Penner-Ash's pinot
noirs, typically plush and ample, gain their
mineral edges from the shallow soils and
wind barrage at Zena Crown. This wine
starts off dark and velvety, with a purple core
of fruit that lightens with air as the flavors
become leaner, more mineral and more elegant. It still has some baby fat and could use
some time in the cellar before serving with
herbed pork loin. (500 cases)
509759

89 | oak Knoll

$20

2016 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ Scents of oak and anise lead in this
savory, lean red. Its flavors are lush and a bit
heavy, with the tannins and the weight for
lamb. (170 cases)

FEBRUARY 2018

509731

89 | a to Z

$20

88 | Pike Road

$20

2015 Oregon Pinot Noir (Best Buy) ^ Classic Oregon scents of strawberries and briary
cherry lead in this vinous, assertive pinot
noir. The finish is leesy and a bit phenolic;
give it a chill and serve with duck sausage.
509501
2015 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ This pinot's high-toned fruit is chewy
and juicy at once, that sweet core of fruit balanced by a light structure. Pour for grilled
dark-meat chicken.

Us s Pa RK Li n g
509370

89 | gruet

but tense up in the middle, finishing with a
lemony briskness.

Wa s h i n gt o n Re d
RED BLENDS
509132

91 | gorman Winery

$28

2015 Columbia Valley The Devil You
Know ^ The Devil You Know blends mostly
merlot, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. It's
dark with scents of plum, pepper and a blackcherry core of fruit. The flavors are foursquare and yet wholly irresistible, vinous
and fresh. A well-priced blend for beef stew.
(675 cases)

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
509133

93 | gorman Winery

$28

91 | dusted Valley

$42

89 | Purple star

$20

2015 Red Mountain Old Scratch Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Showing plenty
of complexity for the price, this posh cabernet has a scent of oak and black plum. Then
with air, a compelling suite of savory spice
notes emerges-mocha, chocolate, mace, allspice, clove- like a Christmas kitchen. The
flavors are juicy, bright and well balanced,
with a grip for lamb shoulder. (875 cases)
509504
2014 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Big-shouldered, chewy and mouthfilling, this is American cabernet through and
through, forward, generous and seductive.
It leads with dark-cherry scents and juicy,
cherry-pie flavors, with chocolatey tannins
guiding a suave seamless finish. (150 cases)
509814

$65

2015 Eola-Amity Hills Jessie Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ Jessie is a low-elevation, east-facing vineyard that has the property's highestdensity planting. The 2015 takes time and
air to unfurl; what starts out as a jumble of
earthy, savory elements aligns and resonates
in the glass after a half hour, the whole cluster spice at first anise-like, then more peppery. The fruit seems lacy, shaping the wine
rather than filling it, a fruit-skin bitterness
providing evidence of a long life ahead in the
cellar. (1,006 cases)
509710

92 | Cristom

91 | Willamette Valley
Vineyards

$18

NV American Brut Sparkling Wine (Best
Buy) ^ Lively when first poured, this charming
blend of chardonnay and pinot noir settles
down nicely in the glass, with scents of vanillin and golden apple. The flavors start off rich

2015 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Mildly herbal when first
poured, this wine has a scent of earth as well
as plum jam that's inviting and forward. Its
flavors, while simple, are soft and clean, finishing on cedar shavings and pepper, and the
tannins for steak. (1,973 cases)

CARMENERE
509471

92 | Beresan

$40

2014 Walla Walla Valley Carmenère ^ A
spicy, forward carmenère, this embraces
the variety's prodigious aromatic range and
supports it with an array of rich, juicy fruit.
Scents of black pepper and cardamom, clove
and mace adorn a dark cushion of plum fruit
that's generous, ripe and delicious. Both
complex and satisfying, this is ready for game
birds. (500 cases) n

https://www.atozwineworks.com/pinotnoir

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2018