Eola Hills 2007 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Eola Hills
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $13.95 at QFC

I have heard of Eola Hills winery, but I don't believe I've ever sampled any of their wines before. They are located in Rickreall, Oregon. I only point this out because I like the name Rickreall.

The color of this wine is a shade lighter than many Pinot Noirs, and is more of a plum color. It has a very smooth, rich smell to it. It has scents of prune and berry. The wine has flavors of prune, cherry, blackberry and vanilla. The wine is not as rich and velvety smooth as a lot of Pinot Noirs, but at $14/bottle, this is a true bargain. At 1/2-1/4 the price of a lot of wines of this quality, this wine is a true steal. I know a few bottles of this this wine will find their way to my stash.

Seattle Metropolitan Sept 2008 Top 100 Northwest Wines

The September edition of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine has an article identifying what it considers to be the top 100 Northwest Wines. I have not yet had time to read the article in full, but I do have two complaints about the article. First, there are not any Sokol Blosser wines on the list. Second, they do include Quilceda Creek Cab-Sauv. This wine is simply not available to most people. They have a waiting list to sign up for the privilege of buying their wine. When a wine is so unavailable, how can they even be counted on a list of the Top 100 Northwest Wines? I suppose I am just being too pedestrian and narrow minded. The focus of BrianOnWine has been on wines that are relatively affordable and available, so seeing Seattle Metropolitan's list including wine that I cannot get (I've tried) rubs me the wrong way.

After I've read the article in it's entirety, I may post a more in-depth review of the article.

Twelve 2006 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Twelve
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $29 at McCarthy & Schiering

Twelve is another Oregon Winery. They are located near Carlton in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley Wine Country. Their website says that they are a family owned winery, and that their home is on the same land as the vineyard. In my experience, that often equates to a quality wine.

The wine is a deep red, the color of a well-ripened plum. It's not as dark as some Pinot Noirs, but definitely has a deep, rich color to it.

The wine has scents of plum and black cherry.

The wine has a very complex flavor, with flavors of black pepper, black cherry and plum. It has a very full fruit flavor juxtaposed against the pepper flavor, which makes for a very interesting wine. It is a very good Pinot Noir, although some people might find the pepper flavor to be a little strong. I like this wine a lot, and think that it fits nicely in the $30 price range. I think it would probably age very well, and the pepper flavor would mellow with time.

Chateau Val Joanis 2005 Cotes du Luberon

The Winery: Chateau Val Joanis
The Wine: 2005 Cotes du Luberon
The Price: $14.00 at McCarthy & Schiering

This winery is located in France. Duh. I suppose it is what they would classify as a young wine. It is aged for three months in oak, then six more months in the bottle before going to market.

The wine is a deep red in color, looking much like a Pinot Noir or Shiraz here in the states.

The wine has scents that remind me of a good Pinot Noir - a rich plum/prune scent combined with cherry.

This is a fruitier tasting wine than the color and scent would portend. It has a strong black cherry flavor with a plum finish. It's a fantastic wine, especially at the $14.00 price point. I would highly recommend this wine. It's a great wine at a great price. It would compete squarely with domestic wines in the $20-35 range.

Chateau Ste Michelle 2006 Columbia Valley Dry Riesling

The Winery: Chateau Ste Michelle
The Wine: 2006 Columbia Valley Dry Riesling
The Price: $8.99 on sale at my local Safeway (their regular price is $11.99)

I believe I've mentioned this before, but Chateau Ste Michelle is one of my favorite wineries. Besides making good wine, they also have a great outdoor concert venue. They seem to be expanding their wine offernings, and this wine is one that I've never had before.

I like the bottle that the wine comes in. The brown bottle with the yellow-orange label and bronze top create an autumnal feeling.

The wine is more yellow in color than a typical Riesling. It has scents of citrus fruit, apple and melon.

Being a dry Riesling, it is not nearly as sweet as a typical Riesling. It is predominantly a dry wine, with subtle hints of sweetness. The wine has flavors of apples and oranges (but that's like comparing apples to oranges...sorry, bad joke). And the wine snobs (not to mention the winery) will throw fits about this one, but I get the occasional flavor of...wait for it...watermelon Jolly Rancher candy. I swear. And I never thought I'd use that flavor in a wine review. All in all, this is a very good wine. It is so good that I will probably pick up a few bottles of it while it's on sale.