Friday Sips

Since we started working with John Grochau's wines 7 years ago we have always remarked at how much virtue and value are in these bottles. As we have watched 2010 unfold into one of Oregon's prolific vintages, John has rode the wave and once again put forth another excellent Pinot Noir. The question here is, would you like an Oregon Pinot for 22 bucks that has the capacity to age through the end of the decade?

A resounding combination of dark and vibrant scents that are laid back and steadily build as the wine is aired in the glass; impressive depth and range of fruit plus earth beam in the mouth flowing into a long finish of red cherry and peppery tones that echo well after the wine is swallowed. Savory and delicious now but given the attention to detail and structure Grochau Cellars Pinots possess, more stuff is going to emerge over the next 5-6+ years.

Since their first vintage in 1999 the Patton Valley team of Monte Pitt and Dave Chen have clearly made a mark on the Oregon Pinot Noir scene, establishing themselves and their Gaston, Oregon-located vineyard. The terroir on this flank of the Willamette Valley in Washington county lends itself to dark-scented and textured wines that certainly pack a lot of pizzazz and combined with the underlying finesse of 2010, the results have been nothing short of superb.

Stylistically, the emphasis here is on purity of fruit. Haunting tones of black fruit, and licorice, are very well integrated with its spice, herbs and an underlying strawberry aspect all carrying through to a deceptively long follow-through. Drink through 2020+.

One of the originators of Oregon's organic viticulture movement, former CBS Middle East correspondent and Oregon native Doug Tunnell planted his Ribbon Ridge area vineyard site in 1990. Converting over to biodynamic farming, limiting production and being all about the vineyard site, the small production is always sought-after by Oregon wine lovers. Relatively new and from the McMinnville appellation, Brick House Moe's is a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the Momtazi Vineyard and named after owner Moe Momtazi.

A glorious, poised offering and a very poised take on the terroir of this vineyard, Brick House's version is rather sultry aromas of Italian plums, vibrant red and black cherry, anise and touches of nutmeg and smoke that impressively penetrate the olfactory senses . Luxurious aromas lead to luxurious, but very youthful flavors which pick up lots of structure and backbone. Excellent, persistent but packed finish that features excellent range and material. Will drink and develop nicely for at least another decade.