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Westrey Abbey Ridge Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2006

June 9, 2008 By Shea 2 Comments

Westrey is a pretty under the radar Oregon winery. Luckily someone up here in Vancouver discovered them and brought them in to one of the local wine stores. These guys are traditionalists who try to produce a very Burgundian wine, with Oregonian terroir and a non-interference wine-making philosopohy, meaning that everything is natural run and minimally manipulated.

This wine is very Burgundian in its earthy funkiness, but very Oregonian in the purity of its fruit. A silky texture and delightful mouthful develop into an outstandingly smooth finish. If you can find these guys, I highly recommend you give them a try.

Excellent
$40 at Marquis
Filed Under: $40-$60, Excellent, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir

Mystic Wines Syrah 2005

April 28, 2008 By Shea Leave a Comment

Having enjoyed the Mystic Cab Sauv, I figured it was worth $30 to potentially find another great value bottle. Unfortunately, this syrah was highly disappointing given the precedent set by the Cab. The nose was heavy on dark berry liqueur that expanded on the palate into peppery smooth heavily ripened cherry and blueberry flavours. I found this a bit jammy and simple. Nevertheless, it’s not horrible – it’s just not speical.

Good+
$30 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars
Filed Under: $20-$30, Good, Oregon Wine, Syrah

Mystic Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

April 16, 2008 By Shea Leave a Comment

This wine is a perfect example of an unknown producer from an unlikely region creating a varietal based wine that outshines others at a much higher price point. My thanks goes out to Sean over at Vinifico for writing about this little beauty, which actually hails from the Oregonian side of the Columbia Valley. Only 150 cases were made.

The nose was very opulent with rich cassis and a hint of vegetables. Up front this was all spice, smoke and bacon – and it was big, very big. The palate expanded into mintiness, and a bit of woodyness and an underlying current of cassis and other dark fruits. This is all about secondary and tertiary flavours, though, and is completely distinct from a New World fruit bomb, even though it is big and bold. The finish is very long and very fantastic. Overall the wine has great balance, depth and outstanding variety of flavours and scents. I HIGHLY recommend picking this up if you have the chance. It’s a steal at this price point. Sitting at the very upper end of:

Excellent
$36 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars

Filed Under: $30-$40, Cabernet Sauvignon, Excellent, Oregon Wine

Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2004

April 4, 2008 By Shea Leave a Comment

Having unfortunately opened a bottle of a corked 2005 Pommard village wine, I took the ugly duck back to the liquor store and exchanged it for this Oregon pinot noir. Dundee Hills pinot I find tends to be more smoky and savory than other Oregon pinots, which often make them a more unique choice. I recently tasted a Deponte Cellars 2004 Pinot, also from Dundee Hills, and it was a killer bit of juice. Let’s see what this wine has in store.

Cherry and roasted coffee on the nose. A rustic wine with some smoky character and subdued fruit. A medium length finish and firm tartness – savory with a hint of bitterness. With air the aromas really opened up and the wine gained more depth. I might let this sit a little longer in the bottle if I were to have it again, but while good these pressed grapes just didn’t excite me.

Very Good
$45 at BCLDB
Filed Under: $40-$60, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir, Very Good
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