This Oregon pinot noir was a light, clear ruby red in the glass, offering an overwhelming hydrogen sulfide smell, which eventually blew off.

Like many of its youthful peers from this vintage, the Chehalem 2007 Pinot Noir 3 Vineyards Willamette Valley (13.5%) is best served decanted, for it did start to show off some deep red fruit, especially cherry notes, after some time in the glass. On the palate, the Chehalem provided very bright acidity, leading to some sour strawberry notes, but then followed by a long cherry finish.

We paired the Chehalem 2007 3 Vineyard with a dinner comprised of homemade chicken wings, mac-n-cheese, and a spinach salad tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Kari crafts an amazing baked mac-n-cheese dish, combining macaroni pasta with caramelized onions, fried pancetta, and several cheeses including gruyere, cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is amazing stuff, which I fight with the kids over for second helpings.

During the second night we tried this wine with dinner, it revealed flavors of eucalyptus, licorice, and fennel, with even more cherry fruit coming out. I was starting to enjoy this wine, which had seemed to struggle a lot on its first night. Even still, this is a relatively expensive bottle of wine at $32, raising expectations in terms of quality the Chehalem had to deliver.

Because there are less expensive, yet high quality alternatives from the 2007 vintage, I would pass on getting another bottle of this wine at this price point.

Related Links
Chehalem Tasting Notes