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« July 2009 | Main | September 2009 »

August 31, 2009

Crowley 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

The Crowley 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13%) is my kind of Oregon pinot noir. I had a good feeling about this wine when it appeared in the glass as a clear, light ruby red, offering strawberry fruit with hints of earth interwoven throughout. My feelings were confirmed by flavors of delicious red berry fruit, balanced acidity, and a silky smooth finish. Nothing viscous, cloying, candied, or sour about this Oregon pinot noir. Just a good combination of fruit plus acidity equalling goodness. We paired the $25 Crowley pinot noir with a dinner of homemade spaghetti ala matriciana, a...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:49 PM |

Review: Meriwether's Restaurant

As we recently discovered at Meriwether's in Portland, Oregon, it's one thing to eat local these days, yet entirely another matter when the restaurant maintains it's own farm. As soon as we were seated in the outdoor garden area, I was presented with the Meriwether menu, which dedicates one side to describing the recently planted vegetables that make up this summer's harvest. When my usual routine is to immediately grab the wine list, I found myself suddenly pre-occupied in reading about Meriwether's Skyline Farm, a 5 acre spread located on Skyline Boulevard in Portland. In it's second harvest, the...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:25 PM |

August 22, 2009

A short respite

Time to close the laptop, get off the grid, and enjoy a week away from posts, tweets, and news feeds. Upon my return, I look forward to covering some new topics and themes, while still offering tasting notes of wines opened at my table. See you in September!...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:20 PM |

August 18, 2009

Coverage of IPNC 2009

During and after it was held in late July, I have been following the coverage of IPNC 2009 from bloggers and columnists alike. Kathleen Cole's column today entitled, "Tasting world of pinots, right in McMinnville" speaks to how IPNC can effectively expand one's frame of reference on this captivating variety. As a result of reading Cole's column and the other posts, it seems IPNC 2010 can't come soon enough, for I can't wait to attend next year's event. Here's an overview of the coverage published to date: Martha Holmberg and Katherine Cole of OregonLive.com Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com Washington...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:42 PM |

August 16, 2009

Walter Scott 2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills

When opening a bottle at my table, I really appreciate it when the label provides some insight as to the who, what and where of the wine. Even if the label falls short but the producer's web site delivers on these same fronts, then I can be a bit forgiving of what the label lacks. It's hard to forgive, let alone forget, how the Walter Scott 2007 Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills (13%) came up short on its label, on its non-existent web site (a URL is featured on the label, while the domain has yet to be registered),...

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Posted by Thad W. at 01:33 PM | | Comments (8)

Woodward Canyon 2007 Dry White Riesling

One of my favorite all time Washington wines was the Woodward Canyon 2005 Dry White Riesling. My only regret with this wine was not buying a case when it was available. I wasn't a big fan of Rick Small's 2006 riesling, as it clocked in at 14.2% alcohol, making it far too high octane for my taste. Rick and I chatted about this at the 2008 Taste Washington, where he assured me that the 2007 would be more to my liking. Rick was mostly right about his Woodward Canyon 2007 Dry White Riesling, but the alcohol level still remains...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:44 PM |

St. Innocent 2007 Villages Cuvée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

In the glass, the St. Innocent 2007 Villages Cuvée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.5%) is a clear, light ruby red with strawberry and fruit notes leading to hints of menthol. This is a very food friendly wine in terms of its acidity. Fruit flavors were a bit toned down, but it offered a nice long cherry finish that wasn't candied like other Oregon pinot noirs can be. We paired the St. Innocent pinot noir with braised chicken thighs that were cooked in a single pot with white onions, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs. This delicious meal was served...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:17 PM |

August 15, 2009

Matello 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

What a terrific Oregon pinot noir for $20. The Matello 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.3%) was a cloudy, ruby red in the glass with notes of strawberry and hints of earth and menthol delivered to the nose. Flavors of bright cherry fruit with balanced acidity led to a very nice, silky finish. I found this wine represents much of what I like about the 2007 vintage. And it's even better considering its quality/price ratio. We paired the Matello with a homemade chicken pot pie, a dish our neighbor crafted for us on the spur of the moment. I...

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Posted by Thad W. at 07:05 PM |

Finding Twitterland

I've crossed the threshold into Twitterland. You can follow me at twitter.com/beyondthebottle. See you there!...

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Posted by Thad W. at 06:50 PM |

August 14, 2009

Harmonia 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir

A medium dark garnet red in the glass, the Harmonia 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir (13.5%) delivered muted strawberry and blueberry notes at first followed by a predominant earthy funk. This was a creamy pinot noir with balanced acidity and lasting cherry finish. We paired the Harmonia with a wild King salmon grilled to medium rare and then placed on a bed of stir-fried yakisoba noodles. A coconut milk, red curry paste, brown sugar sauce was drizzled over the salmon, completing this amazing dish. This was an interesting Oregon pinot noir for $20, but even still I would pass on...

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Posted by Thad W. at 07:47 PM |

August 09, 2009

Wine is Personal

As evidenced by various comments here, there are times when readers take issue with my subjective assessment of a wine that they found pleasing to their taste. It has been suggested that the bottle I drank was off, that the food I paired it with skewed the result, or some other reason. What these folks fail to understand (or may very well overlook) is that wine is personal. My taste preferences are unique, therefore will not always agree with others. It's one thing to have a wine that is spoiled by cork taint or another technical fault, yet an...

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Posted by Thad W. at 09:23 AM | | Comments (1)

August 02, 2009

Evesham Wood 2008 Rosé of Tempranillo “Vin d'Une Nuit”

I subscribe to the notion that the lighter the color of rosé, the better the wine. Such is the case with the Evesham Wood 2008 “Vin d'Une Nuit” (12.5%), a rosé of tempranillo from Oregon that was a refreshing wine to have during the recent heatwave here in Seattle. This isn't a wine that makes you say "wow!"; rather, it's a wine that prompts you to say, "ahhh!". In the glass, the Evesham Wood rosé a very light peach color with a slight perfume of red berry fruit and notes of minerality. The Vin d'Une Nuit offered clean, crisp...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:51 PM | | Comments (3)

Belle Pente 2007 Cuvée Contraire

In the glass, the Belle Pente 2007 Cuvée Contraire Willamette Valley (12.7%), a rosé of pinot noir and gamay noir, is a light, watermelon red color with slight hints of red berry fruit on the nose. This wine came around more as it warmed up from its refrigerated state. This Belle Pente rosé offered bright red berry fruit flavors with balanced acidity. It was slightly viscous and cloying, but not so much that it turned me off. Overall, we found this to be a refreshing, delicious rosé. Not sure I would buy another bottle at the $17 price point,...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:42 PM |

August 01, 2009

Six Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

The Six Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir (13.5%) is a ruby red in the glass with bright, sour cherry fruit on the nose combined with a somewhat volatile alcohol note. It tasted a bit sour with a somewhat syrupy, cloying texture, finishing with a slight burn. This suggests the alcohol level might be higher than advertised. We paired this Oregon pinot noir with a chicken chili verde dish accompanied with fresh avocado, grated cheese, and tomatoes. A red cabbage slaw with carrots, green onions, cilantro, cumin and vinegar completed the meal. Overall, I didn't find this wine to my liking....

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:31 PM |

Cameron 2007 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

In the glass, the Cameron 2007 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills (12.5%) is a clear, garnet red offering notes of bright strawberry and raspberry fruit followed by hints of earth. These red fruit flavors continued in the mouth, with a predominant cherry signature adding to the mix. Balanced acidity and a long tasty finish made the Cameron pinot a delightful wine to drink with our dinner. We paired the Cameron with grilled King salmon, a caprese salad, and a fresh loaf of olive and rosemary bread. This wine showed well on the first night, and was even better a day...

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:08 PM | | Comments (1)


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