The Belle Pente 2007 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills (12.9%) is hands down one of my top five favorite Oregon pinot noirs from the 2007 vintage. I picked up a bottle of the Belle Ponte Dundee Hills back in July for $22, a bargain price considering how delicious this wine is now and how wonderful it will most likely be after more time in the bottle. In the glass, the Belle Pente was a clear ruby red delivering an earthy funk at first that blew off in due course to reveal strawberry fruit and floral perfume. In the mouth, this...

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Posted by Thad W. at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've had the good fortune of enjoying a variety of Belle Pente pinot noirs recently, one of my favorite producers who also happens to make a very delicious riesling. The Belle Pente 2005 Riesling Willamette Valley (13.1%) is a beautiful golden yellow color in the glass, with signature petrol, wet slate, and citrus fruit on the nose. This Oregon riesling offered wonderful citrus fruit and mineral flavors, balanced with crisp acidty and just enough residual sugar. I really liked the texture of this wine. Overall, it went very well with our spicy Kung Pao Beef dinner, a dish crafted...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Belle Pente 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (12.5%) is comprised of fruit "from selected blocks of several Yamhill County vineyards". From what I understand, this bottling was labeled in previous vintages as the Yamhill-Carlton District pinot noir. However, this year their web site declared it "a Belle Pente "economic stimulus package" Pinot Noir!", pricing it under $20. What a terrific value this Oregon pinot noir offers at the $18 price point I purchased it at retail. In the glass, the Belle Pente pinot noir was a cloudy, ruby red color, initially offering a predominant earthiness that eventually morphed...

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Posted by Thad W. at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last month, I had the opportunity to dine at two sister restaurants, Crow and Betty, within weeks of one another. These two places are owned by Craig Serbousek and Jesse Thomas, who opened Crow several years ago and last year launched Betty, both in the Queen Anne area. As a result, Crow and Betty share a lot of common ground such as a bistro-style menu, a diverse list of old and new world wines, and very attentive service, all provided at moderate prices. The environments at both places are open and well designed, with plenty of bar and chef counter...

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Posted by Thad W. at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)