When first opening this Elk Cove pinot noir, it was a bit sour and stinky on the nose. While the off-putting smell blew off with time in the glass, there remained an ever present sourness to this Oregon wine, even with unexpected bursts of red cherry fruit. The Elk Cove 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.5%) offered bright, if not, excessive acidity, which could be the reason for its slightly sour taste. We paired it with a Thai dish comprised of sauteed prawns and red peppers in a coconut milk sauce served on a bed of steamed basmati rice...

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Posted by Thad W. at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) Lately, it seems a new wave of 2006 Oregon pinot noirs have been hitting the retail shelves, providing a nice assortment of wines to try with dinner. I suspect this may be due to the fact that the 2007 vintage is entering the channel, as many wineries need to make room for the upcoming 2008 harvest. I picked up a bottle of the Elk Cove 2006 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley at Metropolitan Market recently, where it retailed for $29.99. We paired this pinot with grilled beef kebabs that included red onions and bell...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Over the weekend, I think my palate got out of whack. On Saturday evening, we popped a 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Gris to go with the Asian chicken stir fry dish Kari crafted. I tasted the wine and thought it was a crisp, dry accompaniment to our meal. Meanwhile, my wife was drinking it and thought it tasted somewhat sweet, going so far as to think it was a riesling. Two glasses and all I could taste was a crisp, slightly flat pinot gris. On Sunday evening, we opened a 2005 Witness Tree Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir...

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Posted by Thad W. at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)