Chehalem Mountains grower/winemaker David Specter pays tribute to an operetta by the late Leonard Bernstein with this part of the Bells Up program. Typically, Candide is a Chehalem Mountains project for Specter, but not from the wildfire-plagued 2020 vintage. Instead, he got his hands on a ton of Wädenswil clone Pinot Noir from acclaimed Zenith Vineyard — a site near Salem that … [Read more...] about Bells Up Winery 2020 Zenith Vineyard Candide Reserve Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills $54
Oregon
Argyle Winery 2019 Vintage Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley $30
This blend of Argyle’s Spirit Hill Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills with historic Knudsen Vineyard just up Worden Hill Road from the Dundee, Ore., tasting house continues to be a deliciously dependable example of Nate Klostermann’s skill. The product of Minnesota is only the second winemaker in the 35-year history of the winery, and his work with three Dijon clones of … [Read more...] about Argyle Winery 2019 Vintage Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley $30
Chehalem Wines 2019 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge $70
Ridgecrest Vineyard served as a source of pride for founding winemaker Harry Peterson-Nedry as in 1982 it became the first commercial planting in would become the Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area. A decade later, investments by former business partner Bill Stoller led to the 1992 plantings of Pommard and Wädensvil clones that Katie Santora crafted for Chehalem, where … [Read more...] about Chehalem Wines 2019 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge $70
Love & Squalor 2016 Reserve Riesling, Willamette Valley $28
Southeast Portland winemaker Matt Berson has redefined his reserve-style dry Riesling program, formerly known as Antsy Pants, with this blend of two dry-farmed sites — Sunnyside Vineyard near Salem and Roncali Vineyard farther south west of Eugene. He bottled it back in spring 2017 and uses the International Riesling Foundation Tasting Profile to scale it as “dry.” It’s a … [Read more...] about Love & Squalor 2016 Reserve Riesling, Willamette Valley $28
Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2022 Estate Pinot Blanc, McMinnville $30
The Burger family and winemaker Ariel Eberle celebrated the 40th anniversary of their 150-acre vineyard during 2023, and they continue to be among the few in the Willamette Valley to champion this too-often overlooked and unappreciated Burgundy variety. Eberle gets to work with blocks planted during the second decade of the vineyard — 1994 and 1999 — and while most of these two … [Read more...] about Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2022 Estate Pinot Blanc, McMinnville $30