Portland vintner Matt Berson recently entered his second decade of Love & Squalor, and he named his duo-pronged passion project of Pinot Noir and Riesling as a tribute to iconic author J.D. Salinger. His flagship wine is this Pinot Noir, a melange of eight clones and six vineyards, primarily Sunny Mountain, Temperance Hill, Cherry Grove and Medici that represents about a … [Read more...] about Love & Squalor 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $28
Oregon
Nicole Reese Wines 2015 Chardonnay, Oregon, $22
Chicago native Elisabeth Grunwald is a decade into her second career as a winemaker, and the former marketing executive is gradually growing her boutique label in Southern Oregon alongside her daily duties as assistant winemaker at Pallet Wine Co., in Medford. Chardonnay has been her prized white from the start, and she guided clones 76, 37 and 13 from Hoyal Farms through … [Read more...] about Nicole Reese Wines 2015 Chardonnay, Oregon, $22
Alexana Winery 2015 Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $49
An example of Dr. Madaiah Revana's exploration of Pinot Noir shows in this estate project that's part of his 10th anniversary series in the Dundee Hills for Alexana Winery. (He established Revana Family Vineyards northwest of St. Helena in the Napa Valley a decade prior). This bottling encompasses the 10 clones planted across 46 acres, touching on 18 soil types. A handful of … [Read more...] about Alexana Winery 2015 Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $49
Penner-Ash Wine Cellars 2015 Syrah, Oregon, $40
Lynn Penner-Ash blazed the trail in Oregon for women winemakers, and while she earned fame for her work with Pinot Noir, there's also an obvious passion for Rhone varieties, too. Six vineyards throughout the state factored into this blend dominated by Rogue Valley sites Lakeside, RoxyAnn and Crater View, and the 17-month French oak program included six new barrels. It offers … [Read more...] about Penner-Ash Wine Cellars 2015 Syrah, Oregon, $40
Bells Up Winery 2015 Titan Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40
The late Leonard Bernstein is credited with raising the profile of 19th century German composer Gustav Mahler, particularly for Titan - the Symphony No. 1 in D Major nicknamed by Mahler as a tribute to the Jean Paul novel by the same name. Classical music hornist Dave Specter devoted about a quarter of his overall annual production to this Titan Pinot Noir, and as his own … [Read more...] about Bells Up Winery 2015 Titan Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40