Showy and elegant, this Pommard-based Pinot Noir from estate vines stands on the precipice of greatness. The complex nose offers hints of dark cherry, loganberry, smoky blueberry, black olive, graphite, fresh cedar and rose petal. It strikes a breezy balance of blueberry and boysenberry with Bing cherry flavors, combined with juicy acidity and modest tannins that carry into … [Read more...] about Ghost Hill Cellars 2010 Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, $42
Oregon
Oak Knoll Winery 2008 Red Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon, $24
Red Hill of Douglas County stands as a unique American Viticultural Area in the Pacific Northwest because the sub-AVA of the Umpqua Valley is dominated by a single vineyard — a 250-acre planting that began with Pinot Noir in 1970. Some of Oregon's most flavorful Pinot Noir bottlings are juiced up the inclusion of fruit from some of the warmer sections of the Umpqua Valley, and … [Read more...] about Oak Knoll Winery 2008 Red Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon, $24
Union Wine Co. Kings Ridge 2012 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $15
Best Buy! The Tualitin, Ore., winemaking team of Ryan Harms and Greg Bauer produces wines at three tiers, and Kings Ridge stands in the middle. Their latest Pinot Gris releases hugely tropical aromas with notes of lychee and lemon lime, while the drink comes across as bone dry with Bosc pear, yellow grapefruit, lemon and melon. Rating: Recommended Production: 4,200 … [Read more...] about Union Wine Co. Kings Ridge 2012 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $15
Duck Pond Cellars 2011 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $12
Best Buy! The Fries family is one of the largest producers of value wines in the Pacific Northwest, and its Pinot Gris ranks as one of the region's most consistent and available. They concentrate on estate sites in the Salem Hills cropped to 2 tons per acre, resulting in a crisp wine that brings aromas of citrus, melon and dusty herbs. Its lemony profile makes for a bright … [Read more...] about Duck Pond Cellars 2011 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $12
Abacela 2009 Estate Syrah, Southern Oregon, $30
Wine Press Northwest's reigning Oregon Winery of the Year proves its versatility once again with this Côte Rotie-style Syrah, and while Andrew Wenzl celebrates his 10th anniversary at Abacela this year, the 2009 vintage marked just his second harvest as Earl & Hilda Jones' head winemaker. He created for them a plummy and smoky nose that includes touches of Aussie black … [Read more...] about Abacela 2009 Estate Syrah, Southern Oregon, $30