Willamette Valley Vineyards Ingram Estate Pinot Noir, 2017

This was my #1 of the four very good Willamette Valley Vineyards wines we had at the Oregon Wine Month Virtual Tasting last night. Intense, exotic Pinot Noir traits gushed from the moment the cork was popped and got better as the night progressed.

Deep, bright medium light ruby. Tart cherries, cranberries, spring flowers. Intense and beautiful. The strength on the palate seems to come from acidity rather than alcohol or tannin. Black pepper and savory spice on the finish. This wine is on the young side at the moment, and I have confidence that it will soon live up to the promise offered by the nose. 

Willamette Valley Vineyards Tualatin Estate Chardonnay, 2018

At the American Wine Society tasting with Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards, I was so impressed by the Bernau Block Chardonnay that I followed up by seeking out and tasting Oregon Chardonnays, I have yet to be disappointed. This Tualatin Estate Chardonnay comes from the Draper clone as opposed to the Dijon Clone used for the Bernau Block. And it is clearly made in an oak-prominent style more like other high end New World Chardonnays.

Winemaker's notes mention lemon cream pie, but what I smell is key lime pie. The new oak component is strong in this wine, and at least some French cooperage imparts a limey note. There is so much more in this wine, though--brioche, orange blossom, vanilla. Creamy texture with good acidity. I prefer the Bernau Block and the WVV Dijon Clone Chardonnays, but this is also an impressive offering.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Tualatin Estate White Pinot Noir, 2019

As a wine lover, the Covid-19 pandemic has actually given me some positive experiences. Through Zoom, I have not only enjoyed tastings and dinners with my local wine group (Tasters Guild/American Wine Society) but have also been able to taste with Anne Trimbach in Alsace, Maria Abonna in Barolo and Madeline Triffon of Plum Market Ann Arbor. An American Wine Society tasting with Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon led me to buy 350 shares of WVV Preferred stock and get the benefits of ownership, including an online tasting of the WVV Winemaker's Collection. First on the list was this excellent white Pinot Noir from Tualatin Estate.

Grapes are fully mature, 100% Pinot Noir from the Tualatin Estate, pressed lightly to avoid extraction of the red Pinot color. The result is a wine very much like a very fine unoaked Chardonnay. Light color. Peach and citrus as well as strawberry. Medium body with the texture and richness of a red wine. Pinot spice on finish. This wine was my second favorite from the tasting.  Notes on other wines will follow.
 

Maison L'Envoye Straight Shooter Chardonnay, 2018

Good Oregon Chardonnay for less than $20 a bottle is hard to find. This wine, now $12.99 at Costco, is a very fine exception.

Medium gold. White peaches, flowers, citric zest. Cool climate freshness on the palate. Good concentration. Pleasing caramel note on the long finish. I prefer this to many more expensive Oregon Chardonnays I have tried recently.
 

Tenuta Tamburnin Freisa d'Asti, 2015

Freisa is a close cousin of Nebbiolo, and a very attractive cousin, indeed. It has many of the traits of Barolo and Barbaresco, but, because it is not as well known, it often comes at a lower price...if you can find one.

Medium light ruby/garnet. Oh, wow! Rose petals, dark cherries, cinnamon and black licorice. Very Nebbiolo. More dark cherries on palate, deep and concentrated. For some reason, the flavors seem more forward right after the cork is pulled than later, after aeration. Some furry tannins are covering up some of the best flavors, though. As with Barolo, ample acidity to accompany the tannins and ensure longevity.

Domaine de la Bastide Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan, 2009

I bought more than a case of this wine about 10 years ago and have been sampling it every year since. This is my last bottle, and only now am I able to taste my way through the formidable tannins. Wines from Visan tend to be firmer than those from neighboring CDR Villages appellations. And the wine has 30% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre backing up the 50% Grenache.

Deep and dark; some of the wine has probably been aged in barriques. Fragrant black berries with dark chocolate and spice. I keep looking for Grenache red berries but they are slow to emerge. Warm, ripe fruit but still a bit stern for my taste. I admit that I am overly sensitive to tannin; most drinkers will disagree with my assessment of what is generally considered a very fine CDR Villages wine.
 

Gougenheim Valle Escondido (Argentina) Torrontes, 2016

Torrontes is a white wine grape that is often compared to Viognier. It offers up highly aromatic floral scents but basically dry flavors. That is precisely what I get from this wine. Medium light yellow. Spring flowers and white peaches. Donna also gets a Riesling-like smell of petrol. Very refreshing in the mouth. More body than you might expect from the aromas. Ripe but moderately tart with some mineral and earth tones. A good wine for summer and spring sipping.