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2007 Estate Riesling:
Aromas of peach, lime, quince, slate, minerals, citrus fruits and orange blossom. Crisp green apple on the palate with a hint of sweetness, and great acidity. A delicious representation of Oregon's cool climate wines.
1.5g rs, 200 cases, Retail price $22
" Pale yellow. Dusty apple, pear and yellowplum aromas are complicated by wet stone and pungent herbs. Dry and nicely focused, offering juicy orchard fruit flavors and a refreshingly bitter lemon pith quality on the close. I like the balance and cut of this wine." 89 points. Josh Raynolds for Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.
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The 2005 Estate Pinot Noir is an elegant, full bodied wine with soft tannins. On the nose there are hazelnuts, milk chocolate and warm black fruits. The palate shows ripe plum and black raspberry tones and the same interesting minerality as previous vintages which would indicate a unique characteristic of this young vineyard. 11 months in French oak barrels (25% new) 678 cases, Retail price: $30
Gold Medal: 2007 NorthWest Wine Summit
"...this made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. It was soft and elegant, but packed with charming red and black Pinot fruits. Most striking was the peacock tail finish which I rarely encounter." Rusty Gaffney: PinotFile Vol 6, Issue 36
" This is pretty and elegant though slightly riper [than the Heather's] with a touch of briar to go with the red berry fruit aromas that marry into the rich, round and nicely full flavors that are very pinot in character, all wrapped in a finish of good detail and length. Interestingly, while there is more concentration and depth, the mouthfeel is distinctly different from the Heather’s. A qualitative choice. 89/2009+ Burdgound.com. October 2007. Comments by Allen Meadows |
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The 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir was blended from only 10 barrels which consistently excelled in our tastings. The final blend was determined not only by the excellence of the individual wines, but also their ability to harmonize and add a deeper dimension to the whole. This is a deeply expressive wine, with the full ripe plum and black raspberry tones indicative of the vineyard. 213 cases. Retail price: $42 "Recommended...Appealing, pure Pinot aromas of black cherry fruit and subtle forest floor tones lead into a juicy mouthfeel of rich plum and blackberry fruitiness, with graham and cinnamon accents and soft, fine-grained tannins. The lush fruit and good structure call for pairing with a wild morel tart." Northwest Palate, July/August 2007 "This Pinot Noir has more power and structure than the bottling above and will need a few years in the cellar to flesh out. That said, it's completely fine now, with charming notes of black fruits, earth, cocoa and spice." Rusty Gaffney: PinotFile Vol 6, Issue 36
"A pretty nose of deeply pitched dark cherry with a background hint of plum is trimmed in discreet if not invisible oak that merges into rich, full, sweet and concentrated flavors that possess good focus and reasonably good detail as well on the sappy and persistent finish where the wood resurfaces just enough to slightly sweeten the finish where there is also a subtle trace of warmth. This is delicious and fairly forward so it could be approached now with pleasure or cellared for a year or two. 88/2008+" Burghound.com, October 2007. Comments by Allen Meadows |
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2005 Heather's Vineyard Pinot Noir At the final blending table, three barrels of Dijon clone 114 stood out for their softness and complexity. We felt that their charms would be overwhelmed if the wines were blended into the Reserve, and lost in the Estate so the decision was made to bottle them separately.
No new oak was used, with one barrel being once-used, and the other two, neutral. The fruit came from a single block of our vineyard. It shares many of the same vineyard characteristics of ripe plum, black raspberry and an interesting minerality as the Nicholas Estate and Reserve Pinot Noirs. Seamless tannins and balance belie the age of the vineyard which was planted in 2001. Like its inspiration, our daughter Heather, this wine is beautiful and deeply expressive.
Retail Price $60/bottle, 70 cases produced.
"Medium red color. Fresh berry aromas are complicated by sexy incense and floral qualities, picking up blood orange and lavender with air. Sweet red berry flavors are boosted by zesty minerality and deepened by mocha and candied rose. Finishes with excellent persistence and lingering sweetness. This is delicious right now." 90 points. International Wine Cellar. May/June issue, 2008
► 2005 Pinot Noir - Heather’s Vineyard
An elegant, airy and cool nose of pure red pinot fruit that has just a trace of leafiness to it that leads to equally elegant and refined, light to medium weight flavors that have the mouth feel and lightness of a fine Volnay as the tannins are sophisticated and the balance impeccable on the solidly long finish. As one would guess from the description, the overall impression here is one of understatement and focus. In sum, a beautifully harmonious effort and while not especially deep as the young vine fruit understandably just can’t deliver serious the mid-palate concentration and depth of a great wine, the delivery impresses me considerably as everything is exactly where it should be. Take a look. I think you’ll like what you see. 89/2009+" Burghound.com, October 2007, comments by Allen Meadows
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