Paul G's Salon des Vins Refusés

One hundred and sixty years ago the French government and the Academy of Fine Arts sponsored an art show called the Paris Salon. As noted here it was "an annual showcase of the best academic art. A medal from the Salon was assurance of a successful artistic career; winners were given official commissions by the French government, and were sought after for portraits and private commissions. The paintings were classified by genre, following a specific hierarchy; history paintings were ranked first, followed by the portrait, the landscape, the genre scene and finally the still life."

As you might imagine competition for acceptance into the Salon was fierce, and in 1863 so many works were turned down that protests erupted and ultimately reached the attention of Emperor Napoleon III. He authorized a second showcase, which came to be known as the Salon des Refusés. Although works by such artists as Paul Cézanne, Gustave Courbet, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet and James McNeill Whistler were among the refusés on display, the show was largely ridiculed by the press and the public.

Now think about how wines are evaluated today. Most wines are never even tasted by influential reviewers and publications. Wineries often must apply for permission and sometimes pay a fee to make submissions, with no guarantee that their wines will be tasted. Some turn instead to the myriad pay-to-play wine competitions that hand out gold medals like free popcorn at the movies. Notice that highly-rated 'cult' wines are virtually never entered into these competitions. There is an unofficial hierarchy as far as who gets reviewed in the mags. Wineries and trade organizations that buy expensive advertising have a leg up. Wines from prestigious regions and grapes (Napa Valley Cabernet, French Champagne, Italian Barolo for example) are almost guaranteed a place at the tasting table. But if you have an especially fine Rogue Valley Carignan? Good luck with that!

Looked at in this way many small and excellent wineries find that their wines are refusés. Perhaps a winery is too small for distributors to work with. Or there is no budget for advertising in the major wine publications; no interest in pay-to-play influencers and wine competitions. Maybe someone's wines are too original, different, edgy or wild for most palates. Oftentimes wines are released too soon, tasted too quickly and jammed together with a couple dozen other wines in a slam bam "blind" tasting. Even worse, those wineries that hold wines back to give them proper bottle age find that the major publications have already passed that vintage by in the rush to be the first to put numbers on the most recent. 

This website is dedicated to searching out and promoting the best of these refusés. After I put out a call for wines that had been overlooked by the mainstream press some absolutely marvelous bottles turned up, exceeding my expectations. I spotlight the best of them here, and welcome future submissions for my next Salon des Vins Refusés. 

SIDE NOTE:  My friend Tom Wark is working with those who support a bill in Washington state that would legalize wine shipments to consumers from out-of-state retailers. The current laws allow consumers to purchase directly from out-of-state wineries (hence my ability to link recommendations to winery websites). The proposed changes would expand those rights and allow consumers to order wines from out of state retailers, auction houses and wine-of-the-month clubs. Bottom line, you would have access to far more wines than are currently available to Washington residents. For example, you could purchase very limited offerings from Oregon that might only be available from a Portland or Ashland wine shop.

If you favor these changes here is a link that explains the legalities and includes an easy option to send your support to members of the House and Senate committees in charge of upcoming public hearings.

https://www.winefreedom.org/washingtoncampaign/ 

Meanwhile, check out these truly outstanding vins refusés from my recent tastings.

Adega Northwest

This Portland-based winery makes small lots of Alvarinho, Chardonnay, Riesling, Marsanne, Roussanne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mataro/Mourvèdre), Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Souzao, Graciano and Port Style wines. I tasted several sourced from well-selected Washington state vineyards. These are big wines, balanced and full-bodied. These 2016s appear to be the most recent (current) releases. They may be purchased here.

Adega Northwest 2016 Gamache Vineyard – Block 19 Cabernet Sauvignon

This excellent vineyard is in the new White Bluffs AVA. Here the fruit is young and juicy with flavors of salmonberry and a touch of tart rhubarb. The lightest of the three reviewed here, it should be paired with a poultry or pasta dish rather than a thick steak. 125 cases; 14.5%; $40 (Columbia Valley)

Adega Northwest 2016 Two Blondes Vineyard – Block 7 Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a supple, luxurious, palate-soaker of a Cabernet. The vineyard, planted in 2000 by Chris Camarda for Andrew Will, is now in full maturity and this wine shows it beautifully. Cassis, elderberry, dried leaves, dusty earth, coffee grounds and on and on. This is the type of wine you can happily sniff for a long time before you ever take a swallow. But once you swallow, you're hooked. 125 cases; 14.4%; $40 (Columbia Valley)

Adega Northwest 2016 Weinbau Vineyard – Block 10 Cabernet Sauvignon

This well-made wine from a classic Washington vineyard has benefitted from the additional bottle age. It's toasty with a café crème character from 21 months in 40% new oak. These Adega Cabs are all fermented in stainless steel and perfectly ripened, with a nice balance. The barrel aging adds subtle layers of toast and almond paste. Hard to pick a favorite from this Cabernet trio, but if I had to this would be it. 125 cases; 14.8%; $40 (Wahluke Slope)

Adega Northwest 2016 Double Canyon Vineyard Malbec

Produced in Portland, this single vineyard, single variety wine is deep, rich and dense, with compelling aromas of cassis, bramble, blackberries and pepper, with following flavors. Though the high alcohol may push this past tolerance for some wine drinkers, it's very well made, potent and set against balancing acids and ripe tannins. One third of the barrels were new. 100 cases; 15.1%; $32 (Horse Heaven Hills)

Anacréon

This young winery takes its name from a Greek poet who is known for his odes to love and wine.

Here is an excellent map of the estate vineyard with details on individual blocks, clones and rootstock.

These wines may be purchased here: https://www.anacreonwinery.com/shop

Anacréon 2020 Deep End Pinot Noir

This is what the winery calls its "benchmark" (largest production) Pinot Noir. All estate-grown from a low elevation, early-ripening site, it was picked before the smoke hit in 2020, though unfortunately the significant numbers of very fine 2020 Pinots all got tarred with the same smoky brush by the national wine press. Note the alcohol here, which places this firmly in a Burgundy camp stylistically. Tart, lightly savory and elegant, it handles its 40% new French oak well. Give it breathing room and the fruit pops up with that pleasing frame of barrel toast. 125 cases; 12.8%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains)

Anacréon 2020 Mine Yours and Ours Pinot Noir

This is a two-barrel selection from estate-grown Coury and Pommard clone grapes. The goal, says the winery, is "elegance and lightness on the palate". After 17 months in barrel and another eight in bottle it remains closed up, with the astringent tannins concealing the expected burst of fruit from these clones. A full day after being opened its aromatic notes of berries and bramble, earth and wet bark came out, and the elegant hints of orange peel, cherry pit, plum and chocolate could be sussed out. This seems sure to benefit from further bottle age. 50 cases; 12.7%; $80 (Chehalem Mountains)

Anacréon 2020 Center of Gravity Pinot Noir

Due for an April release, this included 20% whole clusters and got a bit more barrel and bottle age than the other two wines. Though the listed alcohol is the same, this is a bigger, sturdier wine with a more muscular balance. Plum, black cherry and even a hint of cassis roll across the palate, with savory, drying tannins bringing up the rear. Among the three 2020 cuvées from Anacréon, this is the one to tuck away for later enjoyment. 50 cases; 12.7%; $90 (Chehalem Mountains)

Arabilis

Located near Bethel Heights winery and dedicated to the production of sparkling wines, Arabilis (from the Latin for arable) clearly selects its vineyard sources with exceptional care. I was especially taken with the two Chardonnays featured below. These wines may be purchased here: https://arabiliswines.com/purchase/

Arabilis 2020 Chardonnay

Sourced from a pair of Columbia Gorge vineyards, this shows the kind of detail and lightly throttled wildness that comes from judicious handling of native yeasts and hands-off winemaking. "Rigorous field sorting" as the winery notes has also contributed to the finesse and depth of the final product. A mix of wildflower aromatics, citrus rind, sappy acids and penetrating flavors of Meyer lemon, this was aged for a full year in neutral oak and finished in stainless. This is one of a new generation of Oregon Chardonnays that deserve close attention and display previously unsuspected strengths of the grape. 84 cases; 12.8%; $32 (Columbia Gorge)

Arabilis 2021 Dampier Vineyard Chardonnay

All Wente clone from vines more than 30 years old, this reflects many of the same strengths as Chardonnays from the better known Celilo vineyard in the Gorge. A steely core is packed with dense, tangy stone and citrus fruits. Just a light touch of new oak adds notes of popcorn and toast. The wine keeps a nice focus through a lingering finish. 73 cases; 13.8%; $42 (Columbia Gorge)

Arabilis 2018 Pinot Noir

Half Sojeau and half Cristom's Eileen vineyard fruit, this is a fine evocation of Eola-Amity Hills terroir. In keeping with a modern aesthetic no new barrels were used and the ferment included whole clusters and native yeasts. This fits in nicely with other top wines from the region, mixing tightly wound accents of stem and skin with sleek cherry fruit. It's been in bottle for two years but could use a bit more time to reach full potential. 152 cases; 13.6%; $50 (Willamette Valley)

Arabilis 2019 Pinot Noir

This vintage offers good structure, upfront phenolic bite and an underlying savory/earthy character that for some tasters may overtake the fruit. Sourced from Sojeau, Zenith and an "undisclosed" Chehalem Mountain vineyard (my guess - Chehalem) this remains pretty compact and unyielding, which is typical for the vintage. Let it breathe and the aromatics bloom, with rose petals and cherry blossoms. Core flavors bring cranberry, white cherry and a touch of caraway. Best drinking window may be the back half of this decade. 132 cases; 13.6%; $50 (Willamette Valley)

Liberty Lake

Winemaker Mark Lathrop explains "the reason I picked the Syrah is because Wine Spectator reviewed my 2016 vintage (my first) and gave it a 92. It was the highest scored Washington wine in the issue and they put Sarah and I’s picture in the magazine. They reviewed my ’17 and gave it a 91. However, they have refused to accept any of my wines for review since then. It drives me nuts! The Syrah is sourced from Kiona’s Ranch at the End of the Road vineyard and my block is a stones throw from the bottom of WeatherEye which has all the buzz."

Liberty Lake 2019 Reserve Syrah

This luscious Syrah was sourced from Kiona's Ranch at the End of the Road vineyard on Red Mountain. It entices immediately with a rich, fruity fragrance. Loaded with blackberries, black cherries and cassis, this stellar effort adds varietally-specific streaks of bacon fat, espresso and cigar tobacco. The balance and depth are impressive, and suggest that this will develop nicely over the next half decade. 193 cases; 14%; $45 (Red Mountain)

Long Walk Vineyard

Long Walk Vineyard 2020 Carignan

One of the great pleasures of doing this website is the opportunity to see more deeply into any one region's wines. Sometimes it's the small, off-the-radar producers who are doing some of the most interesting, cutting edge work. I can count on one hand the number of Oregon Carignans I've ever had, so this is an especially fun discovery. Aromatic, ruby red, replete with scents of marionberry pie, this is a mouth filling wine that absolutely charms from start to finish. It's pure varietal from organically grown fruit, nicely balanced with sassy acids, ripe tannins and moderate alcohol. 71 cases; 13.6%; $38 (Rogue Valley)

Long Walk Vineyard 2020 Grenache

Grenache does well in southern Oregon. This pure varietal example captures the red berry essence of the grape, from cranberry to raspberry and a hint of cherry. Tannins are drying, astringent, and set up your mouth for a juicy burger, slice of pizza or thick steak. No new barrels were used, the winery says, "to preserve the rustic yet delicate tannins." Bravo! Decant this wine to bring out its best. 68 cases; 13.6%; $35 (Rogue Valley)

https://www.longwalkvineyard.com/wines

Rex Hill

From the winery: "Our Benchrock Pinot Noir is produced only in extraordinary vintages, highlighting exceptional blocks of our star estate vineyard, Jacob Hart. The 2017 is the first bottling in this series and is comprised of the last of the originally planted, own-rooted vines from the only spot in the vineyard with abundant clay and no rocks. Block 1 produces lighter tannins and more elegant wines than the concentrated, structured fruit resulting from the rockier blocks above it, and is Executive Winemaker Michael Davies’ personal favorite."

Rex Hill 2017 Benchrock Pinot Noir

The winery's Jacob Hart estate vineyard has a special clay block that was the source of this wine; apparently the last vintage from the original (1983) planting. Biodynamically-farmed, it comes with a moderate amount of composty/earthy highlights, set against blood orange and pie cherry fruit. There's an appealing elegance, a delicate frame that yet persists through a long, clean, detailed finish. Currently in a very fine drinking window, but built to age another decade or more. (Sold out) 93 cases; 13.9%; $100 (Chehalem Mountains)

Soter

Soter 2015 Mineral Springs Blanc de Noirs

This is the first Blanc de Noirs from Soter and it's a beauty. A lovely straw hue, with tiny bead and effusive nose, this bottle commemorates the late Michelle Soter. Pure, elegant and expressive, it gathers itself in a concentrated palate replete with passion fruit, ginger, currant and raspberry, finishing with a creamy hint of chocolate. Tasted several times over many days, it held together and lost not a bit of complexity. Drink now and over the next 20 years. 160 cases; 12.8%; $100 (Yamhill-Carlton)

https://purchase.sotervineyards.com/product/2015-Mineral-Springs-Blanc-de-Noirs

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WINERIES:  The wines you submit are tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. NEW:  scores for posted reviews are available by request. Only notes for recommended wines are published, no negative reviews. I link to your website to facilitate DTC sales. I take no commission, accept no advertising, and charge no fees. Please help promote this website by publishing my reviews on your own website, e-blasts, etc. 

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. Please direct Questions/Comments to paulgwine@me.com.

Coming next week:  The Riesling Conundrum 

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Roaring '20's Revival Hits The Fizz Biz

A recent story in The Guardian sounded a double alarm for anyone hoping to celebrate the holidays with a bottle or two of Champagne.

According to this article the company that owns some of the most prestigious and wildly popular Champagne brands – Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug and Dom Pérignon among them – has announced that they are running out of stock. Putting a positive spin on the news, they attribute the shortage to big spending by well-heeled consumers on a variety of luxury goods.  We are heading, they believe, into a new "Roaring '20's" era in which decadence and luxury go hand in hand.

Coming out of the Covid years is another part of this trend. Who among us does not feel like celebrating? But if you, like me, have fallen a bit short of being among those hundreds of thousands of ultra-high net worth individuals (defined by Credit Suisse as holding $50+ million in assets) you may find that bottle of Dom ($265) or Krug ($265) or Cristal ($350) or even good old reliable Clicquot ($98) is a bit out of reach.

What to do?

Of course there are many fizzy options at much lower prices. Prosecco remains popular, as does Spanish cava. But the first defining difference that separates most of the cheap fizz from the real deal is the term 'méthode champenoise'. Sparkling wines that do not have that phrase on the label have been made by much simpler and cheaper practices, principally charmat, which simply injects CO2 into the still wine. Wines that do adhere to the Champagne method have been re-fermented in the bottle (among other requirements). Some very good 'méthode champenoise' wines can be made from other grapes such as Riesling, but they are not exact substitutes for the real thing.

Which is the second defining difference – the composition of the blend. Though the French laws permit some obscure grapes such as Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Fromenteau to be grown and made in the Champagne region, the vast majority of Champagne that reaches this country is made from some combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.

So where in the U.S. can you find sparkling wines made that come very close to Champagne by employing the 'méthode champenoise' and using only those three Champagne grapes? And that go a step further by maintaining reserves so that basic non-vintage brut wines are built upon multiple harvests, while single vintage wines are made only in the best years and generally given extra time on the lees prior to being disgorged?

California and Oregon are the places that qualify best in my experience, though many if not most California sparkling wines fight to avoid excess fruitiness and over-ripe base wines. Which leads me to the Willamette Valley.

On the face of it, Oregon sparkling wine is a no-brainer. Cool climate grapes, with a focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, are the meat and potatoes of Willamette Valley viticulture. Soils, though not Kimmeridgian chalk, do have some spots where ancient sea beds have risen to the surface. And one pioneering winery – Argyle – has been turning out highly-regarded bubbly for the past 35 years. 

Argyle began as a partnership between grower/vintner Cal Knudsen and Australia's Brian Croser. They went all-in with 15,000 cases the first year. Winemaker Rollin Soles set the standard immediately by using wild yeasts obtained from French Champagne house Bollinger. For at least a decade no sparkling wines from the Pacific Northwest could match Argyle's quality. That changed with the arrival of Tony Soter, who’d earned a reputation for excellence with his California brand, Etude.

Carefully-selected clones and low crop levels are paramount. Soter’s Brut Rosé, first produced in 1997 with purchased grapes, was his response to “too much forgettable [domestic] fizz in the market, which doesn’t leave you with any memory of flavor. Our ambition is to make a wine that's serious, maybe a little bold by world standards.”

“The challenge in California,” he explained to me a few years ago, “is the grapes get too sweet before they are perfectly ripe, driven by warm temps and sunshine. Here in Oregon the whole cycle is a month later, so there's a more subtle approach to maturity here that translates into more flavor at a given sugar. So in California you get a more lush flavor that's boozy - it tends to be a little hot, and sometimes the delicacy and typicity is compromised.”

Rollin Soles left Argyle over a decade ago to focus on sparkling and still wines at his Roco winery. He places great importance on the details of dosage trials. "There’s nothing more subtle, elegant and challenging than a dosage trial” he insists, adding "the méthode champenoise process is far more complex and challenging than simply making still wines."

The cost of equipment and the long timelines between picking the grapes and finally releasing the sparkling wines held Oregon's production in check until a decade ago when Andrew Davis founded the Radiant Sparkling Wine Company. He opened in 2013 after making wines with Soles at Argyle for a half dozen vintages. The goal was to provide both the expertise and the specialized equipment required for the efficient production of sparkling wines. “I'd seen the potential through Argyle,” Davis explained in a 2016 interview, “so why were there not more people doing it?” He concluded it was in large part a lack of the physical equipment specific to sparkling wine production. “It takes up a large footprint, it's expensive and very technical. I know a lot of people were daunted – it's one thing if you have a barrel of Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir that goes reductive or has a stuck fermentation; you can fix it. But thousands of individual bottles over multiple vintages are a different story.”

There are many dozens of Willamette Valley wineries making méthode champenoise wines now, most limited to a couple hundred cases. Domaine Serene is one of the few that has built a dedicated sparkling wine facility on the grounds of their Dundee Hills estate, and recently released a 2014 Récolte Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc to expand a lineup that already includes a brut, a brut rosé and a demi-sec.

As good as these Oregon sparklers are – and I've tasted most of them over the years – they are not inexpensive. Or at least they weren't until prices for French Champagne went through the roof. Now a lot of them are starting to look like bargains.

Here are my favorites from tastings I've done this year. Except as noted, these are still available for purchase online.

Recommended Oregon Sparklers

Argyle

Argyle 2018 Blanc de Noirs

Along with Pinot Noir the cuvée includes 20% Pinot Meunier, both sourced from the Spirit Hill vineyard. Argyle makes as many as a dozen different sparkling wines in a given year and has been the leader in Oregon bubbly since it was founded 35 years ago. This has a fine bead, sharp acids, a light hint of spice and plenty of crisp green apple flesh and skin. The balance is spot on, and it's a fine value among many more expensive Oregon offerings. 3983 cases; 12.5%; $30 (Willamette Valley)

https://shop.argylewinery.com/product/2018-Blanc-de-Noirs

Argyle 2011 Extended Tirage Brut

Argyle's long history allows the winery to age some wines en tirage for up to a decade prior to disgorgement. This is from a very cool year, which gave these grapes (60% Pinot Noir/40% Chardonnay) extra hang time. It's delicate and lightly honeyed, with hints of blonde raisins, toasted hazelnuts and lemon meringue. This is the sort of wine that may show best at room temperature rather than chilled in an ice bucket. 1530 cases; 12.5%; $85 (Willamette Valley)

https://shop.argylewinery.com/2011ExtendedTirageBrut

Cho

Cho 2017 Laurel Vineyard Brut Rosé

Sourced from a high elevation vineyard in this new AVA, this is a deliciously flavorful wine with touches of raspberry, cream and vanilla. The flavors are already showing excellent depth and persistence, suggesting that this wine will continue to evolve and perhaps even improve. It was just honored as a Top 100 wine of the year on the Wine Enthusiast website. I featured it on this website some months ago; now it is sold out. 40 cases; 12.5%; $65 (Laurelwood District)

Domaine Divio

Domaine Divio 2018 Vintage Brut Crémant

Crémant, as Divio's Bruno Corneaux notes on the back label, is the méthode champenoise technique used to produce sparkling wine in regions outside of Champagne. Here the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from the Hyland Vineyard, which he manages. This might also be labeled Brut Rosé as it is a pale rose color. The wine has a fine bead, constrained fruit flavors that touch on strawberry, rhubarb and watermelon, good length and a clean, crisply refreshing finish. 100 cases; 12.8%; $70 (Willamette Valley)

https://domainedivio.com/wine/2018-willamette-valley-cremant/

Flâneur

Flâneur 2018 Extra Brut

Reflecting the evolving sophistication of Willamette Valley méthode champenoise sparklers, this vintage dated blend includes 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier from the winery's La Belle Promenade vineyard. The flavors are neatly meshed, lightly toasty, with green apple and fresh lemon fruit flavors holding down the core. It's clean and clear and should evolve well for a decade or longer. 374 cases; 12.5%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains)

https://shop.flaneurwines.com/product/2018-Extra-Brut

Left Coast

Left Coast 2015 Estate Blanc de Noir

This all Wadenswil clone Pinot Noir, method champenoise wine has some years under its cork but remains expressively fresh and vibrant. Spicy apple and Asian pear fruit shines brightly, along with zesty acids. It's the sort of clean, brisk bubbly that Oregon does especially well. Drink now and over the next decade or longer. Not available online. 80 cases; 12.5%; $55 (Van Duzer Corridor)

Pashey

Pashey 2018 Coast Range Estate Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs

This single vineyard, vintage-designated all-Chardonnay méthode champenoise wine has a fine bead and displays the elegance of a true blanc de blancs style of Champagne. Crisp, sculpted flavors of green apple, apple skin, jicama, white melon, lemon pith and rind bring layers of subtle detail. Drink from now and through the mid-2030s. 315 cases; 12.6%; $65 (Willamette Valley)

https://www.trisaetum.com/product/2018-Pashey-Blanc-de-Blancs-Coast-Range-Estate

Roco

Roco 2018 RMS Brut

The RMS cuvée brings exceptional ripe fruit to bear in a classy sparkling wine done in the classic Champagne method. It's 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay with deep and delicious flavors that combine apple pie, pear tart, minerally acids and nuances too subtle to name. The depth, penetration and all out length will have you refilling your glass before you have finished swallowing the first sip. 200 cases; 12.5%; $65 (Willamette Valley)

https://shop.rocowinery.com/product/2018-RMS-Brut

Roco 2019 RMS Brut Rosé

This is 100% Pinot Noir from the practiced hand of Rollin Soles, who kicked off Oregon's sparkling wine industry at Argyle some 35 years ago. The flavors center around strawberry and cherry, with a yeasty base that adds hints of bread dough and pastry. The flavors linger and extend through the finish, which portends further development with some years in the bottle. 429 cases; 12.5%; $65 (Willamette Valley)

https://shop.rocowinery.com/product/2019-RMS-Brut-Rose

Soter

Soter 2015 Mineral Springs Blanc de Blancs

This vintage-dated wine spent almost six years on the lees before being disgorged in December 2021. It's spicy and aromatic, with a wintergreen note piercing through the citrus fruit. With a bit of breathing time the flavors expand and a broader fruit palate emerges. It remains brilliantly fresh, crisply defined, elegant and dense with a long life ahead. Drink now to 2035. 177 cases; 12.8%; $100 (Yamhill-Carlton)

https://purchase.sotervineyards.com/product/2015-Mineral-Springs-Blanc-de-Blancs

Soter 2018 Mineral Springs Brut Rosé

Winemaker Chris Fladwood and grower/owner Tony Soter have knocked it out of the park once again with this stunning vintage rosé. Pretty to look at, lovely to taste, it's bursting with strawberry and cherry highlights. Roughly four fifths Pinot Noir and one fifth Chardonnay, it was fermented in a mix of oak and (mostly) stainless and aged four years on the lees prior to disgorgement this past May. It's harmonious and inviting, with just the right touch of fruit in an elegant style. 1100 cases; 12.8%; $72 (Yamhill-Carlton)

https://purchase.sotervineyards.com/product/2018-Mineral-Springs-Brut-Rose 

Winter's Hill

Winter's Hill 2018 Sparkling Wine

The relatively high alcohol for a sparkling wine speaks to the ripeness of the grapes and the overall heat of the vintage. It makes for a more full and round palate, with lush citrus and apple flavors that hint at more tropical fruits. The blend is 50/50 estate grown Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. It's fresh and tangy, and I'd recommend drinking this bottle over the next five years. 40 cases; 13.5%; $55 (Dundee Hills)

https://wintershillwine.com/product/2018-sparkling-wine

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NOTE:  The wines I recommend have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups and are selected for excellence. I have chosen to eliminate numerical scores from this website. Only recommended wines are shown, no negative reviews. My notes are posted immediately with links to the winery website, so you may purchase them directly from the producer before they are sold out. I take no commission, accept no advertising, and charge no fees for wines reviewed.

Coming next week:  American Wineries Take On The Challenge of Italian Grapes

Please send current and upcoming releases when your schedule (and favorable weather) allows. All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. California wineries please inquire before sending wines. Only recommended wines will be published on this website.

Please contact me at paulgwine@me.com with your feedback and suggestions for future posts. Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt