For current reviews please visit www.paulgregutt.substack.com

For current reviews please visit www.paulgregutt.substack.com

For current reviews please visit www.paulgregutt.substack.com

For the first time the true identity of the Mysterious bottling has been disclosed (with full permission) – the Arcus vineyard. Classic Dundee Hills flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruit are accented with iron-rich highlights and threads of Asian spices, candied citrus, coffee grounds and pencil lead. In short, a densely layered, textural and detailed wine with decades of life ahead.13.5%; $100 (Dundee Hills) 96/100

I continue to be dazzled by the first taste of these 2021 Pinots, yet they often are still better on the second day. Let's remember these are young wines with many years of development ahead. The old vine designation here principally includes grapes from the Winery Block (1984), the Hallelujah Block (1990) and the Lakeview Block (1998). Lush strawberry/cherry fruit is packed in with highlights of blood orange. Though there were just a handful of new barrels (under 10%), they were enough to add a thin seam of caramel to the finish. Another extraordinary value from this exceptional vintage. 1125 cases (3/4 neutral); 13.5%; $45; (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

Boom! This is the bomb. Notorious is designed as the top reserve from Patty Green, the only wine aged in 100% new French oak. It's sourced each year from a mix of sites – in this vintage a mix of estate fruit, Freedom Hill, Durant and another unnamed Dundee Hills site. The new oak has not been overdone, and remains an accent at this point, not a dominant scent or flavor. The palate strains to corral all that's going on here. Berries, bramble, savory herbs, lead pencil, coffee grounds, chicory, charcoal... well it's pretty much endless. This is a big wine, but in perfect proportion and balance from start to finish. 13.5%; $85; (Willamette Valley) 98/100

Though sourced from the same biodynamic estate vineyard, this Pinot Gris is beautifully differentiated from its companion Pinot Blanc. This is not always the case in book-matched estate wines. Native yeast fermentation in stainless steel captures the steely freshness, leesy texture and crisp citrus skin flavors, with lemon, lime and grapefruit in equal proportions. As it warms in the glass the wine fleshes out, adding satsuma orange and hints of lightly bitter botanicals. Generous and palate cleansing, this may be enjoyed immediately, or cellared for another decade. 1288 cases; 12.3%; $18 (McMinnville) 93/100. Purchase here.

Lia's was originally part of the Jacob-Hart vineyard planted in 1988. This multi-clone cuvée saw two out of 16 new barrels. Many if not most of the Patty Green wines are value priced, but this is especially noteworthy. Complex, detailed, elegant, savory and tightly wound, its cascading red and black fruits are supported with bitter herbs and tangy blood orange acidity. A long finish reveals more and more details, including a trailing seam of cinnamon. A sensational value. 400 cases; 13.3%; $37 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100. Purchase here.

From an archetypal vineyard, first planted in 1976, this wine brings together blocks from both the original and later plantings. If you like the flavors of fresh, forward fruit (as I do) this is a good wine to know. Fragrant with floral notes, tasty red and black cherry fruit, this is a well-structured Pinot Noir with a savory underpinning. The balance and length are superb. A seam of licorice runs through the finish, which continues to add such unsuspected touches as chicken stock and dried Italian herbs. This continued to drink beautifully on day two and day three. 250 cases; 13.2%; $55 (Chehalem Mountains) 96/100. Purchase here.

Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Hollis, a high elevation site with ancient volcanic soils. Sturdy fruit flavors blend marionberry, blackberry and black cherry with lightly chewy tannins and a dusting of coffee grounds. It nicely keeps its darker elements in proportion with firm, ripe tannins and a mineral foundation. This feels like a wine with decades of life ahead. Drink now to... 2040? 465 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 94/100

Purchase here.

The fresh, ripe, lively fruit flavors showcase pears in particular, with further highlights of orange and grapefruit. The natural acidity adds a sleek 'cut' to the palate, accented with a hint of wet stone. This wine has the extra 'it' factor that ramps up its intensity and sheer deliciousness. As I have noted in past vintages, this is a fruit-packed white wine for sipping summer and fall. Tasted over three full days, it was one of those bottles that I happily drank down to the last drop. I'd suggest that you hang onto a few bottles for that Thanksgiving turkey. 5000 cases; 13%; $17 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

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Made consistently since 2017, the Shea bottling gets roughly one fifth new oak. As expected it's big, bold, dark and blocky, with plentiful blackberry and black cherry fruit. I love the texture and depth of this wine, which layers in subtle shades of clean earth, pipe tobacco, black olive, anise, coffee grounds and... well the deeper you dive, the more you find. 351 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

This is the second edition of the Brut X (noted as such on the back label), Half is from the 2018 vintage, half is reserve wine; 60% is Pinot Noir, 40% is Chardonnay, sourced from estate vineyards. This is sleek, steely, subtle and subterranean, in the sense of layer upon layer somewhat hidden at first. Compact fruit, a fine bead, a touch of brioche and more awaits discovery. One way to unpack a young sparkling wine such as this is to let it warm up in the glass, and watch it open and change. With a couple of hours of breathing time, this did indeed open gloriously. 339 cases; 12.8%; $65 (Willamette Valley) 95/10

https://purchase.sotervineyards.com/product/Soter-Vineyards-Estates-Brut-X

This accessible bottle of pink bubbly is light, simple and party-friendly. Made with added carbonation rather than time and labor-intensive méthode champenoise, its watermelon and strawberry fruit flavors come up front and center. This dry, tart and affordable sparkler can be enjoyed on its own, with fresh-shucked oysters, or in a light cocktail. 3800 cases; 12.5%; $25 (Willamette Valley) 90/100

https://shop.stollerwinegroup.com/product/CHY/Chemistry-Pinot-Noir-Ros--Bubbles-NV

The long-awaited release of this vintage reserve marks an important milestone for the winery's ambitious sparkling wine program. Two thirds Pinot Noir and one third Chardonnay, all estate-grown, spent over six years en tirage. Like vintage Champagne this puts a focus on purity of expression, here further amplified by the closely related vineyard sites. Still tasting quite youthful, this offers crisp apple, steely acids and a tightly wound core. Let it warm up a bit in the glass and it will expand to reveal a range of stone fruits, biscuit, meringue and lemon zest. 12%; $110 (Dundee Hills) 95/100

https://www.domaineserene.com/product/2014-Vintage-Brut-750ml

Sourced from the Deux Vert vineyard, this Syrah was co-fermented with a healthy (10%) percentage of Viognier. Northern Willamette Syrahs are quite apart from the Rogue Valley or Rocks District Syrahs that book-end Oregon. Tightly compressed, this is packed with flavors of mountain berries and pie cherries. At first restrained, it opens with ample breathing into a well built, balanced and detailed wine. The savory palate avoids the overt funkiness of Syrahs from the Rocks District. I'd suspect that this will drink at its best toward the end of this decade. 13.4%; $44 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100 (Purchase here)

Estate grapes (from the vineyard formerly named A Blooming Hill) bring vivacious fruit front and center, a delicious mix of satsuma oranges, pears and papaya. This is simply bursting with flavor, clean, fresh and invigorating, with accents of gin-like botanicals trailing the finish. 315 cases; 13.5%; $25 (Laurelwood District) 92/100 (Purchase here)

I continue to be dazzled by the Rhône-style wines from this new winery. This was blended from both estate vineyards – Double D and Clos Chevalle – one in the new Rocky Reach AVA and the other in the Lake Chelan AVA just north of the winery. The tight, steely fruit and baseline minerality give the wine precision, length and focus. The aromatics open up with aeration giving a solid expression of the variety, leading into a finely-woven web of brambly berry, espresso, rich earth, tobacco and toasted walnuts. This definitely can stand beside with Syrahs from the Rocks District and special sites such as Boushey representing the region's best. 210 cases; 14.9%; $50 (Columbia Valley) 95/100 (Purchase here)

From the original site farmed at Eyrie (since replanted), this honors the past while showcasing the present. Along with 'The Eyrie' bottlings of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, they form a trio that represents the summation of the decades of work put in by the Lett family. I don't know if any original vines contributed to this blend, but in any event they are quickly vanishing due to ongoing phylloxera. Nonetheless, it's classic Eyrie – subtle, elegant, a bit disarming, with light red fruits, tea leaf tannins, a long, gliding finish, and decades of life ahead. 13%; $85 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

Jason Lett calls this Pinot Gris "a liquid manifesto." He believes the grape can equal Pinot Noir in its ability to "reflect the nuances of site, craft and vine age." During my recent visit to the winery he pressed the point with a bottle from 1983 that was still drinking beautifully. But this young PG is perfectly delicious, with a refreshing stony minerality that soaks on through the finish.. The fruits coalesce around apple, peach and citrus and linger with a power and presence that suggests this too will age for decades. 156 cases; 12.9%; $30 (Dundee Hills) 94/100