Wow. The nose is neutral. OMG that palate is decadent and severely structured and the most velvety tannins that are squeezing out unreal tiny fruit intensity. This is the most epic Pinot in Oregon. This is a french Grand Cru wine being made in Oregon. Unreal structure, high acid, Inner mouth aromas. Judgement deferred. 9.6 based on past notes. I will follow this over the next few days. After 7 hours nose is more decadent but still not yielding what it can. This will be better tomorrow. Lovely spice but I know what this wine can be. The texture on the palate though is really coming through. Juicy and supple but still clipped finish. But long. 9.6 to 9.7. but I can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s so juicy and so layered. Impressive. Palate is so supple and dense on day 2. Unreal tannins, depth, sweetness and power. 9.7 to 9.8. — 5 months ago
You know something special is afoot when this is the basic* juice.
N: Rhubarb, orange/red flowers, strawberry candy. You could smell this for days…or nights.
P: It’s crisp and cool,forest fruits and paired with Hen of the Woods and creminis, polenta, we’re in the pocket. There is that subtle sous-bois , or underbrush to it that matches so well.
Delicious stuff. — 2 years ago
Huge Chablis nose. Minerals and sea shell. Brown sugar, tree bark, wow that brown sugar, so so salty, some white flowers as well. Palate is extraordinary. Structured and pure. Salty throughout. Delicate citrus sweetness. Superb concentration. 12 months barrel and 6 months tank. All sur lie. Long finish and so delineated. Salty and juicy. 5% new oak. Unreal complexity. Oregon oak in the wine only. The finish is crazy. The brown sugar is haunting now. This is insanely good and so complex one cannot believe it. The concentration of minerals, salt, citrus and structure is just off the charts. Best chardonnay ever from here. After 11 hours open the nose is screaming minerals. Palate is so energetic and compact. Amazing minerality and sweet minerals. Glorious. So juicy, pure, balanced and compact. Best Oregon Chardonnay I ever had. Really great on day 2. Like a Puligny 1er cru/GC Chablis cross. Stunning finesse. So juicy and mineral with smoke and iodine and palate staining sap. 9.7 to 9.8. — 5 months ago
A wonderful bottle of wine, that you usually don’t drink on a lovely warm July evening. But what the heck, why not. We don’t get many evenings like this in our neck of woods. From the first whiff you know it’s a serious wine. In its prime, deep colour, slight bricking at edges, dense and deep, earthy, definitely not a wimpy wine. A long and persistent aftertaste confirms that this is a serious wine. And highly enjoyable one, too bad I don’t have more. — 3 years ago
See previous note from 2 years ago in November 2022 - this covers it all. Dusty plum and black currant, herbaceous and intense - in some respects more SA than WA. An unbelievable Trophy Cabinet from Wine Shows around Australia. I won’t list them all - a few highlights are Best Cabernet and Best Red Wine at Royal Adelaide 2014; Best Cabernet or Bordeaux blend at Royal Melbourne 2014; Best Red Wine Royal Hobart 2014. This is just a cross section. This was the 2nd of 6 purchased. Will cellar through to the early 2030s. — 2 months ago
Winner of the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge from 680 entries in 2014. See previous Delectable note. Those modern leesy, flinty, struck match and smoky notes have come together nicely at 11 years of age together with nectarine. Delicious - sadly my last bottle - wish I had a few more. Yet another great producer of top quality Chardonnay from Margaret River. — 4 months ago
Pfalz nose, peach, apricot, huge minerals, oeach fuzz, wow what a nose, so so aromatic. wow huge fruit and acidity but also round like elite riesling. So so deep, cuts a swath across the palate. There’s honey but more will come with age. Inner mouth confectionary, killer, so deep and such a long finish. Wow. Amazing acidity and so ultra long. Juicy and delineated. Needs air and I will be back. Unreal grip and tannin and so explosive. Just stunning. American GG in the house. Now after 9 hours the nose is more complex with wet stones and more pronounced peach and apricot. So juicy and energetic and huge citrus. — 5 months ago
Marshal White
Pretty flippin’ serious wine. Rich (for a wine that was probably picked around 20 brix) but not enough for it to be cloying or heavy. Flavors are not particularly fruity; some hazelnut and lemon oil that will probably go to that fermenty hay character with some bottle age. There’s some noticeable tannin too, some of which I think is wood-derived but it gives the wine grip. The weight (alcohol x ph x acid) is perfect. White burgundy was my favorite wine in the world and I’m spending my dollars and cellar space on OR Chardonnay because you’d spend a lot of money to get something this good from Burgundy. — 7 days ago