Pinot Noir

Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, raspberries, a hint of white pepper and a background floral note.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Flavors of tart cherries with a slight earthiness.  A very nice, solid wine.  Not a ton of depth but very enjoyable.  Seems to be at peak so better to drink sooner.  Maybe five to seven year window.  Very food friendly and nice on its own.  A nice choice with Salmon.  

Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose is hard cherry candy with powdered sugar.  Firm tannins.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is much  more "serious" with flavors of black cherries, cranberries and slight cherries.  Some complexity.  Long finish.  This seems to be about fully mature but should still have another five or so years at this level.  It is nice on its own but food matches might be more difficult.  Something with some spice would be good possibly a lightly spiced Thai dish.  

Ponzi is one of the old veterans making Pinot Noir in Oregon.  This is their "entry level" wine.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, raspberries, slight vanilla and spice.  Firm tannins.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, sour cherries, black cherries and herbal notes.  A touch of mint on the finish.  This is a really great value in Pinot Noir and is middle of the road in style and should be a crowd pleaser.  It is nice on its own but better with food.  It went nicely with a Tomato, Cheese and Pesto slider.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Garnet/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with black cherries, slight black raspberries, dust and char.  Medium bodied.  medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tart.  Cherries and slight cranberries.  A very different profile from the nose to the palate.  The finish has a bit of green bell pepper.  A very interesting Pinot that seems to go in many directions but is still very enjoyable.  It is nice on its own and will work well with food.  This would work well with Pork Tenderloin.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Garnet with black swirls in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, slight earthiness and baking spices.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  Some depth and complexity.  On the palate, flavors of black cherries with a slight cough drop note.  Long finish.  A bit bigger in style but by no  means over the top.  Nice on its own, this will work well with many foods.  This would be a nice choice with Rotisserie Chicken.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

This was tasted blind along with seven other Willamette Pinots.  That format did this wine no favors.  Pale ruby with slight purple hues, clear and bright.  The nose is light with strawberries, raspberries and slight floral notes (Rose?).  Light bodied.  Light tannins.  Much more on the feminine side of Pinot Noir.  On the palate, flavors of rhubarb, strawberries and slight strawberries.  A bit bitter on the finish.  This will be better with food.  Salade niçoise would be a good pairing.  Drink over the next five to seven years.