This is 100% Pinot Noir aged for ten months in French Oak (30% new).  Medium ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is pretty with sour cherries, strawberries, walnuts and spice.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  More presence on the palate right now.  Sour cherries, cherries, spice and char.  A bit of kirsch on the finish along with some spice.  This is middle of the road in terms of Pinot style and it is interesting how the nose is more elegant but the palate a bit more masculine.  Very nice on its own, this would work well with roasted duck (or chicken).  It may improve with some shor

This is their top Chardonnay.  Very impressive.  Light golden in color with a touch of green and a slight touch of copper.  Clear and bright.  The nose has baked apples, wild herbs, slight vanilla and a touch of grapefruit.  Lovely, full bodied, texture.  Good balance.  Crisp.  On the palate, the baked apples and vanilla come thru along with a touch of lemon curd.  This is a bigger rounder Chardonnay at least in this vintage.  Great on its own and this will work well with richer foods as well as the usual pairings.  It would be nice with a creamy mushroom pasta with alfredo sauce.  Drink ov

Adelsheim was established in Oregon in 1971.  This is their basic Chardonnay and it is excellent and a great value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with grapefruit, slight peaches, limes and a bit of minerality.  Full bodied.  Nice acidity. Great, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is very clean.  Some grapefruit with slight peach.  A bit of pine on the back end.  Tasty.  This is nice on its own and will be versatile with food.  It would work well with seafood such as Crab Salad.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

This is a lovely sparkling wine from Oregon.  It is 100% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  It has a full mousse with a thick head of tiny bubbles.  The nose is persistent with lemons and some lanolin notes.  With a bit of air, some apple notes emerge.  Good acidity.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, fresh lemons and slight chalky notes.  A long, slightly tart finish.  Overall, this is an excellent sparkling wine that should drink well for another decade.  It is very food friendly and will work with a wide variety of foods.  It was very nice with a French Lentil Sa

Calera winery has been making wine for almost 50 years. But few people ever visit this winery. It’s way off the normal wine experience, being sequestered in the Gavilan Mountain range near the tiny town of Hollister. But that is also its best quality. There is a lovely viscosity to this Chardonnay - a thickness that rolls over the tongue. Yes, you will find the requisite lemon chiffon, lime kefir, white peach, green apple and Asian pear.

43%.  Shared a glass of this with my wife at YAMA LOSO in Charlotte after a long night of great food and wine.  Beautiful packaging.  It is very smooth.  Some peach notes along with a woody quality.  Some sweetness on the end.  A fine way to end an evening.  

This is in a great place right now.  It has started to shed some of its oak coat and the fruit is coming thru.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, spice, slight lumber, black pepper and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice texture.  On the palate, boysenberries, vanilla, spice, black pepper and roasted herbs.  Long finish.  This could use a few more years but should drink well for another ten to fifteen.  Right now it could use some fatty food to match it with.  

One of the few less than good vintages in Napa, yet, this wine rocks.  Purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The  nose has cassis, blueberries, gravel and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, with slight blueberries and a bit of earthiness.  Good finish.  This has some depth and complexity.  Drinking well now on its own, this will work well with a steak or burger.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

From the excellent 2002 vintage, this should answer any doubts about whether Oregon Pinot Noir can age and also how it ages.  This was a huge wine on release but now it is mature and drinking beautifully.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight sour cherries, a hint of black cherries, some earthiness and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Wispy, mostly integrated tannins.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Layers of black cherries, sour cherries, earth and slight char.  Great energy.  Good finish.  It would have been interesting to stick this in

My second time in the last month or so drinking this and I am not complaining.  I had a small taste at a wine dinner featuring many other bottles and then a small glass on the next day.  Fantastic wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, pencil lead, cedar, smoke and leather.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Flavors of cassis, graphite dry earthiness, char and leather.  Long finish.  Delicious.  I won't give this a 100 score as I just didn't pay enough attention to it, but was fantastic.