Based in McMinnville Oregon, Panther Creek Cellars has been at it since 1986 with a model of picking top-shelf vineyards in its surrounding areas. Their goal? Simple. Produce best-of-class wines that reflect the terroir of each vineyard and ultimately showcase what Oregon is capable of.

I fell in love with their wines last year so it’s great to see how things are progressing – this time with a pair of their whites. I realize that not many people outside the state of Oregon thinks “chardonnay” when thinking of Oregon, but I’ve had some really nice ones from there. To me, they’re typically a lot more acidic then what you’ll find in hotter regions, however, I find them very appealing.

Of course Pinot Gris has become a staple in Oregon winemaking and really should be more widely accepted on a national and international scale for how well it can be made in Oregon. I know too many people who have a limited “Pinot Gris Palate” – and they should really try to branch out and try Pinot Gris from other areas.

2008 Chardonnay – W.E.P. Rating: 100%

Technical Data:

• Bottling Date: April 15, 2009
• Release Date: July 1, 2009
• Alcohol: 14.1%
• Cooperage: 7 month, stainless steel
• Fermentation process: No malolactic, dry
• Production: 300 cases
• Vineyard: Volcanic Nekia and Jory soil
• Price: $20

Nose: Green apples, jolly ranchers, grapefruit, kiwi and pears.

Taste: Reminds me of eating a freshly picked apple from the tree – add in some hints of grapefruit juice and the flavor of an apple jolly rancher candy. Stellar apple flavors that pick up quite heavily across the mid palate and that is where the nice acids start kicking into gear as well. Good, clean finish on the end make this one of the more desirable chardonnay’s I’ve had in awhile.

2008 Pinot Gris – W.E.P. Rating: 120%

Technical Data:

• Bottling Date: April 2, 2009
• Release Date: May 1, 2009
• Alcohol: 13.2%
• Cooperage: 6 month, stainless steel
• Fermentation process: No malolactic, dry
• Production: 300 cases
• AVAs: Approximately 70% Willamette Valley and 30% Rogue Valley
• Price: $14

Nose: Grass-laden grapefruit, lemons, rose petals and a very nice petrol action.

Taste: Superbly bright tropical fruits cascade across the front-end of the palate and have a nice supporting cast of acids which help keep it all together. This is an exceptional pinot gris that is a stark reminder of why Oregon kicks ass with it. Nice long finish has enough acidity and left-over fruit to tear right through heavy cream-sauced pasta or with pesto. An exceptional effort that should be highly sought after.

Argyle winery in Oregon’s Williamette Valley is one of that state’s definitive wineries and has been leading the charge for Oregon grape varieties since 1987 – it has since established itself amongst the wine-drinking world as a staple producer of  pinot noir.

This winery owns and farms three vineyards: Knudsen Vineyard, Stroller and Lonestar vineyards – the grapes in its 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir are blended from all three.

Technical Data:
Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Lone Star, Stoller, Kndsen
AVA: Willamette Valley
Alcohol: 14.5%
Brix: 23-24.5
Residual Sugar: None
Bottled: February 2008
Cases produced: 6450
Release date: May 2008
Winemaker: Rollin Soles

Nose: Dirty cranberry sauce – obnoxious amounts of dirt going on in this glass – I also pick up some nice bacon fat action as well. Huge amounts of chalk-dust as well. So the nose smells like someone sprinkled chalkdust and dirt into a bowl of dried cranberries.

Taste: Take an old chalk-laden cloth, mash-up some cranberries in it and then toss in a shot of liquid smoke. Good finish that lasts quite nicely with hints of some shoelace, big-league chew and cranberry. This is a very well-balanced Pinot that shows quite well for its price-point and will clearly appeal to those who prefer a slightly lighter pinot than others out there. Very food friendly – I’d have no problems pairing it with anything from seared sirloin tips to cedar plank salmon.

W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Winery website: http://argylewinery.com

According to Robert Parker, Panther Creek Cellars is ” one of the most consistent, high quality, Oregon wineries” and based on our initial samplings of its wines, could hardly disagree. 

Since 1986, this winery has been producing top-quality wines which showcase what the great state of Oregon can produce – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It, like many other wineries, source all their fruit from local vineyards and have grape prices locked in with long-term contracts.

This particular Pinot Noir uses fruit from Freedom Hills Vineyard which is about 20miles (as the crow flies) from the winery – its owned by Dan and Helen Dusschee – who planted the grapes back in 1982. 

Technical Data:

• Bottling Date:  April 10, 2008
• Release Date:  September 1, 2008
• Alcohol: 14.3 %
• Aging: 16 months in French Oak, 30% new
• Production: 980 cases 
• Clones: Dijon clones 777, 114, 667, Pommard & Wadenswil
• Soil type: Sedimentary Bellpine soils
• PH: 3.66. 
• Titratable acidity at bottling was .53 g/100ml.
• Several blocks at Freedom Hill which were harvested from Sept 29th through Oct 3rd at 25.1 to 26.1 brix…Mostly in the low 25’s.

Nose: Cranberries, dirt, fresh road-kill, white pepper, bacon and tar – I also pick up some dark cherries on the end of the nose. This is one of the few pinot’s I’ve had that makes me want to just sit around with my nose all up in it – smelling it for an hour before I even taste it. 

Taste: Beautiful cranberry-sauce, blackberry pie crust, wild game, blackberries, gooseberries, elderberries and a rediculous mouth-feel make this one of the truly more memorable pinot’s I’ve had. The finish has killer hang-time and quite simply lasts a long time. It’s a serious Pinot that could be a gateway wine for those new into the world of Pinot and want to experience what this grape is all about. I realize that at $40, it’s on the higher-end of the price scale, but I’d highly encourage you to splurge on yourself once in a while – especially if it means you get to try a wine like this. As far as pinot pricing goes (it’s not cheap to make great pinot), I feel Panther Creek is on track.

W.E.P. Rating: 100%

Winery website: www.panthercreekcellars.com

The state of Oregon is renown for making world-class Pinot Noir wines that have touched the hearts of wine-lovers everywhere but some may be surprised to learn that it produces some really elegant sparkling wines as well – if you want to call it Champagne, then feel free – I promise I won’t send the french “word-police” after you.

Argyle is one of the premier wineries in the state of Oregon with its reach and presence felt around the world – while its chief focus is on Pinot Noir, it also makes chardonnay, sweet riesling and sparking wines as well.

Technical Data:

• Varietals: 65% Pinot noir, 35% Chardonnay
• AVA: Willamette Valley
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• Brix: 21.0
• Residual Sugar: 1.2%
• Tiraged: May 2006, Disgorged on Demand
• Cases produced: 6200
• Release Date: November 2008
• Winemaker: Rollin Soles
• Price: $30

Nose: Peach, apricot and green apples on the nose – hints of rose petal as well.

Taste: Great acidity and bubbles on the palate which are surrounded by lucious fruit coming through. Profound jolly-rancher green apple flavor coupled with grapefuit, kiwi and some peach-skins. This is a really good bottle of bubbly and one I’d easily recommend to anyone – Argyle has done a great job of balancing the bubbles, acidity and fruit. Whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just life in general or simply want a good bottle of something with bubbles, this is a bottle of wine I know you’ll love.

W.E.P. Rating: 100%

Winery website: http://argylewinery.com

Foods:
Lox and Bagles
Caviar
Capers

I have to be honest in that I got a bit bummed out the way other varietals got slammed in the movie sideways and how the film elevated Pinot Noir to a very noble status. I’m not suggesting that it’s not a noble grape, however, am just saying that I think that film in particular took it a bit too far.

Most folks I know adore the Bordeaux red varietals far more than from Burgundy which is a bit of a bummer for me as I feel there are a lot of folks missing the boat when it comes to expanding their palate with some of the wonderful fruit of Burgundy.

I recently picked up this Yamhill Pinot at a local store and got a heckuva deal at only $15 – it normally sells for $22-$26. As of this review, the winery is sold out and has since moved this wine into a “Library status” which means it’ll cost more from them but there should still be a lot left out at various retailers.

Color: Dark ruby red.

Nose: Dried cranberries, cedar box, cloves, wet clay, toasted pine nuts, grilled zucchini, anise, hint of brussel sprout.

Taste: Has a truck-load of dried, slightly-toasted cranberries which have been sitting around in an old cedar box. Black cherry Cragmont pop (if you know this brand, then you too are old like me), clove, bacon fat and white pepper- almost a similar finish to some zins I’ve had – a bit jammy, which I’m digging.

Heats up a bit on the mid-palate, but smooth, long black-cherries on the finish.

Overall Summary:
This wine represents a decent effort on the part of Yamhill – I can’t say it’s worth the normal asking price to me as there are other wines I’d rather have in that price-range. That said, I can really see this wine appealing greatly to Pinot-lovers and/or fans of the film sideways. It’s so much better of a Pinot than your typical “grocery store label” – you know, the cheap Mondavi’s, Duck Pond and even some of the lower-end Erath’s.

If you can find this wine under $20, then I’d say you should really give it a go and check it out.

This is my take on it, however, you really owe it to yourself to try this wine and ultimately embrace your own palate.

Foods to go with this:
Spiral ham with an apricot/raisin and clove glaze
Spinach Salad which is blended with thin slices of granny smith apple, red onion with a honey-brown-mustard vinaigrette .
Cedar plank Salmon
Pork Chop mixed with cooked apples glazed in brandy with Rosemary