Oregon Wines

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A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one of the highest percentages of Shiraz in the blend (97%). Its stunning purple color is accompanied by exceptionally sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur intermixed with barbecue spices, an endearing, smoky earthiness, pepper, roasted meats, and coffee. Huge, massive, unctuously textured, and extraordinarily youthful, this impressive wine is a candidate for perfection. It should continue to evolve over the next three decades.Grange, Penfolds’ flagship wine, is, by many accounts, the most renowned and world-famous wine produced in Australia, and these six vintages from my cellar all acquitted themselves well. These wines are almost always Shiraz, but many vintages include less than 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are cross-appellations blends from vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale.Robert Parker | 98+ RPVery deep red-ruby. Smoky, deeply concentrated fruit bomb of a nose: blackberry, dark plum, cassis; creamy vanilla and lightly toasty coconutty oak; and ethereal background notes of white pepper, smoked meats, musky spices, tar and licorice. Profoundly concentrated but velvety-smooth and seamless; impressively muscular and thickly coated with oak, and bound by drying, astringent tannins. Without question the most concentrated Grange of all time, utterly steeped in blackberry flavors; a real show pony. It’s also the most alcoholic Grange ever made, and at a declared 14.5% does taste warm and spirity - the first Grange to do so. It also ventures to some degree into the realm of currant and prune. No doubt a brilliant wine, but only time will tell if, with its elevated alcohol and its superripe flavors, this 1998 version ranks with the very best Grange vintages.Vinous Media | 97 VMA wine of surprising subtlety for the vintage, playing its ripe cherry, red plum and herb flavors against firm tannins that have a bit of grit to them. But those lively cherry and raspberry flavors burst through, and there’s a nice hint of green herbs lingering around the finish, which doesn’t subside easily.--Australian reds blind retrospective. 9,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

Made from fruit coming predominantly from the Barossa Valley this year (97%) and containing 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Grange has been added to my list of favorite recent vintages. Deep garnet-purple colored, it’s still a little youthfully mute, offering notes of warm cherries, black currants, anise, coffee and toast with underlying hints of soy, yeast extract, black olives and Indian spices. Tight-knit and solidly structured on the medium to full-bodied palate, the concentrated fruit is densely coiled around the firm grainy tannins and very crisp acidity at this stage, but promises something very special in the years to come. It finishes very long, complex and layered with the cedar poking through the fruit purity. Patience is required for this vintage; it should begin opening out around 2016 and drink to 2030+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPBeautifully aromatic, with scents of blueberry, plum, cherry, coffee and toasted walnut rising from the glass with intensity. After a hit of tannins the rich, focused fruit flavors take over, showing glints of pepper, mint and cocoa and lingering effortlessly. Best from 2016 through 2030. 2,000 cases imported. — HSWine Spectator | 98 WSContaining 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 18 months, the 2006 Penfolds Grange is tightly wound and dense, possessing a core of smoky black fruits, lots of oak, espresso roast, dried spice, and mineral characteristics on both the nose and palate. Powerful, rich, and beautifully balanced on the palate, with a serious, concentrated, medium to full bodied feel, crisp acids, and a very long, tannic and structured finish, this age-worthy beauty needs a solid 5-8 years in the cellar to fully integrate its components, and should have a very long drink window.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD(98% shiraz and 2% cabernet sauvignon): Deep ruby. Highly aromatic nose offers black raspberry, cherry pit, potpourri and minerals. Dense, lush and sweet but very energetic, offering spicy red and dark berry, dark chocolate, rose pastille and licorice flavors complemented by spicy, sweet oak. Shows bitter chocolate and cherry-cola nuances on the extremely persistent, spice-accented finish. This should be approachable on the young side.Vinous Media | 94 VMNot quite the massive monster that is the 2004 Grange, the 2006 is still no shrinking violet. It’s full bodied, muscular and extracted, and while the flavors veer toward espresso and dark chocolate, there’s also a ribbon of raspberry fruit running through the wine from start to long, dusty finish. Drink 2015–2025, and probably beyond.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA balanced and intense red, with sliced meat, blackberries and spices. Full body, with silky and refine tannins and hints of new wood. Sweet tobacco and plums. A little shy now. Give it three to four years.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2019 Chardonnay Hyland Vineyard, from vines planted in 1979 at 900 feet in elevation, has slowly blooming scents of apricot, crushed almonds, beeswax and citrus blossoms. The light-bodied palate is silky and delicate, offering detailed flavors and a long finish hinting at more honeyed bass tones waiting to emerge. It’s not as open as the 2018 and will benefit from a bit more time in bottle.The Wine Advocate | 95+ RPElegantly complex and vibrant, with floral apple, lemon verbena and spice flavors that build toward a steely finish. Drink now through 2023. 424 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2019 Chardonnay “Hyland Vineyard” bottling from Résonance Wines is a lovely wine. It comes in at 13.5 percent octane and seems to show that a bit of the malolactic fermentation was blocked, as it has that lovely essence of pear aromatic note that one finds in many of Louis Jadot’s white Burgundies as well. The nose jumps from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, a touch of pastry cream, raw almond, a touch of vanillin oak and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a good core and soil signature, zesty acids and a long, nicely balanced and stylish finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2021-2030)John Gilman | 90 JG

The 2019 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is characterized by broad, intense flavors foiled by tangy acidity. It offers aromas of apple pie, honeycomb, toast and white blossoms and is intensely flavored, ripe and textural, finishing with energetic freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPretty aromas of honeysuckle, white peach, lemon tart and flint. It’s full-bodied, yet bright, with tangy acidity. Textured and fleshy. Some spice and hay notes to close. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSWonderfully floral on the nose, sappy and rich on the palate, this expressive wine is packed with flavorful fruits perfectly set against tangy acidity. White peach, Asian pear and a touch of lime combine on a full-bodied midpalate. The juicy fruit flavors energize the wine and set the taster up for sip after sip.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEToasty with a lean oak frame, this smoky chardonnay’s aromas are mildly oaked at first. But the flavors are refreshing, lean and balanced, with an oyster-shell duskiness that suggests a pairing with shellfish, particularly seared scallops. Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Immediately spicy and complex, this has a rich blackberry and dark-plum nose, together with dark-chocolate and tarry, earthy elements. The palate has a very rich, fleshy feel with such ripe dark-plum, dark-chocolate, blackberry and mulberry flavors on offer. Generous, yet balanced. A South Australian blend of McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway, Wrattonbully and The Peninsulas. Drink or hold. Screw cap.James Suckling | 97 JSThe St Henri Shiraz is often one of my favorite reds in the Penfolds Collection, due to the ability of the fruit to shine through the fine sheath of oak that encases it. At this stage, and I know you will hear this often, the wine still represents good value. The 2019 St Henri Shiraz is elegantly structured, with the 2019 vintage showing the warmth and intensity without overstepping balance or line. Texturally, this will only increase in its silky shape, which comes with the gentle suggestion to decant this if you insist on drinking it within five years from harvest (i.e., anytime from now to 2024). This 2019 is shaped by abundant red and purple fruit (and a splash of blue), charry spice and fine tannins. Gorgeous.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPSweet rose petals and stewed strawberries on the nose with touches of green flowers giving the florality. Smooth and supple, lovely clarity and poise. I like the light touch in the glass, really clean and pure with red berry fruits. Juicy and so alive on the palate really giving this so much appeal and drinkability. I love the lift and the brightness while still having depth and layers of chalky tannins. Delicious and moreish.Decanter | 96 DECOpaque ruby. An expansive, complex bouquet evokes ripe dark fruits, espresso, candied violet, vanilla and sandalwood, and an exotic spice nuance emerges slowly. Conveys a suave blend of depth and energy to sweet blueberry, kirsch and fruitcake flavors, supported by a core of juicy acidity. Shows outstanding clarity and spicy lift on the youthfully tannic finish, which strongly echoes the blue fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 95 VMShows wonderful density, with fig paste, spiced plum cake and black olive tapenade, a touch of toasted cumin and black licorice to complement the core of huckleberry and blueberry flavors. The toothsome tannins are a terrific muscular background for all of the generous flavors and the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2035. 385 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis vintage of St. Henri opens with an opulent nose that you could dive into. Plump black currant, raspberry tart, mint and dusty pepper spice accompany barrel-derived notes like chocolate and charred vegetables. The palate is still tightly wound, even austere, with sandpaper-textured tannins and lifted acidity. Still in its infancy, this wine should be cellared another five to seven years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe volume is turned up on this wine’s fruit intensity, the heat of 2019 edging the plummy fruit with a little prune. This is a big vintage of St. Henri, brickish, polished and rich without seeming sweet, a major red for red meat.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&S

Hickinbotham’s 2019 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz is a 56-44 blend of the two varieties, aged in around 50% new French oak. Blended from selected barrels, it ratchets up the intensity even further than the Trueman Cab or Brooks Road Shiraz, while also adding additional layers of complexity. The herbal notes of the Cab are there but toned down, the cassis and blackberry notes of the two varieties complement each other, and the vanilla and cedar shadings are beautifully integrated into the wine. Full-bodied, concentrated and richly textured, it’s expansive yet structured and long and elegant on the finish. Give it another couple of years in the cellar and drink it over the next two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPDelivers a gorgeous, generous mix of velvety dark chocolate-covered cherry, red licorice and mocha as well as hints of fresh mint, huckleberry and boysenberry at the core. This wine’s power is matched by refinement and a long, expressive finish, where spicy notes linger. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2035. 445 cases made, 229 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA glossy, vanilla-and-spiced oak sentinel stands guard over this Cab-Shiraz blend from a top McLaren Vale vineyard. It’s not wholly intrusive, but it makes itself known, as do the characteristics of supple dark berry fruit and chocolate with undertones of mint and spice. The palate is equally rich and broad shouldered, with plump, concentrated fruit and spicy, powerful but well-placed tannins. An infant now, it should age gracefully and slowly. Drink 2024 until well into the 2030s.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2019 Pinot Noir The Sum has a medium ruby color and takes time to reveal scents of red and black cherries, tangerine peel, pipe tobacco, potpourri and licorice. The medium-bodied palate is powdery and energetic with expansive, savory fruits and a long, layered finish that hints at more to come. Intense and complex without any extra weight, this expressive Pinot Noir deserves another 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir The Sum utilizes 50-60% whole clusters and is fresh with red raspberry, cinnamon, and fresh herbs. The palate is dry and medium-bodied, with grenadine, orange peel, and baking spice. Drink 2023-2033.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDI like the earthy sous-bois character here, with notes of dried flowers, mulberries, spiced cherries, mushrooms and truffles. Medium-bodied, sleek and savory, with fine-grained tannins and a spicy, long finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSTense and dynamic, with deeply structured wild berry, crushed stone and dusky spice flavors that build toward broad-shouldered tannins. Hands off for now. Best from 2024 through 2031. 492 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

It’s a hard act to follow the monumental 2018 Grange, which – priced at AU$1000 for the first time on release – earned a slew of perfect scores. Chief winemaker Peter Gago regards the 1989, 1999 and 2009 as ’sleeper vintages’ so urges against any rash prejudgement on this 2019. Sure, it is not as showy as the 2018 was on release, but if it is anything like the 1999 when it hits its stride in 20 years’ time, then patience will be rewarded. The imposing structure, concentration and sheen of new American oak remains the trademark style, but the most powerful wine in the Penfolds stable – officially Bin 95 – is nevertheless becoming increasingly more approachable in recent vintages, and this 2019 is no exception (although approachable remains a relative term for a wine with 40 to 50 years ahead of it). Initial high-toned aromas of chinotto and kirsch lead to spicy liquorice, cedar freshness and more savoury, earthy tones. The palate is mighty: bold, chewy espresso oak char overlaying ripe black berries, plum pudding, rosemary, cured meat and balancing acidity. A blend of Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and Clare Valley fruit, aged 19 months in new American oak hogsheads. Released at £670.Decanter | 97 DECThe bold, expansive 2019 Grange (97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon) spent 19 months in larger new American Oak and is powerful and expressive as it delivers a dense core of coca, blackberry and baked terracotta aromas, all well backed by toasted coconut oak. Mouth-filing, expansive and seriously tannic, it then delivers waves of dark berry flavor laced with touches of spice, leading to a rich, muscular finish. It’s built for the long haul, so don’t even think of opening for at least a decade.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2019 Grange is 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the pinnacle of the Penfolds release (although if you ask me, the Chardonnays are my favorite part) and a wine that takes some understanding prior to scoring. The key to Grange is the old wines; it is a style of wine heavily fortified with oak (100% new, AP Johns American oak), tannin, fruit (multi-regional) and everything else. In the mouth it can be an almost impossible constellation of flavor and texture to wrap the mind around. But in time, yes, in time, this wine shows its capacity for grace and majesty. Ten years is too young to open a bottle. 20 years is about right. 30 and beyond, not a problem. It is a cellaring proposition of the highest order, but in youth it can feel impenetrable. So, this wine in front of me now has toasted coconut, dusted licorice, roasted meat, violets, burnt toffee, pastrami, coffee grounds, crushed ants/formic, roasted pecans ... all of these dark and broody (and chunky) things. 2019 was a hot year and one marred by low yields due to some inclement weather during flowering. This has meant that, as a whole, the wines have felt big, dark and compressed. This is no exception. It’s a product of the year and the state from whence it has come and in the mold and style of Grange, typical. It will be even better. For now, ne touche pas. 14.5% alcohol sealed under natural cork.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPA blend of 97% Shiraz with a 3% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Penfolds Grange was sourced with 82% of the fruit from Barossa Valley and the rest from McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and Clare Valley. It was aged for 19 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads (slightly larger than the classic Bordeaux barriques) and is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a swirl or two to bring out fragrant scents of garrigue, tilled soil, black olives, and fallen leaves, over a core of blackberry preserves, baked plums, and boysenberries, with emerging wafts of cast-iron pan and star anise. The full-bodied palate is super-tight knit with a firm, grainy texture and a crisp backbone supporting the muscular black fruit and savory layers, finishing long and minerally with a touch of star anise.The Wine Independent | 95 TWI

The 2019 Chardonnay Sigrid is especially lovely this vintage, offering that often-unattainable combination of plush, ripe fruits and shimmery acidity. Its aromatic nuances blossom slowly—white peach, Greek yogurt and pie spices emerging over time—and the medium-bodied palate has a persistent textural presence that draws out the finish. You could drink a bottle now for its irresistible youthful fruit and tanginess, or age it in the cellar over the next decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA bright, vivid chardonnay with aromas of nectarines, dried pineapples, lemon zest, toast and smoked almonds. It’s medium-to full-bodied with intense layers of spiced fruit. Excellent concentration and energy. Long, focused and precise. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Sigrid, like its predecessors, is shifty, peripatetic, constantly evolving, a wine to taste over the course of several days and marvel at its chameleonic shades. This is smoky and flinty when first poured, though you can already get a sense of its formidable energy and structure. After a day’s air the lees play a more central role, entwined around juicy pear and tart lemon flavors, though these too lengthen with days open. The effect is layered and fine, mouth filling but not heavy, with a seductively broad, blanketing minerality. A tour de force.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 95 W&SThe 2019 Chardonnay Sigrid is a blend from the three single vineyard sites and is held back on release to allow an additional year in bottle. It is fresh and sunny with ripe pear, green melon, and sea spray. The palate is dry with ripe peach, delicate oak spice, and chive. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSigrid is the barrel select reserve bottling made from a mix of several different vineyard sources. It’s a juicy, full-bodied wine, with lush tree fruits and beautifully proportioned acidity. Accents of lemony herbs add further detail, and as it winds down through a long finish, the barrel toast is set against a piercing minerality. This lovely wine is drinking beautifully already but could be cellared another half decade. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESleek yet rich, offering vibrant lemon blossom and orange peel flavors, with touches of mint and spice that sail on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2022. 560 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2020 Yattarna Chardonnay is an exercise in floral restraint, streamlined power and palate-staining intensity of flavor. The wine undulates over the mouth and through the long and lingering finish. Yattarna is routinely a sophisticated expression of Chardonnay—one of Australia’s finest—and the 2020 season is the perfect backdrop for the wine. If you headed into this wine expecting a big, powerful, obvious wine, you would be sorely mistaken. The power is coiled within the folds of phenolics and volumes of fruit in the mouth. Sixty-eight percent of the wine is sourced from Tasmania, the balance from Adelaide Hills; the clonal selection is largely Bernard clones 95 and 96. It is scintillating and composed, elegant and poised, but so seductively concentrated that it sort of forces you to sit back and contemplate it. At 12.5% alcohol, it is weightless; the power undeniable.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPPale yellow. Sharply delineated aromas of ripe citrus and pit fruits, pear nectar and tarragon take on honeysuckle, vanilla, chamomile and smoky mineral notes as the wine opens up. Silky and penetrating on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet surprisingly lithe Anjou pear, white peach and tangerine flavors and hints of toasted nuts and saffron. Juicy and tightly focused on the strikingly long finish, which features resonating hazelnut, vanilla and citrus fruit notes.Vinous Media | 96 VMRarefied and seamless, this austere wine draws you into its soft layers of complexity. The floral entry is gentle, with discrete white peach and citrus blossom. Fleshy pith clings to the palate, while a lick of strong lime juice frames the edges. It doesn’t exert the same power and punch of previous vintages, but the flavours drive long and true, being a defining feature of the distinctive acidity found in Tasmanian fruit, here blended with parcels from the Adelaide Hills. Released at A$175/bottle.Decanter | 96 DECThe oak is strongly expressed in this blend of Tasmania and Adelaide Hills chardonnay. Aromas of toasted hazelnut, as well as peach, lemon, grapefruit and wet stones abound. There’s nougat and spiced bread here, too. The palate holds an intense core of ripe-peach, grilled-lemon and nectarine fruit flavor delivered in a mouthwateringly intense mode, with flavors of grapefruit, grilled lemon, toasted nuts and a bracingly fresh, unwavering drive of acidity. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe sources for this 2020 Bin 144 Yattarna include Tasmania and Adelaide Hills. It spent eight months in French oak barriques, 86% new. It zips out of the glass with ready-to-go scents of fresh grapefruit, white peaches, and lemon curd, leading to hints of lemon butter and marzipan with a touch of orange blossom. Light-bodied, the palate is refreshing with racy acidity, lifting the bright, intense citrus and stone fruit flavors to a long finish. This tangy (3.05 pH), tight-knit style is built for aging, so give it a couple of years in the cellar to blossom and drink it over the following 15 years+.The Wine Independent | 95 TWI

A personal favorite at this tasting, the 2021 Pinot Noir Daphne is pure and vibrant and pours a jeweled ruby hue. Fresh with notes of cranberry cocktail, spiced orange, and saline, it’s medium-bodied and persistent on the palate. It brings great, balanced tension and ripe fruit, with a citrus-driven feel while remaining ripe, and has fine tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD‘The Eyrie always brings an earthen character’, says winemaker Jason Lett and true to form, this Pinot from 56-year-old vines shows forest floor, garden soil, moss and deep blue fruits on the aromatics. Tasting the Willamette Valley’s original Pinot Noir is a special experience for a wine lover, and this wine lives up to the billing. A great depth of blue berry fruits alongside a blood orange zest is wrapped around a stony, mineral-laden core. Sous bois, crushed stone and five-star anise, announce the finish of this wine that is just getting started and has 15 or 20 years to come into its own.Decanter | 96 DECFantastic purity of fruit here, with beautiful aromas of lavender, rosemary, cranberries, wild strawberries, oranges and pomegranates. So concentrated and flavorful, with a medium body and sleek, silky tannins. Fantastic persistency of wild spice and berry fruit. From organically grown grapes. 151 cases. Delicious already, but better after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSDarkly alluring, the 2021 Pinot Noir Daphne wafts up with a burst of crushed stones, giving way to licorice, cherry cola and violet pastille. This is silky-smooth and supple with ripe red and blue fruit depths underscored by tactile mineral tones as candied citrus hints emerge toward the close. This finishes staining, long and full of tension. A tart wild berry resonance lingers through the gently tannic and classically dry finale. Simply stunning.Vinous Media | 95 VMElegant and seductive, offering expressive plum, raspberry, green tea and forest floor accents that build richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 154 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Brilliant ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Outcrop is expressive in its aromas of wet stone, fresh pine, and grenadine. Medium-bodied, it offers more concentration and personality on the palate, revealing ripe tannins, juicy, ripe, red-berried fruit, and an elegant, long finish. It’s drinking well now and will continue to improve with 3-5 years bottle age. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Pinot Noir Outcrop is earthy and savory in the glass. An herbal thrust combines with hints of white pepper, crushed stones and wild strawberries. This is juicy and full of energy, with racy acidity and cool-toned red fruits gliding across the palate, leaving olive and sage suggestions. Inner florals echo over a bed of grippy tannins as the 2021 tapers off long and full of zesty tension, leaving a slowly fading hint of sour citrus.Vinous Media | 94 VMWith the Outcrop Pinot, Jason Lett believes the site starts to mark the wines, offering a reliable savoury character and chewy tannins. Own-rooted, Wadenswil vines from a northern exposure produce wines of savoury structure. Aromas of brambleberries, Spanish lavender and wintergreen are marked by savoury herbal notes. The palate is deftly structured, offering savoury herbs, green tea leaf and a dollop of pomegranate.Decanter | 94 DECAttractive aromas of toasted spices, black cherries and wild blueberries with hints of lemon peel, violets, walnuts and dust. It’s medium-bodied with layers of compact red and blue fruit and firm tannins around it. It is still a little tight, with impressive tension and energy. Lingering, savory finish. From vineyards planted from 1982 through 2000. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSVibrant and delicately complex, with refined cherry and cranberry flavors that layer on accents of green tea and fresh forest floor, finishing with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. 197 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Welcome to the dark side of the pinot noir force! Deep and dangerous with enormous concentration, this full-bodied pinot noir has stacks of damson-plum and blackberry fruit, but is also extraordinarily fresh and decisively dry. Enormously long, velvety finish in which violet, smoke and stony minerality are seamlessly interwoven. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSMeaning "notebook" in French, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cahiers takes on more layers of lifted spices and ripe red fruit, with orange oil, white pepper, and sage. Medium to full-bodied, with rounded fruit on the mid-palate, fine tannins, and a good finish, it’s drinking well now, although it’s leaning toward its primary fruit. It will continue to improve over the next couple of years. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDI could fill a notebook with descriptions of this wine’s aromas. The list is longer, but aromas include marionberries, blackcurrants, beeswax, the saline of a fresh-shucked oyster and warm masala chai spices. The wine’s smooth texture, modest acidity and silky tannins match up with rose petal and raspberry flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

This is quite the Chardonnay from Brianne Day and the renowned Eola Springs Vineyard in the best Chardonnay appellation in America. Winemaker Brianne Day chose three different blocks and three different clones: Hyde Wente, Mount Eden and Chardonnay 96 (a Dijon clone). She picked the Hyde Wente and Mount Eden early for structure and acid, and the Dijon 96 was picked later to flesh out the palate with riper fruits. Captivating lemon curd aromas and rich, honeyed apricots are followed by almond pastry cream.—dollops of rich lemon cream, ripe peach fuzz, and rich apricot flesh.Decanter | 96 DECDistinctly savory, the 2021 Chardonnay Eola Springs Vineyard bursts from the glass with an array of crushed rocks and flint giving way to dried apricots and nectarine. This displays silky textures, seamless and lifted, with crisp orchard fruits and mineral tones cascading across the palate. It finishes with staining length yet is incredibly fresh, leaving a hint of candied citrus and a salty tinge. Nicely done.Vinous Media | 93 VMRich, creamy and full-bodied yet surprisingly elegant, this Oregon chardonnay glides over the palate, but also has the structure to age for some years. The tannins from the generous toasty oak build at the long, imposing finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Eola Springs Vineyard bottling of chardonnay from Breeana Day is a lovely wine. It offers up a beautifully complex bouquet of pear, nectarine, a touch of almond, a lovely base of soil tones, gently musky floral tones and a discreet framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, focused and full-bodied, with a beautiful core of ripe fruit, lovely soil undertow and grip, zesty acids and a long, poised, seamlessly-balanced and complex finish. This is really lovely juice, coming in at thirteen percent octane and offering a lovely synthesis of perfectly ripe fruit and structural tension on the backend. It should age beautifully. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

Brianne Day shows her winemaking skillset when it comes to Chardonnay and this wine speaks to Oregon’s Chardonnay potential, and her deft hand. Gorgeous layered lemon curd aromatics, notes of honeyed apricot flesh, beeswax and yellow flower pollen. The palate balannces hedonistic ripe fruit complexity with a brilliant acidity and fillagreed mineral lift. Rich grilled peaches, ripe apricot flesh and wet stones all lead to rich lemon cream and a gorgeous honeyed mouthfeel.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chardonnay Belle Pente Vineyard is highly expressive and exotic, with tropical citrus and mango complemented by hints of mint and brioche. This is round and supple with a balanced inner sweetness and ripe orchard fruits that envelope the palate. A mineral trace adds savoriness through the medium-length finale, as the 2021 tapers off with hints of apricot and lime.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis medium-bodied Oregon chardonnay has an enticing nose of Meyer lemon custard, then a generous creamy and silky palate. Interesting tension between floral honey character and a touch of citrusy freshness at the surprisingly firm finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JS

Bright and inviting, the 2021 Chardonnay Drouhin Oregon Roserock has high-toned aromatics including loads of lime zest, honeyed apple, and a lifted note of gunflint that is well-managed. Medium-bodied and energetic, with balanced ripeness as well as loads of fresh citrus and a long finish, it has more reductive and bright-toned energy that lasts for ages through the finish. Drink 2023-2030.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDNotes of dried apples, glazed lemons, orange curd, roasted almonds and crushed stones. Hints of dried lemon peel, too. Full-bodied and broad yet it is delicate with impressive fresh acidity. Incredible minerality here with a touch of zestiness at the end. Lingering finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom the Eola-Amity Hills, fast becoming Oregon’s best Chardonnay sub-appellation, given its windy conditions and volcanic soils. The Roserock shows flinty aromatics and laser-focused brightness with hints of cut early-season pears, white flowers and smoky minerality. The palate is balanced, bright and savoury, with minerality written all over it. Notes of crushed granite and green peppercorn complement grilled lemon peel, briny seaspray and smoky flint.Decanter | 93 DECDriven by electrifying acidity and a texture as crisp as a new dollar bill, this is a wine for fans of the lean, but hardly mean, style of Chardonnay. Pineapple and chamomile aromas are complemented by bits of fresh-cut grass and thyme. Flavors of chilled orange segments, lemon verbena and toasted filberts go on forever. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBrisk and fresh, with pear and grapefruit flavors accented by spice and white blossom aromatics as this glides on the steely finish. Drink now. 2,405 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2021 Pinot Noir Laurelwood District has a pale ruby-purple color and slowly unfolding aromas of cranberries, tangerine peel, pipe tobacco and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is powerful and generous with concentrated fruit, grainy tannins, plenty of refreshing acidity and a long, spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPretty nose of green strawberries, cranberries, dark currants, licorice and button mushrooms. Juicy and tasty with a medium body and gently dusty tannins. Moreish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSWhat starts out fairly spicy with oak character takes on an herbal tinge with air, of bay laurel after a rain. Two-days open, and the oak has receded, providing a bit of polish to purplish black-cherry fruit.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&S

The 2021 Pinot Noir La Bohème has a medium ruby-purple color and deep scents of red and black cherries, forest floor, pipe tobacco and burnt citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly layered and nuanced, with loads of spicy accents and alluring floral perfume. It has a silky texture, energetic acidity and a very long, spicy finish. Offer it another 2-3 years in the bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Deeply seductive, the 2021 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard opens with a burst of mentholated herbs, licorice and sweet autumnal spices. Juicy and broad upon entry, this envelopes the palate with ripe red and hints of blue fruit, giving way to suggestions of cola and lavender. Its mineral core comes forward through the finish, gaining tension through a blend of fine tannins and residual acids as spice and floral notes resonate throughout. The Eileen Vineyard is refined using 46% whole clusters and 34% new French oak barrels for eighteen months.Vinous Media | 96 VMA deep saturated ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard is more aromatically reserved initially but opens in the glass to emerging notes of rocky earth, ripe black and blue fruit, and wild herbs. It already displays a tension aromatically that carries over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied, with a weightless feel, ripe, well-structured tannins, and a tension-packed, ripe core. It has a nervous energy at this stage that bodes well for significant aging potential over the next 15 to 20 years. It’s a remarkable wine that demands aging time.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAt the top of this estate site, the Eileen Vineyard sits adjacent to Eola’s iconic Temperance Hill and stares down the barrel of the Van Duzer Corridor, where those Pacific winds take dead aim at this part of the AVA. The resulting wine is a study in Eola-Amity terroir, a combination of soil diversity and those famed winds that make this place possible. White pepper and crushed basalt aromas blend with violet florals and juicy cut blood orange. The palate is fleshy, with a core of dark fruit wrapped up in savoury elegance, white pepper, and spice from these stony hills carry the wine into its amply structured finish.Decanter | 95 DECFocused, dense, elegant and vibrant, with dominating aromas of sour cherries, cinnamon, dried herbs and mild spices. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Poised, with plenty of energy all along. Agile and succulent with some white pepper character kicking in toward the long finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is my favorite Eileen since Dexys Midnight Runners. It fills the air with pretty aromas of bright red raspberries, violets and talc. It is superbly balanced with a buoyant mouthfeel and flavors like white peaches, raspberries, black tea and wet rocks. Come on Eileen, one more sip.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEBriary and on the savory side, with a dried-spice scent and a suave, burnished cherry-wood note, this feels like it will come off lean; and yet there’s a pulpy, dark berry core of fruit that gives the wine a moment of textural richness. It finishes with a pleasing tension. There’s a lot going on here, the wine built to cellar.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 92 W&S

Stunning aromatics lift from the 2021 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills, which pours a jeweled ruby and offers a mix of red and black fruits, an amazing floral perfume, pine, and crushed stones, all well-interwoven. Seamless on the palate, this medium to full-bodied red has a silky mineral texture, with velvety tannins and gorgeous concentration throughout. With long-lasting energy and outstanding purity, it’s hard to resist now and feels as though it will last for the next 15 or more years. This is one of the best wines I have ever tasted from Mimi Casteel.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

From 40-year-old self-rooted vines that are organically farmed, the 2021 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard is a ripe ruby hue and offers notes of grenadine, candied roses, and cinnamon. Its tannins are ripe and fine, and it fills the palate with ripe red fruit, apricot, and notes of crushed stone along with mouthwatering salinity. Drink 2023-2038.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

A ripe youthful yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay VGW is fantastic out of the gates, with ripe aromas of white smoke, lemon balm, salty earth, and white peach. From all volcanic soils, the 2021 Chardonnay VGW is ripe through the palate with generous notes of salted pineapple fruit and a rounded feel, although it’s clean as a whistle and has a fresh lift of acidity. It is drinking wonderfully now and will drink well over the next 5-7 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

The deep ruby 2021 Pinot Noir St. Dolores Estate takes on a darker though approachable profile, with notes of lavender, fresh blackberry, wild cherry, and anise. Balanced with great energy and a more refined feel, it has fine tannins (although it has structure) and offers bright, even acidity and a long finish. This is already indicating that it’s going to be a remarkable wine with serious aging potential. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDDolores must be the patron saint of elegant Pinot Noir, as this beautiful wine will make you want to light a candle in her honor. The wine’s raspberry and strawberry aromas are punctuated by wisps of cedar, watermelon rind and almond roca. Frisky acidity and plush tannins back flavors of nectarines, cherries and saline. Amen.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2021 Pinot Noir Estate St. Dolores grumbles up from the glass with earth tones and exotic spice, paving the way for dusty dried strawberries. Racy and sleek, it opens with a saline tinge, giving way to dark red berry depths and inner herbal tones. Its zesty acidity refreshes the palate even as a combination of primary concentration and grippy tannins takes hold through the long and structured finale.Vinous Media | 93+ VMAttractive aromas of cherries and blueberries with hints of violets, cocoa and chalk. Medium-bodied, clean and pure with crunchy blue-fruited and polished, almost glossy texture. Vivid and flavorful with a firm finish. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 92 JS

A bright yellow hue with green highlights, the 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard is expressive in its lacy perfume of jasmine, tarragon, salty earth, and bright green apple. Medium-bodied, it offers beautiful, pristine, ripe fruit, a pithy texture, and a delicate arch to its rounded mouthfeel, with no harshness. It’s refined and graceful, with a floral flourish of lemon blossoms lasting long on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2022 Lark Block bottling of chardonnay from Durant Vineyard is truly one of the finest white wines I have yet had the pleasure to taste from Kelley Fox. The bouquet is very precise and has a gently exotic floral sheen to it, offering up scents of pear, casaba melon, fresh almond, a beautiful base of soil tones, lemon peel, orange blossoms and a touch of honeysuckle. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb depth at the core lovely soil inflection, a fine spine of acidity and a long, vibrant and impeccably balanced finish. This is very easy to drink out of the blocks, but there is so much more lurking here right below the surface that I would definitely try to give the wine three or four years in the cellar to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. It is a great wine. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard blossoms in the glass as wildflowers and crushed apples give way to mint and crushed stone suggestions. This opens with a lovely inner sweetness and supple texture contrasted with zesty acids and crisp orchard fruits. It tapers off with amazing tension, grippy and cheek puckering with a citrusy concentration as savory herbs and a sensation of liquid stone fade.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is a Goldilocks porridge wine where everything from the lemony acidity to the sturdy tannins was “just right.” It is medium- bodied fare, with blackberry, Thai basil and orange-zest flavors. Violet and cinnamon-stick aromas blend harmoniously with notes of dark raspberries and blueberry fruit leather. It is a stunning value.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA delicate, crunchy and refined pinot noir with notes of cranberries, Morello cherries, baking spices and roses. It’s medium-bodied with sleek tannins and fresh acidity. Bright and agile with a silky texture. Succulent, with a focused, subtle finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSIt is fascinating to taste the 2022 Roserock pinot noir alongside the Dundee Hills bottling from Domaine Drouhin, as both wines tip the scales at 14.1 percent octane in this vintage, but the fruit from the cooler Van Duzer Corridor gives the Roserock bottling a more black fruity personality than the DDO bottling. The bouquet here is excellent, delivering scents of black cherries, sweet dark berries, woodsmoke, black tea, a nice touch of the stems, lovely soil tones, peonies, rose petals and a deft touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and shows beautiful depth of sappy black fruit at the core, with excellent soil signature, ripe, seamless tannins, tangy acids and superb length and grip on the complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is simply outstanding young pinot noir! (Drink between 2034 - 2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe woodland-inspired 2022 Pinot Noir Roserock wafts up with peppery herbs, florals, woodland berries and hints of clove. This flows across the palate with supple textures and vividly ripe wild berries, all balanced by a core of vibrant acidity. It tapers off with medium length and perfumed, leaving a gentle mineral tinge and inner roses. The Roserock is a finessed beauty.Vinous Media | 91 VM