Preston Reviews Willamette Valley (WV PART 6)

We drank a good amount of wine on the trip. Here’s the list of the wines we drank in a formal setting (that means we swish and spit). It does not include all the wines we actually drank at dinner or the incredible wine bars we visited like Division Wine Co. in Portland. 

Comprehensive list of wines tasted and my tasting notes (alphabetical by winery)

I included relevant and/or interesting bits of information like retail price, clone, source, aging if unusual or obvious, some blurbs about the year, reasons for producing at all, etc. I mark only my favorites with “Good”, “Good+”, “Good++”, and “Great!”. These scores are as much preference as they are comments on the quality of the wine. We really didn’t have a bad or poorly made wine the entire trip. 

You’ll see only 7 wines designated “Great”, 10 wines designated “Good++”, 8 wines designated “Good+”,
14 wines designated “Good”, and 60 wines that weren’t quite worth calling a favorite although most were  still delicious. 

Note: I know the prices can be painful. I take price into account when noting how much I like it. Also, If I do not mention a clone or specific place it is simply because it isn’t necessarily notable, or it’s a blend of clones and places. I tried to keep notes short, so you’ll actually take a look ha. Let me know if you’d like me to try to acquire any of these for you. Also keep an eye out for fun patterns, like how wines change over small verticals or how similar wines from the same vineyards are, even if they’re made by different wineries.

Argyle Spirit Hill Blanc de Blancs 2017

This Eola-Amity Hills sourced Chardonnay offered a classic BdB with lemon cream and stone. A cool savory quality with a touch of pool water. ($60)

Argyle Knudsen Blanc de Blancs 2018 

This Dundee Hills sourced BdB was a bit muted but brighter and more acid driven than Spirit Hill. Lemon forward. ($60)

Argyle Knudsen Blanc de Blancs 2010 

Marzipan, dusty, musty, maybe a touch too far gone- the mothballs have taken over here. ($115)

Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Brut 2019

Tasty and classic. Not mind blowing. Will drink not seek. ($60)

Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Brut 2010

95 chard, 5 pinot noir. Great balance, lemon, crisp, dead flowers, hazelnuts. My favorite of the extended tirage. Good++ ($115)

Argyle Extended Tirage Brut 2011

A touch too oxidized. Tasty, but at its peak. Bruised apples, nuts, pears, honey. ($85) 

Argyle 35th Anniversary 2012

Young feeling compared to 2011. Quiet. Lemongrass. Round and full in structure. Still has tons of time. Good++ ($85)

Argyle Estate Rosé 2019 

Tasty! Melon, red fruit, and herbs. Crushable. ($25)

Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir 2021

Eola-Amity Hills. Strawberry jam, some black fruit. Fruit bomb. Little more. Lacks acidity. ($60)

Argyle Giving Tree Pinot Noir 2021

Willamette. Tannins that are reaching to grip. Red fruit bomb, savory herbs and minerals. ($60)

Argyle Lone Star Pinot Noir 2021

Eola-Amity Hills. Bright. Great acid balance. Cherries, strawberries, orange peel, with some earthiness and dust on the palate finishes with a bitter mineraliness. Good+ ($60)

Argyle Reserve Chardonnay 2018 

Willamette. 16 months in 25% new French oak. Tart lemon. Shallow. Crusher. Finish of lemon curd and vanilla. Great balance of malo and oak. ($35)

Argyle Nuthouse Chardonnay 2020

Eola-Amity Hills. 14 months in 500L 30% new oak. Expressive! Minerally. Not much oak on the nose. High but balanced acidity. Tamed but long. Good. ($45)

Argyle Spirithouse Riesling 2017

Dry. More fruit than honey. More citrus than stone fruit. ($50)

Argyle Nuthouse Riesling 2021

Off dry. Candied apricots and lemons. A touch out of whack. ($35)

Argyle Minus 5 Riesling 2021

Sweet. Favorite of the rieslings. The sweetness brought the package together and gave the wine what it was lacking in the other bottlings. Candied peach. More fruit than honey. Balanced. Not syrupy but a bit of a grainy finish. Good. ($40)

Bergström La Spirale Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2021

Ribbon Ridge. Cranberry sauce. Jam but not jammy. Good fresh strawberry jam. Round and ripe, juicy and floral. Good++ ($92)

Bergström Le Pré du col Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2021 (Available at Frugal)

Ribbon Ridge. Darker and earthier than La Spirale. Plum, blackberry, juicy berries with an umami finish. Good++ ($92)

Bergström Silice Chehalem Mtns. Pinot Noir 2020 

Chehalem Mtns. Blue and black fruit nose, spice, red fruited palate, rhubarb and strawberry. Good++ ($80)

Bergström Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 

Dundee Hills. Savory nose with red fruit right beneath. Strawberry pie, herbs, cocoa powder. Favorite at Bergström. Great! ($130)

Bergström Sigrid Chardonnay 2020 

1 year in 10-15% new French oak then 6 months in stainless steel. Wow. The balance is impressive. Fruit forward. Rich lemon. Like standing next to a white flower and herb garden when a big gust of wind blows through. Wet stones. The herbs come out even more on the finish. Great! ($120)

Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2021

Toasty candied fruit, soft, shallow but good. Lemon, stone fruit, cream, lime zest. Good+ ($47)

Bryn Mawr Willamette Valley Sparkling Rosé NV (Available at Frugal)

Force carb. A portion whole cluster. Fresh and clean. High acid. Fresh flowers, strawberries, cherries, lemon. ($25)

Bryn Mawr Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2022 (Available at Frugal)

6 months in neutral puncheons. 85% estate grown. Lemon, baking spices, great mouthfeel, pear. Good. ($25)

Bryn Mawr Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2021 (Available at Frugal)

50% estate grown. Aromatic. Juicy, wild strawberry, spice, cranberry, richer than 2019, tasty. Good. ($25)

Bryn Mawr Estate Pinot Noir 2021 

Floral, perfumy, juicy and structured, cherry and cranberry with a touch of spice on the finish. Good. ($50)

Bryn Mawr Estate Tempranillo 2018

36 months in French oak. Red fruit. Grainy big tannins, fresh and bright, oak spice, tight, needs food. Meaty. ($60)

Bryn Mawr Estate Dolcetto 2021 

Two blocks planted. Beautiful dense purple color. Spice, purple flowers, jam, cocoa, blueberry pie, black tea. structured but short. Not great, but so fun! Good. ($35) 

Bryn Mawr Estate Pinot Noir 2020

Fire year. Most people we talked to didn’t make any wine in 2020 or only white because the white grapes were pulled before the smoke moved in. But Bryn Mawr made their wine and David's excuse was amazing. He spoke to fires being a part of the region’s story now, like it or not. Wine people talk constantly about wine telling the story of time and place, “unless it's a story of a time or place we don’t like,” David cracked. Their 2020 wines tell the transparent story. They evoke a memory, one of pain yes, but a memory of a specific time and place. How cool is that?! There was smoke on the nose, but not much on the palate. It is juicy and spicy. They didn’t just make the wine like normal but crafted them around the knowledge that smoke would be a major flavor in the wine. They used less oak, a fast ferment, lab yeast, and tried to keep it as juicy as possible. It isn’t even close to the best wine we had but it might be the coolest and most authentic, and to me that counts for a lot. I also think it will come to serve them in the future with more and more possibilities for fires. Practice makes perfect, they say. ($40)

Cristom Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 (Available at Frugal)

(Highest elevation) Single vineyard named for his wife Eileen. Classic WV nose, cherry behind green brush. Bright red fruit with some blue. High acid, South Carolina brush and pine needles. Good+ ($83)

Cristom Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

(Lowest elevation) Cranberry, the Brinkman’s house, high acid, tannic finish, savory back end. Good+ ($83)

Cristom Marjorie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 (Available at Frugal)

(Oldest vineyard) Baking spice, red fruit pie, black fruit, bruised pear, food wine for sure. The acid is maintained. Good++ ($83)

Cristom Paul Gerrie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

(Youngest vineyard) Red Candy, red fruit, lush, stream lined and well incorporated, ripe. Good+ ($83)

Cristom Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

(Steepest vineyard) Tamed nose, expressive palate. Red apple skin, apple butter, baking spice. Good+ ($83)

Cristom Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay 2021

Barrel fermented then aged for 11 months on lees in 24% new French oak then 6 months in stainless. White flowers, apricot, lemon, squash, yellow flowers, light cream, lemon zest. Good. ($45)

Cristom Estate Syrah 2008 

Delicious but one noted. Black fruit, olive, leather. Age on the nose but not on the palate. Mixed berry compote. Fun! ($55)

Domaine Serene ‘r’ Rosé 15th Edition, multi-vintage

50% Pinot Noir-50% Chardonnay. Bitter nose I dislike. A touch too much residual sugar for my liking but does give it a nice mouthfeel. It Tastes much better than it smells. Strawberry, melon, fine tannins. ($44)

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Dundee Hills Brut, multi-vintage

Traditional Method. 50-50 Chard-Pinot Noir. 36 months before disgorgement. Great balance of fresh fruit and secondary from lees. Honey and nuts, caramel and lemon cream. Biscotti, dried apricot. Good+ ($85)

(Domaine Serene) Chevalier de la Crée Montagny Premier Cru Knights Templar Cuvée 2020

Domaine Serene’s Burgundy project. Stones, tropical lemon, golden apple, fresh almond, struck match, well made, great balance but not complex or delicious. ($50)

Domaine Serene Evenstad Pinot Noir 2019

Fresh herbs, pepper, blackberry, black cherry, baked cherry, dried orange, luscious nose, nose shines on this guy. Chase said “Grandma’s dresser drawer” and that is spot on ha. Musty but fresh wood beneath. Good ($100)

Domaine Serene Yamhill Pinot Noir 2016 

Baked Strawberry, vanilla from oak, balsamic, herbs, cherries, not much sign of age. Good ($80)

Domaine Serene Grand Cheval 2019

70% Syrah 30% Pinot Noir. Purple, blue, black, good but not complex. Just a big red crusher. ($85)

Evening Land La Forét White Pinot Noir 2022

White peach, white flowers, green herbs, full body. ($35)

Evening Land Passe-tout-grains 2019

50% Gamay, 50% Pinot Noir. Earth forward. Barnyard, orange, baking spice, cranberry in the back, wood chips, metal or tar. ($35)

Evening Land Estate Pinot Noir 2021 

Eola-Amity Hills. Red fruited. Mixed but fresh fruit not red candy. Not too complex but delicious. Very little earth. Good. ($45)

Evening Land La Source Pinot Noir 2021

More new oak but less time. 18 instead of 24 months. Nose is blue and purple. Floral, most structure of any. Definitely a food wine. ($75)

Evening Land Summum Pinot Noir 2021

Wood grain, brown butter nose, mixed fruit, more classic WV but balanced. ($100)

Evening Land La Source Chardonnay 2021

Mineral, stone, white flowers, apples, citrus. Great balance. Good+ ($75)

Evening Land Summum Chardonnay 2021

Leaner finish than La Source. Higher acid. Lemon, brininess, melon. Good+ ($100)

King Estate Brut Cuvee 2016

Majority Pinot Noir. Red fruit, acid driven, one noted, not as complex as 2017. ($40)

King Estate Brut Cuvee 2017

Majority Chardonnay. Aromatic. Flowers, dirt, brioche, donuts with sugar, honeysuckle. ($40)

King Estate Blanc de Noirs 2008 25th Anniversary

Honey, nuts, caramel apple, still lively! Aged but in no way oxidized. Creamy lemon on palate, carraway, rye bread, yellow apple. Great! ($75)

King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris 2021 (Available at Frugal)

Honeysuckle, lime pith, rock candy, crusher, short but tasty. ($20)

King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris 2017

More developed, vanilla nose, melded together pear, melon, yellow apple, butter, rounder. Delish.  ($20)

King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris 2011

More developed but continuing on the same path. Honey oats, caramel, lemon cream, vanilla, flowers, deep and long. I had doubts about these being aged but wow. Great!  ($20)

King Estate Estate Gewurztraminer 2018 

Stone fruit and flowers, honey. Tamed and quiet. ($40)

King Estate Quail Run Roussanne Marsanne 2018 

Orange, hay, earth, rotten vegetal note, butter, full body. ($30)

King Estate Freedom Hill Pinot Noir 2015

Balance of earth and fruit. Cherry, dried flowers, dried orange, cranberry. ($70)

King Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Fruit is secondary to balsamic, specific spices like pepper and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, oregano, plum, bruised cherries, herbs and fruit on the palate. Good. ($90)

King Estate Sonrisa Walla Walla Tempranillo 2017

Rich brown sugar, baking spices, plum, stewed strawberry, bramble. ($50)

King Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Franc 2016

Classic Franc nose, a touch of pepper, plum, black raspberry, currant, spice, leather. ($50)

King Estate 7 Rows Skin Contact Pinot Gris 2021

Rosé in style and color. Melon, grapefruit, watermelon rind, and some herbs. Just okay but cool that they’re doing it with all the pinot gris they have planted. Dope label. Beautiful glowing pink orange color. ($30)

Patricia Green Rose of Tempranillo 2022

Freedom Hill. Beautiful. Easy and not over-thought. Orange blossom, melon. ($30)

Patricia Green Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022

All stainless steel. Delicious. Green, floral, citrus, mineraly, Loire-ish, acid driven. ($25)

Patricia Green Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Stainless steel then Acacia barrels. The wood comes through in vanilla cream. Tropical, orange cream, lime zest. Good. ($40)

Patricia Green Durant Vineyard Dundee Chardonnay 2021

Dundee Hills. Concrete and 20% new puncheons. Orange creamsicle, green apple. Needs food. ($42)

Patricia Green Estate Chardonnay Ribbon Ridge 2021

Ribbon Ridge. Concrete and 50% large new Acacia puncheons. More lemon than orange, green herbs, lemon zest, melon, oak presence but so well balanced. Acid pierces the oak perfectly. Good+ ($75)

Patricia Green Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Pommard (clone). Beautiful candy apple red color. Classic WV nose. Cherry, apple, candy, cranberry, strawberry. ($45)

Patricia Green Wind Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Ribbon Ridge. Pommard. Dark in color, more brooding and savory on the nose. Fresh flowers, black fruit, dark spices, tighter tannins, blue fruit on end. Good. ($65)

Patricia Green Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Wadenswil (clone) Dark, earthy, luscious, structured, tight young tannins, blackberry, spice, bramble, stems. Needs good and a bit of time but so good. Good++ ($60)

Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir 2021 

Coury (Clone) Red fruit backed by warm spices. Soft and round mouthfeel, crusher. Classic but still complex. ($42)

Patricia Green Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Coury (Clone) Earth, pepper, black fruit, cherry pie finish with a touch of baking spices. Earth and fruit. ($42)

Patricia Green Mysterious Pinot Noir 2019

Dundee Hills. Sweet baking spices, earth and dirt, smoky minerality, balanced with black and red fruit. Great mouthfeel. Soft and strong. Black cherry. Great! ($100)

Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir 2021 (Available at Frugal)

Perfumy, red fruit taffy, classic. ($30)

Patricia Green Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

Pommard (clone) planted in 1976. Young. Needs time and is very light in color. Big tight tannins. Still quiet and shallow. ($42)

Patricia Green Blueberry Wine 2020

Here’s another 2020. As you can see with the fires Patricia Green didn’t make much wine…out of grapes that is. They made this delicious blueberry wine though. Surprising structure, body, and color. Looks like Pinot but smells like blueberry pie. She didn’t tell us what it was at first, so I was taken aback! What is this! Ha. Blueberry muffin or blueberry pancakes with syrup, bone dry. ($50)

Purple Hands Lone Oak Ranch Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022 (Available at Frugal)

20% whole cluster. 5% new French oak, 50% stainless steel, 45% neutral oak. Dusty nose, Potpurrie, mouthfilling red fruit, driving acidity, soft texture. ($30)

Purple Hands Latchkey Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

Dundee. Pommard. Dusty minerality, baking spices, dried flowers, classic WV cherry underneath. ($70)

Purple Hands Latchkey Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Dundee. Pommard. Wow the extra year serves it so well. Do not drink 2022s. Settled, dense, complex, strawberry, bramble, subtle olive, strawberry candy. Good++ ($70)

Purple Hands Haakon/Lenai Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 

Pommard, 777, 115. Cherry wood shavings, structured, black cherry, cocoa powder. ($70)

Purple Hands Haakon/Lenai Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Pommard, 777, 115. Toasty funky nose, barnyard, leather, not much fruit. Will be interesting in a few years. ($70)

Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 

Coury, Wadenswil. Stinky cheese, olive, dense, rich texture, black cherry, rotten dried grapes (but in a fun way)($70)

Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Coury, Wadenswil. Savory nose. Dirty cherry, olive brine, dirty rock, bitter orange pith. ($70)

Purple Hands West Wind Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 

Ribbon Ridge. Pommard, Wadenswil. Juicy, softer, sticky encompassing tannins, fruit cake, floral red, dried orange. ($70)

Purple Hands West Wind Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Ribbon Ridge. Fruit nose. Dentist clean minerality, raspberry sorbet, balanced, savory but bright, herbs, mint soap. Good++ ($70)

Purple Hands Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 (Available at Frugal)

Yamhill-Carlton. 777. Highest elevation blocks in Shea. Light red in color. Fruit forward, big body, soft structure, wild strawberry, orange, apple skin, cherry. Perfect for Fall/Winter. Good. ($70)

Purple Hands Haakon/Lenai Chardonnay 2021 (Available at Frugal)

Dundee Hills. 10 months on lees no stirring. 30% stainless, 40% new French oak, 30% neutral French oak. Beautiful and complex. Wow. Like a kitchen baking a lemon pie. Bourbon cream, wildflowers, Masterfully Incorporated oak, lemon meringue, honey, salt water taffy. Great! ($70)

St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc 2021 

Yellow Flowers, nectarine, minerality. Round with perfectly layered acidity. ($25)

St. Innocent Freedom Hill Chardonnay 2019

11 months on lees in neutral oak. Fruit forward with cream, pear and orange. ($36)

St. Innocent Skin Contact Pinot Gris 2022

3 days of skin contact. Light salmon color. Watermelon, pink lemonade, grainy residual sugar. ($25)

St. Innocent Temperance Hill Pinot Noir 2018 

Blackberry, black cherry, structured, spice cake. ($50)

St. Innocent Momtazi Pinot Noir 2018

Smoke and dirt, spiced pear, plum sauce. Good+ ($50)

St. Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 

Classic WV nose with a little something extra. Lighter than the others but complex. Red hard candy, purple flowers, spice, dried orange, balanced, roses, dusty finish. Good++ ($70)

St. Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot Noir 2018 (Available at Frugal)

Denser, dirtier fruit, almost desserty on the finish, like cherry pie or blackberry cobbler. Fruit and savory. Good+ ($50)

St. Innocent Freedom Hill Blanc de Blancs NV 

Tasty! Traditional Method. They’ve been making sparkling wine since the beginning but just a tiny amount each year that is still done by hand all the way through. Good+ ($50)

Stoller Estate Brut NV 

90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, 1% Pinot Meunier. Traditional Method. Delicious umami nose. Bread, honey, pear, yellow apple, rich and round with great acidity. Good+ ($40)

Stoller Single Acre Pinot Blanc 2021

Stainless, concrete, and neutral oak from a single acre of planted pinot blanc on the estate. 400 acre estate, 200 planted. Apple, stone fruit, touch of grainy residual sugar, good crusher, white flowers. ($35)

Stoller Estate Chardonnay 2021

Concrete and stainless. Zero oak. Concrete on the nose. Wet stone, lime zest, chalky, mango, heavy candied pineapple, lean, tasty. Good. ($40)

Stoller Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 

Dundee. Pommard. Black cherry, herbs, dried mango, potpourri. Good. Tasting better than the 2019s. Like most people, they didn’t make any wine in 2020 but re-released 2017s from the cellar as a library release. ($70)

Stoller Helen’s Pinot Noir 2019

Wadenswil. Cherry, plum, dirt, bramble. ($75)

Stoller Nancy’s Pinot Noir 2019

Dark fruit, blackberry, plum, black cherry, dusty, mothball. ($75)

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Domaine Willamette Brut 2019

67% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 1% Pinot Meunier. Traditional. 30-36 months on lees. Classic palate. Lemon, balanced between fruit and toast. ($75)

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Domaine Willamette  Brut Rosé 2019

100% Pinot Noir. 30 months. Classic again. ($75)

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Domaine Willamette  Blanc de Blancs 2019 

100% Chardonnay. 30 months. Delicious. Nuts, honey, orange marmalade, apples, lemons, brioche. When The bubbles dissipated it tasted like great Burgundy. Great! ($75)

Willamette Valley Vineyards Bernau Block Pinot Noir 2021

Cherry, heavy baking spices, warm, nutmeg. Underwhelming for price. ($60)

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Domaine Willamette Elton Florine Pinot Noir 2017

Florine Block. Denser and more complex than Bernau. Rich red fruit. Rocks and dirt, baking spice, black cherry jam. Good. ($80)

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pambrun Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 

Good stuff, but nothing to seek out. ($75)