A Second Sampling of the 2006 Vintage - #5

Good value pinots from West Kelowna, Okanagan Falls and Naramata. An outstanding “guest pinot” from Oregon

Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir 2006 Label Detail

“long, fruity finish-slightly toasty and gaining complexity with air- cherries”- JL
“Sweet, coffee, cinnamon. Well balanced/elegant. Long finish” – LC

Caps Corks Capsules 2006 BC Pinot Noirs

1. Saturna Island Vintner’s Select Pinot Noir 2006 | $22.00 | C+ ~ 88

2. Little Straw Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006 | $18.00 | D- to D ~ 79

3. Stomping Grounds Pinot Noir Reserve 2006 | $18.00 | C ~ 86

4. Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir 2006 | $25.00 | B- to B ~ 91

5. Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Pinot Noir 2006 | $24.00 | B to B+ ~ 93

6. Quails' Gate Pinot Noir 2006 | $25.00 | B ~ 92

7. Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir Oregon 2006 | $70.00 | A- to A ~ 97

#1 Saturna Island Pinot Noir Vintner’s Select 2006  13.7%

Quality Rating: C+ ~  88  Price: $22.00

Eye
LC: Brown notes – bricky    BG: Orangey, brown, light    AKG: Yellowish bricky colour    JL: Bright cherry rose    EU: Light brown, red, garnet

Nose
LC: Strawberry jam    BG: Vegetal, bit of clove, cement basement, old wood, rubbery, acetone, bit savory    AKG: Strawberries, oak, alcohol, felt marker (acetone)    JL: Lovely forward strawberry/ slightly earthy nose    EU: Balsamic & quick decline time. Coffee to candied cherry to strawberry

Palate
LC: Sweet strawberry (from sour cherry initially) low tannins but quite well balanced. Quite simple flavour profile. Medium/long finish    BG: Light, vegetal, thin, old wood but came around very nicely in the end with some baked fruit, structure and some grace    AKG: Earthy, strawberries, bitter edge, rather flat    JL: Full body-some richness-soft tannin-lovely    balance, fine sweet fruit – very long soft finish – spices    EU: Slight bitter, metallic dried cherry, cranberry, light tannins

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin

#2 Little Straw Vineyards 2006  13.5%

Quality Rating: D- to D ~ 79    Price: $18

Eye
LC: Garnet    BG: Garnet rim, light depth, healthy mid-life colour    AKG: Garnet/cherry deep middle    JL: Medium dark garnet to rim    EU: Bright ruby, brown edges

Nose
LC: Vanillan, cheesy-blue cheese. Floral – rose? But little fruit on nose. Very slightly corked on initial impression but not on second try    BG: Fresh plums, Mirabel, Blueberry, walnut, rhubarb    AKG: Cherries, blackberry-overripe , rhubarb    JL: Soft rhubarb and cherry nose. Not big but refined    EU: rose perfume, light smoke, cherry, thyme, acetone, urine, cooked rhubarb

Palate
LC: Very slightly corked, tart, medium finish, acid not balanced by fruit    BG: Sour, oxidized, sour wood, no fruit! D.O.A.    AKG: Metal, dirt, cherry, oak    JL: Quite dry-fine tannins- good balance-lacks fruit-dry tannic lackluster short finish. A bit dull    EU: light cherry, slight bitterness, candied cherry in finish

Notes:
Closure – cork

Little Straw Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#3 Stomping Grounds 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve  13.5%

Quality Rating: C ~ 86    Price: $18

Eye
LC: Ruby to garnet    BG: Cherry/blue rim, light/med depth    AKG: Purple/cherry    JL: Deep purplish garnet – to rim    EU: Dark purple red

Nose
LC: Cherry crayon initially, then faintly raspberry, cinnamon    BG: Cherries, candied cherries, vanilla, bit of coughdrop but nice wood. Flowery    AKG: Floral, oak, spices-ginger? Canned peaches    JL: Another rhubarb & cherry nose – similar to #2 wine    EU: Sweet strawberry, raspberry, vanilla

Palate
LC: Slightly medicinal initially, sour-almost cherry. Long finish    BG: Compressed thinness, sour, wood tannins, changed from wood to green. Again this wine came around later on and it demonstrated that pinot noir may need more aeration than it is usually given. In the end the wine was a good middling everyday pinot noir    AKG: Flat, woody, fruity raspberry/cherry sour acidic    JL: Nice medium rich body- soft tannins-simple fruit. Medium long finish-slightly tannic. Again opens up with air –shows strawberry notes-tart    EU: Slight green (green grapes), herbs (parsley), light red fruits and unripe red fruit

Notes:
Closure – cork

#4 Stag’s Hollow 2006  14%

Quality Rating: B- to B ~ 91    Price: $25

Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir 2006

Eye
LC: Garnet    BG: Light, dried cherry rim    AKG: Garnet    JL: Medium garnet to slightly bluish rim    EU: Dark, red purple

Nose
LC: Rhubarb – developed sweet fruit    BG: Menthol, floral, raspberry, cherries    AKG: Caramel, alcohol, nutmeg? Butter, vanilla, hazelnut coffee powder, coffee    JL: Rhubarb is dominant-simple-slightly woody    EU: ripe porty notes, very ripe, sweet vanilla, cinnamon, later cherry/strawberry

Palate
LC: Quite sweet but fruit indefinable. Baking spice? Allspice. Wood nose developed as it opened. Good acid. Quite long finish    BG: Pomegranate, cherry, tea, ripe blackberry, cassis/blueberry. Exotic    AKG: Tannic, dark salmonberry    JL: light body-fine tannin-good acid balance-lots of rhubarb fruit-softly tannic, long fruity finish-slightly toasty and gaining complexity with air- cherries    EU: Sweet vanilla poached cherries, good body (appropriate)

Notes:
Closure – cork

Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#5 Lake Breeze Seven Poplars Pinot Noir 2006  13.7%

Quality Rating: B to B+ ~ 93    Price: $24

Eye
LC: Garnet, quite deep colour    BG: Garnet/brick rim    AKG: Bright, glossy, clear    JL: Medium dark garnet to bricky rim    EU: Deep dark red brown

Nose
LC: Complex – cherry, hint of sweet floral, tea notes, band aid    BG: Beetroot, walnut, plum, bit manure/ barnyard. Cinnamon    AKG: Dusty carpet, vacuum cleaner bags, medicinal-tea tree oil? Cinnamon, cherry, Windex    JL: Forward/perfumy/floral/pinot nose-multi layered. Quite interesting-spices developing with air-Band Aid    EU: Dusty, meaty, floral and later sandalwood

Palate
LC: Sweet, coffee, cinnamon. Well balanced/elegant. Long finish    BG: Barnyard, undergrowth, ripe plums and dried plums. Tea/cherry finish. Seems big alcohol    AKG: Cinnamon, long finish, tingly, earthy, very smooth, vanilla, charcoal, thyme/oregano    JL: Notes of fruit/roses & dust-medium body-crisp acidity-dry fine tannins-quite long-slightly medicinal notes-coffee    EU: Sweet vanilla cherry, full and well balanced, long vanilla cherry

Notes:
Closure – cork

Lake Breeze Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#6 Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir 2006  13.7%

Quality Rating: B ~ 92    Price: $25

Eye
LC: Bright – ruby to garnet    BG: Light, Dried cherry/ Garnet    AKG: Light cherry/garnet    JL: Medium garnet-to broad bricky rim    EU: Bright red with bluish rim

Nose
LC: Sulphur to –fresh manure. Faded to crayon/waxy    BG: Pomegranate, chicken manure    AKG: Barnyard, fruit, caramel, peppery, petroleum    JL: SO2 in extremis! Merde! With more air fruit emerges    EU: barnyard (fresh) and later green sappy then later sweet ripe cherry-strawberry

Palate
LC: Sweet-fruit    BG: Medium to full bodied, ripe blueberries, cherry, wood. Very difficult to describe    AKG: Salty, cherry, pepper, oaky    JL: Medium full body-smoky- strawberry/barnyard- dry -soft tannin-nice acid balance-medium finish    EU: Cooked plum, cherry, distinct tannins. Faded quickly

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin

Quails’ Gate Pinot Noirs – Current Vintage & Availability

#7 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve 2006  Oregon 14.5%

Quality Rating: A- to A ~ 97    Price: $70

Eye
LC: Ruby with hint of blue at edge   BG: Cherry rim, Light/medium    AKG: Purplish cherry, cherry, darker than others in the tasting    JL: Dark ruby to slightly purplish rim    EU: Dark. Bright red

Nose
LC: Hint of barnyard, wood, slightly waxy, Vanilla    BG: Unripe cherry, cherry stone    AKG: Summer wood    JL: Very costly wood! Deep rich cherry/toasty nose    EU: Tea, incense, strawberry, floral (jasmine, gardenia)

Palate
LC: Sweet cherry, white pepper, full bodied, well balanced, medium long finish    BG: Broad flavour, significant good acidity, very long, very fine texture, silky, same flavour shape and profile from beginning to end. Strawberry    AKG: Licorice, cherry, toasted almond, rich mouth feel    JL: Full body-sweet & rich-soft tannins-perfect balance-ripe & very complex-very long and rich-opens with 5 minutes of air to strawberries & tea notes    EU: Sweet vanilla, incense, ripe red fruit, big glycerol. Very long, good balanced tannin (oak & fruit) strawberry jam

Notes: Blend of Pommard (27%), Dijon (55%) and Wadenswil clones sourced from the Dundee Hills Eola Hills in the Willamette Valley
Yield was 1.85 tons to the acre. It was aged  for 15 months in French oak of which 48% was new.

Tasting held March 15, 2011