Attributes:

St. Innocent Vineyard

Willamette Valley, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2003: CGCW Rating: 80

fruity

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 86

medium to full-bodied

tough

2003: Tanzer Rating: 88(+?)

black cherry, black fruit, oak

sweet

2002: WineAdvocate Rating: 85

medium-bodied

well-balanced

oak, red fruits, resin, spices

2000: Tanzer Rating: 87(+?)

tangy

coffee, dill, oak, redcurrant, smoky, spice, strawberry

2000: WineAdvocate Rating: 87

tangy, zesty

fairly dense

1999: WineAdvocate Rating: 85

spices, toasted oak

1996: WineSpectator Rating: 85

light

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Stretches from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south. A majority of the Willamette Valley vineyards lie on the foothills of the Coast Range that forms the western edge of the valley.

Attributes:

Domaine Serene

Willamette Valley, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 92

blackberry, currant, plum, spice

2004: CGCW Rating: 86

soft

cherries, cola, tea

2004: Tastings Rating: 91

tangy

deep, supple

berry, cinnamon, citrus, spice, tangerine

concentrated

viscous

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 89

medium-bodied

black cherry, blackberries, cassis, cherries, fresh herbs, pepper, waxy

2003: Tanzer Rating: 90

bright, fresh, lively

berry aromas

blackberry, raspberry, strawberry

ripe

2003: CGCW Rating: 90

cherries, tomato

2003: WineAndSpirits Rating: 88

earth, red cherry, strawberry

concentrated, fruity, juicy, sweet

2003: Burghound Rating: 89

complex

delicious

oak, spice

austere

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Stretches from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south. A majority of the Willamette Valley vineyards lie on the foothills of the Coast Range that forms the western edge of the valley.

Attributes:

Belle Vallée

Willamette Valley, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2006: WineSpectator Rating: 88

*-scented

currant, raspberry, tomato

2004: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84

light

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 88

cherry, chocolate

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86

cranberry, meat, melon

2002: Tastings Rating: 85

lively

anise, black cherry, plum

juicy

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Stretches from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south. A majority of the Willamette Valley vineyards lie on the foothills of the Coast Range that forms the western edge of the valley.