TN: fine Oregon PN

PS: I realize that 2000 doesn't have the rep as most stellar of OR vintages, but this makes me want to try more St. Innocents from "better" vintages. Dale

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Hmmm... Dunno if that was my post, but in case it was: it's not that I haven't liked any Oregon Pinots; rather, I find the ones in my desired price range ( Pinot Noir. I remembered this as a light-bodied ON, but this has picked up some

Sounds like a winner. I'll have to hunt it down.

Thanks, Dale! Mark Lipton

I've had some good experience with Oregon PNs, but must confess that I seldom find them off-the-shelf at the local merchant. The mass market OR stuff usually comes across to me as watery, and similar to cherry Kool-Aid. But, there's some great dark, rich, full-blown OR PNs being made. One place that has proven very reliable both for shipping and shopping with a very informative web site has been Avalon Wine

Their page offers a lot of profiles of OR (and WA) winemakers with loads of information beyond basic pricing and availability. A couple of wines that I've enjoyed were from Andrew Rich Winery. He offers a number of varietals, but his PNs are the ones I've liked best. And, strangely enough, his "Cuvee B" bottling appeals to me more than the pricier top end line.

They will also tip you off on the Web site to second bottlings from some premium producers which offer excellent QPR. One that worked for me was Jezebel PN.

For off the shelf PN, I tend to go with Russian River or Carneros producers and agree with both of you that the $20-$30 price point takes a bit of work to find good stuff.

A recent discovery here has been Laurier Los Carneros, 2001 Pinot Noir at $12.99. A bit lighter than I like but with a nice body, pleasant warm berry nose and a smooth finish with a mouthful of dark cherry and cassis. A nice wine that you don't hesitate to pull another cork for an extra glass based on price.

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled" "Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights" Both from Smithsonian Books

In talking with the winemaker (Mike Vlossak) at St. Innocent some years back, I believe he stated that he spent a fair bit of time in Burgundy "studying" their methods and tried to capture a "Burgundian character" in his wines. Furthermore, he believed wine is meant to be drunk with food. Thus he crafts his wines with "food-friendliness" in mind (as opposed to in-your-face, overextracted musclers). I have found that though they tend not to be as "big" as some of my favorites, (such as Panther Creek, for example), they are well-made, well-balanced, go well with food, and are generally a very good value. And, in thinking about it, I think all his Pinots are single vineyard offerings. I don't believe he blends.

Incidentally, look for the 2001 and 2002 Pinots from Oregon. My sampling to date indicates a couple _very_ nice vintages.

And for Mark L., who, I believe, complained about the prices of the "good" Oregon Pinots, I've actually seen some prices come down a bit in the last few years. Whether this is from oversupply or my being in the right place at the right time, I have no idea. Don't know if it's actually a trend or not, but we can dream. :-)

-- Regards,

- Roy

=*=*Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain The truth is rarely pure, and never simple. - Oscar Wilde

I think you're right in general, though I know he made a 2001 "Willamette". I remember hearing reason, but can't recall now- grapes he didn't have enough of to bottle seperately, some young vines, or whatever. Dale

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