Chateau Ste. Michelle, Horse Heaven Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, 2010, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington

The big wine mags scored this gem in the high eighties and if I cared about such things, this wine would definitely cross that magic 90 point finish line.  True to form, it's got a water-like color with just a touch of golden rim.  The typical grapefruit notes are apparent on the nose but I also detected a nice touch of barnyard, french vanilla ice cream, and orange blossom.  The red grapefruit also rocks the palate along with sour apple and cucumber.  It lacks the grassiness of a New Zealand Sauvignon but has a lot more ripe fruit compared to anything from France.  A touch of oak adds complexity and body without taking away from the fresh varietal character.  I don't think anyone would mistake this for a Chardonnay but I do think people might mistake it for a far more expensive wine.  Coming in at the mid-teens, this wine has a nice balance and surprising structure for the price-point.  

P.S For all my Portland peeps . . . if you find yourself among all the great little tasting rooms in Woodinville, I think Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few larger commercial wineries that is worth a visit.  Wild peacocks wander the property and they have a huge line up of single vineyard and higher end wines to taste.  

P.P.S The kitty featured on the pictured shirt is the world famous Lil Bub.  You can pick one up at the bubstore!  

aloha oregon (no, not that aloha)

Okay, I moved to Honolulu, Hawaii a few months ago after in Portland for 13 years straight.  I needed to put northwest winters behind me once and for all.  Don’t hate me.  Right now, after way too many shitty light beers and overly sweet tropical drinks, I’m missing Oregon wine.  Here are some reviews I somehow forgot to put up from a visit to the lovely east-side urban Enso Winery.  More review to come soon . . . promise. 

Enso, Resonate #2

This is a nice clean if a little unassuming white wine for the summer.  It a blend Oregon Gevurtraminer and Washington Riesling.  It’s got heaps of peach and sugar cane on both the nose and flavors.  It’s got a slight syrupy sweet edge but still ends quick and clean.  I would have liked more spice from the Gevurtz or mineral notes from the Riesling.  Still not bad at all.  Also, it’s a nice treat to be able to scoop up a wine with such a tiny production (52 cases!) at under 15 dollars. 

Enso, Pinot Gris, 2010, Wheatland Vineyard

A much brighter and drier wine compared to the resonate.  Lemon, golden raisin, and pear dominate the nose with a touch of wet rock.  This gris has some real unique qualities compared to a lot of others I have tasted lately.  It’s fruit forward but loaded with lemon candy and dried apricot as opposed to a lot of the day old puckery lime flavors I get from a lot of other Oregon Pinot Gris.  The fruit from this wine comes from Arcane Cellars Wheatland Vineyard, where the winemakers at Enso used to work.  You can tell that this fruit is in good hands.

Enso, Rose, Alder Ridge, 2011

This bottle was tasted about 3 weeks after being bottled.  It’s a southern French style blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mouvedre.  The fun factor on the nose (strawberry, watermelon, and bubble gum) is balanced out by some nice background herbal notes.  The strawberry carries through on the flavor profile with the addition of vanilla bean and tar.  The tannins are a bit bitter on the end.  This wine is definitely still young even for a Rose.  The 2010 Enso Rose was made up of different varietals.  It wasn’t as focused or clean as the 2011 but I do think it was a little more interesting.

Enso, Resonate #2, Washington, 2009

This 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Counoise has super enticing nose with lots of clean earthy notes,  musk, and shoe leather polish.  Considering the strength of the nose, the resonate #2 is light on its feet on the flavor profile.  It’s a medium bodied wine dominated by plum, cinnamon, and cocoa powder flavors.  There is a nice acidity running throughout as well.  The winemakers call the resonate #2  “dominate yet strong” and I couldn’t agree more.  This wine would pair really well with lots of food and I think is a real value at $16 a bottle!

Enso, Resonate #3, Washington, 2009

The #3 is a blend of 50% Mouvdre, 25% Grenache, and 25% Syrah from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.  This wine is also a brand new release for Enso.  It’s got a much darker color than the #2.  The nose is not as open ended and much darker.  There is a hefty dose of creamy oak rounded out by rose, violet, and crushed blueberry.  The #3 is closer to full bodied with a milky mouthfeel.  I found this wine to have lots of awesome sweet notes but still not dominated by fruit.  Think caramel, coffee, and fudge!  There is also a nice dose of black pepper and currant.  This is quite a rich wine that I couldn’t find much acidity in.  Still it’s far from flabby.  Good stuff to drink on its own once the weather cools down a little.

Helioterra, Syrah, 2009, Columbia Valley

I tasted a glass of this wine at the lovely Enso Winery tasting room that is located dangerously close to my apartment. Helioterra is one of a handful of new urban wineries that have cropped up in Portland in the last year or so. With Portland’s proximity to excellent growing sites in the Columbia and Willamette Valley, it’s a wonder to me that this has taken so long. This Syrah is dark purple to almost black in color. The nose is dominated by bacon fat, oaky vanilla, burgundy dirty sock, and manure. Something about the flavor of this Syrah reminded me of the warm-mulled wine they serve at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, Oregon. I got heaps of pine resin, pepper, bacon, tar, and sweet cream. This wine brought together a lot of disparate flavors I tend to like in once slightly awkward package. A unique big bold wine for sure but maybe not for every occasion! This Syrah was co-fermented with 5% Viognior and the fruit comes entirely from the Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. I really look forward to tasting more from Helioterra.