Exciting New Releases from Oregon

I’m a huge Oregon wine-lover, and I’m always excited to taste whatever I can. The sample size this week is small, but the wines are all high quality examples.

The two new releases from Troon Vineyard (a Montepulciano and Sangiovese) are really exciting. Lighter style (11.5 and 12.5% alcohol), the grapes are sourced from a vineyard in Applegate Valley, fermented with wild yeasts, and aged 12 months in all old French oak. I’ve long been a big fan of Troon’s Rhone variety wines, but apparently they can excel with all sorts of varieties out there.

Elouan, a new Oregon Pinot Noir project from well-known California winemaker, Joe Wagner, deliver a whole lot of Oregonian Pinot goodness for the price.

And the new vintage of Gran Moraine Chardonnay is an incredible follow-up to the 2014 vintage, and it reinforces my impression that this is a stunning Oregon Chardonnay, one to watch in the future for sure.  

This wine were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2016 Elouan Pinot Noir Missoulan Wash Reserve - Oregon, Willamette Valley

SRP: $40

Deep ruby color. Aromas of black cherries, red currants, rhubarb, clove, coffee, lovely mix of rich aromas. Full-bodied with medium acidity and velvety tannins, this is a chewy and bold style but the wine still stays bright. Rich cherry and raspberry jam flavors laced with coffee, clove, black tea. Bold and packed with deliciousness but also lively and complex. (90 points)

2016 Elouan Pinot Noir Klamath's Kettle Reserve - Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley

SRP: $40

Deep ruby color. Aromas of jammy strawberries and cherries, with rhubarb, roses, coffee, warm spices, clove, vanilla. Crisp acidity frames the wine nicely, with velvety tannins, along with tangy cherries and jammy raspberries, along with complex elements of cinnamon, rhubarb, clove, coffee. This could use a few years, but it’s impressive now. (91 points) 

2015 Gran Moraine Chardonnay - Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
SRP: $45

Light yellow color. Complex aromas of limestone, wet river rocks, chalk dust, with honey, lemon curd, lemon meringue and salted almond. So vibrant and crisp on the palate, gorgeous texture and depth but stays brisk. Apricot, limes, lemon curd, the fruit is doused in saline, mineral, sea salt, white tea, honeyed biscuits and salted almond. Complex, deep, refreshing, delicious, this is insanely good stuff. The wine spends 16 months in a combination of French oak and stainless steel. (94 points)

2016 Troon Vineyard Sangiovese White Family Vineyard - Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley

SRP: $25

Light ruby color. Bright aromas of chilled strawberries and red cherries, mixed with rose petals, violets, sage, wild herbs. Crisp acidity frames the palate so nicely on this medium-bodied wine (12.5% alcohol), dusty/light tannins. Bright cherries, raspberries, red apple fruit, topped with roses, clove, cinnamon, earth, soy and white pepper. A refreshing, brisk but serious Sangiovese. (91 points)

2016 Troon Vineyard Montepulciano White Family Vineyard - Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley

SRP: $25

Bright ruby color. Spicy aromas of raspberry leaf, white and green peppercorns, rose hips, on top of red apple peel and crisp strawberries. Bright and refreshing on the palate with light tannins and an easy-going appeal, yet the flavors of quite complex. Strawberry, raspberry, red apple, along with complex herbal, spice, tobacco and potpourri. Wow, what can’t Troon do in Applegate Valley? (90 points) 

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.