Christian Miller (CMM)
Christian Miller
A tasting of older whites, mostly Oregonian, hosted at the Oregon Wine Symposium.
Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2001, Argyle - light gold; dusty oak and lemon chardonnay with a pleasant honey-Maconlike note; woody and mature on palate, slightly phenolic with wood beginning to take over. Screwcap.
Chardonnay Willamette Valley "INOX" 2003, Chehalem - mild granny smith apple with a hint of swimming pool, fruit still fairly fresh; smooth, slightly creamy-leesy texture with decent acid, mellow mautre appley fruit. Hot vintage.
Chardonnay Oregon 2005, Left Coast Cellars - somewhat golden; baked apple, slight toast, hint of oatmeal; oxidized toasty corn-apple with aging fruit.
Pinot Gris Oregon 2003, King Estate - dusty vinous mild nose with pleasant hints of elmers and almond; soft, pear fruit, mellow but with decent acid, fairly light (12.5% alc).
Pinot Gris Oregon 2004, King Estate - vinous pear fruit with slight almond hint, medium body, OK acid, touch of spearmint like Gavi.
Pinot Gris Oregon 2005, King Estate - vinous pear-peach fruit with a leafy note; medium bodied, rounder, decent acid, decent length, tealike note, has charm and interest. All the King Estate PGs were still quite youthful in color and flavor.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1991, Argyle - lite brassy color; true dusty-piney mature Riesling with a dried apricot note; dried flowers, mature and classic nose; medium-light body, slightly bitter piney-phenolic tones, but quite long.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1998, Amity - deeper brass color, fine aroma; mature waxy-smoky style, slightly earthy; juicy, still vigorous.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1998, Chehalem - unusual pungent floral-lilac and creamed apple nose with bready-oatmeal notes; fruity-geranium flavor, kind of like a hybrid, albeit a good one.
Riesling Saarburger Rausch Spatlese 1992, Zilliken - nearly youthful floral and forest tones over appley-apricot aroma; nice greenish appley fruit with tangy sweet-sour zest, appleskins in the lively finish; how Saar is this? Very good.
Riesling Serriger Wuertzburg Auslese GKA 1999, Burt Simon - light brassy color; ripe peachy-rose fruit with terrific complexity of gunflint, hot stones, terpenes; rich but not heavy peachy-botrytis fruit with piney tones, respectable juicy acid, great length. Impeccable.
Gewurztraminer Willamette Valley 2001, Amity - fragrant rose and lichee nose, rather perfumey; medium body, lowish acid, mellow mature varietal fruit, slightly bitter and alcoholic finish mars the end. Generous skin contact, and it shows.
Viognier Columbia Valley 2005, Watermill - ripe musky peachy fruit aroma; similar flavor, medium-full body, round, adequate acid, slight heat, quite dry.
Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2001, Argyle - light gold; dusty oak and lemon chardonnay with a pleasant honey-Maconlike note; woody and mature on palate, slightly phenolic with wood beginning to take over. Screwcap.
Chardonnay Willamette Valley "INOX" 2003, Chehalem - mild granny smith apple with a hint of swimming pool, fruit still fairly fresh; smooth, slightly creamy-leesy texture with decent acid, mellow mautre appley fruit. Hot vintage.
Chardonnay Oregon 2005, Left Coast Cellars - somewhat golden; baked apple, slight toast, hint of oatmeal; oxidized toasty corn-apple with aging fruit.
Pinot Gris Oregon 2003, King Estate - dusty vinous mild nose with pleasant hints of elmers and almond; soft, pear fruit, mellow but with decent acid, fairly light (12.5% alc).
Pinot Gris Oregon 2004, King Estate - vinous pear fruit with slight almond hint, medium body, OK acid, touch of spearmint like Gavi.
Pinot Gris Oregon 2005, King Estate - vinous pear-peach fruit with a leafy note; medium bodied, rounder, decent acid, decent length, tealike note, has charm and interest. All the King Estate PGs were still quite youthful in color and flavor.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1991, Argyle - lite brassy color; true dusty-piney mature Riesling with a dried apricot note; dried flowers, mature and classic nose; medium-light body, slightly bitter piney-phenolic tones, but quite long.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1998, Amity - deeper brass color, fine aroma; mature waxy-smoky style, slightly earthy; juicy, still vigorous.
Riesling Willamette Valley 1998, Chehalem - unusual pungent floral-lilac and creamed apple nose with bready-oatmeal notes; fruity-geranium flavor, kind of like a hybrid, albeit a good one.
Riesling Saarburger Rausch Spatlese 1992, Zilliken - nearly youthful floral and forest tones over appley-apricot aroma; nice greenish appley fruit with tangy sweet-sour zest, appleskins in the lively finish; how Saar is this? Very good.
Riesling Serriger Wuertzburg Auslese GKA 1999, Burt Simon - light brassy color; ripe peachy-rose fruit with terrific complexity of gunflint, hot stones, terpenes; rich but not heavy peachy-botrytis fruit with piney tones, respectable juicy acid, great length. Impeccable.
Gewurztraminer Willamette Valley 2001, Amity - fragrant rose and lichee nose, rather perfumey; medium body, lowish acid, mellow mature varietal fruit, slightly bitter and alcoholic finish mars the end. Generous skin contact, and it shows.
Viognier Columbia Valley 2005, Watermill - ripe musky peachy fruit aroma; similar flavor, medium-full body, round, adequate acid, slight heat, quite dry.