Somewhere along the way of my Alphabet Challenge, I lost my path and started speaking in tongues, which made my order slightly questionable. Well, I’m back, from outer space, and am restarting with the letter E.
E is for Elk Cove Pinot Noir, from the Willamette Valley appellation in Oregon. Now, i am new to the world of Oregon Pinot Noir, and i find it very much hit or miss. for the most part, I enjoy the subtle earthy spice that Oregon Pinot displays, but sometimes it can be over the top. The Elk Cove Willamette Pinot Noir is a blend of several vineyard sites, and aims to show the best of their style off.
Elk Cove Vineyards was founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, which marks it as one of Oregon’s oldest vineyards. They specialize in Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir, and has several single vineyard Pinot Noirs in addition to the Willamette Valley blend. This blend was an interesting beast, because when I first tasted it there were overwhelming notes of earth, musty leaves, mushrooms, bark, smoke, and dark raspberry. I wasn’t that impressed, but enjoyed the hidden pomegranate and nutmeg flavors. I found it a bit too nutty for me however, until i put it down for 30 minutes to enjoy letter G (you’ll have to wait to see that one). After opening up in the glass, the overwhelming bark had blown off to reveal rich cherry and raspberry flavors, with a touch of dark cocoa. Considering the ~$20 price tag, this is a
very affordable example of Oregon Pinot Noir. I definitely recommend that you BUY it, and would encourage you to decant it for maximum enjoyment.
Love that you are trying wines from Oregon. After my visit, I found some amazing ones that I can't wait to find stores that'll ship em to FL
Oh, and I agree with you on Hit or Miss – but that's not just Oregon, that's everywhere! I've found a number of hit or miss wines in just about all of the world. And it's hit or miss with our palates, but not someone elses, right?
My father lives in Oregon so I've been enjoying many different Oregon wines thanks to some Christmas and birthday presents.
I haven't had to a chance to enjoy any from Elk Cove though. I'll have to put it on my list.