Montinore Estate…

from the near south in Oregon.

Saturday, February 22nd, 2 pm

Established in 1982, Montinore Estate is a family owned, 210-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic and Stellar Certified Organic estate at the northern end of the Willamette Valley along the east-facing slope of the Coastal Range foothills.  They make a wide variety of cooler climate whites and reds.  This Saturday Katy Brown of Montinore will be with us to show off a sampling of their wines.

2012 Muller-Thurgau  $15 
This playful wine has hints of peach, quince, pear, apricot, gardenias and honeysuckle on the nose.  The palate is rich with mouthwatering lime, honeydew melon, apricot and apple. It finishes clean with notes of grapefruit, pineapple and guava.  A refreshing 11% alcohol by volume.

2012 Pinot Gris $14 
This is a blend from seven different vineyard blocks, each giving something special to the final blend. Each block is fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and blended post fermentation to bring out the most amount of aromatics and a distinctive flavor profile.

2012 Almost Dry Riesling $13
The Almost Dry offers a beautiful aroma of lime, fresh flowers and tangerine with hints of lilac.  The palate has a spark of sweetness and elegant, almost silky fresh flavors of citrus accented with green apple.  The finish brings a refreshing, palate-cleansing acidity with accents of lingering grapefruit and mineral flavors. It is only 11.6% alcohol by volume and 1.6% residual sugar.

2012 Pinot Noir $20
This Pinot is Montinore’s standard bearer. The nose is complex with aromas of cherry, blackberry, dried fruit, dried flowers, cedar, lilac, clove, anise and caramel. The palate is ripe with black cherries, black plums, vanilla, tar, smoke, bittersweet chocolate and pie spice which is balanced beautifully by bright acid, all within well-structured tannins. Pair this Pinot Noir with grilled lamb, mushroom risotto, cassoulet, smoked Gouda or Delice de Bourgogne.

2011 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir $25 
This is Montinore’s Flagship wine and the commitment to the quality of this wine should not go unnoticed. More than one night Ben Thomas, the winemaker, hunkered down in the cellar and slept with the Pinots because he didn’t want to be too far away. The 100% French oak barrel program is unmistakable when you smell this wine. It is smoky-sweet, like a BBQ with hints of cola, root beer, stewed fruit, freshly turned chalky soil and blackberry jelly. The palate is reminiscent of a freshly rolled Dominican cigar, plums, forest floor and tobacco. The fine, smooth tannins and long finish round out the wine.

 

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