While visiting family in the Portland area an opportunity in our schedule developed and we found ourselves winging off to White Rose Wines. Nestled on a hilltop in Dayton Oregon, you can see from the pictures the view is breathtaking. From the spot where Carolyn is pictured you can see directly over at Domaine Serene. This is some pretty good terroir if we do say so ourselves. With wine names like Nekaia, Mercotti's Milieu, Quiotee's Lair, Sovarae along with a Dragon on the label you might imagine a mythical "Arthurian" legend associated with the wine. But like most wineries White Rose is a family operation and the wines are named after owner Greg Sanders children.
White Rose Wines may not be a household name to many, but wineries such as St. Innocent, Torii Mor and Panther Creek have contracted grapes from the White Rose Estate Vineyard and made single vineyard designated wines to great acclaim.
We had long wanted to visit White Rose, purveyor of some of the most distinct Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. On previous occasions we had met their Sales Manager Gavin Joll in Bend while he was promoting their wines, but had never been able to link up with him in their Dundee Hills location. We arrived unannounced, but even so we found the hospitality to be simply wonderful.
The great thing about visiting a winery is that you always seem to learn something you did not know before. It was no different this trip. We were lucky that Gavin was at the winery that day. He sampled us on their regular release Pinot Noirs, but unbeknownst to us White Rose has been producing special barrel lot wines for their wine club members going under the name of "Dragon's Bluff." As we sampled these special wines with an average production of around 2 barrels (50 cases) each we were amazed at their depth and complexity. What a fortuitous visit!
Following are some the highlights from our tasting:
2006 Nekaia Pinot Noir
A mix of red berry and briar aromas lead to intense, forward flavors of dark berry and brown spice. Moderate depth and complexity, but wonderfully approachable and ready. This is a great early drinking Pinot Noir. $32
2006 Quiotee's Lair Pinot Noir
A highly expressive nose of floral, ripe red berry and a talcum powder element gives way to round supple, and forward light to medium-bodied flavors that possess fine intensity and precision on the solidly complex finish that displays real verve and persistance.
90 Points Burghound. $50
2006 White Rose Estate Pinot Noir
Its nose is a bit reticent but more revealing on the palate with plenty of black cherry and black raspberry fruit. Silky-textured with excellent depth and length.
90 Points Wine Advocate. $75
We encourage you to visit the White Rose Wines link on this page to find out more about this winery and the people responsible for these great wines.
Northwest Wine Fan has very limited quantities of these and other White Rose Wines available for purchase. Inquire by email or by telephone. |
