Oregon's 50 Best Wines
An oenophile's guide to 50 of our best regional wines, including 20 deals under $20
By Condé Cox
Rating 91+
No. 10
Et Fille
2007 Pinot Noir
‘Kalita Vineyard’
Yamhill-Carlton
$38, 5–6 years
Scented of blackberries, with the delicacy of the 2007 vintage and the rich black fruits of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, this wine speaks particularly well of its time and place of origin.
Rating 91
No. 11
Et Fille
2007 Pinot Noir
‘Nicholas Vineyard’
Chehalem Mountains
$34, 3–4 years
Layers of complexity drape over the well-integrated scents of toasty oak. Great value.
No. 12
Brittan Vineyards
2007 Pinot Noir
‘Basalt Block’
McMinnville
$45, 8–9 years
Well-integrated, crisp acidity, with elegant oak-barrel scents. Rich red-cherry flavors that linger. Made by famous former Napa Valley winemaker Robert Brittan, who’s now growing cool-weather grapes in the Willamette Valley.
No. 13
Eminent Domaine
2007 Pinot Noir
‘Willakia Vineyard’
Eola-Amity Hills
$32, 8–9 years
Very cellar-worthy, this strawberry- and raspberry-scented wine is more intense but less complex than some of the other top wines available among current releases. Great value.
Rating 91-
No. 14
Domaine Serene
2006 Pinot Noir
‘Jerusalem Vineyard’
Eola-Amity Hills
$75, 5–7 years
Red-cherry flavors with well-integrated oak scents and soft, tactile textures.
Published: September 2009