Thursday, October 9, 2008

A PIECE OF THE ROCK (TIMES TWO)


Castle Rock is an interesting winery in that, in addition to their various bottling from California, they also have a few wines from Oregon and Washington State as well, and all of their wines are pretty good values, especially for this day-and-age. In particular, one of their biggest successes with our customers is the Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2007 ($12ish). Light-purple in color, this Pinot gives off supple berry and cherry notes in the nose, with a bit of red flower and roasted nuts. On the palate, red berry and cherry flavors lean against soft tannins and a tiny hint of acidity. Its juicy and soft, and finishes lightly on the palate. It makes for a good, inexpensive Oregon Pinot Noir that is great for any day of the week.


The second wine I have tasted this month from Castle Rock is the Petite Sirah Russian River Valley 2005 ($11ish). Blackberry and black currant notes are present in the nose, with just a slight note of roasted oats. The palate shows off more black fruit, with dried cherries, coffee and dried herbs. Showing good concentration and grip, it finishes with notes of kirsch liqueur. Very nice.

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