B and I found ourselves in Newberg, OR two weekends ago and decided to hit up some vineyards for tastings. We wanted to taste at vineyards we hadn't been to before and our first stop was Vercingetorix Vineyard AKA VX (http://www.vxvineyard.com/). VX is located on Corral Creek Road just off of Hwy 99. The grounds are gorgeous and you really feel like you are out in the country almost in your own oasis there. VX only offers pinots so, if you don't like Oregon pinots don't go there :)
On this particular day, VX was offering 5 different pinots to taste; pinot blanc, pinot gris, '09 pinot noir, '08 reserve pinot noir, and their '09 cuvee.
The pinot blanc was far too sweet for my pallet. Unfortunately I could not finish my glass. This pinot blanc smelled like grapefruit and seemed extremely oakey, but the wine steward said the wine was not aged in oak barrels. I was thinking perhaps it was cured with oak chips in the barrel...IDK. B seemed to like it, but mentioned that he would not purchase a bottle.
The pinot gris was also too sweet for my pallet. To me, the pinot gris tasted like strawberries and nothing else. Unfortunately, it was an overwhelming taste. In my wine notes, I mention that if I was already drunk, I would drink this wine on a hot day...as so long as it was served cold.
The 2009 pinot noir unfortunately smelled like alcohol. The '09 pinot was a light, light burgundy ...almost a bright ruby color. To me, it tasted really dry, and I think it should sit another 2 to 3 years before it's okay to drink.
The reserve 2008 pinot noir was a very pretty burgundy color and smelled like chestnuts and boysenberries. It was (for me) surprisingly medium bodied. It had this amazing mid-pallet burst of bold flavors, but it quickly fizzled into a flat taste... no bueno.
Finally, the 2009 Cuvee is made from three different pinot grapes and seemed black cherry in color. The cuvee smelled like spice... my fav :) It tasted kinda crazy; like nothing I have tasted before. It was tarte to start and oddly sweet mid pallet, and unfortunately finished very sweet. It was burst of concord grape, blueberry and bing cherry. I am sorry to say it was too much fruit for me, and a very hard taste for me to adjust to.
This all being said, if you like sweet whites and reds, definitely go visit Vercingetorix Vineyard. I will be back here in about two years to re-try all of their offerings.
xoxo,
kegw
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