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Vineyard: Nicholas

Wineries sourcing from this vineyard

Reviewed wines produced from this vineyard

2011 Anam Cara Cellars Nicholas Estate Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley Chardonnay

13.5% alc., $26, screwcap. Inaugural Chardonnay from Anam Cara. Estate Dijon clone grapes. Fermented 70% in neutral oak and 30% in stainless steel. · Light straw color in the glass. A ravishing wine with bright aromas of white peach, passion fruit, lemon curd, apple cider and fir tree. Delicious, fresh, crisp and lively, with flavors of nectarine, baked apple, lemon, and a little nuttiness and minerality. The oak is kept under wraps, the texture is seamless, and the finish is long and refreshing. One of the best Oregon Chardonnays I have had in my recent memory. Reviewed November 24, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Anam Cara Vineyard Selection Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

13.0% alc., 450 cases, $24, screw cap. Primarily a restaurant by-the-glass program wine. Aged in once-filled and neutral oak. Predominantly Dijon 114. · Light reddish color in the glass. Pleasant perfume of red berries, wild strawberries and spice. Soft, smooth and elegant, with a lighter-weighted core of red fruits accented with notes of herbs and tar. Decent. Reviewed September 12, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Anam Cara Nicholas Estate Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

13.2% alc., 1,200 cases, $32. The flagship wine, reflecting all five blocks of the vineyard Pinot Noir. Aged in 23% new French oak. A mix of Dijon and Pommard clones. · Light red color in the glass. Very fragrant, plush with bright aromas of fresh berries and red plums. A pretty wine that exudes finesse, offering tasty raspberry and marionberry flavors, framed by gossamer tannins, finishing with a tasty raspberry display. Very good. Reviewed September 12, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Anam Cara Reserve Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., 195 cases, $45. 10 rows in each block are set aside as Reserve potential and maintain a yield of not more than 1.5 tons per acre. The final blend is chosen by barrel selection. Dijon clones 777, 115, 114 and Pommard. Aged in 37% new French oak. · Light reddish-purple color in the glass. Deeply perfumed with dark red pie cherries, fraise du bois and stem. Middleweight flavors of dark red berries fan out nicely on the palate, with notes of earth, tar and oak adding interest. A second pass at the wine was made after pouring through a Venturi. The wine became much more expressive aromatically with aromas and flavors of fresh-picked berries and savory herbs. Elegant and soft in the mouth with a plush finish. Not fully forthcoming, but well balanced, and should be terrific after a few years in the cellar. A commendable expression of the vintage. Very good. Reviewed September 12, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Anam Cara Heather’s Vineyard Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., 50 cases, $65. The most elegant expression of the vineyard, using the lightest oak treatment (no new oak, 25% once-filled barrels). 50% Dijon 114, 36% Dijon 777 and 14% Pommard. Usually the wine is from ten rows of Dijon clone 114 in a late ripening block cropped to 1.5 tons per acre. The 2010 bird invasion wiped out these rows which abutted the tree line. The blending process then opened to include other clones. The wine is named for the Nicholas’ daughter. · Light reddish-purple color in the glass. Very fragrant, like a well-perfumed woman with a dab of crushed cherries and sandalwood behind her ear. See-through elegance, featuring ripe dark candied griottes cherries, sweet and seductive in the middle and languorous and slinky at the end. Will pick up intensity with more time in the bottle. Very good (+). Reviewed September 12, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Anam Cara Mark V Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., 50 cases, $65. Largest percentage of new oak (50%). 77% 777, 13% Pommard and 10% 667. Crafted to be big and rich choosing the boldest clones and blend from the Reserve rows and barrels. Named for the Nicholas’ son, the Roman numerals denote the wine’s place in the series. · Deepest reddish-purple color in the lineup. Intensely perfumed with perfectly ripe dark red berries with a complimentary scent of oak and dark rose petals. The most intense wine in this vintage and the wine with the most length. It hits the mid palate with a vengeance, expands in the mouth, and ends with a voluptuous charge of fruit that satiates the senses for a minute. A very young, but remarkable wine that is the best ever Mark release from Anam Cara. Grab a few bottles for your cellar; you will thank me down the line. Very good (+). Reviewed September 12, 2012 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2008 Anam Cara Cellars Nicholas Estate Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

14.0% alc., 1,000 cases, $30. The flagship wine containing all five blocks of Pinot Noir. Aged in 18% new, 12% 1- year-old, and 70% neutral French oak barrels. 667 (37%), Pommard (22%), 115 (16%), 114 (13%) and 777 (12%). · Moderate reddispurple color. Glass-filling perfume of ripe berries, concord grapes and a subtle whiff of oak. Velvety on the palate with a discreetly concentrated mix of fresh black cherry and dark red berry flavors set off by complimentary oak. A seamless, solid drinker to be enjoyed now. Very Good. Reviewed August 13, 2011 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2008 Et Fille Nicholas Vineyard Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.7% alc., 172 cases, $34. From the well-known Nicholas Vineyard farmed by Nick and Sheila Nicholas. Pommard clone. Aged 10 months in 31% new French oak barrels. · Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Beefy, husky and dark-fruited on the nose. Thick, broad flavors of blueberries, black cherries, black raspberries and dark plums. Tremendous concentration and grip, but retains an attractive feminine tone. Perfectly balanced with a soft but ruffled texture in a worn leather jacket sort of way. Impressive finishing persistence. Even better two days later from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, indicating this wine will be an ideal cellar candidate. Everything you want and some things you didn’t think to ask for in an Oregon Pinot at the right price. Reviewed March 2, 2011 WINERY » ARTICLE »