On July 15th, I attended the East Meets Pacific Northwest portfolio wine tasting. The event, which was hosted by wine and spirits importer Winebow, promised to “explore the icons and innovators driving the future of the region”.
The regions they spoke of were the wines from Oregon and Washington State and the “East” in the tittle were members of the trade from the East coast.
In general, the wines from Oregon were Pinot Noir, a grape varietal they do very well, and Washington State showed wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The tasting was for members of the trade and was held at the Eventi Hotel located at 851 6th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
Some of what I sampled:
2023 L’Ecole Semillon (Columbia Valley): Medium gold, toasty green apple on the nose, moderate fruit with lime notes on the crisp finish.
2022 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc Reserve (Columbia Valley): Medium gold, earth and ripe flowers on the nose, juicy with melon and nut notes, nice balance.
2022 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley): Opaque medium red, roasted meat and crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy and chunky with slate and cola notes, firm grip, long finish.
2023 Abeja Merlot (Columbia Valley): Clear medium red, smoky crushed black berries and tar on the nose, chewy black fruit with a dusty finish and a nice grip at the end.
2021 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Ribbon Springs Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge): Clear light purple, tar, black licorice and green stem on the nose, silky red fruit, juicy finish, nice balance.
2017 Appasionata Andante Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley): Clear light brick, roast meat and tree bark on the nose, light fruit with black licorice notes, balanced tannin and acidity, easy drinking.
2023 Archery Summit Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills): Clear light red, dirty black fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit ending with a firm finish.
2023 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir “Laurene” (Dundee Hills): Clear medium red, spicy cinnamon, bacon and red candy on the nose, silky red fruit with cola notes, nice grip.
2024 Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon “The Dissident” (Columbia Valley): Opaque dark red, tar and stinky black fruit on the nose, concentrated black fruit with toasty oak on the firm finish.
2023 RoseRock Pinot Noir “Zephirine” (Eola Amity Hills): Clear medium red, closed nose of green herbs and red leather, tight red fruit ending with bitter cherry notes.
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