United States Wine

Pretty dry and tannic, but redeemed by good, ripe blackberry, black cherry and smoky cedar flavors. Shows some real flair and richness. Drink now.

When served at cellar temperature (55 degrees Fahrenheit), you will find our Chardonnay shows the best layering of Gravenstein apple aromas with vanilla, butterscotch and spicy toast notes. Lush, juicy flavors of honeyed apricots are balanced by Meyer lemon zest character. The creamy texture and toasty oak finish will continue to lengthen as the wine relaxes in the bottle.

This is a terrific bottle of Chardonnay, regardless of whether it hails from Napa Valley or from Burgundy. The style is clearly an amalgamation of the best of both idioms. It doles out plenty of delectably forward, Napa Valley yellow apple fruit, but the richness is checked by brisk acidity and refreshing notes of cool climate minerality imparted by the chilly Carneros microclimate. While oak is present in the wine's structure, the effect is subtle and understated, much as it would be in a top quality white Burgundy. In short, this is one of the most enjoyable Chardonnays I've tasted in a long time, at a ridiculously low price. Highly recommended.
-- Ben Giliberti, CW Director of Wine Education

The Willamette Valley has a suitable climate for this delicate grape variety—enough sunlight and warmth for ripening and cooler night temperatures to retain varietal character. To preserve the freshness, it is whole-cluster pressed, and then fermented at very cool temperatures in small stainless steel tanks, which accentuates aromatics and enhances the richness and viscosity. The fruit is hand-harvested from select hillside vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley. Our estate Pinot Gris is planted in a high-density format, which undergoes shoot and crop thinning for low yields. At the close of harvest 2011, many winegrowers breathed a sigh of relief. Feelings of déjà vu from 2010 were evident as the picking pushed even later into the season, making it one of Oregon’s latest harvests on record. Yet, differences will mark them unique. Yields in 2011 were opposite of 2010, when production was down significantly due to poor fruit set and damage at harvest from migrating birds. This year, sunny weather brought good fruit-set and large compact clusters. The large crop had many growers thinning to one cluster per shoot. And the birds did not ‘help’ reduce yields as they did in 2010. Thus allowing normal yields compared to the dramatically reduced vintage in 2010. While the heat index shows a warmer vintage in 2011 than 2010, both were unusually cool compared to the long-term average. Most notable was when the heat came. This vintage brought the ‘nice weather’ late in the season allowing us to let the fruit hang 15 days longer for fantastic flavors and better pH and acid balance. Winemaker, Adam Campbell, comments on the lateness of the vintage, “a lot of whites came in the first part of November and due to the cold season I expected more herbal notes but surprisingly they came out of fermentation showing the classic stone fruit and tropical notes we expect.� Reminding Oregon vintners, once again, those who held on patiently will be richly rewarded in the wines.

Deep garnet color. A rich bouquet of dark cherry, cocoa, clove, plum, tobacco and toasted oak, with delicate notes of coffee and truffle. Layered and complex. Rich and full on the palate with a supple mouthfeel and opulent layers of plum, cherry, anise, and mocha. Smooth and concentrated, the wine exhibits richly woven texture with dark, dense fruit on the long finish.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the first wines we produced in 1975 and three and a half decades later it is still our flagship wine. From the beginning our Cabernet stood apart from other California cabs because it was an elegant old world style wine.

The 2011 Eroica Riesling exhibits aromas and flavors of white peach, grapefruit and sweet lime with subtle mineral notes. The mouth-watering acidity is beautifully balanced by flavorful Washington Riesling fruit. After more than a decade we have truly found our “Eroica style,� striving for beautiful bright fruit with crisp acidity and enhanced mineralilty.

Clean, pure and spicy, with a beam of ripe pear, melon, nutmeg and cedar flavors. Full-bodied and gaining on the finish. Drink now through 2014.