Soter Vineyards “Beacon Hill”, Pinot Noir
Some of my favorite wines come from Oregon. More specifically, pinot noir from Willamette Valley. Pronounced “will-am-it”, this region of Oregon has produced some amazing product recently. Enough so that many wineries are trying to create their own version of the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), which would govern who can actually call themselves a Willamette Valley producer.
My favorite winery in this area is definatly Soter vineyards. Tony Soter’s “Gran Cru” of the wineries current release is the 2003 Beacon Hill Pinot Noir. At around $60 its not for everyday drinking, but absolutely worth every penny. The nose of the wine has toasty characteristics. The immediate flavors are cranberry and raspberry. As the wine opens the dark fruits of blackberry and blueberry come to fruition. The wine is also rich in underbrush and dry leaf notes. Soter recommends drinking between 2007-2010, however the wine will continue to improve with long term cellaring. Recently I tried this wine with rabbit leg confit and grilled lamb chops, both dishes paired amazingly.
