Ghost Hill Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir Blanc
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Story Teller Wine Company
Highly, Highly Reccomended
“The aromatics of this wine are literally unlike any other in the Willamette Valley.
Bosc pear and Golden Delicious apple skins at first,
but as the wine warmed in the glass those fruit aromas became more like dry straw, talc, white grapefruit
and a wee bit of an aroma that made me think of the Circus Peanuts candy from my youth.
Which is nice because the only other time I get that memory jolt of marshmallow is while smelling white Rhones where Viognier is involved.
So far so good, as this is about as interesting and exciting a white wine from Oregon as I’ve sniffed in a long time.
But even after all the aromatic acrobatics; I was not anticipating the rush I got when I began drinking this wine.
The first taste was exhilarating, the kind of rush you get when you jump into a mountain stream or lake for the first time without testing the temperature with your big toe.
You know it’s going to be really cold but the shock to the system is pure joy.
When I sipped this wine I just knew it was going to be dazzling, I just had no idea how much of a jolt it would provide. For me it’s like the goose bumps I get on my arms every time I hear those chords from The Edge cranking up at the beginning of “Where the Streets Have No Names.” For a brief moment you forget everything else around you and everything is possible. I rarely have that kind of reaction to a wine but when I do, I make sure I stash a bunch aside for myself.
At 25.00 this wine is perfectly priced. Heck, I’ve had quite a few forty dollar whites that didn’t provide as much enjoyment as this ghostly Pinot Noir. Once again, I highly, highly recommend this wine. If you like well-made, exhilarating whites from places like the Loire or Rhone River Valleys, then I think you will truly enjoy this wine.”
Wine Press Northwest
Excellent
It’s not that unusual to see a rosé made from Pinot Noir, but sightings of a white wine made from Pinot Noir that’s not filled with bubbles are rare.
Those who seek dry Rieslings should investigate Rebecca Pittock Shouldis’ remarkable expression off this fifth-generation farm.
Aromas are akin to unwrapping a stick of Wrigley’s spearmint gum, followed by lemons, apricot and star fruit.
On the palate, it comes across as Quench gum with its hugely juicy, penetrating and lingering flavors of fresh-squeezed lemon and slate.
Palate Press
Wine of the Week (June 13-19 2011)
Clear, bright, medium-light straw color. Clean nose with youthful medium intensity aromas of mango, banana, fresh fennel, peach pit, and ginger.
Dry on the palate, medium body, with medium-high acidity but a round texture.
Flavors of pineapple, sliced yellow apple, cooked pear, candied lemon rind, and pink apples.
Pair with pineapple and bourbon glazed salmon. Recommended.
Winefoot.com - Duane Pemberton
Nose: Honeysuckle, chalk, grapefruit, kiwi, white pepper, banana and lemon peel.
Taste: Nice flavors of jasmine-laced sidewalk chalk, honeysuckle, green apple and spice.
Brilliant acids go ripping across the mid palate and have just enough “umph” to go soaring across the finish line and help you enjoy the next bite of food.
This is an incredibly food-friendly white wine that will make you forget the word, Pinot, is even in the name.
Nice, clean finish – a no-brainer for lightly-sauced pasta dishes or fresh, light seafood dishes like scallops or oysters
Story Teller Wine Company
Highly, Highly Reccomended
“The aromatics of this wine are literally unlike any other in the Willamette Valley.
Bosc pear and Golden Delicious apple skins at first,
but as the wine warmed in the glass those fruit aromas became more like dry straw, talc, white grapefruit
and a wee bit of an aroma that made me think of the Circus Peanuts candy from my youth.
Which is nice because the only other time I get that memory jolt of marshmallow is while smelling white Rhones where Viognier is involved.
So far so good, as this is about as interesting and exciting a white wine from Oregon as I’ve sniffed in a long time.
But even after all the aromatic acrobatics; I was not anticipating the rush I got when I began drinking this wine.
The first taste was exhilarating, the kind of rush you get when you jump into a mountain stream or lake for the first time without testing the temperature with your big toe.
You know it’s going to be really cold but the shock to the system is pure joy.
When I sipped this wine I just knew it was going to be dazzling, I just had no idea how much of a jolt it would provide. For me it’s like the goose bumps I get on my arms every time I hear those chords from The Edge cranking up at the beginning of “Where the Streets Have No Names.” For a brief moment you forget everything else around you and everything is possible. I rarely have that kind of reaction to a wine but when I do, I make sure I stash a bunch aside for myself.
At 25.00 this wine is perfectly priced. Heck, I’ve had quite a few forty dollar whites that didn’t provide as much enjoyment as this ghostly Pinot Noir. Once again, I highly, highly recommend this wine. If you like well-made, exhilarating whites from places like the Loire or Rhone River Valleys, then I think you will truly enjoy this wine.”
Wine Press Northwest
Excellent
It’s not that unusual to see a rosé made from Pinot Noir, but sightings of a white wine made from Pinot Noir that’s not filled with bubbles are rare.
Those who seek dry Rieslings should investigate Rebecca Pittock Shouldis’ remarkable expression off this fifth-generation farm.
Aromas are akin to unwrapping a stick of Wrigley’s spearmint gum, followed by lemons, apricot and star fruit.
On the palate, it comes across as Quench gum with its hugely juicy, penetrating and lingering flavors of fresh-squeezed lemon and slate.
Palate Press
Wine of the Week (June 13-19 2011)
Clear, bright, medium-light straw color. Clean nose with youthful medium intensity aromas of mango, banana, fresh fennel, peach pit, and ginger.
Dry on the palate, medium body, with medium-high acidity but a round texture.
Flavors of pineapple, sliced yellow apple, cooked pear, candied lemon rind, and pink apples.
Pair with pineapple and bourbon glazed salmon. Recommended.
Winefoot.com - Duane Pemberton
Nose: Honeysuckle, chalk, grapefruit, kiwi, white pepper, banana and lemon peel.
Taste: Nice flavors of jasmine-laced sidewalk chalk, honeysuckle, green apple and spice.
Brilliant acids go ripping across the mid palate and have just enough “umph” to go soaring across the finish line and help you enjoy the next bite of food.
This is an incredibly food-friendly white wine that will make you forget the word, Pinot, is even in the name.
Nice, clean finish – a no-brainer for lightly-sauced pasta dishes or fresh, light seafood dishes like scallops or oysters
Ghost Hill Cellars 2010 "Spirit of Pinot Noir" Dry Rosé
Snooth.com
“Top 10 Domestic Roses 2011” - Gregory Dal Piaz
Rather nice on the nose with gentle woodsy, forest floor notes laying under raspberry/ rhubarb fruit. Good acidity but paired with a nice edge of sweetness that helps support the fruit. There’s a touch of orange peel here accenting the wild raspberry fruit in a slightly glossy, rather smooth package. Nice fruit persistence on the long finish, which pairs those raspberries and wild strawberries with a touch of powdered mineral. 89pts
Northwest Palate Magazine – Cole Danehower
Inviting aromas of strawberry cream mixed with subtle tones of dried herbs and citrus peel. Punchy flavors of raspberries and red grapefruit are dry and tart, filling the mouth with a pleasing fruitiness. There is a sense of heft to the wine thanks to the depth of the fruit, and lingering notes of melon rind and minerals give additional complexity. Great balance of acidity gives the wine energy, and the finish is forceful and lasting. A summery wine to pair with grilled salmon burgers.
Chuck Hill – Annual Copper River Salmon & Pinot Noir Pairing Event
During the tasting, we speculated about the ability of tasters to determine if a wine was red, white or rosé if blindfolded (or if the wine is served in a black glass). This spunky rosé offers much of the character of a red Pinot Noir wine. Aromas of dusty earth, black cherry and floral perfume greet the nose, while the spicy palate shows flavors of citrus, mineral, candy cherry and vanilla – a versatile wine to pair with many food selections.
Winefoot.com – Duane Pemberton
W.E.P. Rating: 90%
Nose: Playground tire swing in the middle of a strawberry patch – toss in some cherry 7up and ocean spray cranberry action –
that’s what I’m getting from the smell of this wine.
Taste: Watermelon rind, white pepper, sour cherries, golden raisins and a hint of Michelin action as well.
Nice, tart and dry mid palate creates a very refreshing and food-friendly Rose that folks who are used to sweeter Rose’s won’t like too much.
To me, however, this is where it’s at – dry, refreshing with the purity of the fruit still intact
Ghost Hill Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – Josh Raynold’s
Vivid ruby. Ripe cherry and black raspberry on the nose, with complicating notes of smoky herbs, rose and spice cake.
Fleshy and smooth in texture, with gently sweet cherry and dark berry flavors picking up a touch of anise with air.
Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect, finishing broad and long. This will be drinkable soon.
90pts
Wine Press Northwest
Recommended
The Bayliss family has owned this land since 1906 but only started planting it to vineyard in 1999.
Its 10th vintage brings fun and fruity aromas of black cherry soda, strawberry, currants, dried orange peel and vanilla.
Inside are black cherries amid a juicy mid palate that funnels into a tannin profile that zeroes deeply into the corners of the mouth.
Ghost Hill Cellars 2009 "Prospector's Reserve" Pinot Noir
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – Josh Raynold’s
Bright ruby.Intensely perfumed bouquet of blackberry, cherry-cola, black tea, allspice and violet.
Ripe and broad on entry, then firmer in the mid-palate, offering sappy dark berry flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality.
Puts on weight with aeration and finishes with resonating smoke and jammy dark fruit notes.
A bigger wine than the regular Bayliss-Bower bottling: I suspect that some tasters will prefer that wine's finesse to this one's richness.
90pts (+?)
Bright ruby.Intensely perfumed bouquet of blackberry, cherry-cola, black tea, allspice and violet.
Ripe and broad on entry, then firmer in the mid-palate, offering sappy dark berry flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality.
Puts on weight with aeration and finishes with resonating smoke and jammy dark fruit notes.
A bigger wine than the regular Bayliss-Bower bottling: I suspect that some tasters will prefer that wine's finesse to this one's richness.
90pts (+?)
