Coming from the central part of the Willamette Valley, the 2015 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton comes from two vineyards (Gran Moraine and Gran Moraine Estate Vineyards) and sees just a touch of whole cluster. It's one of the larger production cuvees yet still ends up being a cellar selection due to the amount of fruit they work with. Darker in color than the Chehalem Mountains release, it offers more black raspberries, black cherry, cranberry, sappy herbs and earth in a medium-bodied, silky, polished, very juicy style. With impressive purity, an elegant texture, fine tannin and a good finish, it's reminiscent of an elegant Gevrey. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Adam is proud of this cuvée and it comes from a multitude of different clones picked all together as a field blend. This was partially inspired by a trip to the Southern Rhône where field blends are common, and the 2015 Pinot Noir Saralee's Vineyard offers a deeper ruby color to go with classic notes of ripe berry fruits, leafy herbs, smoked earth and licorice. Showing more and more dark fruit with air, it has medium to full-bodied richness, tons of fruit and a rounded, straight up delicious texture. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Another beauty is the 2015 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard, which is from a terrific site located just off highway 246. It's a full-bodied, perfumed, complex beauty that has terrific cranberry, violets, passion fruits and sappy flower-aromatics. Silky, seamless and almost ethereally textured, it’s terrific. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Coming from the Green Valley region of the Russian River Valley (although it's not labeled that way), the 2015 Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard comes from four different clones, sees a portion of whole cluster (just the Pommard clone, which Adam always likes to ferment as whole clusters) and is aged 14 months in 50% new French oak. It's an elegant wine from this site that offers impressive notes of black cherries, black raspberries, crushed violets and forest floor to go with a medium-bodied, ethereally textured style on the palate. It has bright acidity, impeccably balance and a great finish. It has an herbal edge (from the whole cluster I suspect) and will be best with a year in bottle. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Possessing a darker, earthy profile, the 2015 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard gives up plenty of plum, spice, leafy herbs and violets in a rich, yet elegant, seamless style. It's another silky Sta. Rite Hills Pinot Noir. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Seeing plenty of whole cluster, the 2015 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard has a stunning nose. Forest floor, spice, assorted red and black fruits, and autumn leaves give way to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, layered Pinot Noir that has ripe tannin and a fantastic finish. I suspect it's the best Sierra Mar from Adam to date. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

A wine that takes a lot of effort to blend due to numerous clones (four different ones), the 2015 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard has a fresh, strawberry, spice, earth and floral-driven nose. This gives way to a medium-bodied, supple, beautifully polished Pinot Noir with a great, grippy texture, bright acidity and a clean finish. This is pure class, and while good today, will be even better this time next year. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

Comes from the Spring Mountain Vineyard. Vibrant and juicy with sweet berry and blackcurrant fruit, with a touch of cedar and fine spices. It’s really fresh, but also quite ripe, with some woody notes under the concentrated, primary fruit. There’s a slight hint of pine freshness on the finish. There’s a touch of warmth on the finish. Still primary and unformed but with lots of promise.

Sweetly aromatic with sweet blackcurrant and red berry fruit notes, as well as a hint of cedar. The palate shows lush, sweet fruit with some cedar spiciness, and a touch of minty freshness on the finish. It needs time to integrate the sweet oak. Quite grippy on the finish with a sweet fruit profile. Some potential here.

Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2015 Pinot Noir Dropstone reveals fragrant raspberry leaves, rose hip tea and dusty earth notes over a core of cranberries and pomegranate with a touch of forest floor. Medium-bodied and delicately crafted on the palate, it gives a quiet intensity of red berry, herbal and earth layers, finishing long with some mineral suggestions.

This great Yamhill-Carlton wine begins with rather intoxicating bright aromatics reminiscent of black truffle, forest floor, cigar box, red cherry and red currant. The mouthfeel is gorgeous here as the wine displays red cherry pie, red raspberry preserves, white truffle oil and suggestions of blood orange rind flavors. Hugely complex and inviting right now, this gorgeous Pinot Noir wine will drink well for a decade or more.

Deep garnet-purple, the 2015 The Revivalist Merlot has black plums and blackberry compote on the nose with suggestions of chocolate box, menthol and spice cake. Medium to full-bodied, the palate exudes black berry preserves and baking spice goodness, with gorgeous velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with an herbal and earthy lift.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is redolent of crushed blackcurrants, black plums and dried Mediterranean herbs with hints of cedar, toast, fertile earth and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with expressive cassis and toasty flavors, lifted with a pleasant herbal note and framed by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and lively.

The 2014 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a compelling savory character on the nose, offering a mélange of baking bread, yeast extract, salted almonds and brioche with a core of warm pineapples and pink grapefruit, plus a hint of honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate delivers generous stone and tropical fruit 􀃓avors with a creamy texture and plenty of freshness paving the long finish.

More black cherries, leafy herbs, licorice and dried earth notes emerge from the 2014 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard, and it's medium-bodied, concentrated and textured, with present tannin. It's a touch more angular than the Sierra Madre Vineyard, yet is also impeccably balanced, lengthy and long. This wine is all from vines planted in the 1970s (all Pommard clones), was completely destemmed and aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. Originally founded in 1984, Byron is now owned by Jackson Family Wines with the wines made by Jonathan Nagy. The oak treatment sticks out slightly in a number of these wines, but as I hope the scores show, there’s tons to love here. These are ripe, classic Santa Barbara wines.

Coming from sandy, shale and limestone soils, the 2015 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard from Byron was barrel fermented and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. Orange blossom, stone fruits and plenty of salinity give way to a concentrated, rich, yet fresh and pure Chardonnay that's ideal for drinking over the coming 3-5 years. Originally founded in 1984, Byron is now owned by Jackson Family Wines with the wines made by Jonathan Nagy. The oak treatment sticks out slightly in a number of these wines, but as I hope the scores show, there’s tons to love here. These are ripe, classic Santa Barbara wines.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Machado offers a perfumed, nuanced and savory bouquet of herbes de Provence, dried strawberries, dusty earth and spice to go with a seamless, elegant style on the palate that stays weightless and lively. It’s more restrained and reserved than the 459 cuvée (which is from the same vineyard), yet opens up with time in the glass, has a terrific mid-palate and is beautifully balanced. I like it today, but it should be at its best from 2019-2025+.

I loved the 2015 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills from Winemaker Greg Brewer, and while it’s half the price of most of the single vineyards, it’s certainly more than half the wine. Spices, sweet red fruits, dried earth and hints of forest floor all emerge from this medium-bodied, supple, beautifully layered Pinot Noir that shows the seamless, weightless style of the vintage beautifully.

Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir The Sum opens with underbrush, bay leaves and damp earth notes with a core cranberries, kirsch and raspberry leaves. The medium-bodied palate is seriously earthy, with the understated layers framed by chewy tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long with a mineral component coming through.

Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Conifer offers up pretty red flower and wild herb notions with a core of red cherries and red currants, plus suggestions of garrigue and Ceylon tea. Medium-bodied, it gives a good concentration of red fruit and earthy flavor layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

The 2015 Roux Beaute Roussanne has an alluring baked apricot, honeysuckle, brioche and marzipan-scented nose with hints of struck match, wet pebbles and yeast extract. The medium-bodied palate delivers the structure, texture and depth of a great Chardonnay with all the character of a very smart Roussanne. There's plenty of savory intensity supported by a satiny texture and an invigorating backbone of freshness, Finishing long and toasty.

IPNC: notes on 33 Pinot Noirs from Oregon Supple and sweetly fruited with a sweet, lush black cherry quality. Smooth and sweet with a bit of black pepper. Very attractive wine with nice polish.

IPNC: notes on 33 Pinot Noirs from Oregon Sweetly aromatic. Showing some development with sweet black cherries, some earth and a hint of undergrowth. Ripe, sleek and sweetly fruited.

From a great vintage in Oregon, the 2015 Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains is a blend of Muirfield, Hawks View, Arbre Vert, and Shaw Mountain fruit, all of which are in the northern part of the region. Made in an ethereal, pretty, lightly textured style, with lots of framboise, rose petal, sappy flowers and herbal nuances, it's medium-bodied, has bright acidity, and is incredibly elegant. This is a Burgundy lover’s Pinot and it should evolve nicely. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.

The Sonoma Coast was hammered in the spring with bad weather, and yields suffered dramatically. The 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir comes from the Bloomfield and Sonatera Vineyards, from less than two tons per acre. It sports a darker ruby color as well as notes of plums, scorched earth, spice and perfumed flowers. A darker, richer Pinot Noir, it has juicy fruit, lots of character, plenty of lift and good concentration. It also represents a smoking value. I was able to taste Adam Lee’s full-lineup for this report, including his Russian River Valley, Sonoma and Oregon releases. It’s a big lineup, but there’s some gorgeous Pinot Noirs here. I’ve listed the wines in the order tasted, starting with Oregon, followed by Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills.