Sokol Blosser, delinea 300 Pinot Noir 2008

Sokol Blosser,

delinea 300 Pinot Noir 2008

Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

$30-36 +356195 available at select private liquor stores

www.delinea300.com

This is the inaugural release of Sokol Blosser’s 2^nd label, delinea, and is one crafted specifically with the international market in mind. Funny to think that here in Canada, we qualify’ as Oregon’s “international” clientele, since we can easily hop in the car and drive there in a half day. Sokol Blosser does a huge export business to Asia, and Japan in particular, so let’s surmise that markets further afield are the main intention. Good thing for us, some dropped here en route. Latitude aside, delinea 300 is named for the altitude in the Dundee Hills where this wine is from – 300 feet above sea level (that’s approximately 90 metres to us internationals), and where fertile silt and volcanic soils come together.

The result is a bright and fruity, easy-drinking red. Fresh raspberry, cranberry and perfumed bing cherry on the nose and palate, with faint earthy notes and a fairly light and elegant body. Juicy and alluring, if a little ingenuous, this would make a fine accompaniment to salmon or seared tuna, and is a lovely bridge red for people that prefer whites. Delinea is a little pricey on our market, as are the vast majority of Oregon wines. Hm – I wonder how many yen it would be…

The Sokol Blosser family planted their first grapevines in 1971 in the Dundee Hills and now farms over 85 certified organic acres. As one of the pioneering wineries of the region, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now prominent Oregon wine industry. The winery works to create wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, which reflect the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil, and climate, as well as the winery’s values and sense of place. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Evolution (a proprietary white wine blend of nine varieties) and Meditrina (proprietary red blend), along with small quantities of Single Block Pinot Noirs. www.sokolblosser.com.

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delinea 300 Pinot Noir 2008

A second label from the hugely successful Sokol Blosser. The result is a bright and fruity, easy-drinking red. Fresh raspberry, cranberry and perfumed bing cherry on the nose and palate, with faint earthy notes and a fairly light and elegant body. Juicy and alluring, if a little ingenuous, this would make a fine accompaniment to salmon or seared tuna, and is a lovely bridge red for people that prefer whites.