Medium ruby-garnet color; red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry cobbler, cranberry, violets, black tea, savory herbs, baking spices on the nose and palate.
Dry; genial tannin and acidity (3.71 pH; 5.3 g/L TA). Medium body, velvety mouthfeel. Presents the fruity side of pinot noir rather than the layered, complex side, but very nice for the price. You get what you pay for. Excellent finish. Spent 10 months in 20% new French oak, so the oak elements are subtle. Drink it when you get it, not built for aging. 13.5% ABV
The Portlandia story begins when Florida native Damian Davis left for the Pacific Northwest to start a new job in tech. En route he encountered Oregon’s wine country and the Willamette Valley during harvest. Davis stopped for a wine tasting. The pause was transformative. Davis later described the Willamette Valley as “the most beautiful ag-land I had ever seen.” By the time he reached his new home, his car was so loaded with Oregon wines he says his vehicle could barely make it.
Almost a decade after this initial encounter with Oregon wine country, Davis founded Portlandia Vintners in 2008. The timing coincided with Oregon’s wine industry reaching greater maturity, as the Willamette Valley had been building its reputation for pinot noir since the pioneering efforts of UC Davis students in the late 1960s.
Portlandia is a virtual winery. It secured production with a partnership in Dundee, Oregon, and sources fruit throughout the Willamette Valley. The operation focuses on delivering quality wine at an affordable price. In practice, this means they do not get the highest quality estate pinot noir and pinot gris, but their second level is almost the same—or the same—as the supplying vineyard’s fruit. The formula is one for real value. It is likely you cannot tell the top shelf pour from the Potlandia pour, but you get to enjoy it for fraction of the price. Don’t hesitate to snag bottles.
Portlandia Pinot Noir Oregon 2022 has admirable nuance and refinement for a value pinot noir, another example of how well Oregon—and Portlandia—does PN. It is lighter and more delicate than the standard California pinot noir—certainly for CA efforts at this price point—likely because it is 100% Oregon PN, not a blend with just enough PN to qualify for varietal labeling (the dark secret of many value-priced PN efforts is there can be up to 25% other grapes used to bulk out production). This is the real, delicious thing. $16-19
Pairing—Salmon is classic, grilled, roasted, cedar planked; tuna, swordfish. Grilled pork chops, roast chicken, braised meat; duck, quail. Wild mushroom dishes—chanterelles, morels, porcini; vegetarian pizza, roasted vegetables, balsamic pesto polenta. Cheese—Goat cheese is classic with pinot; fresh chèvre; brie, camembert; Briar Rose Creamery Maia (soft, washed rind cow’s milk from Dundee, OR); gruyère, aged swiss. Avoid stinky cheeses and aggressive blue cheeses.