WTN: Penner-Ash, Scott Paul

[Jenise]

Both bottles were purchased at the wineries one year ago.

2006 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Riesling
I bought this bottle for reasons I can't recall now--I disliked their wines so much (all are egregiously overoaked), it would have to have been just about free for me to leave with anything. The bottle didn't disappoint: monochromatic white nectarine flavor with no resemblance to riesling, in spite of the relatively moderate alcohol for an American wine (12.5%) and purported "dry" style. Just okay as a food wine and cold liquid refreshment, but not interesting.

2005 Scott Paul Winery "La Paulee" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
We bought two bottles of this and I remember how lovely the first bottle, consumed during The Month of Living Pinotously that followed the trip, was. Very complex in a feminine way with light fruit and a lot of tomato and leafy things. Not now. Currently the wine is bigger and simpler with a strong malolactic presence that I found unpleasant, plus a very salty midpalate and finish. I expected both to back down and reveal the wine I remember during the course of drinking it, but neither did. This is not what I hope for from pinot noir.

Thank you for the notes Jenise. I hate when wine disappoints.

I have a bottle of Penner-Ash pinot noir that I keep forgetting to drink. I forget what year. Maybe I'll open it tonight and see what gives.

[Jenise]

Thank you for the notes Jenise. I hate when wine disappoints.

I have a bottle of Penner-Ash pinot noir that I keep forgetting to drink. I forget what year. Maybe I'll open it tonight and see what gives.

It's a hoity-toity winery whose winemaker is highly respected, and obviously many love what they do. I'm just not one of them. Let us know what you think when you open that guy.

I had a bottle of 2003 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard.

I liked it. I'm too tired to do an official WTN. When I first opened it I had my doubts. It was almost brown and the nose was strong. But after a few minutes in the glass it lightened up and smoothed out. Now, a few hours later, it's almost black and it's a bit smoky.

I'm glad you inspired me to open it. I don't think it would have had a much longer life.

Very much enjoyed our visit to Scott Paul in Carlton. Very cool little town. Have a case of stuff from him on the way this week, though most of it is Burgundy from his unique Burgundy club. Very talented wine maker. If you bought the '05 at the winery, it's not one of those you let sit in your trunk one time is it??? Cuz it sounds off.

Very much enjoyed our visit to Scott Paul in Carlton.

We visited Scottt Paul back in July and we the only two people in the place. It was also the only winery during our Oregon trip where we were made to feel as if we were intruding.
Agree that Carlton is an nice little town and the Horseradish Cafe around the corner from Scott Paul is worth a stop for lunch.
Bill

[Jenise]

I had a bottle of 2003 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard.

I liked it. I'm too tired to do an official WTN. When I first opened it I had my doubts. It was almost brown and the nose was strong. But after a few minutes in the glass it lightened up and smoothed out. Now, a few hours later, it's almost black and it's a bit smoky.

I'm glad you inspired me to open it. I don't think it would have had a much longer life.

Glad that worked out then! And five years can do a lot for a bottle of wine--oak can integrate and all that. I just didn't care for the young 'uns.

[Jenise]

Very much enjoyed our visit to Scott Paul in Carlton. Very cool little town. Have a case of stuff from him on the way this week, though most of it is Burgundy from his unique Burgundy club. Very talented wine maker. If you bought the '05 at the winery, it's not one of those you let sit in your trunk one time is it??? Cuz it sounds off.

Isn't Carlton wonderful? Yes, we liked Scott Paul and his wines a lot, too. This one didn't taste off, just badly-evolved in-a-bad-place-right-now, the kind a wine usually pops out of with an hour or two of air time. If we'd actually believed this one wouldn't have, we'd have stopped drinking it and opened something else--no sense drinking an entire bottle you can't enjoy because it's not like we don't have more wine!

[Jenise]

Very much enjoyed our visit to Scott Paul in Carlton.

We visited Scottt Paul back in July and we the only two people in the place. It was also the only winery during our Oregon trip where we were made to feel as if we were intruding.
Agree that Carlton is an nice little town and the Horseradish Cafe around the corner from Scott Paul is worth a stop for lunch.
Bill

Gosh, that doesn't sound like our visit there at all. I guess that can happen even at the best wineries--there are a small handful of places I'd never return to, I have to admit, based on how they made me feel in the waiting room.