Owen Roe Sinister Hand, Kilmore Pinot noir, Sharecroppers Pinot noir

Avalon Wine one of "Ten Best Online Wine Shops" - Food & Wine Magazine, June 2007

Kilmore Pinot noir, Sinister Hand, Sharecropper's Pinot noir --
Owen Roe Fall Releases

Owen Roe Sinister Hand 06 $21.55/$23.95
Every year, this wine is an exhuberant, lush, lively, juicy blend of Rhone varietals. This year it's 63% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 7% Mourvedre from several Yakima vineyards in Washington.

Sweet and spicy, the nose has black fruit, plum, and currant, with a most pleasant rustic quality incorporating hints of anise, lavender & sweet thyme, smoke, and barrel spice.

This dark ruby colored, opaque wine's flavors of sweet blackberry, plum, and black currant are heady, fleshy, and fruity -- characteristic of Grenache. Hints of black cherry and toasty smoke from Syrah add depth and richness. This wine expands in the mouth, offering additional lively sweet fruit and spice in a long finish. The tannins are well integrated, present but seamlessly integrated with a refreshing acidity and a dominant sweet fruit flavor.

We found ourselves commenting on the hints of a Languedoc-like "garrigue" of anise, lavender, and thyme. "Primitive" and "rustic" attempt to define a quality of this wine that one experiences while drinking a Cotes du Rhone or Coteaux de Languedoc, preferably in France under a shady tree on a warm summer day.

The label shows the severed hand of Owen Roe O'Neil- the Irish patriot whose severed hand appears on the coat of arms of winemaker David O'Reilly's family.

Owen Roe Pinot noir "The Kilmore" 2006 $37.76/$41.95
OUTSTANDING
Our favorite Kilmore Pinot noir to date. Muscular, with a finish that hangs on for minutes. Aromas of baking spices and dried flowers mesh with gushing blackberry, black cherry, and marionberry flavors. Silky and fat on the palate, with fine tannins appearing on the finish. The finish seems to echo forever with pure, ripe fruit and cinnamon spice.

The components of the Kilmore were fantastic in barrel and have entered a new dimension now that they've been blended and bottled. Fans of David O'Reilly's wines will love this Pinot, and so will just about everbody who tries it!

Named for the old abbey on the O'Reilly clan's land in Ireland, on Trinity Island. The label is a handpulled etching of a photo of one of the Romanesque arches in the ruins of the Abbey. Very limited.

Owen Roe Sharecropper's Pinot noir 06 $18.86/$20.95
BEST BUY!
This label hearkens to the spirit of the original sharecropping ideal of a partnership between landowners and the laborers who toiled producing the crops.Third year in a row, David has not raised the price.

The 2006's nose amalgamates gentle sweet spice and fresh berry and cherry notes, with a hint of strawberry in the mix. "Fresh" is a word that comes to mind a lot when experiencing the scents and flavors of the 2006 Sharecroppers.

Flavors of red raspberry and red cherry intermingle with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and white pepper. They overlay a base of soft tannins and racy acidity. With its well structured fruit/tannin/acid balance, this wine should drink well for at least three years.

Quite a deal, comparable to other, pricier Pinots. Always sells out quickly, only offered in Oregon or via the web.

Case Contains:
4 Sharecroppers Pinot noir 06 $20.95
4 Sinister Hand 06 $23.95
4 "The Kilmore" Pinot noir 06 $37.76

Parker Scores Washington Wine

Wine Advocate's just released August 31 issue includes new contributor Dr Jay Miller's reviews of Washington wine. Scores are generally quite good, and he comments favorably about the changes he sees between his 1990 visit and 2007

In 1990, Walla Walla appeared to be a dying city, he comments that it is now "in the midst of a renaissance thanks to the booming wine industry". He says "Washingon State is now one of the world's most exciting viticultural regions".

Note that many of our Big Reds Club Selections received great scores.
We have a pretty good track record for finding the stars!

94 Pts. - Long Shadows "Pedestal" 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 2/07
93 Pts - Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 6/07
93 Pts - Andrew Will Champoux 04 -- Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 9/06
91 Pts - Andrew Will Two Blondes 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 1/07
91 Pts - Gorman Zachary's Ladder 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 11/06
91 Pts - Boudreax Cellars Cabernet 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 5/07
91 Pts - Boudreaux Cellars Merlot 04 - Avalon Big Reds Club Selection 5/07

94 Pts - Woodward Canyon Old Vine Cabernet 04 - future Avalon Big Reds Selection - available to purchase this month

93 Pts - Betz Syrah La Cote Rousse 05 - Available this month
93 Pts - Betz Syrah La Serenne 05 - Available this month

91+ - Mark Ryan Long Haul "Ciel du Cheval" 05 - available this month
90+ - Mark Ryan Dead Horse "Ciel du Cheval" 05 - available this month --
Avalon Big Reds Club Selection

We're available by phone at 541-752-7418 from
8 AM Pacific time until 6PM Pacific time, Monday through Saturday,
and we answer email on Sundays.

Avalon Wine
201 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis OR 97333
541-752-7418
www.avalonwine.com
store@avalonwine.com

If you wouldn't mind, to ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add avalon@avalonwine.com to your email program's "approved senders" or "whitelist" list today.