the Willamette Valley AVA, OR at the Nantucket Wine Festival. Venue was changed from a theater to the tents behind the White Elephant Hotel. The presenter was Lynn Penner-Ash. She spoke about the soil differences, more rainfall in Dundee Hills than in McMinnville AVA, volcanic Jory soil, etc. but I was mainly taking notes on the wines we tasted, not the geography. In 1988 there were 49 wineries in Oregon. Now there are over 400 wineries in the state. My notes are a bit scrambled. I'm not sure if it was the 2010 Alexana Vineyard Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills) or the Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir (McMinnville AVA) that I described as red currants, mellow, smooth, balanced and refined.
2010 PENNER-ASH HYLAND VINEYARD PINOT NOIR, MCMINNVILLE AVA I thought this wine had some similarities to the first wine.
2010 PENNER-ASH ESTATE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR, YAMHILL-CARLTON AVA
Lynn described blackberry, pepper, dark chocolate. Planted in 2003.
2010 PENNER-ASH PAS DE NOM PINOT NOIR--a blend of grapes from several vineyard sites. Notes say black fruit, blackberry and cherry. A little woodsy.
I liked the Alexana Vineyard and Hyland Vineyard Pinots the best.