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Greetings, readers! It’s good to be back on the blog. The last time we spoke I was lauding the juicy scrumptiousness of blackberry wine. Then summer happened, brimming with fun in the sun, kid activities, a sickness or two, and a surgery for me. Sadly, my wine blogging ambitions had to take a backseat. Life gets busy and in those down moments it was often my desire for a nap or Netflix that won out.
But it’s time to get back to business. There are just too darn many amazing wines to write about and to try. I love the French saying, “Life’s too short to drink bad wine” but honestly the motto that resonates most with me is “So many wines, so little time.” (Anyone know where I can get that as a T-shirt of baseball cap?) 😉
Harvested grapes waiting to be turned into wine.
ANYWAY…. It’s November. Fall is well underway, the harvest has happened, the elections are over, and Thanksgiving is staring us in the face, just over the river and through the woods (not to fear, my Thanksgiving wine recommendation will be coming up next!). Everyone take a Deep. Calming. Breath. I’m enjoying the fact that there are still some vividly colored leaves hanging on to the trees, illuminating otherwise often-gloomy grey skies.
November to me is when we settle in collectively for a season of coziness. I’m making lots of soups for dinner, snuggling in ultra-soft blankets, and filling my coffee with pumpkin spice creamer. Cozy and homey. My wineglass lately has been full of excellent Pinot Noirs, whose lightness and complexity beg for the kind of contemplative savoring unique to fall.
But we’ll save Pinot Noir for another day… what I most want to talk to you about today is an unusual Pinot Blanc. I tried this particular wine in Oregon a month ago. It truly embodies the spirit of fall in a white wine. This Pinot Blanc is from David Hill Winery in Forest Grove, Oregon. David Hill Vineyards and Winery is LIVE certified and uses low impact, organic farming methods to pamper these special grapes and bring out their maximum potential, and the efforts pay off handsomely in delicious wines.
The day we tasted at David Hill Winery. Heaven on earth.
As I may have mentioned before, Oregon white wines have seriously captured my fancy and have been commanding plenty of attention as of late. This winery is a wonderful place to discover some phenomenal old-growth varieties and taste a spectacular array of wines.
The oldest vines in the vineyard were planted from rootstock, brought back from Alsace, France, by UC Davis graduate Charles Coury in 1965. Wines made from Coury’s plantings are part of the winery’s Discovery Series label. Some of the other intriguing varieties include Riesling, Sylvaner, Chasselas, Melon de Bourgogne, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. The Sylvaner may very well be getting its own blog post here in the future, and my husband and I are huge fans of their noble rot-affected Riesling. 😋
White wine grapes just about ready for harvest at David Hill Vineyards. Soaking up that golden sunshine.
Come get to know this Pinot Blanc that is unlike any other Pinot Blanc I’ve had to date:
- David Hill Vineyards & Winery Discovery Series 2023 Block 22 Pinot Blanc
- 100% Estate-Grown Pinot Blanc
- Get this: this wine is aged in 100% chestnut barrels. Chestnut barrel aged wines are something you don’t taste everyday. Chestnut wood barrels were used in many European wineries before a global blight wiped out a large portion of chestnut trees. So it’s a real treat to taste a wine fermented and aged in something besides oak, stainless steel, or concrete.
- $32/bottle
- ABV 11.28%
- From the tasting notes: “Aromas of golden apple and brown pear with a hint of nectarine and river rock meet the freshness of dill and fennel to round out the nose of our 2023 Pinot Blanc.” These notes carry over to the palate “along with subtle Marcona almond” giving “a warming, comforting… textural component through the finish. This wine is reminiscent of… fall spices and late summer notes.”
Isn’t that just gorgeous? 🍂
You need this wine for light refreshment when you are outside enjoying a still-warm autumn afternoon, just as much as you need this wine when you are indoors, at night, curled up on the couch next to a fireplace, ready to relax and soak in all this wine’s autumnal glory. And it’s begging to play with fancy cheeses. 🙂 It’s got it all!
So don’t EVER put away your whites, just because it’s after Labor Day. 😉 This rich and complex Pinot Blanc is perfect for fall, winter, and beyond.
Cheers! 🙂 🥂
The Rambling Vine 