The new tasty Pinot Noir from Tendril Cellars

I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Rynders, Owner/Winemaker of Tendril Cellars, at the Wine Bloggers Conference last year in Portland. Both his 2009 White Label Pinot Noir and 2010 Tight Rope Pinot Noir were among the most memorable wines I tasted the evening of August 16, 2012 (and there were many, many wines that first night of the conference). It was quite the introduction. In case you missed that post, click here.

When Craig Camp of Cornerstone Cellars told me that Tony also makes the Cornerstone Oregon wines (of which I am a big fan), I knew that I could add Tony's private label to my ever-growing list of favorite wineries. I should also mention that before Tony started Tendril, he was the head winemaker at Domaine Serene (what do you know, I adore Domaine Serene wines too). I certainly noticed a pattern here.

I didn’t need to taste the new release from Tendril Cellars to know that I would like it. But what kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t do my homework?

The 2010 Tendril White Label Pinot Noir ($48/bottle) is smooth and supple on the entry. It’s pretty garnet hue suggests a wine of a lighter body as it is just barely transparent in the glass. It is perfumed with ripe red cherry, plum and vanilla notes. The cherry flavors carry through on the palate, accompanied by raspberry and cranberry, with a sprinkling of white pepper and baking spice. It has that dusty quality I associate with Oregon Pinot and a subtle elegance. I think it’s interesting that the fruit was sourced from six appellations within the Willamette Valley; its unique composition is 79% Yamhill-Carlton, 6% McMinnville, 6% Chehalem Mountains, 4% Eola Hills, 3% Ribbon Ridge and 8% Dundee Hills. Only 404 cases produced!

This deliciously dreamy wine that was an exquisite match with a selection of both soft and hard cheeses. But cheese was only the appetizer. Dinner that night was homemade hamburgers on a pretzel bun with bacon and avocado. This Pinot was a fantastic wine for the red meat as well as the smoky bacon flavors. For a more high-brow pairing, I would suggest lamb ragout with pasta, roast chicken with sautéed mushrooms, or a white pizza with sausage and caramelized onions.

The Tendril Pinot Noirs can be ordered directly from the website, which I suggest you do before they sell out. Cheers!