It was an evening that was well overdue. We had finally scheduled dinner with our friends. We made it a point of going to a new restaurant neither of us had experienced before. It was an adventure. In making our wine selection we settled on a new wine called Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir. When the waitress brought the bottle to our table, my friend laughed and mentioned how I had a thing for blue bottles and labels. I had to admit, I really do.
Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir
Cloudline Cellars is located in the Willamette Valley wine region in Oregon. Owned by Dreyfus, Ashby and company they had a very specific goal for this Cloudline. Their plan was to create the very best Pinot Noir at a reasonable price.
With a long history of developing fine wine for Domaine Drouhin Oregon, it’s no surprise that they chose Oregon’s Willamette Valley as the place to make Cloudline Cellars happen. With their first release in 2005 vintage, they hit the ground running with a huge hit on their hands with their Pinot Noir. A big part of that success is due to their never wavering on the quality of their winemaking.
The Willamette Valley wine region, where you’ll find Cloudline Cellars, was established in 1984. It is the largest wine region in the state of Oregon. The area encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River. It stretches from the Columbia River to the north, to Eugene in the south where the Willamette Valley ends, from the Oregon Coast Range in the west to the Cascade Mountains in the east. It’s a huge area that contains most of the state’s wineries numbering in the 200’s. All in all, it’s a great place for Cloudline Cellars to make their home.
This is what the winemaker has to say about Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir:
“The 2013 Cloudline has a brilliant ruby color and medium body, which is true to Oregon Pinot Noir. On the nose and following through on the palate, I find bright red and black cherries, with a framework of cola nut and ripe dark fruit. Tannins are soft, and the finish is graceful. This is a wine to enjoy tonight, or sometime in the next 3-5 years.
Pinot Noir is well-suited to pair with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. It will play well with creamy sauces, spicy seasonings and may just be one of the world’s most versatile food wines.”
You can find this Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir on wine.com, totalwine.com, bevmo.com and any good wine purveyor in our area.
The Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir was a delightful discovery. It was an especially nice match with our Chicken Marsala and Salmon entrees. I also love the fact that it’s readily available at my local wine purveyor. When I asked about it, the wine buyer smiled saying it was a great choice. That said a lot to me.
Time for a glass…
If you enjoyed reading about “Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir,” check out Acacia Vineyard Pinot Noir, Bridlewood Pinot Noir, and J Lohr Vineyards Falcon’s Perch Pinot Noir.
For fun, why not check out my wine tool recommendations below. 🙂