Torii Mor Pinot Noir

Name: Torii Mor
Color: Red
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Oregon
Region: Willamette Valley
Price: $25
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

Wow!! I really liked this Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette valley. It was big and earthy, with flavors of cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and more earth. The color in the glass was a ruby red and it looked a little light. The nose and taste, however, were much bigger and more powerful than the color would suggest, which is something I love in a good Pinot.

We had the Torii Mor for Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, etc. It was terrific with food. It really seemed to pull all of the flavors of the meal together and the taste of the wine really exploded when mixed with the meal. This is a terrific wine with great structure, balance, aromas, and taste.

King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Gris

Name: King Estate Pinot Gris
Color: White
Varietal: Pinot Gris
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Oregon
Region: Willamette Valley
Price: $14
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


The King Estate Pinot Gris is often mentioned as a great value, as well as an excellent representation of Oregon's success with Pinot Gris. Recently, it was named the St. Pete Times Wine of the Week, was recommended by the New York Times wine columnist, and was named to Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2009. Is it worth all the hype? I would say so.

We had this wine last night with Chinese take-out (sesame chicken and pork fried rice), after watching Kentucky thoroughly dominate the over-matched LSU Tigers. Another strong effort by the Beast, DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins and the boys. Patterson was really active today and had a great game, too.

Krista and I both enjoyed the wine and quickly finished the bottle that night. The wine had a nice medium body feel in the mouth, with good weight and rather zippy acidity. The nose was dominated by pear, peach, and citrus fruits. The taste was similar to the aroma, along with some nice minerality. It's a fresh and fruity wine that goes well with many different dishes.