confessions of a noir nerd

i don't like Oregon pinot noir.

this conclusion comes after a bout of wine tasting in the Yamhill and Willamette Valleys when a friend was visiting... plus a few bottles from the Columbia Gorge consumed during play time.

Oregon pinot noir tastes like volcanic ash. any label that makes a 'fruit-forward' claim is doing so based on comparison to other basalt-tasting bottles. i hate saying that, really, because i flippin' love this place. but i feel compelled to stand by my palette and confess that the pinot here is... different.

Oregon pinot is earthy. i've mistakenly picked up on what i though was botrytis only to be told it was the driest vintage in memory. that's because normal Oregon pinot smells like mushrooms and has a prevailing dirt-like taste.... and you know what? PEOPLE HERE LOVE IT.

i miss the supple bouquet of a lightly-oaked Tasmanian pinot noir. the bounty of fruit on the palette tastes rich and complex, yet seductively light. it does not taste like Thor just exploded a volcano plug of hot, molten alcohol directly into my mouth. no no, we've got two completely different experiences here.

anyway, i just can't do it any longer. i can't keep saying 'mmm' every time i taste an Oregon pinot. no more please. of course i'll continue to utter my compliments in front of winemakers and vested parties, but it's time i be honest [mostly with myself] and accept that i just don't like pinot noir from here... even though i like just about everything else around this place.