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Cole Danehower is a professional wine writer, owner of Oregon's renowned Northwest Palate magazine and manages the blog and reviews at Essential Northwest Wines. Read about Cole's visit to our Mineral Springs Ranch and his reviews of our North Valley wines below.
MINERAL SPRINGS RANCH "MSR" PINOT NOIR - { back to top }
VINTAGE: 2010 "Bright ruby-red. Heady aromas of candied red fruits, incense and cola, with suave floral nuances building in the glass. Offers intense raspberry and cherry flavors and bright blood orange and spice cake qualities, along with a touch of anise. Fine-grained tannins give shape and grip to the long, nervy, focused finish. This wine should age will on its balance." -- 93 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
VINTAGE: 2009 "Bright ruby-red. Intense aromas of red currant, cherry, spice cake and potpourri. Fresh and focused on the palate, offering vibrant red fruit flavors that gain weight with air. Picks up darker fruit qualities on the back end and finishes with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness. This wine benefits a lot from decanting." -- 92+ points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"The 2009 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Ranch is denser and richer than the North Valley cuvee. Quite concentrated, with plenty of black cherry and black raspberry fruit, it also gives up notes of dried herbs and floral notes. Impeccably balanced and lengthy for the vintage, it should drink well for up to a decade." -- 92 points, The Wine Advocate
"A very fresh, ripe and classic pinot nose of red and blue pinot fruit that is liberally sprinkled with spice and briar notes, the latter of which is picked up by the delicious and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess sophisticated tannis. The finish is beautifully balanced, dusty and mouth coating and offers that rare quality of being enjoyable now yet being capable of rewarding aging as well." -- 91 points, Burghound
"This has a lovely transparency to its currant and plum fruit, shaded with tar and mineral notes, riding easily over buffed tannins into the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2017." -- 91 points, The Wine Spectator
"Every now and then a wine speaks to you, sometimes softly, sometimes seductively, sometimes boisterously. When a wine has something to say that resonates with you, it becomes a compelling experience. And so it is with me with the Soter Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir, Mineral Springs Ranch. In the glass, complex aromatics bring sweet scents of rose blossoms and ripe red fruits to the front, with swirls of damp forested earth, brown spices, and a touch of leather adding an appealing savory note. Expansive on the palate, similar flavors of fruit - sweet black cherry and raspberry emerge clearly from undertones of warm earth, herbs, and echoes of cola and cocoa dust." -- Cole Danehower, Northwest Palate Magazine - September 2011
VINTAGE: 2008 "Bright ruby-red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cherry-cola, sassafras and potpourri. Silky in texture and impressively pure, offering sappy red and dark berry flavors and suave floral pastille and spicecake qualities. Gains weight with air and picks up a bitter cherry quality that carries through the long, spicy finish. Balanced to age but also very attractive right now." -- 93 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"The 2008 Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir is darker in color with a slightly reticent nose of toast, Asian spices, incense, floral notes, black cherry and black raspberry. Dense rich and mouth-coating, this layered, spicy effort will evolve for 2-3 years and provide a drinking window extending from 2012 - 2023." -- 92 points, The Wine Advocate
"A discreet but perfumed nose offers both upper and lower register aromas that include cranberry, cherry, briar, earth and spice. The delicious, supple and attractively vibrant middle weight flavors possess a silky mouth feel and the supporting tannins are quite finely rendered, all wrapped in a mouth coating, reserved and dusty finish. This firm and understated offering should age well. " -- 90 points, Burghound
VINTAGE: 2007 "Vivid red. Highly expressive floral bouquet of black raspberry, potpourri spices and subtle cola. Vibrant and red-fruity on entry, then gains heft and depth in the mid-palate, offering smoky dark berry and musky spice flavors and good tangy lift. Benefits enormously from aeration: I'd let this age for at least another five years." -- 93 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"The 2007 Mineral Springs Pinot Noir is more deeply colored with aromas of damp earth, roasted herbs, black cherry and black raspberry. On the palate spice notes emerge along with savory black fruit flavors and enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. It will be at its best from 2010 to 2019." -- 92 points, The Wine Advocate
"Fleshier than most 2007s. Not heavy, but shows a density that lifts the dark currant and plum fruit. Finishes with firm tannins that fade away, allowing the flavors to shine. Plays out with cream, nutmeg and floral notes. Drink now through 2013." -- 91 points, The Wine Spectator
VINTAGE: 2006 "The 2006 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs has an especially expressive bouquet with floral notes, pain grille, damp earth, black raspberry and blueberry. On the palate, the wine is layered, bordering on opulent. The savory, ripe, spicy dark fruit flavors persist into a lenghty, velvety textured finish. Give it 2-3 years and drink from 2011 to 2020." -- 93 points, The Wine Advocate
"Medium red color. Zesty red berry aromas quickly give way to darker suggestions of spicy blackberry and blackcurrant. Fresh and precise, with impressive focus to the luscious red and dark berry flavors. Dusty minerality and gentle tannins frame the sweet, sappy berry flavors on the very long, suave, silky finish. This is extremely sexy wine." -- 92 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"Crisp in texture, with strong spice and wet stone overtones to the solid cherry and berry flavors, lingering on the expressive meaty, peppery finish against silky tannins. Best from 2009 - 2014." -- 92 points, The Wine Spectator
VINTAGE: 2009 "Deep, bright red. Intensely perfumed bouquet evokes candied raspberry and cherry, with smoke and Asian spice top notes. Ripe and lively, offering energetic red and dark berry flavors that put on weight with air. Silky tannins build on the long, sweet, floral-accented finish. I've little doubt that this wine will reward cellaring but I find it awfully appealing right now." -- 93 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
VINTAGE: 2008 "The 2008 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs is even better, coming as it does from one of the Willamette Valley's greatest vintages. Toasty oak notes, darker fruits, more density and richness, and several years of aging potential are the hallmarks of this brilliantly rendered Pinot. Give it a minimum of 3-4 years of cellaring for it to fully blossom." -- 95 points, The Wine Advocate
"... This wine's soft tannins and silky, full texture make a perfect vehicle for the lush flavors of ripe black cherries, rose petals and a whole spice rack full of herbs, cloves and peppers. Such a quality wine will improve for over a decade, but the Mineral Springs' bright acidity and intense fruit make it absolutely delicious right now." -- 96 points, Portland Monthly Magazine "Oregon's 50 Best Wines" - September 2011
VINTAGE: 2006 "Tony Soter has long made one of the finest Rosé sparkling wines anywhere. The salmon pink 2006 Brut Rosé, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, was barrel-fermented and spent 4.5 years aging sur-lie. It gives up enticing aromas of cherry blossom, raspberry and strawberry leading to an intensely flavored, lengthy, rich wine that will pair perfectly with the finest jamons ibericos.-- 93 points, The Wine Advocate
VINTAGE: 2005 "The 2005 Beacon Hill Brut Rosé is composed of equal part Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A deep salmon pink in color, it offers up an alluring bouquet of bidcuit, rose petal, minerals, strawberry and raspberry. Medium to full-bodied, rich and flavorful on the palate, this vibrant effort is impeccably balanced and lengthy. It would be a fascinating experiment to place it in a blind tasting with Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé and Dom Perignon Rosé."-- 93 points, The Wine Advocate
VINTAGE: 2004 "The 2004 Beacon Hill Brut Rosé is salmon pink-colored with a persistent stream of tiny bubbles, an attractive mousse and aromas of rose petals and strawberries. Crisp, lively and concentrated, this flavorful bubbly should drink well for several years." -- 92 points, The Wine Advocate
NORTH VALLEY PINOT NOIR- { back to top }
VINTAGE: 2010 "Dark red. Fresh cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by Indian spices, fresh lavender and cola. Fleshy and appealingly sweet on the palate, with cherry and dark berry flavors enlivened by slow-building florality. Finishes smooth and long, with lingering spiciness and very good breadth." -- 90 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
VINTAGE: 2009 "In the 2009 vintage, Soter Vineyards handled the conditions as well as anyone. The entry-level bottling, the dark ruby-colored 2009 North Valley Pinot Noir was aged in only 10-20% new oak. Potpourri, incense and bright red fruits inform the nose of a savory, round, nicely balanced wine that will deliver considerable pleasure over the next 6+ years." -- 91 points, The Wine Advocate
"Crafted from a diverse selection of grapes throughout the north Willamette Valley, this wine reveals winemaker James Cahill's focus on regional representation and sustainable farming. Flavors of tart pie cherries; a candied, bright style; and a super-clean finish place it on the lighter side of the pinot noir specturm, which makes it a great pairing for fresh, spicy foods." -- 90 points, Portland Monthly Magazine - September 2011
"Tony Soter made his name farther south, with his Carneros-based Etude. But his Oregon project is coming into its own. He and winemaker, James Cahill, finessed a tricky vintage with a mouthwatering, darker-hued release. Think of black cherry juice tinged with fenugreek and burnt sage." -- San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wines, 2011
VINTAGE: 2008 "Full red. Pungent aromas of black raspberry and cherry complicated by wilted rose, violet and black pepper. Pliant, palate-staning red and dark berry flavors are enlivened by peppery spice and mineral notes, with silky tannins adding shape. Becomes chewier with air and finishes with solid, sweet punch and very good clarity." -- 91 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"Soter Vineyard's 2008 Pinot Noir North Valley is medium ruby red with an enticing bouquet of smoke, rose petal, spice box and a mix of cherry and black raspberry. Firm and concentrated on the palate, it is smooth-textured, ripe and packed with savory red and black fruit flavors. Like most of the better wines of the vintage, it will offer pleasurable drinking from 2012 - 2020." -- 90 points, The Wine Advocate
"Smooth, round and deftly balanced, with a cooked edge to the ripe currant and plum fruit, finishing with impressive persistence and a hint of mineral. Drink now through 2018." -- 90 points, The Wine Spectator
VINTAGE: 2007 "The fruit for this cuvee was picked entirely before the late September rainfall but the wine shows no green character whatsoever. Medium ruby-colored, it exhibits a fragrant nose of cedar, spice box, cherry and cranberry. On the palate it shows off a forward personality, sweet fruit, light tannin and savory flavors. Drink this tasty effort over the next 6 years." -- 90 points, The Wine Advocate
"Dark red. Raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by fresh rose and baking spices. Light in weight but deep in red and dark berry flavor with good back end spiciness and clarity. Finishes with good cut and lingering red fruit notes. This is very easy to drink." -- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
VINTAGE: 2006 "Soter Vineyards entry level Pinot is the 2006 Pinot Noir North Valley, a regional blend. Medium/dark ruby-colored, it exhibits a refined bouquet of black cherry, black raspberry, spice and earth notes. Supple, ripe and plush, the wine offers savory flavors, good depth and a smooth finish." -- 91 points, The Wine Advocate
"Bright red. Fresh raspberry and blackberry aromas offer fragrant, jammy appeal, with dusty minerality adding energy. Pliant red fruit flavors stain the palate, giving this wine an appealing, juicy character. Silky tannins add gentle grip and focus to the tangy, red currant-flavored finish. Very refreshing, precise wine." -- 90 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
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