A ghost of Pinot Noir that will haunt you...in a good way: Pinot Noir Blanc from Ghost Hill Cellars

Recently I was sent a few wines to review (there's my disclosure -- these were freebies), and among them was my vote for the coolest wine of 2013! I've had a few great ones this year, but none so memorable as what I'm about to share: a Pinot Noir Blanc! 

Ghost Hill Cellars has a cool back story about their haunted land: 

In the early 1860s, Oregon was in the midst of a gold rush. An old military road that ran through what is now the Bayliss family farm stretched from southern Oregon to Portland. A miner that was traveling to Portland with his hard-earned “poke” of gold decided to camp for the night at the top of what is now known as Ghost Hill. During the night, someone snuck into his camp, killed the miner and his horse, and stole his gold. To this day, the miner is said to wander the hill looking for his stolen gold.

Is it the ghost that makes the wine taste good? Probably not, but as I'll share in a second, you can find a wine in this area worth its weight in gold, so at least the ghostly miner can drink well while on the hunt for his treasure!

Although I'm not aware of any other area in Oregon that's haunted, there is certainly a mystical quality about the terroir in Oregon. 

The large Willamette Valley has sub-regions with distinctive soil types, elevations, and sun exposures that make the Pinot Noir grown in each area taste totally different from each other. It's Burgundy-like in the distinctions, which is great for Pinot Noir lovers.

From WinesNW.com

Ghost Hill Cellars wine is made from estate-grown fruit in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of the Willamette Valley. The area is known for its eroded hills, sedimentary rock and a more moderate climate since it's sheltered from harsh weather by mountains to the north and west. These wines tend to have soft tannins, lots of black cherry and blackberry flavors with floral and smoky notes too. Generally, wines from here are not lighter, elegant styles of Pinot -- they can be heavy but they range depending on site and clone. Honestly, I've also never met a wine from here that doesn't have some sort of cola flavor. Strange but true. 

But that's just the red Pinot Noir. Except in a Champagne or sparkling wine, I'd never encountered a white Pinot Noir and that proved to be a different ballgame. I was wowed by the refreshing, different flavors of a wine that was new to me. Here's the scoop: 

2012 Estate Grown Pinot Noir Blanc
Price: $25
Alcohol: 13.5% 

Color: Orange salmon from the contact with dark-skinned grapes. The wine also had blonde straw highlights. A very cool color -- almost white, but orangy salmon too. Not quite rosé but not white either. 

Smell: Bready from aging on the lees (dead yeast cells left over after fermentation) with mild raspberry aromas and a stony/minerally note underlying the wine. 

Taste: Cranberry, sour cherry, and dried strawberry flavors with super high acid and a clean, tangy texture. The wine reminded me of a medium-bodied, flat Champagne but more refreshing and bright. 

Drink or sink?: This is a great wine -- clean, different, and delicious. I love it!

2011 Estate Grown Pinot Noir

Price: $42

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Color: A brownish raspberry color with thicker legs, but clear and glycerin in color.

Smell: True to form for Yamhill-Carlton, this wine smelled like a denser, darker Pinot. Black raspberry, licorice, and cinnamon notes with cherry cola, black cherry, and strong clove aroma.

Taste: Like black cherry and black raspberry but overall the wine was much lighter in taste than smell. It had a bit of that black cherry cola flavor and it was lightly tannic with moderate acid. On the finish the wine was like candied raspberries with a burnt oak note. It stuck around, with a long finish that tasted like black raspberry tea, some earth, and lots of black cherry.

Drink or sink?: This is a good wine but not an outstanding one. For all the aromas, I expected that it would have more weight to it. I like a lighter Pinot, but when it smells lighter. For me, there's a disconnect between the heavy scents of the wine and the flavors and textures. I bet the reserve version delivers on what I'd hoped this wine would taste like. This is a fine Pinot, but nothing that I'd seek out when there are so many other great options.

My advice, if you can order the Pinot Noir Blanc from Ghost Hill's site, go out and get some. You're in for a cool experience!