Delamotte Champagne Brut

Winery:	Delamotte   (France)
Retailer:	Rick's Wine & Gourmet
Price:	$39.99

WillaKenzie Estate Emery Pinot Noir 2003

Winery:	WillaKenzie Estate  (Oregon)
Type:	Pinot Noir
Retailer:	Winery - Club
Price:	$31.50
Description:	"The 2003 growing season was very unusual for Oregon. It started with a mild, very wet spring, but the rains stopped in mid May, and the rest of the growing season was abnormally dry with little or no rain at all until October 7. There was a heat wave in June followed by a warm, dry summer, and then an unusually warm second half of September with temperatures reaching 95 degrees F on September 27. Since the vines set a very good crop, we had to drop fruit to achieve our target yields on the same level as the Burgundy Grand Crus. We irrigated the vines several times during the summer and early Fall to keep the vines in top condition. The September heat spike compressed the harvest time from a typical 3 weeks to just eleven days, with all the blocks maturing within a short time window. The sugar levels were quite high, nothing below 24 Brix for us, but we managed to maintain a high level of acidity with ripe tannins. We started harvest on September 25 and finished on October 5 with grapes showing an incredible level of color and concentration. 2003 will go on record as another great vintage for Oregon." - winery website
Notes:	WillaKenzie had several different pinot noirs in 2003: Aliette, Aliette Cork-Free, Pierre Léon Cork-Free, Pierre Léon, Kiana, Emery, Terres Basses, Triple Black Slopes Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir Appellation: Yamhill-Carlton District, Willamette Valley Production: 606 cases

King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Noir 2004

Winery:	King Estate  (Oregon)
Vintage:	2004
Type:	Pinot Noir
Retailer:	Bobby Van's Steakhouse
Price:	$45 ($27 suggested retail)
Notes:	King Estate has numerous pinot noir brands: Domaine, Croft, Freedom Hill, Hyland, Pfeiffer, Signature, Lorane Valley, and Reserve

From the winemaker’s website:

Color: Bright garnet with ruby tint clarity and brilliance.

Aroma: Blackberry, blueberry, strawberry currant, dried floral and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Round, rich, and silky. Dark cherry, blackberry, spice and cocoa bean, with balanced acidity, bright velvety tannins and a long silky finish.
Technical Notes

Final Analysis:13.1% alcohol, TA 0.53g/100ml, pH 3.56.

Production: 15,100 cases

Suggested Retail Price: $26/750ml

Vineyard Source: 62% estate grown (certified organic), 38% from seven contract growers within the Willamette Valley.

Fermentation: Assmanhausen, RC212 & D254 yeasts, plus a small amount of native yeast used. 100% stainless steel, temperature controlled tank fermentation in removable top fermenters. Punch down two to three times per day.

Aging: 10-12 months in French oak barrels: 26% new barrels, 25% one year old barrels, 24% two year old barrels, 25% three year old barrels. Cooperage predominately from François Freres, Dargaud & Jaegle, Rousseau, Claude Gillet, and Seguin Moreau. Light and medium toasted staves.

Growing Season: 2004 was an unprecedented seventh vintage in a row where grapes reached full maturity through the temperate summer weather, and the winter rains held off until after the harvest was completed.

Spring conditions, always critical in fruit ‘set’ and development, were warm and dry. After installing 15 frost protection fans in fall of 2003, we were prepared for the worse, but received the best – mixed heat, dryness and some mild, controllable frost.

The summer season was relatively normal, with warm and dry weather. We experienced one heat-wave period with temperatures above 100 degrees, which resulted in limited sunburn on the berry skins. We eventually crop thinned these clusters – thus lowering the harvest volume, but increasing the quality.