CS: December 2023

Holiday Highlights: Cheers to the season with these sparkling and dessert wines

PANEL PICK: Corollary Wines 2017 Cuvée One Extended Tirage, Willamette Valley

All the interest and elegance of a grower’s Champagne. Brioche, apricot marmalade and earthiness combine on the nose. Brioche reappears on a palate supported with fine, pronounced bubbles. Damp loam and sea salt join across an incredibly long finish. $75

Cliff Creek Cellars 2019 NI Bar Brut Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wine (37% Pinot Meunier, 32% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir), Southern Oregon

Green herbaceous presentation with parsley, cilantro, grass and salted melon aromas that repeat on a refreshingly clean palate. $45

Durant Vineyards 2018 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Dundee Hills

Light lemon bread, yellow apple, and pear on the nose. The palate presents with piercing acidity, tart lime, fine bubbles and a prickly finale. $85

Left Coast Estate 2016 Blanc de Noir, Van Duzer Corridor

Light cherry and strawberry marry with Meyer lemon and mandarin orange. Sweet cherry and strawberry add roundness to a dry presentation with medium mousse and a silky mouthfeel. $55

Division Winemaking Company 2017 La Tempête Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley

A layered nose of cherry, almond, nougat, granite minerality and a fresh green note. Flavor forward with a medium mousse and extended finish. Aromas repeat along with notes of peach and rustic bread. $65

Foris Vineyards 2022 Moscato, Rogue Valley

Light on the bubbles, heavy on delight. Peach, rose and magnolia aromas repeat on a palate that is sweet, but balanced, with a smooth silky finale. $15

Montinore Estate Vivacé Sparkling Wine (Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Riesling), Willamette Valley

Inviting peach, orange, tangy rhubarb and spicy clove aromas. The palate opens with a robust mousse and rhubarb tang. Buttery roundness finds a counterpoint in a pink Himalayan salt finish. Interesting and very drinkable. $30

Winderlea Vineyard & Winery 2019 Sparkling Brut (52% Pinot Noir, 48% Chardonnay), Méthode Traditionnelle, Willamette Valley

A quintessential example of Oregon traditional method sparkling wine. Aromas of salty sea air, yeast, limestone, grass, clove and a hint of whole nutmeg. Elegant, fine mousse on an evocative palate. Ocean air, limestone and yeast join Rainier cherry and light strawberry on an extended finish. $70

Bryn Mawr Vineyards Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley

Grapefruit, pear and Rainier cherry are grounded by slate on the nose. Rainier cherry flavors a rich but dry palate balanced by grapefruit pith. $35

Iris Vineyards Areté 2019 Brut Blanc de Noirs, Willamette Valley

Abundant yeast notes with light mandarin orange and minerality. Pleasant tongue-clicking tartness flavored with key lime and nectarine. Dry, but friendly, with a medium mousse. $34

Woven Wineworks 2017 Joyful Bubbly Sparkling Wine (50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay), Covey Ridge Vineyard, Willamette Valley

Minerality, muscadine grape, apple, Meyer lemon and yeasty bagel mark the nose. Aromas repeat on a full mousse with steely crispness and rich undertones, culminating in an appley finish. $40

Wetzel Estate Winery Cuvée Blanc Méthode Champenoise, Van Duzer Corridor

A German Sekt-style Riesling showing hints of petrol, lilac, minerality, baked spiced pear and Dutch Windmill almond cookie on the nose. Opulent mouthful with an off-dry presentation supports flavors of almond cookie, baked spiced pear, sweet ginger and Meyer lemon. $30

Youngberg Hill Winery 2020 Extended Tirage Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley

Scents of yeast roll, lemon and steely minerality lead to an acid-driven palate with prickly fine bubbles, red grapefruit and tangerine. $48

Remy Wines 2021 Black Heart Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wine, Dundee Hills

Pretty scents of strawberry tea, lilac and light petrol. Strawberry repeats on the lightly moussed palate. Seashell minerality and tangerine zest supply a tart, clean ending. $75

Padigan Wines 2020 Estate Reserve Ruby, Rogue Valley

Strawberry, cinnamon and dried lavender join with green peppercorn and green pepper jelly, creating a balanced nose with interest. Aromas recur on the palate as green pepper jelly lends sharpness to a fruity cherry and Italian prune profile warmed with dashes of cinnamon. $35

Torii Mor Winery 2015 “Port,” Rogue Valley

Classic port profile. Aromas of dark chocolate, cassis, vanilla and a warm baking spice blend reappear with an explosion of flavor on the palate, enhanced with a touch of marshmallow sweetness. $45

RainSong Vineyard 2020 Sundown Dessert Syrah, Columbia Valley

Blackberry jam lifts the nose from fresh green herbaceousness. Blackberry jam presents on the attack with vanilla syrup and cinnamon. Flavors mellow into a lighter Concord grape jelly profile with a supporting granular tannin structure. $26

Wetzel Estate Winery Fireside “Port,” Van Duzer Corridor

Dried dates, cinnamon, cherry and vanilla transition from nose to a pleasantly balanced palate boasting a light touch of tannin. $36

Björnson Vineyard 2019 Ratafia Dessert Wine, Eola-Amity Hills

Made from rosé of Pinot Noir, this fortified wine boasts scents of fig, date, marzipan and cherry. Aromas repeat alongside white chocolate, warming cinnamon and nutmeg on a viscous, balanced palate with a long finish. $29

Eliana Wines Merlot Dessert Wine, Rogue Valley

Prune, cherry candy, vanilla extract and cinnamon define the nose. Cinnamon and cherry confection repeat on the palate with a notable tannin structure and woody dried bark undertones. $36

R. Stuart & Co. Winery 2012 Colheita Tawny Dessert Wine, Klipsun Vineyard, Washington

Leaning a bit more toward ruby than tawny, yet still delicious. Aromas of cocktail cherry, maraschino liqueur, sweet vermouth, cinnamon and black tea leaf reappear on a balance-focused palate. $55