With many attempts to find out what will bring crowds to retail wine shop restaurant combinations, R. Stuart & Co. in McMinnville, Oregon steals the show. They have exhibited the best for local food, wine and hospitality. Bringing the competition, R. Stuart & Co. is at its best these days. The McMinnville downtown tourist destination gains a great wine bar and has another winner with its winery and retail outlet downtown McMinnville. If you want to take someone out and show them a special time, I would book one of these special chef dinners at R. Stuart’s & Co. wine bar. They have managed to solicit some of the best culinary talent in the Portland area to come down and do dinners at a reasonable price. The wines are fantastic and they have three new releases that I cannot quit talking about.
2008 R. Stuart & Co. Pinot Noir, Autograph Willamette Valley, OR
A big expressive wine from the start, from aromas of red fruit to earthy fauna aromas, this wine develops in the midpalette expanding the sensory experience to last just a little bit longer, as this expressive and expansive wine develops on the palette, the fine-grained textures are quite appealing. Turning this particular wine tasting into a wine experience that legends are built on and legions of fans are created through. Another exciting development at R. Stuart is the use of the glass enclosure and the QR Code. My partner, who although has more wine handling etiquette, stored away in her brain than most any practicing certified sommelier I know, has a bad habit when opening wine at home. She will grab the foil and in one twist remove the entire thing. Well when she did this with this wine, we both stood there and stared in disbelief. As she dropped the foil in the garbage, we realized the bottle was open with no obvious cork. It took me about three seconds to realize the enclosure was the new glass enclosure and for that I am even more impressed with this wineries style. For a wine at that price point to sport a glass enclosure it means they have bit the bullet so to speak and taken less profit to ensure their customers receive their wine in the most pristine condition it could possibly be presented in. I applaud and salute this policy. Done well and done right it looks very nice and we are just talking about the packaging.
Rating: 92 | $35 | 13.6% ABV
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2008 R. Stuart & Co Big Fire Pinot Noir, Oregon
A good pinot—not quite the complete flavor profile I have experienced from many other 2008s from other Willamette Valley wineries. The fact that all of the fruit did not come from the Willamette valley might have something to do with that assessment. It is because 58% of the fruit comes from the Melrose Vineyard relegating it to being labeled Oregon, not Willamette Valley. A full flavored medium bodied wine without any distractions or flaws it is a good wine just a few notches away from reaching greatness. It has the broad shoulders to pair with a vast array of culinary pairings. On the lighter side, I would say grilled Salmon or even Halibut if it is served with a sauce where fungi is used and on the heavier side hearty roasted duck, rack of lamb, but nothing smoked, citrusy or delicate white fish. Bring this wine to a party and it will probably be the first to disappear unless you also bring the Big Fire Pinot Gris.
Rating: 87 | $19 | 13.1% ABV
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2010 R. Stuart & Co Big Fire Pinot Gris, OR
This review is a first for me on a couple of fronts. First up this is the first 2010 wine I have reviewed and it is the highest rating I have ever given a Pinot Gris. During my tenure at Montinore Estate, I drank a lot of Pinot Gris. They produce a very good one with nice acidity that is definitely a great food wine. In past vintages, they have even made reserve Pinot Gris that gets a little neutral wood aging to smooth it out a bit. Besides tasting them daily for a couple of years prior to opening the tasting room to insure quality was up to par for our guests, I also tasted a lot of the competitions just to see where we stood. That being said, the ’10 Pinot Gris from R. Stuart & Co. is in a league all by itself. As I always say I wish I was wrong more often. Iif you produce a Pinot Gris you think is better please send us a sample because I would love to taste it and review it, validating that someone else makes a better Pinot Gris. It too, shares the Oregon label as some of the fruit was obtained from sources outside the Willamette Valley. Opening notes bring ripe Georgia peach and freshly zested blood orange aromas, solid midpalate citrus with a hint of spice and finishes with some minerality and a bit more citrus. Better buy this one soon. I doubt it will be around for long.
Rating: 93 | $13 | 13.0% ABV
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Enjoy!
Eat well. Drink well. Live well.
