“The 2023 Grenache, from a site in Alisos Canyon, is superb. lntensely aromatic and layered, the 2023 is compelling. Whole clusters here are high (75%), and yet Alice Anderson pulls it all off with notable flair. Crushed flowers, mint, red fruit, spice and dried herbs are beautifully delineated in the glass. Drinking window: 2024-2030. 94 points
Alice Anderson presented a stellar set of wines that confirmed my first impression from earlier in the year: She is a major talent. Anderson and partner Topher de Felice source fruit from the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos, which they farmcultivated, along with several nearby sites farmed with a similar focus on sustainability. The wines are done in a translucent style that emphasizes freshness. Stem inclusion is on the higher side. More than anything else, though, these wines are all about finesse.”
“The 2023 Syrah Estate lbarra-Young Vineyard is every bit as impressive in bottle as it was from barrel. Dark-toned fruit, olive, baking spices, leather, lavender and licorice open with some coaxing. The 2023 was just bottled and remains a bit tough in its contours, so I would cellar it for another 6-12 months. Superb. Drinking window: 2025-2038. 95 points
Alice Anderson presented a stellar set of wines that confirmed my first impression from earlier in the year: She is a major talent. Anderson and partner Topher de Felice source fruit from the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos, which they farmcultivated, along with several nearby sites farmed with a similar focus on sustainability. The wines are done in a translucent style that emphasizes freshness. Stem inclusion is on the higher side. More than anything else, though, these wines are all about finesse.”
“The 2023 Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge is darkly floral yet vibrant in the glass, with vivid crushed black cherries, exotic spices, orange zest and sage forming its beguiling bouquet. Juicy to the core yet complex, the palate offers cooling acidity and rose-infused red and blue fruits that seem to hover across the senses. A subtle white pepper tinge lingers alongside edgy tannins, yet the mouth waters for more as the 2023 finishes with dramatic length and freshness. Drinking window: 2028-2040. 94 points
I have long admired the Cameron wines for their unique combination of purity, complexity and soul. After winemaking stints throughout California and New Zealand, John Paul began producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Dundee Hills under the Cameron label in 1984. His goal was to espouse both traditional Burgundian principles and sustainable viticultural and winemaking practices. He is a fierce opponent of irrigation.
I tasted two Pinot Noirs from the 2023 vintage. The Abbey Ridge Vineyard, planted in 1976, sits at 500-800 feet of elevation in deep Jory soils mixed with layers of rock. The site delivers underlying power and structure, making the wines less approachable in youth but highly capable of long-term cellaring. Meanwhile, the Clos Electrique Vineyard, a field blend of clones planted in 1984, comes from a lower-elevation site. It is one of the region’s purest and most energetic expressions of Pinot Noir, complex yet highly approachable. Both vineyards have been dry-farmed since day one, and the original plantings remain on their own rootstocks. These remain some of the most compelling wines in Oregon today.”
“The wildly energetic 2023 Pinot Noir Clos Electrique Rouge mixes dark depths of black cherry and balsamic spice with cedar dust and dried roses as it blossoms in the glass. It’s round in feel, with soothingly ripe wild berry fruit flowing across a wave of tantalizing acidity as hints of cola and violet form toward the close. It tapers off long and spicy, leaving nuances of licorice and lavender to resonate over a bed of sweet tannins. Drinking window: 2027-2037. 96 points
I have long admired the Cameron wines for their unique combination of purity, complexity and soul. After winemaking stints throughout California and New Zealand, John Paul began producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Dundee Hills under the Cameron label in 1984. His goal was to espouse both traditional Burgundian principles and sustainable viticultural and winemaking practices. He is a fierce opponent of irrigation.
I tasted two Pinot Noirs from the 2023 vintage. The Abbey Ridge Vineyard, planted in 1976, sits at 500-800 feet of elevation in deep Jory soils mixed with layers of rock. The site delivers underlying power and structure, making the wines less approachable in youth but highly capable of long-term cellaring. Meanwhile, the Clos Electrique Vineyard, a field blend of clones planted in 1984, comes from a lower-elevation site. It is one of the region’s purest and most energetic expressions of Pinot Noir, complex yet highly approachable. Both vineyards have been dry-farmed since day one, and the original plantings remain on their own rootstocks. These remain some of the most compelling wines in Oregon today.”
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