Ratings of Our 2008 Vintage

 

2008 Et Fille Kalita Vineyard Pinot Noir:

Wine Spectator, May 19, 2010 Insider- 92.... "Light in texture, intense in flavor, with a candied edge to the raspberry, apricot and orange peel notes that sail through the long and vivid finish. Tannins don’t get in the way. Drink now through 2018."

Wine Advocate, Oct 2010- 91... "dark ruby red with a fragrant bouquet of cedar, underbrush/earth notes, exotic spices, rose petal, black cherry, and plum. Medium bodied and incipiently complex, it is packed with succulent fruit, ripe tannins, and lively acidity. The seamless finish is long and smooth."

Burghound, issue 40- 90... "Here the menthol component is much more restrained if not invisible with similar dark berry fruit aromas that lead to textured, round and delicious middle weight flavors that are understated in character, all wrapped in a nicely intense and persistent finish. Lovely stuff that will age. 90/2014+"

Northwest Palate, Nov-Dec 2010:
"a standout wine. It's big on blackberry and raspberry fruit, yet remarkably lithe, while still being complex and ageworthy."

PinotFile- "Subdued but pleasing darker stone fruit and berry aromas with a complimentary whiff of oak. Very tasty essence of black cherries with a hint of vanillin oak. Mild dry tannins, exemplary acid spine and a mouth filling presence. More rugged and intense than the Maresh. Still a little closed and will need cellaring. Very good (+)."
"The nose is currently closed for business but the flavors say Wow! Mouth coating core of strawberry and black cherry fruit makes you sit up to attention, keeping you interested through the soft, intensely fruity and refreshing finish. Showing very little leg now, and only hinting at its future greatness. Note: some of the Oregon 2008 Pinots are closing up now and this is a perfect example. Cellar this wine for a few years and then enjoy over the next five to ten years. Very good (+)."

avalonwine.com Blog- "One of the best values for the price in 2008 Oregon Pinot noir"

2010 Portland Indie Wine Festival juried selection.

2010 Oregon Wine Awards, Gold.

The PrinceOfWine.com: "2008 Et Fille Kalita Vineyard Pinot Noir: There are moments when a certain wine makes a lasting impression and you remember the combination of aromas, flavors and finish for years after. I can recall clearly the 1961 La Tache, 1989 Chateau Beychevelle, 2004 Ambullneo Pinot Noir Canis Major and the 2005 Chateu Pavie Macquin St Emilion amongst a small handful of other great wines. This wine is hereby added to the gang, bravo Et Fille! Sourced from the Kalita Vineyard located in the Yamhill-Carlton district of Oregon, the wine’s fruit is delicate yet is underlain by a tightly wound acidity that delivers the exact doses of red berries and kumquat marmalade for a long pleasurable finish... POW 93"

The Best of Wines.com: "Lush, rich, light. The tBoW team loves this wine in 07 and now 08. Great fruit made with a steady and delicate touch... seductive."

Cellar Wise Newsletter, April 2, 2010- Recommended

 

2008 Et Fille Wines Maresh Vineyard PInot Noir

Wine Spectator, May 19, 2010 Insider- 90.... "Firm in texture, with crisp tannins around a light, fragrant core of currant, red berry and wet gravel aromas and flavors. Finishes on a peppery note, lingering nicely. Drink now through 2018."

Burghound, issue 40- 91... "An elegant, pure and restrained nose speaks of briar and dark berry fruit that is very much in keeping with the equally pure and refined middle weight flavors that are balanced, intense, focused and linear. This is excellent and if it can add depth in time, my score will be viewed as conservative. Fine cellar potential and worth your attention. 91/2014+"

Wine Advocate, Oct 2010- 90... "an alluring nose of cedar, cinnamon, clove, rose petal, black cherry, and plum. Layered on the palate and jam-packed with spicy fruit, this lengthy effort will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring and offer prime drinking from 2012 to 2020"

PinotFile- "Beautiful perfume of cherries, berry jam, spice box and floral scents. The palate is not as forward as the nose but opens over time in the glass revealing dark red and blue fruits that are crisp and juicy. The tannins are supple and the acidity is vibrant. Still closed and not imposing yet, but the pedigree of the fruit shows through in the persistent finish, and this will be a terrific wine in a couple of years. Very good (+)."

2010 Portland Indie Wine Festival juried selection.

2010 Oregon Wine Awards, Silver.

The Best of Wines.com: "Richest of the three like a well-heeled nobleman. Knows it breeding... Talk about breeding and a fine touch, look at the alcohol level. Bravo!"

Cellar Wise Newsletter, April 2, 2010- " the ’08 made me grin, the fruit is amazingly round, ripe, and beautiful... Recommended"

Evening Punch blog, Dec. 8, 2009- "silky mouth feel, toasted carmelly notes underneath black fruit and delightful velvet warmth...hints of blackberry honey but without the sweetness...spicy feisty beginning with some dash of pepper which will elegantly mellow with time"

 

2008 Et Fille Wines Deux Vert Vineyard PInot Noir

Burghound, issue 40- 89... "Somewhat curiously for a wine with a modest alcohol level, there is an ample amount of menthol present with good ripeness to the pretty red and dark berry fruit aromas that lead to delicious, elegant and attractively pure middle weight flavors that display a touch of finishing asperity and dryness (in the best sense of the term). This is not especially complex but that may come in time and it at least has a reasonable chance to develop it as the balance is solid. 89/2014+"

PinotFile- "A distinctive wine that reflects its Yamhill-Carlton roots. The nose is a challenge to describe but a pleasure to experience with aromas of exotically spiced stone fruits, fig, fruit bin and a hint of pine. Intensely flavored and big-boned dark fruit with undertones of earth and cola, yet silky and light on its feet with a huge, supple finish. Generous tannins should soften over time, but this will always be a tannic wine. Pair with protein like some rare prime rib. This wine is like a tatted biker girl: rugged but very appealing in black leather. Cellar this one. Very good."

 

2008 Et Fille Wines Nicholas Vineyard PInot Noir

PinotFile- "Beefy, husky and dark-fruited on the nose. Thick, broad flavors of blueberries, black cherries, black raspberries and dark plums. Tremendous concentration and grip, but retains an attractive feminine tone. Perfectly balanced with a soft but ruffled texture in a worn leather jacket sort of way. Impressive finishing persistence. Even better two days later from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, indicating this wine will be an ideal cellar candidate. Everything you want and some things you didn’t think to ask for in an Oregon Pinot at the right price."

Oregon Wine Awards 2011-
DOUBLE GOLD

Portland Monthly Magazine, Sept. 2011...Best 50 Wines of Oregon
"#20 , the father-daughter team behind Et Fille make full-bodied pinot noir rich with earthy flavors that will pair well with lamb, mushrooms, and a wide variety of herbs. Notes of plum, smoked wood, and bright red cherries linger along with the bold texture."

Burghound, issue 40- 89... "A perfumed and really quite elegant nose offers up a pretty mix of both upper and lower register red berry fruit aromas that give way to detailed, pure and lacy medium-bodied flavors that possess an ever-so-slightly bitter cherry finish though I suspect that this will dissipate as the tannins melt. Stylistically, this is on the understated side and I do like the persistence. 89/2013+"

Northwest Palate, Nov-Dec 2010:
"displays more earth accents to the black cherry fruit, yet sustains a rich and texture, as well as a long and powerful finish, making it perfect for medium-term cellaring."

2008 Et Fille Wines Willamette Valley PInot Noir

New York TImes, Jan. 17, 2010 in a review of 20 Willamette Valley wines from the 2008 vintage, "Balanced and harmonious with complex flavors of flowers, minerals and dark fruits." Rated 4th out of 20 wines.

Oregon Wine Awards-
GOLD

Wine Spectator, July 31, 2010 - 89.... "Light, smooth and generous with its caramel and smoke overtones around a lithe core of cherry and pepper flavors, lingering easily. Drink now through 2015."

Burghound, issue 40- 88... "A highly perfumed and impressively complex nose of briar, blue and red pinot fruit and a hint of spice that carries over to the supple, generous and textured middle weight flavors that possess fine balance and length on the focused finish. This is really quite good for an entry level wine. 88/2012+"

PinotFile- "A superb Willamette Valley blend Pinot Noir is produced and is one of Oregon’s finest each year... This wine has really blossomed since I tasted it last year. Demure red and black berry medley on the nose echoed on the palate. Medium-bodied and discreetly lush, the dark red berry flavors are wrapped in gossamer tannins and set off by bright acidity. The texture is particularly alluring: all silk and satin. Drinking perfectly now and one of the best 2008 Willamette Valley blends you will find in the marketplace. Very good."
"Bright aromas of red fruits, decaying leaves, cardamon spice and oak toast. Respectably rich core of slightly tart red berry flavors including cranberry with soft tannins and a notable grip of acidity on the refreshing finish. A good daily drinker. Decent (+)."

2010 Oregon Wine Awards, Bronze.

Cellar Wise Newsletter, April 2, 2010- Recommended

Evening Punch blog, Dec. 8, 2009- "an extraordinary blend of fruit... jumped up and grabbed me and pulled me in... All the notes riotously reveling on the palate but not clashing in the slightest...full bouquet and inviting nose round out an absolutely delightful pinot."

2008 Et Fille Wines Viognier, Deux Vert Vineyard

Wine Spectator, website - 90.... "Smooth and polished, delivering lots of ripe pear and pineapple that bloom against almond blossom and spice flavors. Drink now."

Cellar Wise Newsletter, April 2, 2010- "one of the best domestic Viogniers you’ll taste... Recommended"

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