Wine writer and blogger Cori Solomon of The Written Palette (pictured above with Winemaker Dave in our Seyval Blanc block of the estate vineyard) recently visited our vineyard and winery to sample the latest wines. Solomon, who is based in the Los Angeles area, spent time with us in September and published her review of the wines and experience in “Bells Up Winery: Wine Music Hits All the Notes.”
She writes, “Between both Sara and David you feel their passion and love for their winery. Visiting with them at the winery you almost feel like they are newlyweds because that is the excited persona they exude with their winery.”
Here are the highlights of what Solomon had to say about the wines she sampled…
2018 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc: “Just like the music with its jazzed up sounds, the wine has a spice that gives it life.”
2018 Helios Estate Seyval Blanc: “Having visited many Missouri wineries I am very familiar with Seyval Blanc. Of course, it was new to taste it grown in Jory soils in the Willamette Valley. The 2018 Helios Estate Seyval Blanc is named for Carl Nielsen’s Helios Overture, Opus 18. Like Helios, the mythical Greek God of the sun, this wine shines as an achievement of the first planting of this hybrid grape in the Willamette Valley.”
2018 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir: ” Think strawberry and watermelon with hints of mild spices.”
2016 Titan Pinot Noir: “Composed of Pommard, 115 and 777 clones delivers flavors of red currant and cherry with hints of spice on the finish.”
2017 Candide Nemarniki Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir: “I found wonderful aromas of baking spices on the nose and on the palate a bright wine with flavors of cranberry.”
2017 Firebird Summit View Vineyard Syrah: “David says he creates this Syrah as if it were a Pinot Noir, giving the wine a lighter texture making the wine an alternative for Pinot Noir drinker or for those who like varieties other than Pinot Noir. The wine showcases dark fruit with hints of white pepper rather than the typical spicy black pepper finish identified with Syrah.”
To find out what else Solomon had to say about the wines and the tasting experience, click here.
