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| Excuse the lip marks all over my glass. This wine was the kiss of Carlton. |
There was a smooth vibe the moment you walked through the door. Like a perfect Pandora station- mixing sophistication with cool and classic. You were greeted but not bombarded. It was the intrigue that drew us in, not obligation. Then we saw him... Nigel. King of Troon.
Nigel welcomed us warmly, then kindly went back to his sun shade bathing.
It always starts so innocently.
"Are you here to taste today?"
"Yes, please."
"OK, what can I start you off with?"
First impressions are pretty significant. Their Dry Reisling and Viognier were both crisp and supple. Well, at least that was my opinion. Chris was too enthralled with the dog to care about the whites. He's a red wine man at heart and was saving his tastes for the heavy hitters including their fabulous Port.
As for the reds- I honestly can say they were all fantastic. I don't remember "which" Cab we tasted there in Carlton because they make quite a few, but Chris sat down and said "FINALLY somebody in the Willamette Valley who knows how to make Cabernet!"
OK, only partially true. No wonder we loved all their wine. Their grapes are grown out of Southern Oregon. Sigh... oh well, at least we don't have to drive to Southern Oregon to taste good Cab. Carlton was quickly becoming our new favorite little wine town.
I loved this root and soil display inside. So great to be reminded that the best vines grows in difficult soil. I want to be able to say that about my life someday. Wisdom never comes from the easy life.
We closed out the day on the perfect tasting note: Insomnia Port. Now, you might think that we were just so excited to even see a Port on the tasting menu, but no really... it WAS that good. It's a younger Port, made of Tempranillo grapes. Apparently the wine maker worked painstakingly hard at this dessert wine. I'd say it paid off. We'll take 10 1 please. I have a feeling we'll need to purchase another for aging, since this one won't last long.
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