As we continue our march through Oregon Wine Month we bring you one great historic Oregon house that is crafting some seriously good wines. Founded back in 1995, Raptor Ridge almost immediately gained national acclaim for their Pinot Noirs. Founder and co-winemaker, Scott Shull, first started making terroir driven wines in 1995. Originally from Missouri, Scott is a self-taught winemaker, having learned by doing, reading, and attending extension service courses on viticulture and enology offered by U.C. Davis and Oregon State University.
Shannon Gustafson, combines with Scott Shull to make a great team. Shannon has been making wine out of her hometown of Paso Robles, CA for the past fourteen years. Having previously worked harvests in McLaren Vale, Shannon worked as winemaker for Hawks View winery in Oregon prior to coming to Raptor Ridge. The new releases were gorgeous across the board. I absolutely love her new 2019 Raptor Ridge ‘Vineyard Select’ Rose (WWB, 91) which has awesome tension and bright red fruits. I was massively impressed with their 2017 Raptor Ridge ‘Barrel Select’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which is a silky smooth Pinot that has the poise and richness to go on for another decade or more. Learn more about this fantastic historic Oregon winery at http://www.raptorridgewinery.com Here are the great new releases by Raptor Ridge.
2019 Raptor Ridge ‘Vineyard Select’ Rose-The 2019 ‘Vineyard Select’ Rose is an awesome new wine by Shannon Gustafson. Lighter red fruits connect with shades of teaberry and orange zest on the nose. The palate is delicate but beautifully textured with shades of rose water that collide with minerals, red cherry candy and suggestions of guava puree. The mouth-watering acidity adds to the enjoyment as this is a delicate, nuanced and fresher style of Oregon Pinot Noir Rose. Drink 2020-2025- 91
2017 Raptor Ridge ‘Barrel Select’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Barrel Select’ Pinot Noir by Raptor Ridge is another awesome bottling from this Oregon mainstay. Bright red currants and peat moss tones fill the nose alongside shades of citrus zest on this beautiful bouquet. The feeling of texture is seriously good. Juicy red and dark fruits march with minerals and earthy tones on the palate. While the wine has obviously good weight, the freshness and texture provide a seamless effect mid-palate. This is seriously good stuff that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2032- 93
2015 Raptor Ridge ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo- Sourced from the Rogue Valley, this ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo shows good range aromatically from cedar to milk chocolate tones and bright red fruits that all take shape in the glass. The palate is medium to full-bodied delivering bright acidity alongside wild blackberry compote, milk chocolate tar and shades of menthol. This is outstanding Tempranillo that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 91