Sourcing 2022 vintage fruit from the Dundee Hills AVA and aging the wine in French oak for over a year, Alesong’s first Pinot Noir is refined and food-friendly, with mild acidity and notes of delicate berry and spice, characteristic of the Dundee terroir. Like all Alesong beverages, the wine reflects the patient and artistic approach that defines Alesong’s craft.
Food pairings: Duck liver mousse, chanterelle mushroom and roasted garlic pasta, lamb burger with blue cheese, chocolate truffle with ginger and fig
Alesong Brewing & Blending is a small artisan brewery, winery, and cidery based in the heart of Southern Willamette Valley wine country. With 100% of our products spending time in oak, we believe that a thoughtful, balanced blend is much more complex and satisfying than the sum of its parts or each individual barrel by itself.
After seven years of crafting award-winning barrel-aged beers, Alesong launched its wine and cider program in 2023, bringing the same oak-aging expertise and patient craftsmanship to its thoughtfully blended wines and ciders. As enthusiastic consumers of wine and cider in addition to beer, we’re thrilled to share our interpretations of these beverages with you.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
tldr; A light red, almost a rosé, that is a dissapointment at first, but gets a little better after being open a day.
This probably won’t be a very fair review: Pinot Noir is one of my least favorite red wines (the others are Carminere and Sangiovese). And I don’t drink/consume most brewed products for medical reasons (celiac disease), so the name of the producer gives me pause. But reasoning that something called Pinot Noir, complete with an AVA designation, probably won’t contain any gluten even though it was blended by a brewer, I soldiered on.
The 2/3 size bottle was odd-- was this such a special treat that it needed to be rationed out in little bottles? Well, pull the cork and find out. The cork was easy to get to-- no capsule-- and is composite cork material of apparently good quality. The aroma was promising, sort of a light cherry. But the flavor left this lover of heavy reds totally unimpressed: light red cherry with a hint of bitterness. My wife, who not being the designated lab rat and under no compunction the be fair, was severe in her dismissal: “Why bother? If you’re going to drink wine, drink wine!” (She later added that she wouldn’t take any if they were giving it away.)
After it had been open for an hour or so, it didn’t get any better, so I put the cork in loosely and left it for the next day.
On day two, I thought the wine was better. Still very thin, but tasting more like wine, and passable with food. Definitely give this some time to breathe. Sipping the last of it now, with the offer now up, I’ll see what other people think.
Well, at this point the only other opinion that I can find is from the producer, who thinks highly of if. He seems like a nice guy, and I wish him luck.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir -$40 = 22.21%
@klezman@losthighwayz apologies for messing up the tags below all. But comments on this below. I think plenty of breweries are making fine wines. YMMV.
Alesong Brewing’s inaugural foray into pinot noir with their 2022 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir presents a light-bodied wine that, unfortunately, lacks the depth and complexity characteristic of the region. The wine offers delicate berry notes and mild acidity but falls short in delivering a memorable finish, resulting in a profile that feels more akin to a fruit beverage than a refined Pinot Noir.
When contrasted with established Dundee Hills producers such as Domaine Drouhin and Arterberry Maresh, the differences are pronounced. For instance, the 2022 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir showcases a balanced structure with layers of red fruit and spice, while Arterberry Maresh’s offerings are noted for their depth and nuanced complexity.
The 2022 vintage in the Willamette Valley was marked by a challenging growing season, beginning with a cold, wet spring and culminating in a warm, dry summer. This led to wines with density and tannins, yet also rich flavors. While many producers managed to craft expressive and balanced wines under these conditions, Alesong’s Pinot Noir seems to have missed the mark, lacking the structure and vibrancy expected from the vintage.
In summary, while Alesong Brewing’s venture into winemaking is commendable, their 2022 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir may not satisfy those seeking the complexity and finish typical of the region’s esteemed Pinot Noirs.
Thank you Alice & Co as always it’s a lovely treat to put in the tough work
@pete0744@rjquillin was any of this review your own words? The great part of this community is first person thoughts/reviews. I want to hear what the “rats” have to say in their own words.
Maybe there is a third review coming? I like the 500mL format – and i know i’ve had their beers before and enjoyed. But i’m not sure what to think about this.
Heyo! I was asked to come in during the offer and give some insight. Alas, I was traveling and had very little time to connect on Friday. Apologies. I’m really sorry that @rjquillen doesn’t feel like our Pinot Noir holds up to their standards, but what I can tell you is we sourced some of the finest grapes from a Dundee Hills vineyard and winery. In fact we worked with the award winning winemaker to craft this Pinot. Also, did you pop the cork expecting a $90 bottle of Noir, because it sorta sounds like that’s your bar? And if you’re worried about a brewery having the talent to make wine, @klezman, our winemaker and founder worked at King Estate prior to opening Alesong. We don’t take our wine making production lightly and put the same time and care we add to our award winning beers.
Thanks for the support @radiolysis@losthighwayz and @pete0744.
Just a brewer/winemaker trying to make a little wine. Feel free to move along if it’s not for you rather than sabotaging a persons art in an attempt to tank a sale.
Cheers.
@AlesongMatt and just like that, you can see that was my first post. Apologies @rjquillin . I meant to tag @pete0744 or @DickL for his fun review. I’ll do better.
@AlesongMatt
Not to worry, it’s a learning process for us all…
This can be a really active site with positive winemaker participation while the offer is still live. You’ll find some passionate folks here that take their duty seriously, and some that don’t. A nudge here and there from the producer can make a huge difference overall.
@AlesongMatt Hmm…not sure where you got the idea that I thought beer brewers can’t make wine. That was @losthiwayz. (Might be the sometimes confusing layout of the forum - for “posts” the author is shown above while for “replies” the author is shown below.)
All I said was that the 500 ml format seemed nice for the same reasons you articulated and that the two labrat reviews were, unfortunately, utterly unhelpful. But that’s how it rolls sometimes - you get good rats for some offers and bad rats for others. And by that I mean the quality of the review, not the quality of the product being reviewed. An unhelpful rat review leaves me not knowing anything more about the wine on offer compared to the verbiage on the page.
And as Ron (@rjquillin) said, we dig it when we get winemakers and owners participating. This is a nerdy bunch and you can get a boatload of loyalty out of this crew. Hope you come back and get better rats reporting!
@klezman@rjquillin yes, I totally messed up my reply with not being able to decipher(at first) who said what. Sorry! When I realized ny error, and that I could not edit my response, I tried to make amends. Thank you and disregard my response. Sorry again.
2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 500ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$300.00/Case for 12x 2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 500ml at Alesong Brewing
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 5 - Tuesday, May 6
2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
500ml Bottle
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2022 Alesong Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills AVA, Oregon, 500 ml, alc 12.6%. Blended & botttled by Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR.
tldr; A light red, almost a rosé, that is a dissapointment at first, but gets a little better after being open a day.
This probably won’t be a very fair review: Pinot Noir is one of my least favorite red wines (the others are Carminere and Sangiovese). And I don’t drink/consume most brewed products for medical reasons (celiac disease), so the name of the producer gives me pause. But reasoning that something called Pinot Noir, complete with an AVA designation, probably won’t contain any gluten even though it was blended by a brewer, I soldiered on.
The 2/3 size bottle was odd-- was this such a special treat that it needed to be rationed out in little bottles? Well, pull the cork and find out. The cork was easy to get to-- no capsule-- and is composite cork material of apparently good quality. The aroma was promising, sort of a light cherry. But the flavor left this lover of heavy reds totally unimpressed: light red cherry with a hint of bitterness. My wife, who not being the designated lab rat and under no compunction the be fair, was severe in her dismissal: “Why bother? If you’re going to drink wine, drink wine!” (She later added that she wouldn’t take any if they were giving it away.)
After it had been open for an hour or so, it didn’t get any better, so I put the cork in loosely and left it for the next day.
On day two, I thought the wine was better. Still very thin, but tasting more like wine, and passable with food. Definitely give this some time to breathe. Sipping the last of it now, with the offer now up, I’ll see what other people think.
Well, at this point the only other opinion that I can find is from the producer, who thinks highly of if. He seems like a nice guy, and I wish him luck.
@DickL Looks like they bottle all of their products in 500ml bottles, so probably just a matter of economy of scale or whatever I’m trying to say
@DickL @kaolis
nah, we just wanted you to be able to drink the whole bottle yourself if you so chose.
@DickL totally agree the wine needs to have a little time to open up. Thanks for trying it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir -$40 = 22.21%
Tough sell.
@losthighwayz How so? The half litre format sounds great. Neither rat review is particularly helpful.
@klezman a brewery making wine not my thing. Not sure I’d be interested in Larry’s beer if he brewed any!
@klezman @losthighwayz apologies for messing up the tags below all. But comments on this below. I think plenty of breweries are making fine wines. YMMV.
2022 Alesong Brewing Dundee Hills Pinot Noir (500ml)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
Alesong Brewing’s inaugural foray into pinot noir with their 2022 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir presents a light-bodied wine that, unfortunately, lacks the depth and complexity characteristic of the region. The wine offers delicate berry notes and mild acidity but falls short in delivering a memorable finish, resulting in a profile that feels more akin to a fruit beverage than a refined Pinot Noir.
When contrasted with established Dundee Hills producers such as Domaine Drouhin and Arterberry Maresh, the differences are pronounced. For instance, the 2022 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir showcases a balanced structure with layers of red fruit and spice, while Arterberry Maresh’s offerings are noted for their depth and nuanced complexity.
The 2022 vintage in the Willamette Valley was marked by a challenging growing season, beginning with a cold, wet spring and culminating in a warm, dry summer. This led to wines with density and tannins, yet also rich flavors. While many producers managed to craft expressive and balanced wines under these conditions, Alesong’s Pinot Noir seems to have missed the mark, lacking the structure and vibrancy expected from the vintage.
In summary, while Alesong Brewing’s venture into winemaking is commendable, their 2022 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir may not satisfy those seeking the complexity and finish typical of the region’s esteemed Pinot Noirs.
Thank you Alice & Co as always it’s a lovely treat to put in the tough work
@pete0744
Nothing quite says it like a heavy AI assist when you can’t do it on your own…
@rjquillin in all fairness I didn’t have much nice to say so was hopeful that some additional detail would be helpful
@pete0744 @rjquillin That’s pretty snarky.
@pete0744 @rjquillin was any of this review your own words? The great part of this community is first person thoughts/reviews. I want to hear what the “rats” have to say in their own words.
@pete0744 what a lazy and BS rattage. You should consider getting your name off the rat list.
@WCCWineGirl @Winedavid59
Just a heads up for you both.
@pete0744 No one cares if what you have to say is nice, folks just want your honest opinion of the wine, be it good or bad
@pete0744 What a douche!
@pete0744 @rjquillin but what did it smell/taste like?
Maybe there is a third review coming? I like the 500mL format – and i know i’ve had their beers before and enjoyed. But i’m not sure what to think about this.
Heyo! I was asked to come in during the offer and give some insight. Alas, I was traveling and had very little time to connect on Friday. Apologies. I’m really sorry that @rjquillen doesn’t feel like our Pinot Noir holds up to their standards, but what I can tell you is we sourced some of the finest grapes from a Dundee Hills vineyard and winery. In fact we worked with the award winning winemaker to craft this Pinot. Also, did you pop the cork expecting a $90 bottle of Noir, because it sorta sounds like that’s your bar? And if you’re worried about a brewery having the talent to make wine, @klezman, our winemaker and founder worked at King Estate prior to opening Alesong. We don’t take our wine making production lightly and put the same time and care we add to our award winning beers.
Thanks for the support @radiolysis @losthighwayz and @pete0744.
Just a brewer/winemaker trying to make a little wine. Feel free to move along if it’s not for you rather than sabotaging a persons art in an attempt to tank a sale.
Cheers.
@AlesongMatt and just like that, you can see that was my first post. Apologies @rjquillin . I meant to tag @pete0744 or @DickL for his fun review. I’ll do better.
@AlesongMatt
Not to worry, it’s a learning process for us all…
This can be a really active site with positive winemaker participation while the offer is still live. You’ll find some passionate folks here that take their duty seriously, and some that don’t. A nudge here and there from the producer can make a huge difference overall.
@AlesongMatt Hmm…not sure where you got the idea that I thought beer brewers can’t make wine. That was @losthiwayz. (Might be the sometimes confusing layout of the forum - for “posts” the author is shown above while for “replies” the author is shown below.)
All I said was that the 500 ml format seemed nice for the same reasons you articulated and that the two labrat reviews were, unfortunately, utterly unhelpful. But that’s how it rolls sometimes - you get good rats for some offers and bad rats for others. And by that I mean the quality of the review, not the quality of the product being reviewed. An unhelpful rat review leaves me not knowing anything more about the wine on offer compared to the verbiage on the page.
And as Ron (@rjquillin) said, we dig it when we get winemakers and owners participating. This is a nerdy bunch and you can get a boatload of loyalty out of this crew. Hope you come back and get better rats reporting!
@klezman @rjquillin yes, I totally messed up my reply with not being able to decipher(at first) who said what. Sorry! When I realized ny error, and that I could not edit my response, I tried to make amends. Thank you and disregard my response. Sorry again.
@AlesongMatt @rjquillin
No worries. You have only 5 minutes to edit a post. It’s irritating
Looking forward to your next visit!