The 2006 Brut is a blend of 58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir. Medium straw-colored, it has a classy nose of mineral, biscuit, apple, and baking spices. Crisp, bright, and creamy-textured, this superb sparkling wine begs the question, why buy Champagne? Rollin Soles is convinced that great Chardonnay can be produced in the Willamette Valley. He presented a vertical of Nut House Chardonnay from 1999 through 2007 to make his point. The wines clearly reflect vintage conditions with 1999 and 2002 showing particularly well and 2003 reflecting the effects of extreme heat spikes. Argyle’s Pinot Noir fruit was all picked pre-rain. However, there is no green or herbaceous character in any of the wines www.argylewinery.com

The leader in Northwest sparkling wines for more than two decades, Argyle continues to show its mastery, mixing New World fruit power with Old World technique. Big, bold and loaded with ripe apples, this vintage brut starts out full-bodied but reveals more subtlety as it goes, adding hints of strawberry and cocoa in a rush of flavor.——P.G.(4/1/2010)—— 90