The 2008 releases begin with the 2008 Pinot Noir Athena which was aged for 9 months sur lie with before spending another 9 months in neutral oak. Brooding black fruits, smoke, violets, and spice box aromas inform the nose of a dense, structured wine that deftly combines power and elegance. Give it 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2023. Boedecker Cellars is the winery of husband/wife team Athena Pappas and Stewart Boedecker. The wines are all produced from contracted fruit, fermented with native yeasts, aged for 9 months in a percentage of new oak, and then racked into neutral oak for additional aging. The wines are bottled in Stelvin screw caps in their new winery in an industrial section of Portland. Many of their wines are held back for an additional year of bottle aging. Tel. (503) 288-7752; www.boedeckercellars.com

Smooth and deep, with spicy nutmeg and pepper notes adding interest to the polished black currant and plum flavors, lingering easily on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 800 cases made. -HS

Boedecker’s Athena bottling is a very pretty wine, with a lovely entry offering pure, inviting cherry and berry fruit. Once in the mouth, it gently fades, just slightly disappointing as it seems to lose strength rather than gaining it. But the first impression is charming and delicious.——P.G.(8/1/2011)—— 89