The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is ruby-colored and has a warm and embracing nose of blackberries with traces of mocha. This creamed-cherry flavored wine is medium-bodied, thick, rich, and has excellent palate presence, yet finishes on a slightly rough and tannic note. Tunnell lightly fined it with one egg white per barrel to soften its tannins.This beauty has the potential to get better with cellaring. Drink them between 1999 and 2004.Tel. (503) 538-5136.

Former television newsman Doug Tunnell abandoned the klieg lights and fame of network news to live in a small brick house (hence the name) and produce some of Oregon's finest wines. Employing organic viticulture and inquisitive winemaking (Tunnell loves to experiment), he has in a few short years rocketed into the top echelon of the area's producers. Harvested at 1.75 tons per acre, the Pinot Noir reveals rich and sweet aromas reminiscent of strawberries and root beer. A highly-defined and structured, well-delineated, medium-to-full-bodied core of ripe cherries, stones and minerals further characterizes this delicious wine. Its long finish possesses a strong tannic backbone that will require a few years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2003. Tel. (503) 538-5136.

This small, high quality newcomer to the Oregon Pinot Noir scene has produced a powerful, exotic, opaque purple-colored Pinot Noir with amazing color extraction, full body, and super-intense flavors and ripeness. Because it is so unevolved, it has more in common with a barrel sample. Made from an organically cultivated vineyard owned by former newsman Doug Tunnell, this wine achieved 13.8% natural alcohol. The nose is just beginning to offer up smoky, chocolatey, black-cherry, and smoky oak aromas. Rich, full, and impressive, this top-notch Pinot Noir should hit its stride after 1-2 years of cellaring, and keep for at least a decade.Tel. (503) 538-5136