Firesteed - 1996 Awards and Reviews Pinot Noir

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General Reviews

Firesteed 1996 Pinot Noir Awards

Gold: Pinot Noir; 1997 Oregon State Fair
Bronze: Pinot Noir Under $10; The NorthWest Wine Summit
Bronze: Pinot Noir; 1998 Indy International Wine Competition
Bronze: Pinot Noir Under $10.49; 1998 West Coast Wine Competition
Bronze: Pinot Noir/Reds; The 1998 World Wine Championships
Bronze: Pinot Noir; 1998 International Eastern Wine Competition

Firesteed 1996 Pinot Noir Reviews

This is a very real, delightful wine from a "virtual winery."

Firesteed describes itself that way because there is no actual place with that name on the wall. Entrepreneur Howard Rossbach, another one of those crazy Northwest free thinkers, decided that making good wine need not be tied to a physical location.

Instead, he has long-term contracts with growers and with wineries near his selected vineyards to produce good tasting wines that will appeal to everyone.

He is devoted to providing consistent quality at affordable prices (under $10). The first wine is this Oregon Pinot Noir - Mr. Rossbach's favorite varietal. A dry red wine with medium body, it has terrifically luscious cherry-berry flavor and a bright finish. This would be a perfect Thanksgiving wine; try to snag some before it's all gone.

Firesteed also has released a very limited quantity of Barbera d'Asti from the Italian region of Piedmont and is shopping the possibility of a wine from France.

When you are "virtual," the world is your vineyard.

Diane Teitelbaum, "Wine of the Week", The Dallas Morning News, November 12, 1997

At the end of this week Spruce Meadows in Calgary will be alive with the Masters Tournament. This event prompts me to look for a suitable wine, with of course a horse depicted on the label.

Firesteed from Oregon exactly fits the bill and it is produced from the Pinot Noir variety of grapes.

The horse depicted on the label is an emblem of strength tempered by grace, which actually reflects the qualities of this wine.

Delicate pale ruby color, aromas of cherries, accented with spiciness. Soft textured and lightly oaked makes for an easy drinking fresh red wine.

Good partner to cold cuts, tuna casserole, and salmon. This may seem like a contradiction, but Pinot Noir wines, especially those from the cool climate New World can accompany these red or pink fleshed fish.

Firesteed is available at selected Alberta liquor outlets and in B.C. specialty stores for aroung $14 to $15.95 (Canadian). Firesteed is an interesting concept in wine making, to produce a good, enjoyable and consistent wine at an affordable price. As no actual Firesteed winery exists, instead grapes are purchased from reputable growers in Oregon's Willamette Valley, vinted under contract by Flynn Vineyards Winery and sold with a Firesteed label. They certainly seem to be producing a winner.

In this cool climate area, the growing season is 100 days. At this time the grapes have just reached their true ripeness and are full of luscious flavors. This is in contract to warmer climate, where Pinot Noir tends to be overripe.

The name Pinot is found in many grape varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier - the list continues. The word Pinot refers to the pine cone shape of the grape bunches. Noir, of course means black and Pinot Noir is the grape variety which is found in the wonderful wines of Burgandy, France.

However, Pinot Noir wines can be very unpredictable in their outcome, so much depends on the terrior-climate, soil and aspect of vineyards. As a result these wines are often a gamble, but like a dark horse, they come through and produce outstanding wines.

Ann Fairman, "Pinot Noir - the dark horse of red wines" Calgary Mountain News, September 9, 1997

It's the season for unpacking coats out of mothballs, carving jack-o'-lanterns and wondering how things might be different if your team had the Orioles' budget. It's also a good time to lay in some rich, soft red wines for drinking over the coming months. If you feel the need of consolation in the face of approaching winter - or if crisp air makes you want to skip, sing and roll in a leaf pile - read on. Here are the best of the recently reviewed autumn-worthy red wines, all priced at $6-$12.: Pinot Noir - Firesteed 1996 Pinot Noir, Oregon (Very good/good);

Richard Nalley, "Autumn almanac: time for soft reds", Wine Talk, Copley News Service, October 1997.

…In the budget bracket, the only Pinot Noir that offered good value was Oregon's 1996 Firesteed ($10). It's a light wine with plenty of racy fruit.

Pinot Noir works against the heat

Michael Dresser, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service, October 1998

…Then we tried a glass of an Oregon Pinot Noir we'd never seen before, a Firesteed '96. It was light and fruity, perfect with John's salmon. That's another fun benefit to trying wines by the glass: You can try pairings that you might otherwise shy away from. As we've written before, a light Oregon Pinot Noir with salmon is a marvelous combination. Check it out.

Places to Go. The Wall Street Journal, September 9, 1998.

…A '96 Firesteed Pinot Noir from Oregon caught my eye so that it was. It was ruby red in color, not much up front nose, but the taste was definitely that of an Oregon wine. It was smooth, even a little delicate for a Pinot from that area, and was a good choice because it certainly went well with the rare tenderloin I was enjoying.

Dana Schrick, "From the Wine Cellar: Wine and Candlelight", The Democrat, January 7, 1998

Exceptional: 1996 Firesteed, Oregon ($10): Almost rosé in color, but with ample red-wine aroma of cherry and a youthful, fresh wine with oak adding gracenotes of complexity. Like Savigny. From Howard Rossbach's Seattle-based company that specializes in well-priced Oregon Pinot Noir.

Dan Berger, Vintage Experiences, August 6, 1997

1996 Firesteed Pinot Noir at $10.99. What a great buy for this price. The least expensive wine in our tasting took top honors. It was full of strawberry and strawberry jam flavors, from the aroma to the long finish. It as a mouth-filling delight.

Frank Sutherland, "Northwest doing well with Pinot Noirs" The Tennessean; April 13, 1998

…Happily, there are some good Pinots out there that have been made in reasonable quantities and that for the most part are being sold at prices less than $20. Count among them Rodney Strong's Russian River,; Firesteed, from Oregon; Turning Leaf, a real surprise from Gallo; Estancia; Fetzer Vineyards; and Napa Ridge. They are all labels that should not be too hard to find.

Frank Prial "Burgandy meets its match: American Pinot Noir" The New York Times, April 8, 1998

(81) Firesteed (OR) 1996 Pinot Noir. Pale cherry with pink tinges. Moderately light-bodied. Moderately extracted. Mildly oaked. Mildly tannic. Bright cherry aromas lead a juicy cherry-flavored palate with a mineral backbone. Simple and very drinkable.

"Buying Guide" The Wine Enthusiast, March 1998

We come now to my personal wine of choice for T-Day: Pinot Noir. Two excellent new releases will work beautifully: 1996 Firesteed ($9.99) - invariably a best buy, but especially good this vintage, and 1996 Saintsbury Garnet (13.50) -less fruity, more spicy, just as smooth and supple.

Tom Cottrell, "Wines to complement a Thanksgiving", The Eastside Journal, November 5, 1997

Pinot Noir, made from a fickle grape that responds adversely to most big-winery techniques, is rarely a good bet in the $10 price range. A notable exception is the Firesteed 1996 Pinot Noir from Oregon. This one is a winner, light-colored, and light-bodied, but with a lovely aroma of strawberry and grapefruit.

"Go Ahead: Fall for some reds" Richard Nalley, Wine Talk, Copley News Service, October 1997.

(83) Firesteed Pinot Noir Oregon 1996 $10. Very light, almost rosé, with strawberry and spice notes lingering on the delicate finish. Drink soon. 25,000 cases made.

"New releases" The Wine Spectator, November 1997."

1996 Firesteed Oregon Pinot Noir.. Indistinguishable in colour or hue from the '95, but has a richer nose - more raspberry - with more weight in the mouth. The finish, mostly sour-cherry, lasts longer than the '95. A better wine for the same money. In fact, it's the best of the bunch. Tip: We recorked an opened bottle for two days without using gas or a stopper pump and the wine improved, resembling a decent, aged Burgundy!

Jim White, "The Magic Winery", Winetidings, November,1999