Firesteed - 1998 Awards and Reviews Pinot Noir

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1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1992-1993

General Reviews

Firesteed 1998 Pinot Noir Awards

80 Points Recommended: Pinot Noir - 2000 Beverage Tasting Institute
Bronze: Pinot Noir - The Northwest Wine Summit
Bronze: Pinot Noir - Indiana State Fair International Wine Competition

Firesteed 1998 Pinot Noir Reviews

Good Pinot Noir from France hard to find at the LCBO

"The good news is that Vintages is featuring a good buy in Firesteed 1998 Pinot Noir at $19.95. This medium light-bodied red focuses on bright cherry fruit flavours with spicy, slightly smoky notes that linger on the finish".

I was amazed to discover that Firesteed is a virtual winery. It owns no vineyards or production facilities. It was created in 1992 by Howard Rossbach, who sore that he could produce tasty and yet affordable Pinot Noir, i.e. costing US$10 a bottle.

His current 50,000 cases are nothing to sneeze at. Note that his Firesteed 2000 Pinot Gris won the only gold varietal medal in the 2001 Pacific Northwest Enological Competition.

The way Rossbach got as much ripe fruit into his Pinot Noir defies conventional wisdom. Most experts rate 1998 as "excellent". It comes on the heels of the overly abundant, and somewhat diluted 1997s. And yet many of the 1998s are surprisingly hard despite the excellent fall weather and very low crop levels.

The reason?

"We got nailed with some cool wet weather just after the early flowering, which really reduced the yields, "Rossbach says. "While most high-profile wineries had already reduced potential crop levels, we didn't. And oddly enough it paid off."

"The very warm, dry autumn meant that vines with these very low yields had to be picked early because of rapidly escalating sugar levels [the lower the yield, the more rapidly the grapes ripen]. In other words, they were picked before they ripened physiologically, before the fruit flavours had a chance to fully evolve.

"Meanwhile, our [higher-yield] Pinot Noir ripened more slowly, permitting its flavours to fully develop. It only has 12.4% alcohol versus 14&-plus."

"Good Pinot Noir from France is hard to find at the LCBO" National Post Online, January 19, 2002

FIRESTEED Pinot Noir Oregon 1998, Light, with pretty raspberry and floral aromas and flavors, finishing smooth and polished. A pleasant red.

"Harvey Steiman's Best-Value Wines from Oregon" Wine Spectator, May 15, 2001.

85, Firesteed Pinot Noir Oregon 1998 $10 Light in color and flavor, offering pretty raspberry and floral aromas and flavors, finishing smooth and polished. A pleasant red at an easy-to-swallow price. Drink now through 2005. 15,000 cases made.

"Best Buy" Wine Spectator, September, 2000

Firesteed 1998 Oregon Pinot Noir ($9.99): Clear ruby with a reddish-orange glint. Perfumed and floral, a heady scent of ripe cherries and fresh roses. Juicy cherry fruit on the palate, ripe and fresh. Forward, not overly complex; probably not an ager, but quaffable and easy to enjoy and a very good value.

FOOD MATCH: Portabellos sautéed in garlic over pasta with butter and sage.

"Wine Tasting Report", Wine Lovers Page, October 3, 2000

Firesteed Cellars Oregon 1998 ($10.50): Real Pinot character with no discordant notes - a remarkable achievement at this bargain price. (Bacchus)

"Wine" Michael Franz, The Washington Post, November 17, 2000

Wine of the Week: 1998 Firesteed Pinot Noir, Oregon ($10): Subtle aroma and fruit in this lighter-styled but nicely balanced red wine. Pale color, light earthy-fruity aroma, an an attractive tart entry make for an easy-to-drink red wine based around lower (12.5%) alcohol. Not big or chewy, but a wine aimed at near-term consumption. And often discounted to the $8 range.

"The Weekly Wine Commentary" Dab Berger, Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, January 21, 2001

Firesteed: complex flavors, no hint of bricks and mortar: Ever wanted to try a Pinot Noir but been turned down by the high prices and earthy flavors? (That's a rhetorical question; I don't need an actual answer.) Then try the '98 FIRESTEED PINOT NOIR from Oregon. With bright cherry flavors and a whiff of wood, at a price of only $10, it's your perfect intro to this mysterious grape variety.

"The Vine Print" Dennis Globus, The Seattle Weekly, October 26, 2000

Wine of the day-Firesteed Pinot Noir 1998.

Region: Oregon, USA Pinot Noir Varietal: Pinot Noir Cost: about $9

I remember remember previous vintages of Firesteed being fairly light; this one's definitely got a little more ooopfm to it. Definitely. A chewier Pinot with a nose filled with cheery and a little mushroom. Lively with a little earthiness on the finish. This was the perfect wine for the Ostrich, yes ostrich filet I had with it. Ostrich being only slightly gamy works beautifully with this.

"Wine of the Day" www.grapeevents.com

Firesteed makes its wines from pinot noir grapes grown in Oregon, but it does not have a facility to produce its wines. That is not uncommon these days, where many wines in Oregon are made from extremely young vines and put to market at inflated prices.

But Firesteed buys grapes from growers that they have a continuing business relationship with and them makes the wine at a nearby winery with people who understand their point of view, which is to put quality pinot noir from Oregon on the market for under $10. That in itself is admirable in this day and age.

In a recent tasting i did of more than 80 pinot noirs from Oregon, this one won hands down,l not only in the value for money category, but also in taste category. And at this price, who can and will argue with all the technical stuff that normally applies?

The Firesteed pinot noir is a bright red color in the glass with good clean transparency. On the nose it clearly shows we are dealing with a wine bursting with ripe fruit and wonderful grape quality. It has notes of red berries, herbs, especially sage, and some minerals. Fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks, the wine is rounded and delicious on the palate with good warm fruit, lots of acidity and smooth tannins, finishing with a bit of smoked bark and licorice.

It leaves something to be desired in the complexity department, but makes up for that by being thoroughly charming and approachable not through 2003. Open the wine at least an hour before drinking for the best results, It is not made for longtime storage and with a slight prickliness to it, it should drink well this summer with grilled chicken breast or vegetables.

Grape: Pinot Noir Region: Oregon Vintage: 1998 Where to buy: Lee's Discount Liquor Stores Price: $9

"Wine of the Week" Gil Lempert-Schwarz, The Las Vegas Review Journal, July 5, 2000

"The third wine is a 1998 Oregon Pinot Noir from Firesteed Vineyards. This simply was the best $10 Pinot Noir I've tasted, and also should be available here soon."

"The Wine Review" Russ Bridenbaugh, Indianapolis Star, July 28, 2000