Drank: 2009 Knudsen Vineyard Brut (Argyle)

By Martin Cizmar

Last December, we held a blind tasting of Oregon sparkling wine, finding Argyle's 2010 Vintage brut the best on the shelves of local grocers, and Argyle's 2009 brut rosé the runner-up. The second annual Portland Bubbles Week (visit pdxbubbles.com for a calendar of events) is presently popping, which gave a good excuse to accept delivery of Argyle's 2009 Knudsen Vineyard brut, otherwise only available for $50 a bottle at the winery's tasting room in Dundee. It's not quite as dry as the 2010 brut, with denser sweetness and bigger bubbles. But there's impressive balance between the pinot noir (75 percent) and chardonnay (25 percent), plus a candied spiciness that takes a few sips to figure out. You've got through Sunday.

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