Press

CARLTON, OR – (July 27, 2011) – Seven of Hearts, Luminous Hills hires Tasting Room Assistant, expands hours

Press Highlights from the Past Year

Recognition for three Luminous Hills wines in the September issue of Portland Monthly Magazine's article "Oregon's 50 Best Wines".

The Prince of Pinot reviews the current releases of Seven of Hearts and Luminous Hills Pinot noirs in Volume 8, Issue 42 of the PinotFile.  My favorite part was his description of the 2009 Astra: "...A carnival of charming black cherry and black raspberry fruit floods the palate and brings it to attention. This is one of those wines that you taste and then just look at the glass, astonished that such flavor could originate from the liquid in the glass..."

One of my favorite blogs Northwest Whites, by Ryan Reichert, looks at a vertical of SevenofHearts Chardonnays (the '06 is still very tasty) in the article "Seven of Hearts, Blend ofInnovationand Tradition."

July 18 Wine Press Northwest Fresh Press Spotlight on Seven of Hearts Wine.Outstanding ratings for 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and 2010 Rosé of Pinot Noir. Excellent rating for 2009 Chardonnay in the August 8 issue. Plus recommendations of five additional Seven of Hearts wines in both issues.  Here's what they said about the 2009 Pinot Noir:  "Outstanding! Seven of Hearts 2009 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $20. Accessible fruit and an enjoyable structure make Byron Dooley’s tasty blend offive vineyards — including Crawford Beck, Cost and the estate Luminous Hills — one to cherish. The aromatics are not limited to black cherry, black raspberry, ripe watermelon and blueberry, as they also include blood orange, toffee, earthiness and strips ofcedar. There’s a reward of cherry and more blood orange on the palate with great acidity and little in the way of tannin. Notes of strawberry and earthiness meld well in the mouth. This wine can be from bottle or at restaurants in Portland via the tap program at St. Jack as well as Irving Street Kitchen in the Pearl District."

Jul/Aug 2011 by Josh Raynolds
2009 Pinot Noir Crawford Beck Vineyard - 90
2009 Pinot Noir Special Reserve - 91
2009 Pinot Noir Coupe's Cuvee Dessert Wine - 92
2009 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Estate Grown - 90
2009 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Estate Grown Lux - 90
2009 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Estate Grown Astra - 91
(Read reviews here.)

LuminousHills Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District 2009 - 91 points
Velvety, subtle and distinctive for the mint and savory spice accentsaround a lovely bead of redcurrant and raspberry fruit, persisting delicately on the long finish. Drink now through 2019.—H.S.

August 2011 Issue of The Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Seven of Hearts 2009 Chardonnay Crawford Beck Vineyard - 92 Editors’ Choice
An elegant, compelling Chardonnay, its fruitaccented with lemon, honey and lime. Low cropping ofDijon clone 76 has concentrated the flavors (and the alcohol - a surprising 15.7%) without turningthewine into an overblown fat boy. Nuanced and long, it is one of the most satisfying Chardonnays to come out of Oregon in recent memory. — Paul Gregutt

Eating & Dining (6/22/11): A Rosy Outlook Seven of Hearts’ Pinot Noir rosé gushing with flavor

Another lovely write-up on Luminous Hills the wonderful blog VIVACIOUS GOURMAND in the article Oregon Pinot Noir Plus – Seven of Hearts / Luminous Hills Makes Great Juice (May 31, 2011)

Very thoughtful and well articulated write-up in the great new blog Northwest Wine Anthem aboutLuminous Hills and the concept around it: A Match Made in Pinot, Soil meets Clone in Luminous Hills

The Northwest Wine Summit announced their 2011 awards, with 11 medals for Seven of Hearts and Luminous Hills Wines, including a Gold (highest award) for the 2009 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Special Reserve.

The Oregon Wine Awards announced their 2011 selections, with six awards to Seven of Hearts and Luminous Hills wines, including a Double Gold for the 2009 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot Noir LUX.

2009 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - Value Pick, Oregon Wine Press, May 2011 "Pinot for Pleasure's Sake"

Both the Luminous Hills Astra and LUX receive Excellent ratings and the regular Estate bottling (silver label) is recommended in the March 14, 2011 edition of Wine Press Northwest Pinot Noir: Familiar producers win honors along with rising stars By Andy Perdue.

Northwest Palate Magazine (March/April 2011) HighlyRecommends the 2009 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Lux Yamhill-Carlton:  "Attractive aromas of rose petals and red cherries combine with notes of dried tobacco and mushroom to create a sweet-savory nose.  Lean in the mouth with a silky texture, upon first sip the wine delivers punchy flavors of tasty candied red cherries with a forest floor foundation.  Additional sips show the fruit to have an appealing additional quality of dried roses and a nutty note of almond pit.  The whole is quite elegant, with polished tannins, ample acidity, and a rousing finish that lingers well.  Still a baby, this is a wine to cellar for 2-3 years to gain even more integration."

I just love seeing something like this:  an obscure small production wine shows up in a Southern California blog.  Check out The Best of Wines notes on the 2007 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir the Cost Vineyard.  These guys get it.

Check out another thoughful posting by Vincent Fritzsche on his blog élevage:  2008 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.

In the article December 22, 2010 article "Mom-and-pop operation doubles down", Cleve Twitchell shares his experiences with Luminous Hills and Seven of Hearts wines.

On Northwest Whites (www.nwwhites.com), wine writer Ryan Reichert includes Seven of Hearts Chardonnay and Viognier-Roussanne as some of his favorite white wines of 2010 in "Revisiting the White Wines of 2010".

In Northwest Palate's November/December 2010 issue, our 2009 Chatte d'AvignonRoussanne Columbia Valley Oregon makes the cut in the article "Top Northwest Wines of 2010" as an Old World wine grape variety that is new to the Northwest.

The Northwest Food and Wind Festival awarded one of only eleven Gold Medals to our 2009 Chatte d'Avignon Viognier & Roussanne Columbia Valley Oregon.

In the article "Oregon's '08 Pinots have a vintage year.  Really." by Jon Bonné (September 26 Edition of the San Francisco Chronicle), the Seven of Hearts Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was recommended along with a selection of standout Oregon Pinots.

2008 Chardonnay Elvenglade – 92 Points, Wine & Spirits Magazine "The Year's Best American Chardonnays", October, 2010

Paul Gregutt in the October 2010 Issue of The Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2008 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Crawford Beck Vineyard - 91
2008 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Reserve - 91

Jul/Aug 2010 by Josh Raynolds
2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - 89
2008 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills - 90
2008 Pinot Noir Crawford Beck Vineyard - 92
2008 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Estate Grown Yamhill-Carlton District  - 91
2008 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Lux Estate Grown Yamhill-Carlton District  -  92

2008 Chardonnay Elvenglade - Value Pick, Oregon Wine Press, August 2010

The Oregon Wine Awards announced their 2010 selections, with sixawards to Seven of Hearts and Luminous Hills wines, including two Double Gold, one Gold, two Outstanding, and one Bronze.

The San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday, 2/28/10) recommends our 2008 Chardonnay Elvenglade Vineyard as one of a small number of Recommended wines in the article Wine Recommendations: Northwest Chardonnay by Jon Bonné.

More Press

Small production wineries like us don't get too much notice, but our wines have received a little bit of attention.  Here are some notable mentions on the web and elsewhere:

WineUp TV: Seven of Hearts Interview (January 18, 2011)
Beyond the Bottle:  2008 Seven of Hearts Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton
Northwest Whites (11/21/10):  The Ubiquitous Piece on Thanksgiving Wine Picks
Palate Press (11/17/10), by Ryan Reichert: A Northwest Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Willamette Valley Life (Fall, 2010):  Wines to Accompany a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Celebration
Northwest Whites (10/26/10):  The ABC's of Oregon Chardonnay
Northwest Palate Magazine Recommendation (September/October, 2010): 2008 Chardonnay Elvenglade Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District
PDXploration visits Seven of Hearts / Luminous Hills and Honest Chocolates in this 7/2/10 post:  northwest vin francais et chocolat.
Dean Rieman (The Wine Shack) in The Cannon Beach Gazette: A Fine Vintage - Oregon’s 2008 gems keep trickling in
Northwest Palate Magazine Recommendations (July/August, 2010): 2009 Chatte d'Avignon Viognier & Roussanne, 2008 Luminous Hills LUX Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 2008 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 2008 Seven of Hearts Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
The Wine Spectator (July 31, 2010:  90 Points - 2008 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot Noir
The Best of Wines (dot com) (5/16/09): BEST of the Portland Indie Wine Fest: Seven of Hearts Winemaker Byron Dooley is inspired!
The Porland Indie Wine Festival selects four wines for the 2010 Grand Tasting
Jim McLaren interview with Seven of Hearts on KEX Radio 1190 AM (5/7/10): 7 of hearts will steal your heart
Patrick Alan Coleman in the Portland Mercury (5/6/10):  The Independents - Down to Earth at the Portland Indie Wine Festival
Alice Feiring's VERITAS IN VINO (5/6/10): Portland Indie Wine Festival: Wine Watch
The Oregon Wine Awards 2010 selections: six awards to Sevenof Hearts and Luminous Hills wines:  two Double Gold, one Gold, two Outstanding, and one Bronze
Vincent Fritzsche in his blog Élevage (4/21/10): Seven of Hearts /Luminous Hills
Finger Lakes International Wine Competition (April, 2010):  8 wines entered earn 8 medals
Chef Magazine (March/April 2010 edition): More White Wines for Wintry Dishes
2008 Viognier & Roussanne - Highly Recommended Viogniers, Oregon Wine Press, March 2010
Brandi Nash in Travel on a Shoestring (March, 2010, pg 11): From grapes to glass: Seven of Hearts
Jon Bonné, San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday, 2/28/10): Wine Recommendations: Northwest Chardonnay
Ryan Reichert on OE•NO•PHILE (1/28/10):  Seven of Hearts - Part 3: "Estate Grown Pinot Noir" or "The Pinot Clone Wars"
Budd White on Evening Punch (1/19/10): Seven of Hearts and Second Chances
Ryan Reichert on OE•NO•PHILE (1/15/10): Seven of Hearts - Part 2: Exploring Burgundy and Pinot Noir
Ryan Reichert on OE•NO•PHILE (1/14/10): Seven of Hearts - Part 1: White Wines
Katherine Cole, The Oregonian (1/12/10): (Luminous Hills under "Seek out new talent")
Manfred Bluemel & Dana Jackson in AOC Travel Guide: Willamette Valley – My Perfect Days
Dawn Rasmussen on Travel Oregon Blog (12/8/09): Oregon's Bountiful Wine Harvest
2008 Releases:  Four medals for five wines submitted to the Northwest Food & Wine Festival
Chef J Carey on Wine Lover's Discussion Group (11/28/09): Willamette wine hopping...
Tracey Buxton on Notes from a Cottage Industry (11/24/09): Pleasant Living in Oregon's Wine Country
2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills: #27 on Portland Monthly Magazine's Oregon's Top Value Wines
Phillip Franks on eRobertParker.com (9/28/09): Seven of Hearts lineup with Byron Dooley
Bob Wood on Duck Juice and Duck Breasts (9/24/09): Winery Finds - Seven of Hearts
Tamara Belgard on Sip With Me! (9/13/09): Work a Day in My Vineyard…  
Jeremy Lang, The Oregonian (5/24/09): Oregon winemakers uncork tourist season
2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Crawford Beck: David Gray's Best of Portland Indie Wine Fest
The Best of Wines (dot com) (5/16/09): 2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Reserve
2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Reserve: 2009 PIWF Selection
Braiden Rex-Johnson, The Seattle Times (2/8/09): Passion for wine and chocolate keep this couple happily together
2006 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Reserve: 12/15/08 Wine Spectator 90 points
2006 Pinot Noir 2009 OWA Double Gold (May, 2009)
2006 Pinot Noir: Avalon Wine of the Week (9/1/08)
2006 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills:  2008 Portland Indie Wine Festival Selection (May, 2008)
Karl Klooster of the News-Register (7/5/08): Sweetening up wine country

Coming Events

Holiday Tastings and New Releases

Join us in our tasting room in Carlton during the month of December as we pour our six new 2010 releases:

2010 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot noir (silver label)
2010 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot noir Lux
2010 Seven of Hearts Pinot noir Lia's Vineyard Chehalem Mountains
2010 Seven of Hearts Pinot noir Armstrong Vineyard Ribbon Ridge
2010 Coupe's Cuvee Pinot noir Dessert Wine Willamette Valley
2010 Chatte d'Avignon Viognier & Roussanne Columbia Valley Oregon

As always, we will be pouring a full line-up of wines, including two pairings with two custom made chocolates by Honest Chocolates.

Early Bird Special: It can get quite busy as the afternoon progresses on the weekends. As an extra incentive to encourage earlier visits and tasting, for the first two hours on Saturday and Sunday, until 2pm, we will have several cases of some special wines (last few cases) out on the floor with special discounts.

Previous Events

Click here for a  history of previous events. 

Tasting Room

Visit Us in Our Carlton Tasting Room

217 West Main Street, Carlton (Get Directions)
Thursday - Monday, Noon - 5pm (6pm, by request). Special event hours (e.g., Thanksgiving weekend) are 11am - 5pm.
Custom wine-tasting chocolates from Honest Chocolates
For private tastings and special appointments, call 971-241-6548

Now Pouring

2010 Chatte d'Avignon Viognier & Roussanne
2009 Pinot Gris Oregon
2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
2009 Pinot Noir Crawford Beck Vineyard
2010 Pinot Noir Lia's Vineyard
2010 Pinot Noir Armstrong Vineyard
2010 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot Noir
2010 Luminous Hills Estate Grown Pinot Noir Lux
2009 Pinot Noir Special Reserve
Paired with Raspberry-Pinot Ganache
2010 Coupe's Cuvee Pinot Noir Dessert Wine
Paired with Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee Bark

Seven of Hearts Wine Club

Designed for the loyal followers of our wines, the Seven of Hearts Wine Club was created as a way to obtain our limited production wines at significant discounts, as well as other club benefits.  Wine Club members receive two annual packages in early May and early November, ahead of the public release of the wines. 

Starting in Spring 2010, we added more flexibility to our Wine Club program.  While still offering a standard selection of newly released wines, we also provide the opportunity for members to make their wine club selections from an a la carte menu of the new releases, and can include any favorites from prior releases if still available. It's about getting you the wines that you want.