February OPNC Newsletter

Dallas, Oregon has nothing to do with Dallas, Texas. First, the entire town of Dallas, Oregon could fit into the lobby of one Dallas, Texas high rise. It's a one-mill town, and I doubt the mill is hiring right now. But Dallas, Oregon does have the distinction of being the "Gateway to Some Hills."

Those hills sport a pocket of notable vineyards. Located in a bit of a no-man's land south and west of Salem, Oregon, these vineyards are not part of the Dundee Hills / Eola Hills thing, and they sport only the broad Willamette Valley AVA. But their status belies their remote location.

One of the vineyards in them thar hills is Freedom Hill Vineyard, which is certainly on any list of old-vine vineyards here. Notable in the past for producing fiercely tannic, long-lived wines, Freedom Hill has matured under modernized management in recent years and is a top source of fruit for guys like Ken Wright and producers like Panther Creek.

Also in the neighborhood: relative newcomer Amalie Robert (that's pronounced Aim-a-Lee). The vineyard and winery are the follow-your-bliss project of Microsoft runaways Ernie Pink and Dena Drews. They've met with considerable success in just five years, and certainly rank as one of the more successful startup wineries of late. The measure of their success is that they sell fruit to notable wineries, including Beaux Freres, and that they have made good wine across a variety of vintages.

Each of their vintages has been strong, showing a stylistic consistency and a reverence for balance over sheer extract that is admirable. While past vintages have been made at other folk's facilities, with "consulting" from other winemakers, the '06s are a product of Ernie's efforts, in his own winery.

This '06 Amalie Robert Pinot Noir Dijon Clones is a tasty combination of power and finesse. The intense red fruit and robust flavors of Dijon clone pinot are there, but the winemaking reined in the most rambunctious (obnoxious?) tendancies of all-Dijon clone wines. This wine is no lightweight, but contemplation nonetheless reveals a delicacy of nuance in the aroma and flavor that complements and robust fruit and fine, balanced structure. This is completely enjoyable now, but a few years in the bottle should produce spectacular results.

As an aside, the Chardonnay, Viogner and especially the crazy-good Willamette Valley Syrah made by this producer are all excellent and noteworthy.

Here's a blurb on Alloro, from the winery literature:

"Established in 1999, Alloro's location in the Chehelem mountains of Oregon's Willamette Valley is ideally situated in of one of Oregon's unique, temperate microclimates. Alloro's vineyard is managed for low yields, resulting in wonderfully intense flavors from Pommard and Dijon clone vines that reflect the terroir. Our goal is to produce wines that are well balanced, and possess character, complexity and elegance. At the crest of the hill can be found Alloro's Mediterranean-inspired winery and tasting room with underground cellars. The building was designed and engineered to last for generations, constructed almost entirely out of concrete and wood. The doors, windows and roof trusses are made of Oregon Douglas fir, well known for durability and strength. The underground barrel rooms are timeless in design and energy efficient, taking advantage of the cool earth to maintain ideal cellaring temperatures. The Alloro winery was designed by noted winery architect Larry Ferrar and completed in time for the 2003 harvest."

All that is well and good, but the real story with this producer is the winemaker, Don Kautzner, who worked as winemaker at Adelsheim for 18 years. Adelsheim under Kautzner was in a major decline at the end of the 1990s, producing some mediocre product. Adelsheim had not modernized in the '90s, and was losing ground as a result. Kautzner left Adelsheim, and that producer built a new facility; bought all new wood and equipment; and hired a new winemaker. They have now regained their stature, and are producing excellent wines.

Kautzner, it seemed, was history. But then he popped up making wine for Alloro. Forgive me, but I assumed the wine wine would be poor. Quelle Surprise! The wine is excellent! Kautzner has found vinous religion, and is now making probably the best wine of his career. I mean, every bottling from Alloro's '06 vintage, from the inexpensive starter pinot to the chardonnay to the high-end stuff we are reviewing today, it's all very, very good.

The Winery Block pinot noir is their top-of-the-line bottling. It features pure, sweet fruit with flavors on that tasty edge between red fruits and darker plum notes. Bright acidity and a moderate dose of fine, ripe tannin add the structural elements. The wine stays fresh and lively on the palate, showing lots of layers and a very juicy character. The finish is long. This is quite enjoyable now for a young wine. But there's no reason it should not cellar well for a few years, if you so desire.