|
|
| March, 2009 Membership E-Newsletter |
|
|
|
Best of the Vintage for OPNC Members
I've been trying a lot of wine lately. Wine producers are responding to the economic slump by stepping up their marketing efforts. That means more of them call and want to come over with their wares, in hopes of scoring a big order. Luckily for OPNC members, there's plenty of good wines to choose from! The best of the '07s are starting to show up, and they are tasty indeed. This month our Premium and World class members enjoy a set of excellent wines at the various price levels, while our Reserve Club members get their hands on two wines that are usually so allocated, we cannot get enough to meet demand. In other news, we are only a few days away from the Cochon 555 event here in Portland on March 1. Five top local chefs are getting five whole pigs, and are combining their talents with five top wineries in a fundraiser for Portland's Raphael House. Tickets are still available, and it promises to be a tasty time! I'll be lurking on the floor as a guest judge. You can get more info and tickets here. Enjoy the wine, and thanks to you all for your continued patronage. Bob Wolfe The Oregon Pinot Guy | |
|
In Praise of the '07s
 I'll make no bones about it: The 2007 vintage in Oregon was challenging, due to rainfall during harvest. But too many casual observers are painting the entire vintage with one critical brush. They are making a sweeping assumption that the wines are all bad, when nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there are terrific wines, in a style that many wine drinkers prefer.
I keep reading descriptions of the wines including words like "lean", "thin", "light", "watery", and worse. I had one client call and denounce a very good wine as being too light, and undrinkable. The wine was not flawed, he just did not like the style - and opened eight bottles to determine that fact.
I like the style very much -- enough to suggest that these wines deserve a different descriptive language. I think of these wines as elegant, precise, authentic, transparent, terroir-driven, detailed, and traditionally-styled.
Let's touch on that last one in particular: Traditionally styled. Pinot noir is grown in relatively cool climates. This means there is often some rain or cool temperatures to contend with during harvest. The grapes must struggle to achieve ripeness suitable for winemaking. For most of the history of pinot noir, that has meant 11 - 12% alcohol or perhaps a bit more. These lower alcohol wines are lighter in body, but still pack a terrific flavor punch. They are elegant, and can be made in a structured, highly ageworthy style.
It is only in very modern times that higher alcohols have ruled. Driven at first by wine critics and now, I purport, driven by consumers who adore the big, jammy style, pinot noir producers routinely give us wines with 15 - 16% alcohol, and it can go up from there. These Modern Style pinots are dramatic wines that flood the palate with intense flavors and lots of alcohol. They can nearly overwhelm the senses, and will certainly get you plenty drunk. They don't pair well with food. They are the antithesis of trditionally styled wines.
Those Modern Style wines, in my opinion, lack the very thing that makes pinot noir the best wine of all: Balance. Instead of an appropriate measure of fruit, acid, tannin and wood married in a seamless fashion, these wines beat a drinker over the head with awkward, excessive amounts of oak, alcohol and highly extracted fruit. They are so hot with alcohol and so devoid of finesse, it's hard to drink even one full glass. They lack balance.
Many wine drinkers prefer a balanced, traditional style pinot. It has taken me some years to reach this point; I used to like the "big stuff." I now consider those days to be my wine drinking adolescence, the days of my youthful vinous indiscretions.
 Consider this example. When I was a kid, I had a boom box. It was quite the machine - big, silver speaker covers, flashing lights that moved around in time with the music, a throbbing bass note. It was flashy, and dramatic. Now, I prefer a more discreet, quality stereo system. Think Bang & Olufson. Sleeker, more sophisticated, grown-up. More jazz than AC/DC. Here's another example. When I was young, the Trans Am with the big eagle on the hood was the car I desired most. Loud, aggressive, certain to draw attention. You would not catch me dead in a car like that now. Think, BMW sedan. Get the picture?
Wine drinkers evolve along a curve. At the peak of the curve, many people are stuck at the huge alcohol-and-fruit-bomb stage of wine drinking. With the 2007 vintage, we all have a chance to enjoy intense, balanced pinots with a mere 13% alcohol, wines that can be enjoyed over several glasses, wines that beguile rather than bruise. We can all move down the curve, away from the crowds, and enjoy authentic, balanced wine again. |
 Rollin' Down the River
We're going rafting again! This year's trip will put in the water on June 7, 2009, on Oregon's majestic and mighty Rogue River. The four-day, three-night trip rolls through a Wild and Scenic River corridor, which means no jet boats for most of the trip, and lots of rapids and solitude. It is a magnificent raft trip that draws river runners from around the world. This early-season float will provide a slew of exciting rapids!
The trip is food and wine focused, and will feature top-notch Oregon wines and cuisine from CIA grad and restaurateur Adam Bernstein.
The trip is outfitted by OARS, one of the biggest, oldest and most respected outfitters in the world. Cost is $1190 / person. Feel free to call or email me for more information. Given the very early notice, I expect to see a slew of OPNC clients on this trip! |
|
WORLD CLASS WINES
 2007 Clawson Creek Pinot Noir "Angela"
Price: $58
Drinkability: Approachable, better later
Availability: Quite limited
Folks, we have a winner!
Angela is the near-mythical pinot noir made for Clawson Creek Vineyards by famed winemaker Ken Wright. A few years ago, the first Angela was reported by a few lucky wine drinkers on wine blogs . . . but even those of us in the know could not seem to track down a bottle here in Oregon. Later, Ken said he would never make the wine again . . . but in fact, he has. With the '06 vintage, we were able to supply the Angela to about half the people who wanted some. Now, with the excellent '07, I expect we will be able to fill all requests . . . as long as you don't wait very long to order.
The winery has a smorgasbord of owners, including notably Antony Beck, whose family owns extensive wine holdings in South Africa under the name Graham Beck. Antony Beck is also well known as a thoroughbred breeder in Kentucky (The Oregon hills around wine country are a hotbed of horse properties, in fact, with several notable breeders and trainers).
The wine is just terrific. It literally glows in the glass, with a brilliant dark ruby color that turns darker at the core. The aroma is assertive and demands attention. On the palate, brilliant and focused flavors of plum and dark cherry are kept under control by some fine tannins -- the wine has a bit of desirable grip now. It is detailed and layered, but still lithe. It is clearly one of the top wines of the vintage that I've tasted so far. Recession be damned, you gotta jump on this one.
 2007 Ayoub Pinot Noir
Price: $52
Drinkability: Better on day two
Availability: Good for now
Ayoub burst on the scene with the 2004 vintage, and was an immediate hit. Josh Bergstrom makes the wine. Here's a blurb from the Ayoub literature:
"After a long and careful search to find the best site possible to plant Pinot Noir, Mohamad "Mo" Ayoub found the land he dreamt about nestled in the Dundee Hills. Untouched to vines - Mo saw the perfect potential to plant Pinot Noir and create a sustainable, healthy and top producing vineyard. The volcanic jory soils, south-facing slopes and fertile land made it an easy decision to plant four prized acres of vines in 2001.
"The Dundee Hills appellation is highly respected and known for its bright and elegant wines. In 2004, Mo was able to unveil the potential of his land by producing a wine from the vines he meticulously planted and cared for. The results proved to be flourishing, providing bright fruit and unique complexity, creating an elegant Pinot Noir. Ayoub is committed to producing a limited amount of Pinot Noir of the highest quality."
The glorious thing about the best pinots from the '07 vintage is their amazing balance and purity. The wines speak of the essence of the fruit, and of the dirt. They are much less about manipulation, uber-ripeness, and excessively high alcohols. I like the best of 2007 very, very much. This '07 Ayoub is perhaps the best of the vintage that I've had from bottle so far.
It shows plenty of intensity on the palate, with darker fruits, good acidity, and some dissolved, super-fine tannins. It's young still, belying the adage that '07s are early drinkers, and has impressive focus. The first impression, on Day One, is of a somewhat voluptuous wine -- but on Day Two, with air, the true structure shines through, it throws off the baby fat and becomes more refined and focused. It's forward enough to be approachable when first opened, but I recommend you try it after being open 24 hours, when it sports dark, mineral-infused flavors that fan out through a long finish. It's not a bruiser; it hits the sweet spot for traditional-style, Burgundian pinot noir.
|
|
PREMIUM CLUB WINES
 2007 Et Fille Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $24 Production: 125 cases Drinkability: Approachable, will age a bit Availability: Good for the short term only Et Fille is among the best of the newer, small wineries to pop up over the past couple of years. The name means "and daughter" in French, and it follows that the winery is operated by father and daughter team of Howard and Jessica Mozeico. Howard makes the wine, Jessica sells it. Here's a blurb from the winery literature:
"The wine is the focus here. Our goal is to find the best vineyards in the Northwest, and make single vineyard designate wines from those grapes. More importantly, we strive to make a style of wine that reflects the best that each vineyard has to offer. Instead of stamping one consistent style on the product from each vineyard, our wines will vary from one vineyard designate to the next. That way, we believe we help bring out the best the vineyard has to offer.
"There are some constants, however. We always deal in small lots of grapes (so that we can get just the clones we want), small fermentation lots (which gives us enhanced flexibility in our winemaking), and small oak barrels (which can help in the wine's complexity). We always sort, punch-down, and top-off by hand, so that we are close to the wine every step along the way to the bottle."
Their entire lineup is solid in 2007, but this Willamette Valley bottling is a standout for value. It's a gutsy, bright and slightly rustic pinot with excellent concentration for this price level. There's color, structure, and plenty of fruit - it actually needs some time in the bottle to integrate! It's a great value, and a standout among value bottlings from the vintage. Only 135 cases made, so this will sell out within a couple weeks, no question about it.
 2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Croft Vinyard
Price: $30 Drinkability: Excellent! Availability: Good for now
Nothing beats experience when it comes to making terrific wine. Case in point: Patty Green, who has been making wine in Oregon for - could it be? - about eighteen years, by my count.
That's why her 2007 pinots are so good - she knows what to do in any harvest situation. Her '07s are not green, not simple, not manipulated by concentrators or other means, not oddly tannic, not any of the bad stuff that can be found in other wines.
This Croft Vineyard bottling is a stellar example of the best of the vintage. It's a juicy, rambunctious mouthful of blackberry fruit with plenty of depth and length. It's an amazing bargain.
But for the real scoop, read the notes penned by winery partner Jim Anderson about this wine:
"OK, this is not technically in the Eola Amity Hills AVA, but it is right on the outskirts to the south and was likely not included for reasons that have little to do with the nature of this site in relation to the appellation itself. Government is funny that way. We have been more than fortunate to work with two separate blocks out of this terrific vineyard site. In 2004 we were offered sections of what are now 21 year-old Wadensvil and 18-year old Pommard clone Pinot Noir.
"Over the past few vintages this Eola Hills based vineyard has been steadily working toward improving the management of their vines and what we received in 2004 and again in 2006 shows that this commitment to quality has produced results. The vineyard is now a LIVE Certified Organic Vineyard. This wine is technically not organic wine even though the grapes are organic (we are not a certified organic winery).
"This region of Oregon probably responds better to warm vintages than anywhere else as it is naturally cooled by the Van Duzer corridor which is the low spot in the Coast Range Mountains (that allows cooling winds from the coast to reach the vineyard).
"The Pommard clone makes up 55% of the wine and brings the intense boysenberry and highly unique pomegranate juicy fruit that gives the wine loads of fruit and a full mid-palate and the Wadensvil (45%) provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile. The wine not only stands up to the 33% new oak, it completely overwhelms it.
"This deeply purple wine has a tremendous amount of stuffing that makes is boisterously appealing for the short term but the pure intensity is checked by great natural acidity which will make it something worth sticking in the cellar.
"This is an extroverted Pinot Noir. There are dimensions of ripeness, concentration, intensity and depth that all threaten to pin the needle but at the same time there is acidity and structure afforded by the older vines that provide just enough restraint to make this a terrifically interesting wine. This is serious bang for the buck." |
|
RESERVE CLUB WINES
 2006 Domaine Serene Grace Vineyard
Price: $125
Drinkability: Cellarworthy
Availability: Very Limited
This winery needs no introduction, do they? Domaine Serene is a grand winery on a hill, and they produce a strong lineup of reds and whites, at very strong price points.
The Grace is their top bottlings, from estate fruit. It is just a bit tight right now, but clearly has the raw material to become a great pinot noir. It's bordering on lush, with broad, juicy flavors that arrive in layers, with a lengthy finish. Approachable now, but really, wait a year or two for best results.
Here's their slightly florid description of the wine:
"2006 is destined to be a classic. Nearly perfect conditions at bloom and a long warm growing season led to a warm harvest producing fully ripened and mature fruit of exceptional quality. A relatively mild spring, followed by warm and dry months and small heat spikes in June and September, allowed for additional hang-time and promoted flavor development and concentration. Continued warmth in September and October, despite a few periods of rain, resulted in a fast and furious harvest. The mild, late rains cooled the fruit, tempering the hot days and slowing sugar development. This resulted in optimal ripeness and maturity. Truly a "vintage made in the vineyard", our regimen of thinning to one cluster per shoot allowed us to achieve our average crop yield of 2 tons per acre, producing wines with rich, concentrated flavors and balance while maintaining the elegance and lush varietal character that Domaine Serene is famous for."
This wine has been awarded a Wine Advocate 93 Points, with these notes: "The 2006 Pinot Noir Grace Vineyard is medium/dark ruby with spicy cherry and raspberry aromas, complex flavors, and a sense of elegance. This nicely balanced wine has excellent depth, concentration, and length with enough structure to evolve for 3-4 years. Drink it from 2010 to 2020."
 2006 Archery Summit Arcus Vineyard
Price: $100 Drinkability: Cellarworthy Availability: Very Limited
Archery Summit is another grand winery on a hill, with tunnels bored under the estate vineyard to hold the barrels. It's one of the most attractive winery tours in Oregon, thanks to the grand building and those nifty tunnels.
Archery Summit has also succeeded in marketing their wines as the most luxurious of Oregon brands, similar to what Domaine Serene has achieved. Among the Archery Summit labels, the Arcus bottling is the most praised by critics.
The reason is the terrific Arcus Vineyard, formerly known at Archibald Vineyard. The vineyard had produced some of the best Oregon wines of all time (think '85 Rex Hill Archibald) and was in high demand among top winemakers when Archery Summit purchased the vineyard in the late '90s, for what was then considered an outrageously high price of about $25,000 per producing acre, and renamed in Arcus. After the purchase, Archery Summit eventually cancelled all the grape contracts and kept all the fruit for their own use.
Under the direction of Gary Andrus and original winemaker Sam Tannahill, the Archery Summit Arcus achieved the highest critical scores recorded (excepting a controversial mistake that awarded Broadley a 97 point score, once). Under current winemaker Anna Matzinger the streak has continued, and the wine routinely scores big numbers.
The '06 Arcus Estate is a big wine, with ripe fruit and significant structure. It's got the ripe, forward fruit of the vintage, but it really calls out for a few years of bottle age to integrate the wood structure and marry all the flavors. Here's what the winery says about the wine:
"ORIGIN: Arcus, meaning 'bow' in Latin, describes our estate vineyard that wraps around both sides of a small valley in the heart of the Dundee Hills. Capturing the distinctive terroir of this single vineyard, the 2005 Arcus Estate rewards Pinot Noir devotees with an expansive nose, compelling mid-palate, elegant finish and a superior expression of the varietal.
"VINEYARD: The vines at Arcus Estate are planted on steep slopes that complicate farming, but consistently produce intensely flavored, rich fruit. This wine was made from plantings of self-rooted Pommard clones blended with Dijon clones 777, 667 and 115 grown on south, southeast and west facing slopes. The grapes at Arcus Estate were hand harvested between September 16 and October 2, 2006, based on each block's optimal physiological ripeness.
"WINEMAKING: Fermentation for the 2006 Arcus Estate was conducted in both stainless steel and wooden open top fomenters, utilizing an average of 3% whole clusters. The fruit was hand sorted and soaked cold for an average of 5 to 8 days, after which native yeast fermentation was allowed to proceed under temperature controlled conditions. During primary fermentation, tanks were manually punched down two times per day. After limited post fermentation maceration, the wine was sent via gravity to 79% new French oak Francois Freres, Damy and Tonnellerie Rosseau barrels where it aged in our caves for 11 months prior to bottling." | |
|
|
Robert Wolfe
Oregon Pinot Noir Club · 1-800-847-4474 |
|
|
