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| April, 2009 Membership E-Newsletter |
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Wine Shipping
Almost all outstanding orders were shipping a couple of weeks ago, during a break in the cold weather in the upper Midwest. For the past ten days, that cold front - along with significant early spring snow - has prevented some shipping to the upper Midwest and the Northeast. We anticipate the weather will break again this week, and any and all remaining boxes will be shipped. Please contact us immediately if you have moved, or have any questions about your shipments.
Bob Wolfe The Oregon Pinot Guy | |
The Oregon Wine Awards:
Part 1 - The Judging
 It was 8:30 am on a rainy Oregon morning when they gathered. One by one they stumbled in, gratefully sipping scorching hot coffee, nervously eyeing the vast rows of wine glasses arrayed mere feet away. The heady aroma of wine wafted through the room, threatening to overwhelm the delicate, highly-tuned senses of the hand-picked crew of wine professionals. Coffee now gone, they became tense, anxious and eager, pawing at the starting line like a thoroughbred. They were there to taste wine, damn it, so let's get to tasting!
Thus was launched the inaugural Oregon Wine Awards last weekend at the stunning Waverly Country Club near Portland. Ten judges worked through over 250 entries, tasting blind, evaluating the entries on a modified 20-point scale.
I agreed to participate as a judge because I believe that Oregon needs a professional, comprehensive wine judging program. Something big, legitimate, and in which most wine producers voluntarily participate. Nothing in Oregon now fits this bill. Indeed, a judging as described above may be impossible. But The Oregon Wine Awards under Christopher Chan is the best attempt I've seen.
Several things about the judging are worthy of note:
Local Judges - I respect almost anyone who tastes wine and then publishes their opinions. That said, I've tasted with not-from-Oregon wine judges who were simply incompetent to judge pinot noir. I was very pleased that the judging panel for The Oregon Wine Awards was made up of knowledgeable locals. A few of us "old guys" have been paying attention to Oregon wine for nearly 25 years, but all the panelists were qualified to comment on Oregon wines.
Broad Participation - Wines were submitted by large and small wineries, famous producers and never-heard-of-'em wineries, long-established wines and the most recent of start-ups. I was personally pleased at the wide variety of entrants.
High Quality - a majority of the wines I tasted (almost 130) were of good to superb quality! One possible scenario for the judging could have been lower-quality products from producers hoping to score a medal or ribbon for promotional purposes. Instead, wines submitted included top bottlings.
Wide Variety - We all know that Oregon is synonymous with pinot noir. But pinot is only half of the wine that Oregon produces. At The Oregon Wine Awards, I tried Vermintino, Syrah, Merlot, Bordeaux Blends, and six Sauvignon Blanc based wines, among other entries. The not-pinot part of our industry is vigorous indeed.
2007s Showed Well - Virtually all of the pinot noirs I tried (about 60) displayed ripe, succulent fruit, good depth and complexity, and fine balance. I was surprised at the high average quality of the wines. Remember, I try a dozen or more pinots a week, and don't get results this good. Imagine my surprise, then, when many of my favorites were from the 2007 vintage. While I have always been a fan of the best '07s, I now believe that there are more quality pinots from the vintage than I might have thought before - including some excellent wines from brand-new producers.
My Palate Still Works - My top two wines of the tasting were two pinots that I have already praised often in print, and that have been on the Oregon Pinot Noir Club list for some time. It seems that I like the same kind of pinot, tasted blind or not.
A special note of thanks is due to the Waverly Country Club. The club is located in a sensational site along the Willamette River, and the grounds are old, exquisitely maintained, and drop-dead gorgeous. The staff conducted the tasting with impeccable organization and admirable courtesy. Holding the tasting at the Waverly added gravitas to the entire proceeding. I hope they continue to participate in the future.
The results will be available soon, and an awards dinner will be held at the end of May. I'll report on those developments later. |
 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! |
 How to Taste 126 Wines in 5 Hours
When I was a younger fellow, I would linger over every wine, and take detailed notes on whether the aroma reminded me of red cherries or black cherries, or even which damn kind of red cherry it was. That kind of uber-detailed sensory evaluation is fun when tasting just a few wines, or in a social setting. It is also useful for selling wine in wine magazines. But, it is simply impossible when faced with the palate fatigue that results with nearly 130 wines to evaluate.
I want wine to be intense, complex, lengthy, and most importantly, balanced. By balanced, I mean a wine should be about the fruit, with the oak, tannin, acid and sugar as appropriate playing their respective supporting roles. A perfectly balanced wine of lighter body will score better with me than a bigger wine that is somehow unbalanced. Intensity without balance is pointless.
A robust mouthful, tasted correctly from a good glass, will reveal all. If the wine is good, I'll spend a few extra seconds putting it into context of all the other wines of that type that I've ever had. If there's too much oak, excessive tannin, searing acidity, or a lack of fruit or detail, it gets marked down. The major flaws that occur in wine - cork taint, acetone, brett, etc., can be detected instantly in most cases. Thus, I can reach my conclusions in well less than one minute per wine. Add in a meal, palate cleansing breaks, note writing and table chat, and pretty soon it's time for dinner.
My favorite palate cleansers during a large tasting? Salty nuts and beer. |
 Retailer Wine-Shipping Case to be Heard in Federal Court
This news story is from The Bottom Line, which is published weekly by the Specialty Wine Retailers Association. More information is available at specialtywineretailers.org.
Oral arguments will be heard in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on the most important wine shipping-related case currently moving through the federal Courts system. Siesta Village Market v. Perry challenges a complicated ruling in the lower Federal District Court of Texas over the issue of retailer-to-consumer wine shipments by out-of-state retailers to Texas residents.
Though this is a complicated case, it does speak directly to wine consumers who desire merely to obtain the wines they want and who want access to the true American marketplace of wines. It is also a case that speaks directly to that relatively small group of retailers across the country that desire to fulfill the growing market for specialty wines now being made in every state in the Union and imported from numerous countries that simply don't find their way into the collections of wines that states' wholesalers choose to make available.
Ken Starr and Tracy Genesen of the law-firm of Kirkland and Ellis have headed up this litigation on behalf of SWRA and Starr will make the oral arguments in front of a 3-judge panel in the federal court house in New Orleans on Tuesday. A decision from the 5th Circuit Court could come as early as June or be delayed as long as late fall or early winter.
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 2006 Lachini Pinot Noir Cuvee Giselle
Price: $60
Drinkability: Approachable, or cellar for the short term
Availability: Good for now
Lachini Vineyards is supplying two of our wines this month. The Estate is for the Premium Wine Club, and the Cuvee Giselle is for the World Class Wine Club.
These are both fairly big-style wines, with ripe fruit, some structure, and showing the flavors that come with aging in good oak. The Cuvee Giselle is notable for a significant step extra of mid-palate detail, and tremendous length.
Both wines are approachable now, but have the structure to age for the mid-term. They are also both less expensive than they used to be: our pricing reflects a revamped pricing plan on part of the producer (one could call such adjustments a major trend here).
The Cuvee Giselle received a Burghound 89, with these notes: "Gorgeous ruby. A high-toned nose of red raspberry, cranberry and cherry that flirts right at the edge of noticeable volatile acidity leads to delicious, round, supple and generous mid-weight flavors that possess a dusty character and moderate structure on the admirably long finish. To be clear, unless you're exceptionally sensitive to VA, it isn't enough to detract from the enjoyment of the nose and as such, it does not affect my score or projected drinkability estimate."
The Cuvee Giselle was further awarded a score of 90 points in The International Wine Cellar by Stephen Tanzer: "Deeply saturated red color. Expansive bouquet of dark cherry, vanillin oak, cola and tarragon. Deep and supple, with sweet kirsch and blackberry flavors and gentle mineral lift. Decidedly big, rich and new-school, with strong finishing sweetness and very good persistence."
Here's some info from the winery literature:
"Ron & Marianne Lachini began with a dream to start a small, family-owned estate vineyard focused entirely on producing uncompromising Pinot Noir. We were guided by our values, love of family, fine Burgundies and life! We believe that the vineyard is the wine. As such, our goal remains to nurture our 45-acre vineyard's distinctive terroir and produce world class Pinot Noirs of prodigious quality for generations to come. Our emphasis is on the meticulous management of each vine through biodynamic farming, while combining state of the art winemaking and old world technique to handcraft wines of complexity, grace and profoundness - each one, we believe, a reflection of it's soul and unique place .
"Lachini Vineyards began producing limited, ultra-premium, single vineyard Pinot Noirs with the 2001 vintage. A yearning for the old world and a passion for Pinot Noir led Ron and Marianne Lachini to Oregon in 1997 from Northern California; a patient pursuit to produce world-class Pinot Noir and establish a way of life for future generations. Lachini Vineyards embraces the time-honored principles of uncompromising desire for quality and long-term stewardship of the lands from which they harvest. Their commitment begins as growers of world-class grapes with a desire to have these turn into exquisite wines that bear measurement against the test of time and other leading wines of the world.
"The LV Estate Vineyard is located on the backdrop of the Chehalem Mountain in the North Willamette Valley. The vineyard rises from 250-450 feet with south & southwest exposures. The Estate Vineyard is comprised of three distinct blocks identified by varying soil depths, type and clones - East (Pommard), Upper & Lower Middle (Dijon) and West (La Tache, Wadenswil, 667). Future plantings are to include more Pinot Noir & Riesling. The intense purity of fruit, the unique microclimate(s) and geological formation over time that represents Oregon, was the driving factor for settling upon the North Willamette Valley.
"Lachini Vineyards is L.I.V.E. certified (Low Impact Viticulture & Enology)."
 2007 McKinlay Pinot Noir Ladd Hill
Price: $38
Drinkability: Good now, still developing
Availability: Good for now
I'm a huge fan of the authentic, artisanal pinot noirs of Matt Kinne at McKinlay. His winemaking emphasizes lower alcohol pinot noir with traditional balance that - in most vintages -- includes significant acidity and some tannins. This makes his wine more Burgundian than anything else in Oregon, and a personal favorite.
Kinne farms three parcels including his 12-acre Estate vineyard, and the Ladd Hill vineyard. His holdings are located on Parrett Mountain, an extension of the Chehalem Mountain between Wilsonville and Newberg, Oregon. His total production is still under 1,500 cases.
McKinlay came to some prominence with the 1988 vintage, when his pinot noir won "best of show" at the Oregon State Fair, back when that event was considered to be a significant wine judging event. Though the winery has been established for over twenty years, McKinlay remains one of Oregon's smallest and most obscure wineries. Even long-time fans of Oregon wine may not know of his wines, and major retailers may not have access to the products. The fact is, Matt is not terribly interested in wine marketing. He is at home in the vineyard, instead.
In fact, his 2000 Pinot Noir Special Selection received a Wine Spectator 93 points, and that review was accompanied by a full-page article of Matt, as well as big picture. It's the sort of "rising star" article that usually results in the wines becoming allocated, and with the price doubling or tripling. Luckily for us, Matt eschewed the famous winemaker lifestyle that exposure offered, and he continued to sell us his wine at a very reasonable price.
The '06 Ladd Hill is clearly a McKinlay wine, but is somewhat atypical for Matt. It still sports the acidity and light tannin of the McKinlay style, but it also has sweet, dark, ripe fruit that characterizes the 2006 vintage. While a bit riper than Matt might prefer, it is still not a fruit bomb in any sense of the word. It's dark, fleshy, with vibrant red-black fruit flavors and waves of flavor in the mid-palate. The finish is long, and fruit-centric. This is approachable now, as are most '06s, but more bottle age will reveal even more layers and detail, I'm confident. Drink now or cellar for 1-6 years. |
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PREMIUM CLUB WINES
2006 Lachini Pinot Noir Estate
Price: $35 Drinkability: Good now, can cellar Availability: Good for now
Lachini Vineyards is supplying two of our wines this month. The Estate is for the Premium Wine Club, and the Cuvee Giselle is for the World Class Wine Club.
The '06 Lachini Estate was awarded a Burghound 89, a very strong rating for a domestic wine by that critic, with these notes: " . . . the '06 has a similar pepper and natural spice nose plus a pretty range of red and blue fruit aromas, in particular plum, along with hints of violets that continue onto the round, sweet and admirably concentrated broad-shouldered flavors that possess ample dry extract and a textured, indeed suave mouth feel on the slightly warm and firmly structured finish. This is quite ripe and there is a nuance of chocolate."
The '06 Estate also got a Wine Enthusiast score of 90+, with these notes: "Dark ruby-colored with an expressive nose of spice box, cherry, and black raspberry. With good structure for the vintage, the wine has good grip and depth, sweet fruit, and a fruit-filled finish. Give it 1-2 years and drink it from 2010-2016."
Please refer to the World Class description for more information.
2007 McKinlay Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $18
Production: 1000 cases
Drinkability: Good now, still developing
Availability: Good for now
The '07 McKinlay Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is one I've raved about before. Matt Kinne put his entire '07 harvest into this bottling, so all of his superb fruit sources are in here, this year. The wine is fabulous, with bright red fruit, zippy acidity, and great minerality. I could put this in a blind tasting of $45 Bourgogne Rouge bottlings from Burgundy, and the McKinlay would be the best wine on the table, no kidding.
It is still developing, and can taste a bit tight. Decant this one now, but expect it to really open up over the next six months. Feel free to stock up at this price: It's a steal. This wine is my personal house wine at this time.
For more details, read the McKinlay description from the World Class section of the newsletter.
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Robert Wolfe
Oregon Pinot Noir Club · 1-800-847-4474 |
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