2007 Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir "Estate"
Price: $48
Drinkability:  Decant now
Availability: Good for now

New Release from Evening Lands: Benchmark-Quality Oregon Wines
 
I'm thrilled to be able to announce the availability of the new wines from the Evening Lands project. The three Oregon pinots and a chardonnay display an extraordinary level of quality that make this project the most exciting thing to come around in a long time. They are not inexpensive, but everyone who loves Oregon pinot should dig deep for a few bottles. It's worth it.
 
Evening Lands is a project of Hollywood producer Mark Tarlov. He has acquired vineyards in California and Oregon and hired exceptional winemakers to produce the finest wines possible from each site. I know that sounds trite, and indeed some such lofty projects produce wines that are an oaky, overpriced mess. Read on. For the Oregon side of Evening Lands, Tarlov secured the services of Dominique Lafon, winemaker at the famed Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Burgundy. Dominique makes a focused, intense, soil-driven style of traditional Burgundy that is in high demand across the globe. Making an oaky mess was never even considered.
 
In Oregon, Tarlov secured a long-term lease (VERY long) of the venerable Seven Springs vineyard, to the consternation of various producers whose portfolios relied on the Seven Springs fruit. While the fruit is prized by winemakers, it has at times been known as challenging fruit to work with. Acquisition of the fruit was more arduous in recent years as a divorce resulted in the vineyard being split into two pieces, Seven Springs and Anden.
 
The halves now reunited, Tarlov's team meticulously mapped the soils and clones of the vineyard to produce a detailed picture of exactly what was what - it's quite a jumble of soil types and vines planted at different times with different clones and rootstocks. After a bit of vineyard rehab, the grapes from 2007 were fermented with indigenous yeast in individual lots, blended carefully, etc. - all the good techniques used to make great pinot noir.
 
With Lafon consulting and winemaker Isabelle Meunier on the ground, the result is a set of wines that would be tremendous from any vintage, and that particularly stand out among Oregon's 2007 bottlings. It's a vineyard we all thought we knew well, redefined, and a fusion of Oregonian and Burgundian sensibilities that is unique here. I consider them must-try wines for true fans of Oregon wine. You will not be disappointed.
 
To summarize, this new portfolio from Evening Lands is the most exciting new set of wines I've had from Oregon in a long time. The products are a unique fusion of Oregonian and Burgundian sensibilities, the quality transcends the 2007 vintage, and the price points, aggressive as they are, seem reasonable once I tried the wine. I strongly encourage everyone to grab a few of these bottles while they are still available.
 
This '07 Seven Springs Vineyard "Estate" is the entry level Oregon pinot from Evening Lands. It is of a style lovers of the Seven Springs vineyard will recognize. It has intense, dark fruit with a bit of brambly character, a hint of ripe tannin and the all-important minerality. It's a terroir driven wine equal to the best of the '07 vintage that I've had so far, and priced in the same ballpark. It shares the Burgundian sensibilities of Evening Lands more lofty wines, and exhibits the same overall high quality. Approachable now, a couple of more months in the bottle will only smooth out the youthful edges. Over the longer term, there is enough structure here to allow for development along the lines of a good Burgundy.
 
This is a wine to appreciate for nuance, detail, and impeccable balance. Only a few Oregon producers can achieve the type of traditional balance on display here. Think about this one while drinking, and it will reward you fully.


The DeLancelotti name may be recognized by its association with Josh Bergstrom, who has bottled a DeLancelotti Vineyard pinot noir lo these past number of years. Now Paul DeLancelotti and family (related by marriage to the aforementioned Bergstrom) have their own wine from their estate vineyard.
 
This is the second vintage of the wine we've been able to sell. The first vintage, the 2006 version, received a Wine Spectator 92 points and was / is a paragon of balanced intensity. This wine follows in the style, while displaying the most desirable characteristics of the 2007 vintage.
 
This is quintessential Oregon small-lot, hand-made wine. Paul does the vineyard work in large part, and the wine - a mere ten or twelve barrels - is tended to by hand. While acknowledging the influence of Bergstrom, DeLancelotti makes the wine.
 
The wine is a lovely piece of vinous work. It has a glowing, ruby color and tantalizing aromas of red fruits and gentle spice. On the palate, it shows pure red-spectrum flavors and the wine flows across the palate with supple, silky texture. Only one of the barrels was new, and the light touch with the wood was exactly the right decision here. This is another terrific '07 pinot with complex, fine flavors that invite attention and consideration. Not to be confused with fruit-bomb alcohol monsters, it's a purist-style wine that will beguile those who drink for the intellectual pleasure as well as the more immediate physical side effects. Decanting is beneficial now, and with just a bit of air the wine opens up very well. It will cellar for the medium term, if desired.

Anden Vineyard was once part of the famed Seven Springs Vineyard -- and now, it is again under the ownership of the Evening Lands project. You may recall that they have a set of pinots from this vineyard priced at $48, $98 and $158 per bottle! In fact, one of those is our World Class Club selection this month.
 
Now we have this terrific wine for almost free by comparison!  This sports the dense, dark, blue-tinged black cherry fruit and minerality that has made this vineyard so desirable. There is good density on the palate, and the wine is complex. In fact, the fruit and structure are good enough to age this one a couple of years!  Best of all, look at the price. Putting this side-by-side with the Evening Lands is not really a fair comparison, but there is undeniable character and quality here.
 
"Here's a blurb from the winery literature: " At Whistling Dog Cellars we don't just own the winery and vineyard, we actually do the work.  One of us is the primary worker in every single step of our vineyard and winery activities; we have no other employees.  Growing and making world-class Pinot is not just our passion, it is our livelihood, it is the only thing we do.  We don't just stake our reputation on it; we stake our family's welfare on it.  
 
"We spend almost all of our energy tending the vines. One of us is in the vineyard everyday; in most cases from sunrise to sunset.  Using sustainable, dry-farming techniques, we do all that we can to ensure the best growing and ripening conditions, given each season's unique characteristics.  By the time our estate grapes reach the crush pad, every vine has been touched by us at least 25 times since the previous year's harvest."
 
This is a new label with a good wine that is priced to sell. It's the kind of deal we need in these vinous times. WORTHY OF CASE BUYS.