Notes from Doug

For those of you who love great Pinot Noirs from Oregon and can't make the wine dinner tonight featuring these incredible Pinot Noirs, here is a list of the latest releases from famed Winery and Winemaker Patricia Green. This list features many single vineyards and clonal selections made in very limited quantities and some wines we are offering for the first time ever. Patricia Green Cellars is located in the Ribbon Ridge Appellation of the Willamette Valley on a 52 acre estate purchased in 2000 by Patty Green and Jim Anderson. The winery, and thus the two friends and business partners, are noted for producing a tremendously broad selection of Pinot Noirs from several vineyards representing some of the better sites in the Willamette Valley with a particular emphasis over the years on Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills and the Chehalem Mountain appellations. Patricia Green cellars focus is to produce Pinot Noirs that show the distinct characteristics of the sites and vintage within the context of the wines. Due to this all of the vineyards the winery either maintains or purchases fruit from are extremely well-tended sites that seek to grow the best fruit possible through rigorous attention to detail on every single vine. Over the years as many as 20 different bottlings of Pinot Noir have been produced in any given vintage. To ensure that these wines are of the highest quality possible, are unique in and of themselves and distinct across the range of wines the decisions we made about the quality of each barrel is quite rigorous ensuring that each bottling represents the best possible wine from each vineyard and vintage. As an added bonus we are offering special mix 12 bottle pricing of 20% off good through Tuesday next week for preorders!  Scroll down for the tasting notes and reply to this email to reserve yours today!

Cheers

Doug

The Wines

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Reserve 2013

Bottle $29.99 Mix 6 $26.99   Mix 12 $23.99

Winery - This bottling allows us to accomplish two things that are very important to us as a winery. The first thing is that it allows us to use barrels from our vineyard designated sites that we think don't represent what we think that site's profile truly is. Sometimes that is based on vine age, clonal material or location within the site. This allows our vineyard designated wines to be true expressions of the site on a year in and year out basis. Secondly, it allows us to create a blended wine that has a degree of consistency to it each vintage that is of high-quality and will retail for under $30. We are wine consumers just as we are winemakers and we understand the absolute necessity for good quality Pinot at more of an every day sort of price. The 2013 is exactly what we and hopefully you would hope for in this wine. It aptly details the sweet and succulent nature of the fruit in the 2013 vintage while giving enough structure to hold it all together but not so much so that the wine is not immensely enjoyable right now.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir "Freedom Hill" 2013

Bottle $37.99 Mix 6 $34.19 Mix 12 $30.39

You know that we were doing the 3 clones as individual bottlings but you may not have realized we were taking the majority of barrels to create an overall Freedom Hill Vineyard bottling. So, this bottling has the 3 sections we bottled individually in it as well as another section of Dijon 115 that we destemmed (and thus did not use in the Dijon 115 bottling) to create a wine that encapsulated Freedom Hill as a whole site and make a wine that has enough volume to be distributed on a far wider basis than the single clone bottlings will be. This is just a great vineyard site and having such a plethora of sections and diversity of clones to work with really allows us to create something that is utterly delicious, well within what the established context for Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noirs is, forward enough that the more rough and tumble nature of this site does not detract from shorter term consumption and hearty enough that this wine will sail through many years in a dark, cool place. Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noirs are among the most established bottlings in the state with well over two decades of incredible wines. They lean towards a dark fruit profile that has sappy, dry extract to spare, a luxurious nature to the texture and no shortage of tannins to keep everything pulled in. Best examples age remarkably well. This is no exception to any of the aforementioned rule. 26% new barrel

Patricia Green Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013

Bottle $37.99 Mix 6 $34.19   Mix 12 $30.39

This, technically, is not our first year with Lia's Vineyard. We have been getting the fruit since 2010 but we have slowly been working our way into spots of the vineyard that we felt were going to make wine of a quality and character that would allow us to do it as a vineyard designate. Lia's Vineyard is adjacent up the hillside from Olenik Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountain Appellation. In that part of the Chehalem Mountains vineyards lower on the hillside consist of marine sedimentary soils and vineyards higher on the hill are volcanic soils. Lia's Vineyard straddles that transition with sections of the vineyard toward the bottom being in marine soils and sections toward the top being planted in volcanic soils. This represents the Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir bottling we were desirous of making when we first looked at the vineyard back in 2009. We are accustomed to getting what we want when it comes to blocks of vineyards. We are really picky about that. There is a small (less than half an acre) section in the middle of Lia's Vineyard planted to the Mariafeld Clone of Pinot Noir (also known as Clone 23). This is a very rare clone in Oregon and was something that we coveted from Day 1. We were not able to obtain it until this year. We still get the Pommard from the top of the vineyard and the Dijon 115 from the bottom. The Mariafeld is high in acidity, tannin and pigmentation and bears a markedly pitched red-fruit character to it. The combination of these three clones is in line with our vision of what this vineyard has to offer.

We used 6 barrels of the Dijon 115, 3 Pommard and 2 Mariafeld to come up the Lia's Vineyard bottling in 2013. The Mariafeld lends a spicy note to the aromatics, a noticeable lift of red fruit and brightness in the mid-palate and a sturdier base of tannins. The 2012 bottling definitely had a come-hither sort of character to it. The 2013 is a bit more serious and would like to know about your credentials a bit before inviting you over for dinner. This is a splendid Chehalem Mountain bottling that has quite a lot to offer both in the short and long run. 18% new barrel, 266 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Estate 2013            

Bottle $37.99 Mix 6 $34.19   Mix 12 $30.39

There are no other vineyards we work with that are as difficult to summarize in a neat package than our Estate Vineyard. There are 18 sections of Pinot Noir based on vine age and clone (as well a section of Sauvignon Blanc), elevation ranges from 250' to 475', Pinot Noir plantings were done in ten different vintages ranging from as early as 1984 to as recent as 2010. The vineyard is mostly Pommard but there is also 3 acres of Wadensvil, 3 acres of Dijon 114 and an acre of Dijon 777. Spacing varies from 5 x 6 to 5 x 8. Some blocks are inter-planted with every other row being of one age and every other a quite different age. Two blocks are inter-planted with two rows of the same age followed by one row of a different age. To add a greater level of confusion the vast majority of the site (the 25 acres at the higher elevation) is planted directly on top of the hill with a 360 degree aspect to the vineyard. Then there is the geology of the site which is an extremely sandy Marine Sedimentary soil sitting atop a large bed of sandstone sub-soil with a water table that is very deep and highly mineralized. This is a unique site to say the least. Relatively early on into our time here we began to conclude that there were different natures not only to the separate blocks but a distinct stylistic difference between the two sets of plantings (vines planted between 1984-1990 and the vines planted between 1997-2001 along with the new 2010 planting). Since we dry farm here to encourage the downward growth of roots the older plants and the younger plants are at different root depth levels in the sub-soil and consequently have access to different levels and types of water, nutrients and minerals. The root system is what feeds the plants and ultimately the fruit on the vine and in this soft Marine soil this translates into very different flavor and texture profiles in the grapes. The Estate bottling consists of 13 separate sections of the vineyard that were planted in the 1997-2001 (and 2010) window. The Estate Old Vine bottling can come from the remaining 5 blocks although sometimes 1 or 2 of those blocks are bottled separately.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir "Balcombe" 2013

Bottle $39.99 Mix 6 $35.99   Mix 12 $31.99

Balcombe Vineyard is simply one of the best vineyards we work with and every year it produces wines of terrific quality that are absolutely true to the Dundee Hills. For those of you who don't know this site is located toward the top of the Dundee Hills on Breyman Orchard Rd. It was planted in 1990 to Pommard and we have worked with the fruit every year since 1997 so we have become pretty accustom to how the grapes grow, ripen and ferment into wine. All of these aspects are very important pieces of making high quality Pinot Noir. This is certainly the quintessential Dundee Hills Pinot Noir that we make. Ever since we first bottled it in 2000 this wine has been about how the texture and the flavor co-mingle to deliver the experience that is this wine. This is consistently floral on the nose with subtle elements of red-fruit and smoked meat. The texture is silky, generous and saliva-generating to say the least. The acidity is crisp which keeps the fruit bright and makes you want to keep coming back to the glass. This wine has sneaky ageability to it since it does have such an approachable-when-young nature to it but recent tastes of the 2001 and 2002 show those wines cruising along beautifully. Drink it for its lovely, youthful nature or save it because it will be a delicious treat 10+ years into the future. Either way you cannot lose. 18% new barrel, 414 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Old Vines 2013

Bottle $41.99 Mix 6 $37.79   Mix 12 $33.59

The difference between the older and younger blocks here is always pretty amazing to people. As the vines continue to age these older vines continue to sink deep root systems into the soft sandstone sub-soil. Our water is spring fed and very minerally in nature. That is what these older vines have tapped into and that is what they pull up and put into the fruit. Savory and bringing in both black and red fruit spectrums so this has a wide range in the mid-palate. Ultimately this wine is defined by the mineral laden "ribbon" that intertwines the fruit and carries the flavors onto the sinewy tannin structure underlying the wine. This is refined and elegant while still being surprisingly broad shouldered.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Olenik Wadnesvil 2013

Bottle $43.99 Mix 6 $39.59   Mix 12 $35.19

We happened to land in this terrific vineyard just down the road from us in the Chehalem Mountain Appellation in 2009. The initial block we received fruit from was 100% Wadensvil clone planted in 1991. While we are now getting fruit from a couple other sections of that site we are only using the Wadensvil for this particular Olenik Vineyard bottling. This site is an incredibly diverse site in terms of aspect, elevation and the amount of ancient-flood-deposited rock in any one section of the vineyard. This section has made up the 2009-2011 Olenik bottling. It is near the top of the vineyard at the end of Sedimentary section of soil and while it has some amount of deposited rock in it the soil is mostly smooth. Just outside of the Ribbon Ridge Appellation to the east is a mostly south facing hillside full of vineyards. Olenik Vineyard sits nearly smack dab in the middle of this hillside. The vineyard sits on the same type of thin marine soil as our Estate Vineyard. Wadensvil Clone is especially perfect for this type of soil. In contrast to Pommard, which can and often does develop lots of richness and sauvage type characteristics, Wadensvil is most often lighter, feminine, pure and a conduit for everything the land, the plant, the soil, the water and so on have to offer up. This bottling has always shown a quartz-laden character to the supremely pure red fruit. The texture lingers and the wine has a haunting type of complexity to it, throwing fruit and minerals into a wonderful mixture. This will do well over a long period of time. 36% new barrel, 266 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard 2013

Bottle $43.99 Mix 6 $39.59   Mix 12 $35.19

This site is located in the bowl off of Worden Hill Rd. where it lies adjacent to vineyards such as Maresh and Arcus. Planted in 1978, Weber was a purchased a few years ago by vineyard manager extraordinaire Andy Humphrey. Until the 2013 vintage this was known as Ana Vineyard. A sale of a portion of the vineyard occurred and while we continue to receive the same section of the site that we have since 2005 we had to change the name. This is routinely the most stylish of the Dundee Hill Pinot Noir we make. The vineyard is set on the eastern slope of a bowl shaped hillside that opens to the south. The 36 year old vines combined with both the cooler eastern slope and the inversion effect created by the amphitheatre-like hill formation allows this vineyard to be a cool site in a warm area. This gives the perceived presence of warm weather features such as rich aromatics, sweet fruit and silky textures while having cool climate infrastructure such as lower alcohol, higher acidity and decent tannins. This is a calm and confident wine that is sleek, graceful and has just enough Dundee Hills-ness to show the excellence of the appellation and site. 17% new barrel, 144 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Freedom-Pommard Clone 2013 

Bottle $47.99 Mix 6 $43.19   Mix 12 $38.39

This bottling may, in fact, be the most quintessential Freedom Hill bottling of the four. Pommard Clone has such as broad range to it and in Freedom Hill Vineyard it can really stretch out its legs as it were. Freedom Hill is known for dark fruited (check), sap-laden (check) wines with full-bodied textures (check) and rich, plush and even thick tannins (check). Across the board this wine hits the archetypes that this site is historically known and revered for. This wine has the broken in leather easy chair in the library kind of quality to it. Especially as this slowly ages out this will become a comfortable and inviting Pinot that you can just sink into and enjoy. 38% new barrel, 192 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Freedom Hill Dijon 115 Clone 2013

Bottle $47.99 Mix 6 $43.19   Mix 12 $38.39

We used between 50-60% whole cluster fermentation on these grapes to bring out the darker, denser, savory side of the Freedom Hill make up. This wine is uniquely dark in our long line up of 2013 wines and while color, flavor and texture are not necessarily linked in Pinot Noirs this one tastes and feels the way it looks. This has a strong, black-fruited tone to it with herbaciousness and spices mingling in for complexity. The tannins are sticky and firm. This wine will reward years worth of aging but will also be appreciated by fans of intense and muscular Pinots in its youth.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Bonshaw 2013      

Bottle $59.99 Mix 6 $53.99   Mix 12 $47.99

From the 1990 planting on the west facing part at the top of our Estate Vineyard. This section of the vineyard was hampered by hail in 2012 and since it is so small even in a full year we still only top out at six barrels. This has always been the richest, deepest, darkest and most sauvage-laden of the wines from this property and that is why it has been bottled on its own since 2000 (excepting 2009 and 2012). The Pommard Clone is on full display in our thin, porous marine soil. This has richness of texture, depth of fruit and a mean streak of animal-ness that sneaks onto the hearty finish. This is a distinct wine that shows the darker side of Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noirs. 17% new barrel. 144 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Balcombe Block 1B 2013          

Bottle $61.99 Mix 6 $55.79   Mix 12 $49.59

This site is now taking on new levels of seriousness as it starts to enter into maturity. The vines are now 23 years of age and the depth, power and balance of this particular bottling become further honed each vintage. Balcombe Vineyard is located at an ideal elevation and has great aspect and exposure on the southwest side of the Breyman Orchard Rd. hill. The 2011 vintage marks the 15th consecutive year we have worked with and farmed this vineyard. It is long term relationships like this that make for Pinot Noirs that serious Pinot Noir drinkers come to expect. The old standard bearer and the single most popular wine we make. The consistency on this particular section of the vineyard is something else. Darkly fruited, brooding in its youth and much more structured and earthy than the regular Balcombe bottling. This section of the vineyard is a worker. It just cranks out an incredible wine every single year. Dating back to 1997 (at a former place of employ) this wine has been bottled on its own and has never once seemed to take even a slight hiccup. Every year the vines get more mature and at 24 years of vine age are just entering maturity. This is a gorgeous uber-rendition of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. 43% new barrel, 170 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Etzel Block 2013        

Bottle $69.99 Mix 6 $62.99   Mix 12 $55.99

Planted on a north/northwest slope in 1986 this is the second oldest block in the vineyard. It is called the Etzel block since it faces our neighbor's (Mike Etzel) property and you can see him steaming around in his vineyard (Beaux Freres) quite clearly from most of this section. It still never ceases to amaze us how this vineyard produces such an array of flavors, textures and frameworks from the different sections. This particular block is so utterly different than anything else in the vineyard, including the younger vines planted between the older rows of the block that it still blows us away even though we are more used to it than anyone else.

This stands in direct contrast to the Bonshaw despite their nearly adjacent locations. This wine is aromatically insane and nuanced to a fault. Minerality and seductive red fruit combine with great complexity on the palate to create a wine that shows how elegant, intricate, red-fruited and soil-influenced older vine Pinot Noirs from Ribbon Ridge can be. There is a fairly large degree of whole cluster fermentation here as well which furthers the aromatic qualities, drives the herbal and graphite notes on the palate and tightens the tannins up on the back end. 27% new barrel. 275 cases bottled.

Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Freedom-Coury Clone 2013

Bottle $74.99 Mix 6 $67.49   Mix 12 $59.99

Sometimes you just know. This was one of those times. There isn't a lot of "Coury Clone" planted any longer. The history of this clone is part Oregon history and part Oregon lore. Here is some background on this clone from a well researched essay at the princeofpinot.com, "The Pommard clone UCD 4 was brought to Oregon by Dick Erath and Charles Coury. It produced a flavor profile that was complimentary to the Wädenswil clone and is the most widely planted Pinot Noir clone in Oregon. Coury sold cuttings from his nursery that purportedly were Pommard and became known as the Coury clone, but these cuttings, which are widely planted in Oregon vineyards are not the same as Pommard clone, probably represent one or more suitcase selections brought into the US by Coury from Alsace, are not a true clone." This is one version of the story. There are others as well (including one that postulates that Coury Clone Pinot Noir may, in fact, not even be Pinot Noir). This section of the vineyard was planted in 2000 and the cuttings came from the 1972 section of Coury Clone at Hyland Vineyard. This is one acre of some of the most perfect fruit we get. There is something about this clone of Pinot Noir that makes it stand out from every other wine we make. This wine just comes loaded with an array of non-fruit based flavors that all somehow contribute to the wine having a distinctly complex fruit and spice character. Even with about 35% whole cluster fermentation this is not a big wine or an overtly structured wine. This shows the flipside of Freedom Hill Vineyard which is known for power, intensity, sap-laden wines with lots of structure. This is graceful, aromatic and while it is intense it does so very discretely. This was the favorite wine of Patty and Jim in 2012 and it looks to be vying for that spot for a second straight year. 50% new barrel, 144 cases bottled.

Presale Terms

Delivery - 3-26-15 or earlier    

Pricing - quoted per bottle 750ml.  12/750ml per case  Reserve right to correct errors. This offer valid through 3-26-15 and while supplies last

AVAILABILITY and CONFIRMATION: All orders will be confirmed prior to delivery and are subject to prior sale and availability.   

TO ORDER: Place orders now for immediate delivery as orders will be filled first come first served!  Call 295-8466 or reply to this email or fax orders 434-295-2328

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