A Tutorial on Left Coast Estate and Their Summer Wines

In the past when I received samples from Oregon's Left Coast Estate, I opened each bottle over the course of at least a week - sampling each wine multiple days.  Not so for this latest shipment of summer wines as I shared the four bottles with neighbors during an impromptu block party.  Actually, the evening turned into a mini-wine class as I discussed the Willamette Valley AVA, the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, 45 degrees latitude and Burgundy, white Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Meunier, lees, sparkling wine, and the wonderful estate that is Left Coast Estate.

We started with the 2017 The Orchard Pinot Gris ($18), a blend of 91% Pinot Gris and 9% Pinot Blanc.  While sipping I explained first how Pinot Blanc provides a bit of roundness to the wine and second, the Left Coast estate itself. Particularly, that The Orchard is a distinct vineyard and the overall estate is 350 acres - all contiguous and within the newly designated Van Duzer Corridor AVA. This new AVA benefits from the cooling breezes of the Van Duzer Corridor that allows the grapes to retain acidity and includes the Willamette Valley's three major soil types (marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods).

We then turned to the neighborhood favorite, the 2018 White Pinot Noir ($24) which consists of 93% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Blanc. The grapes are crushed at cold temperatures to ensure minimal coloration from the skins and then fermented and aged on lees in stainless steel. The group was not familiar with aging in lees so I explained how this process adds texture which everyone recognized in this wine. The online order should be coming through soon.

It was a pleasant evening for rosé and fortunately, the samples included the 2018 Left Coast Rosé ($24), a blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier. The later was another unrecognized grape and I discussed its Champagne origins. This lead to a discussion of French wine regions, Burgundy specifically. Because Left Coast Estate shares the same 45-degree latitude it receives the same amount of sunshine as the famed region.

As the evening was concluding, I had to retrieve the last wine. This was the 100% Pinot Noir 2018 Queen Bee Bubbly ($36). For this sparkling wine, estate honey is used in the secondary fermentation which led to a discussion of methods of producing sparkling wine and how normally the spent yeast cells are disgorged. But not in the Queen Bee, the lees rise and settle with each pour. A very interesting sparkler to conclude an enjoyable neighborly evening.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this wine free from Left Coast Estate I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Kin & Cascadia Showcase the Columbia and Willamette Valleys

Winesellers Ltd., the family-owned global importer, recently expanded their portfolio into the Pacific Northwest by creating the Kin & Cascadia brand. The initial two offerings are a Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington's Columbia Valley and a Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley -- both arguably the premier wine regions in their respective states. Each is priced close to $15 providing excellent value.  Finally, don't you love the contrasting bottle styles reflecting Bordeaux and Burgundy? Cheers.







2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, Washington State ($15)
The grapes are sourced from vineyard sites in the Wahluke Slope AVA located near the edge of Red Mountain. The region is one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards are composed of sandy and alluvial soils with vine shoots on original roots as phylloxera has never been in Washington State.  For the price, this is a very complex effort, depth, spices, and chewy tannins.

2017 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon ($15)
The Willamette Valley runs approximately from Portland in the north to Eugene in the South and these grapes were sourced from different locations along the valley. Some were grown on the rich alluvial soils on the valley floor whereas others on the volcanic-sedimentary soils of the hillsides.  The result is a smooth and friendly wine with candied cherries transitioning to an approachable finish with easy tannins.

Left Coast Estate Cools the Pinot

June 5th was the last day for comments regarding the proposed Van Duzer Corridor AVA, a viticultural area that would be carved out of the existing Willamette Valley AVA from portions of Polk and Yamhill Counties, Oregon. About the same time I opened a trio of wines from Left Coast Estate whose 350 acre contiguous estate lies entirely within this pending AVA. The grapes for these wines benefit from the Willamette Valley's three major soil types (marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods) as well as from the cooling breezes from the Van Duzer Corridor. This cooling allows the grapes to retain acidity which is reflected in these samples.


2017 The Orchard Pinot Gris ($18) is a blend of 91% Pinot Gris and 9% Pinot Blanc. The Orchards is the winery's prime estate for Pinot Gris and once hosted apple, pear, and cherry orchards. This is a fresh wine, great acids with plenty of citrus and green apples. Besides the refreshing acids the wine finishes with a steely minerality and tea.

2017 Rosé ($25) consists of 54% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 6% Pinot Blanc sharing more traits with Burgundy other than residing along the 45th parallel. The wine was fermented in oak which provides a fair amount of texture to augment the light cherry - strawberry flavors. Finishes dry and savory.

2017 White Pinot Noir ($24) contains 91% Pinot Noir and 9% Pinot Blanc. The grapes are crushed at cold temperatures to ensure minimal coloration from the skins and then fermented and aged on lees in stainless steel. This process provides plenty of body - a creamy texture - that envelopes the citrus and stone fruit flavors.

Left Coast Cellars Estate Pinot Noir: The Right Latitude at 45°

The 356 acres that comprise Oregon's Left Coast Cellars' estate are situated on the 45 parallel north - equidistant from the equator and the north pole and the location of many of the world's most respected wine regions. This line crosses Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhone, Piedmont and Veneto, Croatia's Istrian Peninsula, and in America: Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula and of course, Oregon's Willamette Valley. What makes 45° N so special? The angle of the sun? Temperature? Who knows, and obviously other factors such as elevation, soil, weather, and tradition all play a larger role in the success or failure of a particular wine-growing area. But there's no doubt that this line is ingrained in our wine consciousness.

The Left Coast Cellars Latitude 45° 2015 Estate Pinot Noir ($38) is forged from 100% Dijon clone grapes grown on their 10.4 acre Latitude 45 estate vineyard. The vineyard is south facing and planted in Chehulpum silt loam soil. This young sedimentary soil was deposited as recently as 10,000 years ago by the Missoula Floods that created the Columbia Gorge. This soil provides the dusty character associated with this single vineyard wine that seamlessly integrates with the bright cherry and spicy flavors. This is a delicious wine, soft and smooth tannins, which generates true sorrow when the bottle is emptied. Cheers.

More Summer White #Wine from Oregon's Left Coast Cellars

In 2018 Oregon may gain it's 19th American Viticultural Area (AVA) with the possible establishment of the Van Duzer AVA. The vineyards and wineries petitioning the TTB are located in an area known as Perrydale Hills, but the AVA name is based on the well known Van Duzer corridor. This passageway provides a break in the coastal mountain range and allows cool ocean winds to flow inland - dropping temperatures dramatically.

Left Coast Cellars is one of the wineries participating in the consortium as their estate lies within Perrydale Hills. Interestingly, this vineyard is the largest contiguous estate in the Willamette Valley covering 350 acres with approximately 150 planted with vines.  Not only does the estate obtain the grape retaining cooling affect from the Van Duzer Corridor, but the estate's soil is a refection of the entire valley as it consists of the three major soil types: marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods.

This summer I received  the next vintage of two of my favorite Left Coast Cellars wiens. As expected these wines were fresh and approachable - both in the palate and the wallet. Cheers.

2016 Orchards Pinot Gris ($18) The Orchards is the winery's prime estate site for Pinot Gris that was once a productive apple, pear, and cherry orchards. This wine brought Pinto Gris back into my good graces as it is not overwhelmingly lemongrass but instead dominated by a refreshing lighter grapefruit and green apple. There are traces of minerality and a very pleasing acidic tail.  This wine suits me well.

2016 White Pinot Noir ($24) is 100% Pinot Noir harvested from across their Willamette Valley vineyards. The winery limits skin contact to achieve clarity and the wine is as usual, delicious. This vintage provides a more citrus flavor in addition to the stone fruit. The minerals and acids provide a pleasant finish. My family's favorite of the two.

Locations Wine - America's Left Coast

Last month we were impressed with a sample of Dave Phinney's Locations French, Spanish, & Argentinian Wines and that reaction continued with three more wines - this time from America's left coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Like the European versions, Phinney selected the grapes and regions to best represent each state in it's entirety -- with the exception of the Oregon wine which is a true representation of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  In brief, these wines are delicious and at the SRP - a great value to consider.



OR4 Oregon Red Wine ($20) 100% Willamette Valley Pinot Noir aged ten months in French oak. Light bodied, cherry throughout, noticeable tannins and acids.

WA 4 Washinton Red Wine ($20) a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Petit Sirah and aged ten months in French and American oak. Delicious dark fruit, baking spices, and finishs with a very smooth tail.

CA4 California Red Wine ($20) a blend of Petite Sirah, Barbera, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Grenache harvested from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and the Sierra Foothills and aged ten months in French oak. Dark fruit and chocolate, velvety mid, easy structured finish. My favorite of the trio. Excellent.

'Tis the Season for Pinot

It appears that this is the season for Pinot Noir.  I base that claim partly off the increased number of these wines sent to me with the explanation that Pinot Noir is an excellent Thanksgiving option. Now, I'm not much of a foodie so I can't really validate that statement or share any wine pairings suggestions. But, the Autumn season may be slightly favorable as the weather cools and we shift from white wine focused consumption to red wine. In any event, here are three brands that I received samples from recently and most importantly all are worth considering.

Villa Maria Estate Winery, New Zealand
Villa Maria Estate Winery is one of the largest in a country that specializes in Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and to a lesser extent Pinot Gris. Villa Maria was established in 1961 and was the first 1st NZ wine company to go cork-free (2001). So you can thank them for the rest of the country adopting the stelvin closure. According to the winery: "After many years of experimentation, we’ve found that serving Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris at Thanksgiving is the perfect pairing".

2015 Private Bin Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($18) The grapes were harvested from vineyards in the Awatere and Wairau valleys and are aged in barrels that are toasted while being made. This leads to a distinctive smoky character for this wine that distinguishes it from more fruit forward Pinot Noirs. There are also herbaceous characters front and center with sour cherries towards tail. Bright acids intermingle with smooth tannins.

2015 Private Bin Pinot Gris East Coast ($18) The grapes were harvested from different vineyard sites across three regions: Gisborne, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay. This is a fresh, aromatic wine, initially overwhelmingly citrus, then more pears and minerals. Vibrant acids balance the off dry sweetness.



Lazy Creek Vineyards, Anderson Valley California
Lazy Creek Vineyards is a 40+ year old winery located in California's Anderson Valley AVA, which itself is located 100 miles north of San Francisco in coastal Mendocino County.  Since 2008 the winery has been owned by John and Mary Beth Chandler - owners of Sonoma's Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery. Winemaker Christy Ackerman focuses exclusively on Pinot Noir for both wineries and says that the Anderson Valley provides a climate well suited for Pinot Noir. Specifically, the diurnal temperature shifts allows the grapes to retain acids and the various soil types build character.

2015 Lazy Creek Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir ($22) Uses 100% Anderson Valley Pinot Noir that are lightly pressed (no saignée) that enhances aromatics and tannins. The wine stars with raspberries, then cherries, leading to some saline, creamy texture and a fresh finish.

2014 Lazy Creek Vineyards Lazy Day Pinot Noir ($35) "The 'Lazy Day' Pinot Noir comes from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County where warm, sunny days and cool, foggy mornings and nights create the ideal microclimate for producing this wine. This is a seductively attractive wine, very easy drinking with  black cherries, some cola, and a dangerously smooth finish.

2014 Ferrari-Carano Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($38) The grapes are harvested and field sorted from three ranches in the Anderson Valley. This is a dark bodied wine with a deep cherry flavor, a definite cola character, and light spice. The acids help generate a long finish.

2014 Lazy Creek Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir ($58) Straight off the estate, this a fabulous wine. It is hefty with dark cherries, texture, body, and generous acids.


Left Coast Cellars, Willamette Valley Oregon
We've discussed Left Coast Cellars several times in the past year and are always impressed with their unique Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris offerings. Located on the 45th parallel - similar to Burgundy - the winery produces estate driven wine from their various estate vineyards. These vineyards benefit from cool Pacific Ocean breezes driven into the Willamette Valley that cool the grapes during hot summer days.

2015 Willamette Valley Queen Bee Bubbly ($36) In addition to growing grapes, Left Coast Cellars houses dozens of honeybee hives. This sparkling wine is made using fermented white Pinot Noir juice with the honey fueling the secondary fermentation. In another break with the traditional champagne methodoise is that the wine is never disgorged and sold with a crown cap. Instead the yeast is encapsulated within beads in the bottom of the bottle - leaving the wine completely clear. The wine itself offers many different profiles: apples, butterscotch, minerality, some honey, and plenty of refreshing effervescence. A unique and delicious sparkler.

2015 Orchards Pinot Gris ($18) The Orchards is the winery's prime estate site for Pinot Gris that was once a productive apple, pear, and cherry orchards. This is a fresh wine, great acids with plenty of lemon (but not NZ lemongrass) and green apple flavors. Drink now and often.

2014 Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir ($24) "Named after the family’s left-handed daughter, Cali, this Cuvée (blend) is 100% Dijon, Pommard and Wädenswil clone Pinot Noir". Most of the grapes are sourced from the Right Bank vineyard described below. This is a lighter styled, easy drinking Pinot that is similar to seductiveness as the Lazy Creek Vineyards Lazy Day. It starts with ripe red fruit and ends with pleasant baking spices. Be careful, this will be gone soon after opening.

2014 Right Bank Pinot Noir ($42) "The Right Bank is a 12 acre hilltop vineyard that consists entirely of Pommard clone Pinot Noir". The herbaceousness is similar to the Villa Maria, but this wine has a more intense and deeper flavor. Sour cherries, some chocolate, a long black pepper finish. What's not to like.

Vertical - The Sequel to Sideways

On Saturday October 15th, Rex Pickett and Loose Gravel Press LLC will officially release Vertical: Passion and Pinot on the Oregon Wine Trail, the sequel to the wildly popular Sideways movie and book. In a major plot twist Miles Raymond is now famous after the release of the film version to his novel "Shameless" and Jack is down on his luck, divorced and jobless. As you guessed Shameless is Sideways, the story of two friends on a bachelor party weekend in Santa Barbara Wine Country wine country.  How much Miles' fictional success follows Pickett's actual life story would be an interesting discussion.

Like the original, Vertical's backbone is wine country.  This adventure involves Miles and Jack transporting his wheelchair-bound mother Phyllis to Wisconsin through Oregon's Willamette Valley where Miles is Master of Ceremonies at the International Pinot Festival. Phyllis has suffered a stroke and wants to ditch her assisted living facility to live with her sister. Their journey starts with a brief return trip to Beullton, where the reader is introduced to Miles intoxication with celebrity life as well as the self-induced comic situations that the duo encounter.

After a stressful trip, they eventually arrive in Oregon and the reader is introduced to the Willamette Valley wine scene - but only casually. Instead, the real focus of the book has become apparent, and that is relationships - those between friends, caregivers, and most importantly between a stoke impaired mother and son.  The "life is stranger than fiction" escapades keeps the readers attention, but it's the story of how Miles adapts to these situations and his out of control personal life that is most relevant.  For that reason, Vertical is not only an enjoyable read, but also a bit introspective - particularly the finale. 

Adelsheim Vineyard Introduces Breaking Ground, a 2014 Chehalem Mountains AVA Pinot Noir

David Adelsheim feels it's time for the Chehalem Mountains to take it's place among the great grape growing regions in Oregon, "We believe it is one of the very best regions in the Willamette Valley (and perhaps the world) to produce Pinot Adelsheim Vineyard is releasing Breaking Ground, a 2014 Chehalem Mountains AVA Pinot Noir ($45).  The Adelsheim's commitment to the Chehalem Mountains started in 1971 when the family purchased their first property and established the area’s first winery. Located in the northern Willamette Valley AVA, the Chehalem (pronounced Sha-HAY-lum) Mountains AVA is 20 miles long and 5 miles in width and it's mountains and ridges comprise three major soil types: volcanic basaltic (southeast), ocean sedimentary (northwest), and loess (northeast). The grapes for Breaking Ground were sourced from LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) certified vineyards among each of these three soil types. The wine is smooth, juicy and lively as blackberries and dark cherries roll into a dusty black tea flavor. Simply delicious.

Two Willamette Valley Summer Whites from Left Coast Cellars

Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Left Coast Cellars, produces wine from 134 acres of estate vineyards weighted towards popular varieties such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.  I received two samples for summer enjoyment and both were quite delicious with my extended family preferring the Chardonnay and me savoring the White Pinot Noir. Cheers.

Left Coast Cellars Truffle Hill Chardonnay 2015 ($24.00) is 100% Chardonnay harvested from their Truffle Hill vineyard in Willamette Valley. There's an element of creaminess as the wine aged sur lie for 9 months, but it's all chardonnay with very little oak characters to interfere with the grape's inherent flavor. The acidic citrus finish lingers and lingers, and lingers....

Left Coast Cellars White Pinot Noir 2015 ($24.00) is 100% Pinot Noir harvested from across their Willamette Valley vineyards. The winery limits skin contact to achieve clarity and the wine is uniquely delicious.  It combines white stone and light cherry flavors, a silky texture, and long mineral finish of acids and slate. Go for it.

#WineChat Delivers Left Coast Cellars Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir

Last week winemaker Luke McCollom of Oregon's Left Coast Cellars appeared on #WineChat in order to present two new offerings from the winery, 2014 The Orchards Pinot Gris and the 2013 Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir. This presented a ideal opportunity to continue learning about the Willamette Valley and specifically Left Coast Cellars. The winery was founded by Suzanne and Robert Pfaff in 2003 and market themselves as "one family, one vineyard, one brand." And the vineyard is quite unique in that it is the largest contiguous estate in the Willamette Valley covering 350 acres with approximately 150 planted with vines. Since the estate is so large it spans several micro-climates and allows the winery to showcase the diverse climates of the valley. One common aspect is the Van Duzer Corridor, the main passage of air from the Pacific into the Willamette Valley. And Left Coast Cellars feels the full affect (enhanced acidity) of the cool ocean breezes and fog as the estate sits at the head of the corridor. The Estate's soil is a refection of the entire valley as it consists of the three major soil types: marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods.

Luke McCollom joined Left Coast Cellars at it's inception after previously working at Harlan Estate Winery in Napa and at Meridian Vineyards in Paso Robles. Although he received abundant experience at both establishments, McCollom readily acknowledged that neither provided adequate incite in the fickle Pinot Noir.  And probably the most interesting conversation during #winechat was his discussion of the soils and the preponderance of marine fossils from sea shells and snails, but also a Mastodon fossil.

2014 The Orchards Pinot Gris ($18, 14.2%) - 146 & 152 clones harvested from The Orchards vineyard, an estate block that was originally planted with pear and cherry orchards. The wine showcases citrus and green apple flavors, a creamy center, and plenty of refreshing acids at the tail.  A perfect example why Oregon Pinot Gris forced me to rediscover this grape.

2013 Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir ($24, 13.5%) - named after the family's left handed daughter Cali this wine is a blend of the Dijon, Pommard and Wädenswil clones. Loads of plum and red cherry mingle with subtle wood spices and easy, easy tannins. Simply delicious.

Kudos Wine - Four Wines from the Willamette Valley Oregon

Oregon's Willamette Valley is the Beaver State's most dynamic, and probably, most diverse winegrowing region. Most are familiar with the extensive Pinot Noir plantings, but there's also a fair amount of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay. The AVA stretches from the Columbia River in the north to just south of Eugene in the south along the Willamette River. Thus many of the lower vineyards consist of sandy loess soils, whereas higher elevations are volcanic and even marine sediment. The Willamette Valley AVA has been subdivided into sub-AVAs: Dundee Hills AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, McMinnville AVA, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, and the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA.

I recently received a care package of four wines from the popular brand, Kudos Wine. Produced by NW Wine Company, a custom wine crush facility, this brand encompasses single vineyard, sub-AVA, and Willamette Valley fruit. "Under the supervision of owner and executive winemaker Laurent Montalieu, NW Wine Company works with vineyard owners ranging from 1 acre to 200 acres in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, and beyond. As an incubator for small wineries and vineyards, NW Wine Company allows producers to focus on creating a quality vineyard and wine prior to investing in a production facility of their own."

The Wines

2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($15, 13.1%) - creamy pear flavor, mild acids; a pleasant wine, desired a few more acids

2014 Willamette Valley Chardonnay ($15, 13.0%) - light lemon nose, tad buttery, subtle acids; rather disappointing, couldn't discern the Chardonnay grape

2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($15, 13.1%) - herbal black fruit, light, smooth finish; another on the pleasant side.

2012 Kudos Pinot Noir Reserve Yamhill-Carlton District ($20, 14.3%) - subtle cherry and chewy peppery palate, easy tannins; the best of the bunch - seek this out.

Oregon's Youngberg Hill Vineyards comes to Virginia

Everyone knows that Oregon is producing fantastic Pinot Noir, but did you know Oregon has 16 approved American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)? You probably did. Did you know that the largest, the Willamette Valley AVA is subdivided into smaller sub-AVAs? Yea, but did you know that in one of these sub-AVAs, the McMinnville AVA, one producer makes Pinot Noir from 25 year old vines that are own rooted? I didn't know that until Wayne Bailey, proprietor and winemaker of Youngberg Hill Vineyards (1,500 case production) came to Virginia on a short marketing excursion. And I caught up with Wayne to sample his wines and talk shop at The Wine Cabinet in Reston.

Born on an Iowa farm and tutored in Burgundy, Bailey purchased Youngberg Hill in 2003 after learning it was one site a majority of Oregon winemakers would seek to purchase fruit. The vineyard was first planted in 1989 by Ken Wright and the fruit used in his Panther Creek wines. Today these vines are known as the Jordan and Natasha blocks and the Pommard and Wadenswil clones are own rooted. The Natasha block is located at 600' and consists of sandy marine sediment that helps to ward off the phylloxera louse. The Jordan block is located higher at 800' on volcanic rock.  Bailey practices both LIVE and Biodynamic farming and strongly believes that the healthy environment may even help the vines recover if the louse strikes. As long as he has patience, 10 years patience. Bailey also believes biodynamic farming's major benefit is providing guidelines on what not to do. For instance, in order to alleviate powdery mildew, organic vineyards can use sulfur, which remains on the grapes and soil and can creep into a wine. Instead, he uses whey protein. And instead of spraying to rid the vineyard of red or rustic mites, which would also kill beneficial mites, he leaves patches of grass that attract insects that feed on these specific mites. And there are plenty of other examples of sustainable agriculture practiced in Oregon.

At The Wine Cabinet, Bailey was pouring samples of four wines, all estate except for the 2012 Cuvee Pinot Noir.  We started with the 2013 Aspen Pinot Gris ($28, 11.8%).  The wine has a strong apricot flavor and a depth not usually associated with the grape. Nice acids too. The 2012 Cuvee Pinot Noir ($40, 14.5%) is interesting in that it is composed of the Dijon 777 clone from three vineyards in the Willamette Valley AVA - including Youngberg's Bailey vineyard.  This is a dark wine, both in color and with dark cherry flavors, easy tannins, and finishes with appropriate acids.  I mentioned the features of the Natasha block above and the 2012 Natasha Pinot Noir ($50, 13.8%) is quite enjoyable with more dark cherry and some blackberry flavors, white and black pepper mingle in the palette, a little earthy funkiness, and the wine finishes with mellow tannins and plenty of acids. Bailey mentioned that the acids result from the higher altitude and the tannins are fruit tannins, not wood tannins. The final wine was the 2012 Jordan Pinot Noir ($50, 13.4%) which is a deeper, more complex, and more tannic version of the Natasha.  With patience, this is one to lie down for awhile.

Younberg Hill strongly encourages visitors. The Bailey's operate an Inn on site and for those who like to cycle, they have initiated a program where after visiting area wineries, all purchased wine will be delivered to the Inn. No need to haul wine bottles in the backpack. Here's hoping I can be one of these cyclists soon. Cheers.

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association Brings #PinotInTheCity

On April 2nd, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosted 54 Willamette Valley winemakers in Washington DC for Pinot in the City. All the wineries poured the region's signature Pinot Noir but there was also samples of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, as well as a few other varieties. Due to time restraints, it was impossible to sample from all the participants, but here's a rundown of what I learned.

The Willamette Valley is a large AVA and includes six sub-appellations: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton. The first two sub AVAs are probably the most unique. The Chehalem Mountains consists of three distinct areas within the AVA that differ in soil composition. The northwest section faces the ocean and contains sandstone and marine sediment, whereas the southeastern section is derived from volcanic activity. The northeast side contains soil deposited from the prevailing winds created silty, loess soils. The Dundee Hills is primarily volcanic soils at the top of ridges with the loess soils at the bottom.

Pinot Noir came to the Valley in 1965 when David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards first planted Pinot Noir and other cool-climate varieties (he was the first to plant Pinot Gris in all of America). Soon others such as Adelsheim Vineyard, Erath Vineyards, Ponzi Vineyards, Elk Cove Vineyards, and Sokol Blosser Vineyards. Today there are 378 wineries operating in the valley with many able to transition to second generation winemakers or vineyard managers - some who were in attendance for Pinot in the City: Jason Lett of Eyrie Vineyards, Luisa & Maria Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards; Morgan Broadley of Broadley Vineyards; Adam Campbell of Elk Cove Vineyards; Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser Vineyards; and Peter Shea of Shea Wine Cellars.

I started the tasting with Patton Valley Vineyards as they had empty space when I arrived. Winemaker Derek Einberger walked me through the estate's terrior and the three excellent estate and block specific Pinot Noirs. Pretty fascinating that the 10 Acre and West Block lots are close in proximity but produce very different wines. Close by Lynn Penner-Ash (Penner-Ash Wine Cellars) was pouring a very nice estate driven Dussin Vineyard PN as well as a very floral Viognier. I got my first taste of Pint Gris from Ponzi Vineyards and R. Stuart & Company - both great values at $17 plus more excellent PN, including the 2010 40th Anniversary reserve from Ponzi. On the first floor, I also visited with Sokol Blosser Vineyards, Shea Wine Cellars, and Seven of Hearts Wine.

Moving upstairs I met Tom Fitzpatrick of Alloro Vineyard who I would spend the following day with at A Lunch Date with Alloro Vineyard for #PinotInTheCity. Nearby were two Willamette Valley pioneers David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard and Mary Olson of Airlie Winery. I really enjoyed the latter's White Blend and Riesling and the former poured a nice Chardonnay and Elizabeth's Reserve PN.

I spent a considerable amount of time talking to Clare Carver of Big Table Farm who along with her husband Brian, operate a complete farm ecosystem within their property. We are talking poultry, pigs, cows, egg-laying chickens,a large garden, and honey bees. Clare gave me excellent advice for the bees whenever I finally get motivated to introduce a hive into my backyard. Their wines, excellent from the 2012 Chardonnay to the 2012 Willamette Valley PN and 2012 Eola-Amity Hills Pelos Sandberg Vineyard PN - smooth and silky. Clare also drew they awesome artwork on their labels.

Moving on I enjoyed talking and tasting with Scott Neal, owner and winemaker at Coeur de Terre Vineyard (Pinot Gris); Morgan Broadley of Broadley Vineyards (two very nice Zenith and Shea vineyard specific PN); Craig Camp of Cornerstone Oregon (2011 Stepping Stone PN); Thomas Gerrie of Cristom Vineyards (2010 Sommers Reserve PN melts in the mouth); Natalie Sigafoos of Dusky Goose (their 2010 Rambouillet Vineyard PN - Dundde Hills - quite good);  Adam Campbell of Elk Cove Vineyards (2010 Mt. Richmond PN and Pinot Gris); and finished the day with Jason Lett of Eyrie Vineyards who was pouring a very nice Pinot Blanc as well as one of my favorite Pinot Gris of the day.

Needless to say, but what an amazing tasting. Every Pinot Noir was unique and enjoyable. The Willamette Valley is a region where you can depend on its quality and at times, affordable prices. Let's hope for a visit to the area very soon. Cheers.

A Lunch Date with Alloro Vineyard for #PinotInTheCity

As a corollary to the Pinot in the City activities, I attended a lunch focused on one of the Willamette Valley wineries - Alloro Vineyard located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.  Owner and Vineyard Manager, David Nemarnik along with winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick invited me to join them at the Range Restaurant to learn more about the winery and their portfolio.

Alloro translates to Laurel in Italian and can refer to Laurel Ridge where the 78 acre estate resides or perhaps the laurelwood silt that provides a loess-like component to the soil. David Nemarnik planted the first vines in 1999 and as an experienced farmer is also the Vineyard Manager. His property also includes produce, orchards, and even livestock - a comprehensive family farm. Sustainability is a prominent lifestyle choice in Oregon and Nemarnik practices LIVE - Low Input Viticulture & Enology. The concept behind LIVE is that farming shouldn't be just following rules in order to be certified - but enact practices that benefit the entire ecosystem. Nemarnik gave an example where sulfur is used in organic farming as a fungicide - yet sulfur also kills beneficial insects. LIVE encourages the use of commercial fungicides that are specifically designed to leave beneficial insects unharmed. (I hope I got that right.)

Nemarnik also gave an overview of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, the largest sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley AVA and the last to be designated.  There are three distinct areas within the AVA that differ in soil composition. The northwest faces the ocean and contains sandstone and marine sediment, whereas the southeastern section is derived from volcanic activity. The northeast side contains soil deposited from the prevailing winds created silty, loess soils - hence Laurel Ridge and Alloro Vineyard.

The winery is a small operation, we are talking just 2,000 cases annual production which makes their presence in the Washington DC and NYC markets quite surprising.  Winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick joined Alloro in 2010 and his UC Davis education and Burgundy training is well suited for Alloro's two primary varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  In the past Oregon Chardonnay was not respected and Nemarnik described how the original vineyards were planted with a poor choice of clone. Eventually, vineyards planted the Dijon clones 76 & 96 which are more suitable to the Willamette Valley climate. The 2012 Alloro Chardonnay was barrel fermented (20% new oak) and is a fresh wine, with white fruit notes followed by a nice roundness in the palette. Very nice.

Fitzpatrick applies a minimalistic wine making approach, allowing the wine to represent the vineyard as well as the year.  That doesn't mean he's not active. The cellar contains over 80 fermenting or aging barrels and for the Pinot Noir he must determine which wine will be designated for their Alloro or Riservata labels.  The Pinot grapes are four Dijon clones and all the juice is fermented in barrel. In 2011, 1,400 cases of the Alloro Pinot Noir were created - the winery's largest production.  This is a silky smooth wine, dark fruit forward with a creamy mid-palette with very smooth tannins. Very nice. At the same time, 300 cases of their barrel selection reserve - 2011 Alloro Riservata Pinot Noir - were produced. Once again dark fruit dominates with a larger mouthfeel the same creamy texture, but this time an addition of spice and more acidity on the finish. Wow. This is why the Willamette Valley is know for Pinot Noir; I need to visit soon.

If in Northern Virginia, the Alloro wines as distributed by Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd and are available in my hometown at the Vienna Vintner. Pair with Portland's Foghorn Stringband. Cheers.

Willamette Valley Wineries Come to DC for Pinot in the City

On April 2nd, 54 Willamette Valley winemakers arrive in Washington DC to host Pinot in the City, a wine tasting event held at the Long View Gallery from 6-9pm for $75 a ticket. During the event, consumers will have the opportunity to learn more about what the Willamette Valley has to offer - directly from winemakers by hearing their individual stories.

Pinot Noir is the most important grape variety in the region and accounts for approximately 70% of plantings. Pinot Gris is the next largest at about 15%, followed by Chardonnay (5%) and Riesling (4%). Since Pinot Noir will be the primary focus of the event, I asked three of the participating winemakers what differentiates Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Burgundy and California's Russian River Valley? The consensus: expect very fruit forward wines with an acidic backbone.

Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehalem Winery:

First and foremost differences are climatic, with Oregon’s Willamette Valley a bona fide cool climate and therefore similar to Burgundy, but like California dry during the growing and ripening season. Soils for all areas are different, so show nuance differences. More tightly wound and acid structured wines can be seen in Oregon and Burgundy, more overt fruit in Oregon and California. Oregon’s fruit is vibrant, fresh fruited and forward, with acids for great ageability and for the table.

David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard

The short, simplistic answer is that no other place in the world has the combination of intense fresh fruit, backbone of acidity, and the specific flavors and tannins of the various Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. 

Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser Vineyards

The main differences are the soil, sun, and growing degree days. We have very similar growing degree days as northern Burgundy but less than Russian River Valley. We have very similar sun hours as southern Burgundy and different than the RRV in CA.

theCompass View
of Oregon Wine

All three winemakers agree that Pinot Noir will maintain primacy in the future, whereas Chardonnay and Riesling could overtake Pinto Gris. Other cool climate grapes such as Gruner Veltliner or Pinot Blanc may find homes, but "only Pinot Noir will be synonymous with Willamette Valley".

Like Virginia and Maryland, wine tourism is a growing component to Willamette Valley wine sales, yet it can't rely on casual or day-trip tourists from neighboring metropolitan areas. Instead, the Willamette Valley is becoming a wine destination attracting tourists who spend several days touring various wineries. This is a result of the high quality of the wines, or as David Adelsheim states, "the Willamette Valley first developed around very high quality wines; tourism came much later". 

I've been thinking of planning a trip to Oregon wine country and I'm sure Pinot in the City will entice me further.  I recommend readers do the same - at a minimum you will taste some extraordinary wines. Cheers.