Archive for the ‘Oregon Wine’ Category
Winery Profile: Brick House
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Chardonnay, Excellent, Gamay, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir on June 27th, 2010
Oregon’s wine country can sometimes seem to fit into a very restricted mold. The sense of repetition derives not just from the fact everyone is making Pinot Noir (that happens in Burgundy too), but more from the seeming lack of myriad exciting terroir driven expressions of the grape. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that Oregon has the potential for variety and distinction. Brick House is one of the wineries that has started to develop a strong sense of terroir, which manifests simply in the fact that their wines don’t taste like what everyone else is making.
My visit began by pulling into a small unassuming patch of land with a simple and very unpretentious little space set up for tasting right on top of the barrel aging cellar. While sipping on a surprisingly outstanding 2007 Chardonnay, my host Alan explained to me the sedimentary terroir of the Ribbon Ridge AVA where Brick House is located. Ribbon Ridge lies within the larger AVA of Chehalem Mountains but has received its special designation because of an ancient flood that deposited sediment carried from thousands of miles away (fossils of animals not indigenous to ancient Oregon are consistently found here).
The Chardonnay, by the way, was outstanding, with stone, pear and quince on the nose. However, what made this work where so many Oregon Chards fail is its great structure (full oak aging and malo) supported by ripping acidity that makes this very easy to drink and gives it the backbone to age 3-4 years before consumption. For the price, there is little around in New World Chardonnay that can match it. Very Good+. $24 at the winery. The 2008 was just as structured, but needed more time in the bottle. I would not hesitate to recommend both.
But terroir means little without the vineyard practices and farming philosophies to match. Brick House is a fully biodynamic winery and is certified as such by Demeter. This means no artificial chemical fertilizers on the vines and no chemical additives (other than sulfites) in the wine. It also means picking with the cycles of the moon and all those other unscientific accoutrements. Many of the vines are also own-rooted. To me what matters more than any certification are the actual practices of the farmers and the wine makers, what they believe in and what they do. From what I observed at Brick House, the fundamental concerns of wine making are well considered, well respected and thought about both ethically and in terms of quality and terroir.
The soul of the winery’s achievements lies with their Pinot Noirs, which taste unlike most of the Pinots being produced in Oregon today (with some important exceptions). The 2008 Boulder Block Pinot Noir is made from Pommard clones imported from Burgundy. This was an immediately accessible wine with spicy red fruit jumping right out at you from the glass. The palate has great balance, acidity and length, coupled with an easy to like prettiness and the taste of raw unadulterated red fruits. This is real Pinot Noir. Excellent. $42 at the winery.
The second Pinot was also my personal favourite, although this choice is more a contrast in style than quality. The 2008 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir was made from Dijon Clones 113, 114 and 115 and it was the most intellectual of the wines on offer. This was densely packed, with restrained fruit and a deep mineral and earth core. It also changed tremendously with air and time in the glass, showing subtle notes of dill, chocolate and restrained red fruits. If I had to rate this I would give it an excellent rating and note that it is $45 at the winery.
Both of these wines stay out of the dark fruit territory that I find too many Oregon Pinot Noirs venture into. But the difference between these wines highlights the crucial importance of clonal selection in wine making. It is almost meaningless to grow Pinot Noir without knowing what clones you are growing, where, and why. The Dijonnais is the wine to lay down and the Boulder Block the wine to drink now. Both are outstanding.
My last taste was a barrel sample of the 2009 Gamay Noir. This is the only Gamay I’ve tasted from anywhere in the world that approximates a very good Beaujolais Cru. There is more depth and weight here than you find in many of the Crus, but I would compare this most with a Morgon from a good vintage. It had stone, mineral, bright strawberries and that wonderful clean, pure and supple earthy texture that makes great Beaujolais Cru so great. This is proof that with the right sort of vineyard treatment, Gamay Noir can be made into some extremely good wines in Oregon. Excellent. I think ~$19.
Pinot is king in Oregon, but Brick House proves that it is not everything. Both their Chardonnay and their Gamay Noir are outstanding wines at reasonable prices (which is increasingly rare) and are unique wines with character rather than ‘different grapes’ made into wine that tastes like canned fruit. That said, what Brick House is doing with their Pinot Noir also shows that, when done right, site can truly become terroir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Spotlight On New World Pinot Noir: Cameron Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2007
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, New World Pinot Noir, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir, Spotlights, Very Good on January 14th, 2010
Oregon – the problem child, the upstart. Anything but California. Oregon is perhaps the New World’s most controversial, exciting, and downright out there Pinot Noir producing region. In fact, Oregon has built its reputation on this fickle grape, which is astonishing given the incredibly challenging climactic conditions of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Indeed, even the luminaries at UC Davis believed, back in the 60’s, that Oregon was unsuitable for growing vitis vinifera grapes. However, some argue that Pinot Noir is at its most complex when it struggles to ripen, and just reaches the threshold.
As a vine growing and wine making region, Oregon began with a few key pioneers who took the time to research the best sites and the best way to properly ripen the grapes in the very wet and mild summer climate. These included David Lett of the Eyrie Vineyard and Dick Erath of Erath. It was, in fact, Lett’s 1975 Eyrie Pinot Noir that was the first wine in the state to do well in a blind tasting with wines from France. Things have changed since then, however, with the old clones being torn out and replaced now with Dijon clones (which are believed to be of much higher quality). While Oregon has grown and changed, the spirit of its winemakers has not. There are very few giant corporate wineries; instead, most are simple unpretentious affairs, fueled by passions rather than egos.
Because of the cyclical influence of the El Nino and La Nina weather events, Oregon has unpredictable vintage conditions. In fact, I would say that Oregon is a place for a winemaker to test his or her skills because making consistent wines across the massive vintage variation that the state sees takes tremendous effort and dedication. This wine, compared to a 2006 Cameron I had a few weeks ago, is a perfect testament to those variations: the 2007 is 12.5% ABV, while the 2006 was well over 14%.
The Willamette Valley is home to several sub-appellations, including the AVAs of Eola-Amity hills, Yamhill-Carlton and Dundee Hills, the most famous and the region in which Cameron is situated. Dundee Hills is famous largely because it was the original site of the Eyrie Vineyards that produced the successful Pinot Noir in the 70’s. The region is characterized by loam hills, good drainage, and the right sort of exposure to rainfall and light to ensure more consistent ripening. That said, the 2007 vintage was a big problem vintage in Oregon, with heavy rains falling just as the grapes were ready to pick (this is a problem as the grapes bloat, and accordingly lose concentration). The weather was cool, however, and thus acidities ended up being quite high, and the wines have considerable fragrance. And, as with most vintages, it was not necessary to chaptalize the wines so long as the winemaker was content with a lower ABV of around 12%.
Cameron is somewhat of an iconic winery in Oregon. However, it is difficult to find much on their history and development. Typically quite difficult to find, Cameron has decided to reduce their carbon footprint, and thus did not renew their allocations on the east coast, 
instead preferring to find outlets closer by. Luckily for us Vancouverites, this means that their wines are available at the local retailer Marquis Wine Cellars, who exclusively bring them into the province.
The wine itself is dramatically different both from the Pinot Noirs I have tasted to date in this series, and from the 2006 Pinot Noirs I had at a dinner with Sean a few weeks ago. Whereas the 2006s were big, ripe, rich and dense, this 2007 is reserved, acidic, lean, and bright. I am actually quite happy to find such a significant vintage variation, although I must admit that this particular 2007 simply cannot compare in complexity to the 2006 Cameron Abbey Ridge that we had that night. Instead, this brings aromatics of toast, nuts, red berries, and earth. It is not overly complex, but it does gain considerable expression with air. The palate is challenging right now, with a definite tartness and bright, almost unripe, strawberry and raspberry fruit. The earthy undertones are nice, but I think the fragrance on this wine is a bit more interesting than its palate. It simply lacks some integration, and perhaps has such high acidity that it is difficult to appreciate without food. In fact, I would say that this is, primarily, a food wine, and should not be consumed on its own. Food brings out some sweetness and mellows the acidity quite a bit. A take what you can kind of wine.
Very Good
$45 at Marquis
If anything, what this wine taught me was that Oregon has some pretty massive vintage variation, and that, in itself, is pretty exciting. I expect quality will continue to improve over the next several years and the wines I’ve had so far promise great things. As of yet, I have not had an Oregon Pinot Noir that shakes the foundations of my wine-soaked palate, but I know that it will happen one day.
Cameron Pinot Bianco 2008
Posted by Shea in $20-$30, Oregon Wine, Pinot Blanc, Very Good on November 3rd, 2009
Another entry from the Oregonian cult producer Cameron – this time a much more affordable and good value wine. While this isn’t a wine for the cellar or something that will blow your mind, it is a very well made wine at a good price that is extremely likeable.
The nose had big orchard fruit, pear, and a nice floral component. This is almost like a southern Rhone white with a hint of licorice. The palate is all apple, pear and flowers. There is a ton of fruit here, but also good acidity, slight effervescence and a viognier-like honeysuckle edge. Full and round, but balanced. You may be waiting for the next summer to pick up a white, but personally I like to have a few now and then even in the drab months, particularly for pairing with asian foods.
Very Good+
$24 at Marquis
Cameron ‘Abbey Ridge’ Pinot Noir 2006
Posted by Shea in $60+, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir, Very Good on October 27th, 2009
Cameron is a highly sought after producer from Oregon who is primarily allocated. Luckily, in an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, Cameron decided to nix their east coast shipments and find other buyers on the west coast. Marquis Wine Cellars managed to pick up some of these wines and bring them in to the Vancouver market.
I must caveat all Oregon pinot reviews by noting that I rarely love Oregon pinot noir. There are examples that I do think are fantastic, such as Drouhin’s Laurene, but I personally find many of the Oregon pinots to be too ripe, extracted and alcoholic for my tastes. I much prefer the Burgundian style with more earth and minerals.
That said, I did enjoy this wine, although I did not love it, and certainly not for the price tag. I do believe others, however, who like the big bold style of pinot will find considerable enjoyment in this bottle. The nose here was amazingly fruity with lots of indian spice such as cloves and tons of cherry and a bit of toast. There is an earthy/leafy element to the nose that is quite pleasant, but this does not mean the wine isn’t very rich.
The palate is very rich and ripe, with chocolate, cherry, and some underbrush and herbs. There is tons of fruit, although I still found this to be refined and not completely dominated by sweet fruit. The finish is actually somewhat sinewy as well with herbal and spice notes. In the end, this is made in a very new world style, but is also a well made wine. It’s just not my style, at least for the price.
Very Good to Very Good+
$70 at Marquis
Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir 2004
Posted by Shea in $60+, Excellent, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir on July 17th, 2009
The famed Domaine Drouhin of Burgundy also has a now well-known project in Oregon doing up some fine Pinot Noir. The Laurene Pinot is the premier bottling and I picked up this bottle a year and a half ago at the 2008 Vancouver International Wine Fest. I was planning on aging this a little longer, but didn’t have the patience, alas.
The nose on this had a tiny amount of funk, but predominantly had amazingly pure fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb, and fresh cherries. While there were some ‘cola’ elements to the nose, they were subtle and did not overwhelm the pure expression of fruit that makes this so wonderful. The palate still has some tannic bite to it (ah, if I only I had patience), but was full of fresh strawberry and cherry fruit with pleasant savory herbal notes and a structured earthiness. Expressive and full flavoured, this could use another 3-4 years in the bottle. 14.1% ABV.
I experimented with my Eisch pinot glass here (compared to a Riedel Vinum Extreme pinot glass) and found the Eisch actually dulled the aromas and flavour considerably. While the wine tasted a lot smoother in the Eisch, I would not give up the bouquet and intensity found in the Riedel. Score another one for the big R.
This is certainly a bottle of wine that shows the tremendous promise of Oregon pinot and, despite my predilections against the general QPR of Oregon pinot, makes me excited about the state’s future.
Excellent
$70 at BCLDB Festival Store and available around town at Private Stores
Sinnean Old Vine Zinfandel 2006
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Oregon Wine, Very Good, Zinfandel on July 2nd, 2009
I doubt anyone associates Oregon state with the renowned all-American California variety zinfandel, but here we have one of Oregon’s most noteworthy producers making one as their “flagship wine”. As much as Sinnean is known for their Pinot Noir, they claim that it is this old vine zin, made from a 100 year old vineyard, that is their best wine. And, despite the latitude there are no signs of underripeness and no chaptalization.
The nose on this Columbia Valley zin was boozy and had blueberry, chocolate and candied cherry. The palate was extremely full and very extracted: sweet blueberry juice, cherry, strawberry jam, and chocolate undertones. This is extremely smooth and tasty, although somewhat simple.
However, the story does not end there. While I took the above tasting note while drinking from a Riedel glass, I decided to experiment and test out how that note compared to a simultaneous note taken while drinking from my new Eisch glasses. For those not in the know, Eisch has created glasses with a special coating that supposedly decants the wine instantly upon pouring it into the glass. Well, we shall see.
In the Eisch glass the nose was far more restrained and dusty, while also being far less fruity. On the palate the wine was much smoother, less boozy, and had intricate notes of herbs and underbrush. And, while noticeably less massive, it had impressive complexity and layering far superior than in the Riedel glass. So, it seems as though this limited test shows that Eisch can make a considerable difference to a wine’s aromatics and flavour profile. Is it better? Not necessarily – but it certainly is different.
The wine itself? Although perhaps a little pricey, it is quite impressive and certainly worth a try.
Very Good+
$55 at Everything Wine
McKinlay Pinot Noir 2002 Willamette Valley Estate
Posted by Shea in $60+, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir, Very Good on September 24th, 2008
This came as a somewhat aged pinot noir and recommended as peaking well right now. The nose was very bright, with classic strawberry and rhubarb components. At 13% abv I found htis very fluffy and silken with a polished mouthfeel. Despite not being overly excited by the flavour profile, this wine was really all texture and balance, with the simple fruit drawing well from nose to mid-palate and then the finish.
J. Daan Pinot Noir 2006
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir, Very Good on August 31st, 2008
Another Willamette Pinot which came highly recommended from a good wine shop. However, this was just too typical for me. This can be described in 3 parts:
St. Innocent Justice Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir on August 17th, 2008
I have been drinking a fair number of Oregon pinots in the past several months and found that my initial enthusiasm for them has become somewhat tempered lately. The problem, I think, is that pinot is so extremely hard to make because its delicacy can easily be overwhelmed or overproduced. Oregon, when successful, can blend the fruitiness allowed by New World heat and the savory earthiness and funk of cool climate old world pinots. However, more often than not these days Oregon pinots are getting more and more over the top with fruity and often cola-like flavours and aromas. Also, the subtle savory flavours frequently taste identical: a basic farm-fresh funkiness without the mushroomy, manure and soil-like layers found in the best pinots from Burgundy. Couple with that ever increasing prices and Oregon is, in my opinion, far less exciting than its neighbour Washington where wine is still being made with cool-climate verve.
Westrey Abbey Ridge Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2006
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir on June 9th, 2008
Westrey is a pretty under the radar Oregon winery. Luckily someone up here in Vancouver discovered them and brought them in to one of the local wine stores. These guys are traditionalists who try to produce a very Burgundian wine, with Oregonian terroir and a non-interference wine-making philosopohy, meaning that everything is natural run and minimally manipulated.
