Deep Dives and Reviews Have Moved!

As of 8/11/23 all my reviews, interviews, essays and opinion pieces will be published on www.paulgregutt.substack.com. This website will still be searchable for past notes and essays.

Patricia Green Cellars and the Art of Packaging

Apart from good reviews, good scores, a good track record and affordable (often high value) prices, what makes any winery stand apart from the rest? I suggest it's packaging. That's a broad category which includes everything that isn't the wine:  the container, the closure, the label graphic, the label content (written information front and back), the website, e-blasts and so on – everything that tries to tell the story behind the wine.

Big wine companies (whether corporate or privately owned) usually farm these tasks out to various vendors, with mixed success. But small wineries – those under 5000 case annual production – must do them pretty much on their own. It's a lot of work, and very few have the time and skill to do it well. When they do I take notice, because if someone with just a handful of employees and less than deep pockets puts in the extra care and attention on such details, it strongly suggests that they are going to put something special in the bottle.

At Big Table Farm Clare Carver draws brilliant custom labels for every bottle every vintage, with a website that dives into details about their groundbreaking biochar project. At Amalie Robert Estate Dena Drews and Ernie Pink produce a detailed, well-illustrated, often humorous and always informative e-blast that comes out regularly, backed by a website loaded with valuable background material. At Antiquum Farm you'll find a delightful overview of Grazing-Based Viticulture, made super accessible by featuring a 'Cast of Characters' headlined by sheep, pigs, poultry and dogs (the humans get last place billing). What stands out at all of these ventures is that the stories being told are real, the information is detailed and fascinating, and you know intimately that there are creative, dedicated people who go far beyond the usual AI-ready copy about passion and dreams pitched by far too many winemakers.

At Patricia Green Cellars it's obvious from reading the back labels and the individual wine entries on the website that Owner/Winemaker Jim Anderson and his team place supreme value on the many vineyards (both estate and non-estate) that comprise their vast portfolio. I have rarely if ever found better information (including extensive histories) about so many key vineyards so compactly expressed. Of course it all started with founder Patty Green, and Jim has penned a wonderful tribute to her that provides the foundation for everything done at the winery today.

Last week I published notes and reviews on many of the non-estate wines; this week you'll find the rest of my extensive tastings, including a half dozen estate bottlings. This still isn't everything. Note that many of these wines (and some back vintages) are available in magnum, 3 liter and even larger formats. One or two are completely sold out. As I researched the current releases I found more than a few with fascinating background material. I am posting some excerpts along with my own tasting notes.

Patricia Green Cellars – Part Two

Purchase wines here.

Ribbon Ridge AVA

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir – Ridgecrest is the original vineyard planted on what is now the Ribbon Ridge AVA, and this special bottling sources grapes from the oldest blocks that date back to the early 1980s. The seductive aromas of fruit and spice lead into an utterly delicious wine that plunges its rich purple fruits deep down into a mineral-packed core. It perfectly captures the seashell minerality for which this AVA is known, while keeping the plush fruit flavors front and center. Great up front, built to age beautifully, even better when tasted on the second day. 13.7%; $95 (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Wind Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir – This vineyard select is a showcase for 20-year-old Pommard vines in a vineyard originally planted by pioneer Harry Peterson-Nedry. This is a supple, smooth wine with purple fruits in abundance. There is an underlying seashell/sea breeze character to both its aromas and mouthfeel. It's an exemplary expression of Ribbon Ridge terroir – deep, textural and threaded with minerals. 13.2%; $75 (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

The winery notes reflect the thoughtful care and attention that went into featuring this as a vineyard designate. "When we began this relationship in 2018 we wanted to ensure that we weren’t simply repeating both wines that we already make from our Estate Vineyard or wines from the adjacent Ridgecrest Vineyard. Ribbon Ridge AVA, after all, is a fairly small AVA with nearly the same soil everywhere. We chose the most, in our minds, interesting and challenging part of the vineyard with a block of Pommard running along both a fairly significant gulch and a tall stand of trees. Even though it is not even 2 acres in size this block has many rolls and pitches to it despite seeming “flat” to the naked eye from far away. The block hold both cool morning air and warm afternoon heat. It has taken awhile to get to understand it well enough to bottle the wine on its own. We are incredibly pleased to be able to add this bottling to our line-up of vineyards that have significance in the history of the Oregon wine industry."

Dundee Hills AVA

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Anderson Family Vineyard Pinot Noir – This is (I believe) the first time this site has been made a PGC vineyard designate. Its low alcohol, elegant wines pay tasting dividends for those who value subtlety and detail. Like a very good Village Burgundy, it does not shy away from the savory side of Pinot Noir, and accents those flavors with floral highlights, brambly berry and a foundation of wet stones. Above all it's in perfect balance and shows itself best after significant aeration. 13.2%; $55 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

I profiled this unique vineyard and its estate wines here. It's a perfect fit for the extensive Patty Green portfolio, as noted on their website:  "More rock than soil, the hilltop is an old landslide of broken lava flows. It is hard to farm. The vineyard is dry farmed, organically farmed and farmed with a no-till philosophy. The latter owing largely to the rubble pile that this vineyard sits upon making tilling either a near impossibility or an expensive, equipment-destroying reality."

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Arcus Vineyard 'Mysterious' Pinot Noir – For the first time the true identity of the Mysterious bottling has been disclosed (with full permission) – the Arcus vineyard. Classic Dundee Hills flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruit are accented with iron-rich highlights and threads of Asian spices, candied citrus, coffee grounds and pencil lead. In short, a densely layered, textural and detailed wine with decades of life ahead. 13.5%; $100 (Dundee Hills) 96/100

OK I'm a wine history buff and the Patty Green website provides a wealth of background on many of the vineyards featured in their wines. Here's to scoop on this one:  "The history on any one vineyard on Worden Hill Rd is inextricably linked to all the others and, ultimately, to a single site and a couple of families. The vineyard in question is Maresh Vineyard and the people are Jim and Loie Maresh and Dick Erath. Erath convinced this cherry and hazelnut farming couple with property located at the summit of the hill to consider planting a vineyard in 1969. This would be only the second vineyard in Yamhill County. In 1971 Bill and Bessie Archibald acquired 20 acres of land adjacent to (and owned by) the Maresh family. Five acres were planted over a handful of years beginning in 1973. The property grew and more acreage was added over the years. In 1988 the property was sold to Gary Andrus and the newly formed Archery Summit Winery. The vineyard contains none of its original plantings but still has material that was planted in 1988 and 1990."

Estate Wines 

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir – This all-encompassing estate bottling incorporates grapes from a half dozen of the vineyard's 17 blocks. At $37 it's a flat out gift to the winery's friends and fans. Bold, dark-fruited, tannic and finishing with an earthy, lightly bitter charcoal edge, this complex, scaffolded wine punches way above its price. The tannic darkness sets it up for accompanying food; charred meats come to mind, not the usual namby-pamby stuff you think to pair with Pinot Noir. Go big! 2000+ cases; 13.7%; $37 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Site history (from the website):  "The vineyard’s original planting dates back to 1984, making it the second oldest established vineyard in what is now the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Plantings of entire blocks have happened in 1986, 1987, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2010. The site includes 25.5 acres of Pinot Noir (20 acres of Pommard, 3 acres of Dijon 114, 3.1 acres of Wadensvil and 1.4 acres of Coury Clone), 2.5 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and 2 acres of Chardonnay (Dijon 76 and 96). Patricia Green Cellars purchased the property in July, 2000. The vineyard houses the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in the Willamette Valley. It has also produced the only Pinot Noir to receive a score of 100 from a major, national wine publication."

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Wadensvil Block Pinot Noir – A reader notes that he has developed a fascination with the Wadensvil clone bottlings. "They just strike the right chord for me" he explains. Me too. There is a special touch required for this clone, in order to keep it focused and contain its tendency to spread out and flatten out across the palate. The winery notes that this block was planted in 1997, but overcropped (which thins out flavors). After it was purchased by PGC in 2000, "several years of careful work went into nursing the plants back to health and another several years to begin to coax out the potential from this multi-sloped section in the very back of the vineyard." This is tightened up, layered with rhubarb, brambly berry, citrus oil, some bitter stem, black olive and ultimately smooths out in a full-bodied and flavorful finish. Magnums and up; 13.2%; $135 (magnum); (Ribbon Ridge) 95/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Coury Clone Pinot Noir – Interesting background – this block was only grafted over to Coury clone in 2019, as the winery was unhappy with the previous results. Taking cuttings from their Coury clone block at Freedom Hill, they made the change and here are the results. Delicious, almost effusively fruity, this opens with red berry fruits, sassy citrus and firm, concentrated tannins. It's not blocky but it's segmented, not completely seamless, though all the components are in place. Instantly approachable, it's easy to see that the change in clones was a great call, and the future for this block is golden. 225 cases; 13.6%; $75 (Ribbon Ridge)  94/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Old Vine Pinot Noir – I continue to be dazzled by the first taste of these 2021 Pinots, yet they often are still better on the second day. Let's remember these are young wines with many years of development ahead. The old vine designation here principally includes grapes from the Winery Block (1984), the Hallelujah Block (1990) and the Lakeview Block (1998). Lush strawberry/cherry fruit is packed in with highlights of blood orange. Though there were just a handful of new barrels (under 10%), they were enough to add a thin seam of caramel to the finish. Another extraordinary value from this exceptional vintage. 1125 cases (3/4 neutral); 13.5%; $45; (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Etzel Block Pinot Noir – This block was planted to Pommard in 1986 and Dijon 114 in 2001, named for celebrity winemaker Mike Etzel whose Beaux Frères winery is nearby. Firm, almost steely, this tightly wound wine brings compact flavors of raspberries and brambles, cherries and stems. At 13.7% abv it's at the high end for Patricia Green. It remains dense and compact, fairly tannic, with the nuanced accents that trail the finish just beginning to poke through. Magnums and up; 13.7%; $145 (magnum); (Ribbon Ridge) 95/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Estate Vineyard Bonshaw Block Pinot Noir – Perhaps the most rare of all the PGC Pinots, this was the wine to which I awarded 100 points for its 2016 vintage. In subsequent years it has always scored in the high 90s. There's undoubtedly some magic here. Planted to Pommard in 1990 on a steep south slope, the aromatics are sensuous, seductive and seamless. They combine citrus and flower; the palate is broad and dense, loaded with a mix of red and purple and black fruits. The spices touch on Asian/Indian flavors, and the length is exceptional. This is ripened to almost 14% – unusual for Patty Green but perfect for this wine. 13.8%; $75 (most recent found); (Ribbon Ridge) 97/100

... and one more (non-estate)....

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Notorious Pinot Noir – Boom! This is the bomb. Notorious is designed as the top reserve from Patty Green, the only wine aged in 100% new French oak. It's sourced each year from a mix of sites – in this vintage a mix of estate fruit, Freedom Hill, Durant and another unnamed Dundee Hills site. The new oak has not been overdone, and remains an accent at this point, not a dominant scent or flavor. The palate strains to corral all that's going on here. Berries, bramble, savory herbs, lead pencil, coffee grounds, chicory, charcoal... well it's pretty much endless. This is a big wine, but in perfect proportion and balance from start to finish. 13.5%; $85; (Willamette Valley) 98/100

Opinion

This past week marked the kickoff of a month-long Washington wine promotion under the rubric WAugust. My thoughts about the name aside, such events, whether it's World Donut Day or Washington Wine Month, have become so commonplace that it's difficult to know what if any impact on sales they achieve. WAugust also suffered from the extremely unfortunate timing (also this week) of the revelation that the state's largest winery – Ste. Michelle Wine Estates – was in the process of cancelling 40% of its long term grape contracts. This has been called by more than one pundit a devastating blow.

I don't think that is an exaggeration. For decades SMWE was the major force in producing, promoting and marketing the Washington brand. In tough times the winery, under the leadership of the late Allen Shoup and his successor Ted Baseler, lent essential support to growers and wineries both large and small. In good times they sponsored such global events as the semi-annual Riesling Rendezvous. With the sale of the business to an east coast investment firm, the writing was on the wall that things were about to change. There have already been changes at the top in local management, sales of some marquee properties, significant bottom line losses and now this announcement that nearly half of the contracted vineyard acreage will be jettisoned.

From my perspective, as one who has banged the drum for Washington wines and Ste. Michelle in particular over several decades, none of this is surprising. I don't pretend to have a crystal ball to see what's next, but it doesn't feel good. For small growers and producers it's time to batten down the hatches. This website and my other online entities are dedicated exclusively to providing real support to these family-owned businesses. I do not review hundreds of wines; I provide focused and detailed notes and background on specific wineries. I link to online sales – direct to the winery website – and encourage my readers to purchase there. I charge no fees and have no advertisers, sponsors or investors. If you are a small winery facing difficulties I welcome the chance to hear your story and taste your wines. I will do my best, following the guidelines I've established for this online journal, to offer support.

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram, the Waitsburg Times and several Facebook wine chat groups. All of these outlets are ad-free with no cost to visit and/or subscribe.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

This website contains no material written by AI. It is 100% created with HI (human intelligence). If you want to quibble about the intelligence part go right ahead, but I can totally guarantee that I'm fully human. "The gold standard is trust, not information. A single trustworthy voice is worth more than ten thousand bot-written articles." – Ted Gioia (on Substack)

What Sets Patricia Green Cellars Apart From Every Winery In The Country?

The first thing you see when you visit the website for Patricia Green Cellars is this note: 

"Patricia Green Cellars enthusiastically and unapologetically produces more individual bottlings of Pinot Noir than any winery in America." (In ALL CAPS no less!)

As a longtime fan of the wines I've often noted that it's quality more than quantity that makes this more than a dig-me boast. The biggest challenge for any winery producing a big lineup of Pinots from the same vintage is making each of them distinctive, stand-alone wines. When it gets down to single clone or block selections, all too often I taste a good component rather than a complete wine. The remarkable achievement at Patty Green Cellars is that the dozens of different cuvées are all distinctive and compelling, no matter the vintage.

On my most recent visit to the winery I was well aware of their track record for multiple Pinots – as many as a half dozen estate bottlings and many others singled out by clone, block or vineyard. But even I was gobsmacked to walk into the tasting room and find a lineup of 36 - yes 36! - 2021 Pinot Noirs staring back at me. How to proceed?

As I surveyed the lineup I noticed that there were six different wines from the Freedom Hill vineyard alone. That seemed to be the perfect focus for a 90 minute tasting, one that would put the winemaking team of Jim Anderson and Matthew Russell to the test once again. Matty and I tasted through all six, giving them as much time as possible. Those tasting notes are re-published below, along with half of the wines I brought home.

My preference is always to taste at home, where I can return to the bottles over the course of several days. Although the Freedom Hill wines remained with the tasting room, the rest of my reviews are the result of multiple visits to every bottle over the course of three or four days.

I am not saying that there aren't plenty of other wineries that can put out a well-made and varied portfolio of Pinot Noirs. Of course there are. Let’s say 8 – 12 wines per vintage is about average for many Oregon (and California) Pinot specialists. Most often they are differentiated by vineyard. In the case of a winery attached to a specific vineyard, such as Shea, you'll find a number of block selections representing different clones, different soils and/or different vine ages.

What makes Patty Green unique is not only the sheer number of cuvées, but the fact that each and every one is distinctive, balanced and complete. By complete I mean that there are no holes in the palate. Furthermore they are balanced throughout, aromatically interesting, generally low alcohol with exceptionally long, trailing finishes.

Do you have to dig down a bit to find the differences? Sometimes yes; other times, as with the 2021 Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir and Balcombe Vineyard Block 1B Pinot Noir, the differences are stark and immediately apparent. In any event I find these wines fascinating, and never tire of them. Many showed best on the second day, so decanting is strongly recommended for early drinking.

Given the sheer number of wines and the time and attention I am happy to afford them, I'm publishing just the first half of my reviews today. The second half will be up in a week.

You may purchase most of these 2021 Pinots here. Click on the individual entries for many of the wines listed and you'll get a full page of technical information on the vineyard and the winemaking. Oh, and check out the prices. $37 - $45 - $48 for some truly sensational, cellar-worthy wines.

Freedom Hill Vineyard

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Vineyard – This is the least expensive Freedom Hill offering, a mix of Wadensvil, Pommard and Coury clone fruit from younger vines. Compared with all the others this lacks comparable specificity but the reward is that it piles on the flavors. Dark fruits, coffee and spice add up to a big, flavorful wine that is, quite honestly, a steal. Previously featured as my Wine of the Week on April 21st. 13.3%; $37 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Pommard Clone Pinot Noir – Still young, tart mix of cranberry, raspberry and a little black cherry. Some spice and chewy barrel tannins. In particular it is showing strong phenolic flavors right now, with notes of stem and soil. All in all it's a nicely woven wine that should develop beautifully with more bottle age. 13.2%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Dijon 115 Clone Pinot Noir – I found compelling freshness, sparked with good acidity and tangy cranberry/cherry fruit. Spicy, sharp and deliciously deep as it dives into darker flavors of black cherry and chocolate. Great persistence through the finish. 13.6%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 94/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Wadensvil Clone Pinot Noir – From a 1998 planting, this is aromatically captivating, spicy, with highlights of clean earth, graphite and black cherry fruit. Impressively dense with a slightly chalky mouthfeel, the accent components of bark and earth are perfectly proportioned. The overall focus, depth and detail are very impressive. Previously featured as my Cellar Wine of the Week on May 5th. 13.8%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Coury Clone Pinot Noir – This stunning effort is loaded with black fruits and tannins that taste like tea leaves. It carries itself with a delicate lightness, seemingly both elegant and powerful. The long, lingering flavors mix berries, dried leaves, hints of citrus and tannins that build gracefully into a cascading finish. 13.5%; $75 (Willamette Valley) 97/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Perspicacious Cuvée Pinot Noir – This cuvée is compiled from a different clone every year – recent vintages have cycled through Dijon 115, Coury, 115 again and currently Wadensvil. It's a barrel selection, 100% whole cluster fermented in a Grand Cru style. In sum this is bigger, darker and more tannic than the other Freedom Hill expressions, and clearly built for the long term. That said it was a bit too stubbornly closed to really get a handle on it in my time-limited tasting, so no score for now. 13.3%; $150 (Willamette Valley)

Wines from the Chehalem Mountains AVA

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Erath Clone Pinot Noir – Oregon wine industry founder Dick Erath planted this vineyard in 1968; this particular block went into the ground a decade later. Back in the day mysterious clones might have arrived in suitcases, but this, like the Coury clone, is recognized as unique and distinctive. There's an earthy quality to this wine, putting the flavors squarely in the soil as much as in the fruit. The tart flavors of wild berries are complemented with mixed savory/earthy notes, cut tobacco and dried almonds, all balanced against supporting tannins. 13.4%; $60  (Chehalem Mountains) 92/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Wadensvil Clone Pinot Noir – Calling Wadensvil "the queen of our cellar" the winery notes that when sourced from marine soils (uplifted seabed) this clone produces "incredibly intriguing and complex wines." No argument from me. This is a wine to dive into deeply, noticing its layered flavors of orange peel, rhubarb, pomegranate, truffle, toasted almonds and touches of chocolate-covered marshmallows. As luxurious as all that may sound, it's still young, tight and focused, not over the top in any way. It asks for your focused attention, and it offers pure enjoyment in return. 13.4%; $60 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Corrine Vineyard Wadensvil Block Pinot Noir – Sourced from a 1991 planting, this evocative wine is miles apart from the companion 'Anklebreaker' Corrine vineyard bottling. It's scented with berries and bramble, light yet lingering, an elegant wine with some tannic muscle through the finish. It may well be one of those Pinots that outlives its bigger brethren, for it is already in perfect balance and nicely captures the essence of classic Pinot Noir. 13%; $48 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Corrine Vineyard Anklebreaker Block Pinot Noir – Originally this site was part of the Jacob-Hart vineyard, first planted 35 years ago. More recently this piece was owned by John Olenik; and now by Cooper Mountain winery, who renamed it. This particular block is a 2007 planting of Pommard in a very rocky part of the vineyard, hence Anklebreaker. It's been a Patty Green designate for seven or eight of the past dozen years. In 2021 25% of the barrels were new, the rest neutral. The rocky soils complement the naturally fruit-forward Pommard, adding to the wine's depth with a mineral underpinning around dark and chewy tannins. Black fruits are here in abundance, and there's a toughness and an unrestrained quality to the wine, which seems to be pulling at its leash. Aerate and let it run free. 300 cases; 13.2%; $60 (Chehalem Mountains) 94/100 

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir – Lia's was originally part of the Jacob-Hart vineyard planted in 1988. This multi-clone cuvée saw two out of 16 new barrels. Many if not most of the Patty Green wines are value priced, but this is especially noteworthy. Complex, detailed, elegant, savory and tightly wound, its cascading red and black fruits are supported with bitter herbs and tangy blood orange acidity. A long finish reveals more and more details, including a trailing seam of cinnamon. A sensational value. 400 cases; 13.3%; $37 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100 

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Medici Vineyard Pinot Noir – From an archetypal vineyard, first planted in 1976, this wine brings together blocks from both the original and later plantings. If you like the flavors of fresh, forward fruit (as I do) this is a good wine to know. Fragrant with floral notes, tasty red and black cherry fruit, this is a well-structured Pinot Noir with a savory underpinning. The balance and length are superb. A seam of licorice runs through the finish, which continues to add such unsuspected touches as chicken stock and dried Italian herbs. This continued to drink beautifully on day two and day three.250 cases; 13.2%; $55 (Chehalem Mountains) 96/100

Wines from the Dundee Hills AVA

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir – This is another site planted to Pommard clone more than three decades ago. Plump and juicy with lush red berry fruits, this is one of the most affordable wines in the Patty Green lineup, and also one of the most instantly accessible. It's bursting with fresh berry flavors backed with snappy acidity. Flavors linger through a lightly peppery finish. Re-tasted after 24 hours the fruit has become downright explosive. It's just a sensational value. 13.7%; $45 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Balcombe Vineyard Block 1B Pinot Noir – This block selection highlights the grapes from a section of the vineyard with thin, rocky soils. Significantly darker, riper and fleshier than its companion Balcombe vineyard bottling, this brings more assertive minerality, texture and power. The fruits run from berry to plum to black cherry, threaded with savory herbs and a touch of five-spice. One quarter saw new French oak. As with so many Patty Green wines, the distinctions among different cuvées from a single vineyard are meaningful, interesting and well-defined. This tasted as good on day three as on day one, so feel free to stow a few bottles in the cellar. 13.8%; $75 (Dundee Hills) 95/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Balcombe Vineyard 25th Anniversary Pinot Noir – This limited production wine is labeled with a drawing of vineyard owner Joyce Baker Cooke. Not listed on the website. It's a lovely bottle, with a mix of strawberry, raspberry and Bing cherry, a hint of dried straw, good texture and length. Drinking nicely as soon as the cork is pulled, it opens gracefully and walks a fine line between fruity and savory, with excellent texture. 13.6%;(Dundee Hills) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Durant Vineyard Madrone Block Pinot Noir – This family-owned vineyard dates back a half century; this block was planted in 2000. Domaine Drouhin, De Ponte and Sokol Blosser are adjacent vineyards. The Dijon 115 clone yields a firm, sculpted wine, with savory framing. The red fruits are compact, tart, restrained. Just picked wild raspberries come to mind. It's tight but balanced, though showing plenty of acidity. Try this with grilled salmon. 13.5%; $45 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Durant Vineyard Bishop Block Pinot Noir – All Pommard planted a half century ago, the broad fruit flavors are annotated with lemon thyme, parsley and a hint of mint. This block selection exhibits the structure and dense detail that are hallmarks of Patty Green wines. The pure berry/cherry fruit flavors hold down the center and promise medium term aging potential. 13.5%; $48 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

...and one more...

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir – Though not labeled as such this is the Coury clone bottling. I visited Hyland recently and can do no better description than this from the winery website:  "It’s an amazing old vineyard and the idea that someone either was crazy enough or had the temerity to plant a vineyard this far out in the middle of nowhere in 1973 is spellbinding." Now owned by NW Wine Co. and farmed biodynamically by Bruno Corneaux, this exceptional site is a perfect addition to the Patty Green portfolio. Half the barrels were new, keeping this young wine tightly wound. About 40% of the grapes were from the original planting. What can I say? This is extraordinary, deep, detailed, and demanding with a lovely mix of black berries, cherries, coffee grounds and chocolate, exotic spices and firm, ripe, toasty tannins. If you are tasting it now, decant it. Over time the tannins got more aggressive suggesting that the best window here is the next six or eight years. 400 cases; 13.1%; $75 (McMinnville) 95/100 

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. 

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out.

Thank you for your support. This website contains no material written by AI. None. It is 100% created with HI (human intelligence). "The gold standard is trust, not information. A single trustworthy voice is worth more than ten thousand bot-written articles." – Ted Gioia (on Substack)

Profiling Excellent New Releases From Pike Road and Soter's 'Origin Series'

Pike Road is the sister winery to Elk Cove. Named for a real road on the western edge of the Willamette Valley, it runs adjacent to Elk Cove's vineyards. Second gen winemaker Adam Campbell works with Australian ex-pat Heather Perkin to make these wines.

Initially the brand was introduced with a passel of well-made, inexpensive wines sourced from non-estate vineyards. The first Pike Road wines I tasted were a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from the 2015 vintage, all priced at or below $20. Almost a decade later, the brand has dramatically expanded, but those wines are still the anchor, and believe it or not those prices have actually dropped.

Pike Road 2022 Pinot Gris – The fresh, ripe, lively fruit flavors showcase pears in particular, with further highlights of orange and grapefruit. The natural acidity adds a sleek 'cut' to the palate, accented with a hint of wet stone. This wine has the extra 'it' factor that ramps up its intensity and sheer deliciousness. As I have noted in past vintages, this is a fruit-packed white wine for sipping summer and fall. Tasted over three full days, it was one of those bottles that I happily drank down to the last drop. I'd suggest that you hang onto a few bottles for that Thanksgiving turkey. 5000 cases; 13%; $17 (Willamette Valley) 93/100 

Pike Road 2021 Chardonnay – Pike Road has jumped into a much-needed category for Willamette Valley wines – varietal wines from top tier fruit priced under $20. Make no mistake – I love Oregon Chardonnays, though many of the finest examples are priced well beyond the pocketbooks of most wine drinkers. This is a lighter style, given just the merest hint of new oak, but just enough time in mostly neutral wood to avoid the overly bright harshness that can sometimes come with all-stainless fermentation. Lovely cucumber, green melon and banana, coupled with a finishing touch of butter pull this into focus through a lingering finish. The screwcap ensures freshness and no musty notes. 4012 cases; 13%; $18 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Pike Road 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé – Produced with free run Pinot Noir juice, this stylish rosé fills the palate with flavors of mint, bubblegum, watermelon and white strawberries. Give it a good chill to bring up the energy and sharpen the acids. It has wonderful persistence even after 24 hours. Although we don't often think about aging rosé, this is one that should do quite well over the next two or three years. 686 cases; 13%; $17 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Pike Road 2021 Pinot Noir – This is the least expensive Pike Road Pinot Noir among the 17 that are currently listed for sale on the winery website. All stainless steel fermentation keeps costs down and livelies up the fruit. Beetroot and bright berry flavors, along with juicy acids, are the story here. It's fresh, clean and crisp; a no-frills style and a fine value. 13397 cases; 13.5%; $20 (Willamette Valley) 90/100

In recent vintages a growing number of single vineyard selections have been added to the portfolio. I've previewed two of the finest which are not yet listed on the website. Hopefully soon!

Pike Road 2021 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – This cool site emulates the Elk Cove estate vineyards, showing savory/floral highlights around tight wild berry fruit. This vineyard selection has been featured since the first vintages of Pike Road were introduced. Just a touch of new French oak was introduced, adding hints of spice and tobacco through the finish. Dark-fruited and slightly earthy, this lovely wine will need decanting to show its best. 166 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100

Pike Road 2021 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – Made consistently since 2017, the Shea bottling gets roughly one fifth new oak. As expected it's big, bold, dark and blocky, with plentiful blackberry and black cherry fruit. I love the texture and depth of this wine, which layers in subtle shades of clean earth, pipe tobacco, black olive, anise, coffee grounds and... well the deeper you dive, the more you find. 351 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

As has Pike Road, Soter Vineyards launched its 'Origin Series' wines to showcase quality fruit from non-estate vineyards in five different AVAs. Winemaker Chris Fladwood, working with founder Tony Soter, endows these wines with a beguiling suppleness. Polished fruit and seamless palates make them instantly enjoyable, yet they are structured for further improvement. I spent several days tasting and re-tasting them. They are offered for sale individually and as a tasting set of two bottles each.

Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case the Speegle Crawford vineyard (a young, three-acre site on Jory soils). It splashes the palate with a lightly funky note around forward red fruits, notably raspberries. Not as full-bodied as others in this series, this is a light, summery wine that should be enjoyed over the next couple of years. 350 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Dundee Hills) 91/100

Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Gran Moraine, a Jackson Family project. All of these Origin Series wines are delightfully aromatic, fruit-forward, beautifully proportioned and individually distinctive. Here the blueberry/blue plum fruit flavors are front and center, with vivid acids in support. Aging in 30% new French oak brings notes of cedar. This will benefit from another couple of years of bottle age. 315 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100

Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Zena Crown. A pretty blueberry shade, this conjures up notions of blueberry pie, with further details from aging in 30% new French oak. It's smooth, supple, lightly tangy and with a soft, almost silky finish that resonates with a hint of chalk. Delicious already, this should continue to evolve over the rest of the decade. 564 cases; 13.8%; $65 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100 

Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard. This is the exception – three quarters Roe and Roe, the rest Soter. As with the rest of the series, 20% whole clusters were included, and 30% of the barrels were new. I don't know the vineyards, but I love the AVA. This is an elegant, detailed, palate-teasing wine, threading together nuanced flavors of blackberry, black cherry, chicory, toasted walnut, tobacco and baking spices. When I say threading I mean you have to basically unweave this wine, like a tangled skein, in order to suss it out. And that's the pleasure of it. 448 cases; 13.8%; $65 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Hollis, a high elevation site with ancient volcanic soils. Sturdy fruit flavors blend marionberry, blackberry and black cherry with lightly chewy tannins and a dusting of coffee grounds. It nicely keeps its darker elements in proportion with firm, ripe tannins and a mineral foundation. This feels like a wine with decades of life ahead. Drink now to... 2040? 465 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 94/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out.

Thank you for your support. This website contains no material written by AI. None. It is 100% created with HI (human intelligence). "The gold standard is trust, not information. A single trustworthy voice is worth more than ten thousand bot-written articles." – Ted Gioia (on Substack)

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Whose Bubbly Is The Best Of All?

Shortly after the last mastodon went extinct in the Yakima valley I started my wine writing adventure. Back then the Pacific Northwest wineries in Oregon, Idaho and Washington were all lumped together in the "other" category, and there was little or no differentiation among them.

Over time Oregon claimed transcendence with Pinot Noir, Washington with Cabernet, and everyone fought to establish something else – Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, whatever – as theirs alone. As the number of wineries in the region has now touched the 2000 mark, the quest for such supremacy has become a bit muddled, the exceptions being (no surprise) Pinot Noir (clearly Oregon) and Cabernet/BDX blends (undoubtedly Washington). Pretty much any other variety or important blend has its worthwhile advocates and examples in both states.

One more exception is true méthode champenoise sparkling wines. In just the past decade, the number, quality and consistency of these wines has put Oregon way out in front. It's partly because something like 200 Oregon wineries make at least a few hundred cases of Champagne-style bubbly (using some mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, re-fermented in the bottle, and following all standard Champagne practices). Partly because they can out-source the most labor and time-consuming parts of the process to a central venue, the Radiant Sparkling Wine Company. And partly because a few well-funded producers, notably Domaine Serene, have built full-scale sparkling wine facilities that bring the entire process, from grape-growing to final disgorgement, in-house.

I've tracked these developments in Oregon from the very beginning, and was aware of the growth and success of this nascent industry. But when I put out a call for samples to both states I truly expected more and better from Washington. Just a handful of méthode champenoise sparklers from this state were submitted, and I'm not sure that many were missed. Pét-Nats, lovely though they are, are a different category entirely.

If there is a downside to Oregon's success it is that for the most part these wines are very limited and must be purchased directly from the winery. Almost without exception they are expensive. The closer they come to embodying (not mimicking) the quality of fine Champagne, the more they will be compared to those wines in terms of price. And as a general rule, Oregon's sparklers do not undercut entry-level Champagnes on price. Price aside, they are quite competitive, and well worth your consideration.

Here are the méthode champenoise sparkling wines that showed and scored best in my month of tastings. I list them alphabetically by producer for convenience. If you are a producer and your wine is not shown please feel free to contact me directly and I will send you my unpublished notes. If you are a producer who did not submit wines for this tasting round please send them along (weather permitting) any time this summer and fall for inclusion in my next roundup. I will also spotlight some excellent non-Champagne method fizz on a Substack post next week.

Adelsheim 2017 Bryan Creek Vineyard Sparkling Rosé – Effusive bubbles, a tawny gold color, splendid fruit and the mouthfeel of fine Champagne – this single vineyard release from Adelsheim has it all. A roughly equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from this high elevation estate vineyard, there's a succulent texture, and overall the balance is spot-on. This is one of the handful of méthode champenoise wines from the Willamette Valley that truly evoke the French style. 376 6-pak cases; 12%; $75 (Chehalem Mountains) 95/100

Areté 2019 Brut Rosé – A copper/cherry color, this all-Pinot Noir wine from Iris Vineyards has a lot going for it. Hand-made and estate-grown, it's carefully tended from vineyard management on through tirage bottling, riddling, disgorging and labeling – all done by hand at the winery. The wine is elegant and aromatic, with raspberry fruit at the core. There's a fine bead and good balance. At this price it's a standout value among its Oregon peers. 180 cases; 12.1%; $34 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Corollary 2019 Cuvée One Extra Brut – From a dedicated sparkling wine-only producer, this blend is two thirds Chardonnay, one quarter Pinot Noir and the rest Pinot Blanc. The contributing vineyards are an all-star crew including X-Omni, Cattrall Brothers and Winter's Hill. This wine does not shy away from showing its fruit, a mix of pear, peach and melon, nicely blended and supported with ample acidity. The separate base wines were left on the lees for nine months prior to blending for secondary fermentation. It's a bold, fruity wine with a long, clean, tart and immaculately fresh finish. 191 cases; 12.5%; $45 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Corollary 2019 Cuvée One Rosé Extra Brut – This is a pretty copper-colored wine presented in a frosted glass bottle. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Gris. It's fruit-driven, with a burst of cranberry sauce and cherry candy in the center. The crisp acids frame the fruit with citrus rind, adding a touch of mineral along the way. The finish extends gracefully with no off notes. 161 cases; 12.6%; $55 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Corollary 2019 Momtazi Vineyard Extra Brut Carbonic Rosé – Calling this a "carbonic" rosé, the winery notes that the Pinot Noir clusters were left to ferment naturally for nine days prior to being foot-crushed. That plus the vineyard's biodynamic viticulture adds subtle grace notes to the flavors, hints of herb and earth and underbrush. The fruit brings a blend of orange, tangerine and pink grapefruit, highlighted with tart acids. 94 cases; 12.1%; $65 (McMinnville) 93/100

Corollary 2018 Winter's Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc Sparkling Wine – This single vineyard, single grape expression puts forward a strong case for making méthode champenoise wines from this rarely used – though allowed in true Champagne – variety. Tart, bracing and bursting with citrus fruit, this is a lip-smacking style which clearly puts a new world shine on an old world wine. It's bubbly for acid-lovers (and I am one) with a lemony kick that begs for fresh oysters (and skip the mignonette please). 65 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Corollary 2018 Namaste Vineyard Brut – Three quarters old vine Chardonnay, one quarter old vine Pinot Noir, this distinctive wine has a black pepper note that rings across the palate. It's precise, deep and racy, with touches of candied pineapple, ginger and Meyer lemon. The length and intensity are of particular note, and this very young wine is the one to cellar for a decade or more. 81 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Van Duzer Corridor) 93/100

Corollary 2018 X-Omni Vineyard Blanc de Blancs – From a top vineyard in this Chardonnay-centric AVA, this exceptional all-Chardonnay bubbly deserves the center ring in the Corollary portfolio. I love the purity, the power and the precision of this wine. Fermented in neutral oak, left on the lees for six months, then re-fermented en tirage for three and a half years, this expressive wine is as close the Champagne as you can find in Oregon. Pay attention to the finish, which lingers and keeps adding nuances and details all the way through. 96 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100 

Dion 2019 Marie Grace Blanc de Blanc – Estate-grown Chardonnay, done in the traditional Champagne method, highlights this exemplary wine. It's lively with a deep spiciness, tangy citrus, crisp apple and subtle notes of vanilla wafer. As with fine Champagne, the depth of flavor even in such a young wine suggests it will age for decades. 12.5%; (Laurelwood District) 94/100

Domaine Divio 2019 Crémant Vintage Brut – This excellent, Champagne method Brut is made from Hyland vineyard Chardonnay planted in 1981. Disgorged last November, it's young, tart, subtle, elegant and lively. Flavors of crisp green apple abound, with lime and oyster shell highlights. Drink it chilled to bring up the minerality, or let it warm to emphasize the fruit. 90 cases; 12.8%; $70 (Willamette Valley) 93/100 

Domaine Divio 2016 Crémant Pinot Noir Rosé Extended Tirage – Dark sunset hue, Coury clone Pinot sourced from the Hyland vineyard. Still young, tight, with light strawberry fruit. A beautiful wine to contemplate, with concentrated power, fine bead and lightly spicy. The finish is clean and persistent. 120 cases; 12.5%; $85 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve M.V. 4 Sparkling Wine – The winery indicates which edition of its non-vintage (M.V. stands for multi-vintage) sparkling wines with a number on the neck label – here M.V. 4. An elegant wine made with estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this cements Domaine Serene's place at the top with the very finest producers of méthode champenoise sparkling wines on the west coast. The finesse, detail, complexity and dynamism of this wine do indeed compare to fine Champagne, yet put a new world stamp on the fruit, the ripeness and the overall power through the finish. Barrel aging prior to second fermentation brings nuanced notes of pastry and lightly toasted almonds around a core of fresh cut pears. 12.5%; $85 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

Domaine Serene 2014 Evenstad Vintage Reserve Brut – The long-awaited release of this vintage reserve marks an important milestone for the winery's ambitious sparkling wine program. Two thirds Pinot Noir and one third Chardonnay, all estate-grown, spent over six years en tirage. Like vintage Champagne this puts a focus on purity of expression, here further amplified by the closely related vineyard sites. Still tasting quite youthful, this offers crisp apple, steely acids and a tightly wound core. Let it warm up a bit in the glass and it will expand to reveal a range of stone fruits, biscuit, meringue and lemon zest. 12%; $110 (Dundee Hills) 95/100

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Brut Rosé M.V. 4 Sparkling Wine – Hewing close to the Champagne practice of introducing reserve wines into their non-vintage brut, this wine includes 10% reserves along with balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the 2017 vintage. Barrel aged for eight months, then kept en tirage for several years. A pale copper hue, this hints at strawberry cream but vibrates with lemony acidity. 1840 cases; 12.5%; $105 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Domaine Serene 2015 Evenstad Vintage Reserve Brut Rosé – The companion to the Vintage Reserve Brut, this rosé is three quarters Pinot Noir, one quarter Chardonnay, all estate-grown. Note that the two wines are from different vintages, A lush copper color, this complex wine finesses scents and flavors of mountain strawberries, watermelon, Key lime, lemon meringue and more. The exceptional depth and ripeness of the vintage is well expressed here, with a lively tartness lifting the flavors through a lingering finish. 12% $125 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

Irvine & Roberts 2018 Brut Cuvée – The winery is anchored in the Rogue Valley, where these estate grapes were grown. It's their first sparkling wine, a classic blend of 62% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier. The high elevation (2100 feet) site would seems well-suited to growing grapes for sparkling wines, for which these were specifically farmed. A fine bead and precise, tightly focused flavors confirm this is done in a tart, elegant style. Apple, melon, cucumber, citrus and stone flavors abound, with a full mid-palate. It's fresh and spicy, bold and lingering. 145 cases; 12.5%; $100 (Rogue Valley) 92/100

Lundeen NV Brut – This méthode champenoise wine is 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Gris. In keeping with traditional Champagne practices the base wine includes reserve Chardonnay from past vintages. This is a stylish effort, with good detail and penetration. It was barrel fermented and light touches of barrel toast add further complexity to the finished wine. Less expensive than many comparable wines from the Willamette. 330 cases; 12.7%; $40 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Lundeen NV Brut Reserve – Lundeen's top bubbly is a 60/40 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend, with one quarter of the base wine comprised of reserves dating back to 2012. It's a solid effort making a run at a true Champagne style. Toasty with a fine bead and excellent concentration, this certainly merits the reserve designation given the quality. 80 cases; 12.8%; $60 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Nysa 2017 Blanc de Noir – This sparkling Pinot Noir is the first bubbly from this well-respected Dundee Hills vineyard. Released after five years en tirage, it's got a fine bead and the clean, ultra-fresh mouthfeel underscores the care and attention lavished upon it. Citrus, celery, apple and wet stone flavors cascade across and down through the palate. The wine lingers and finishes crisp and clean. Congratulations to Michael Mega and the team at Nysa who produced this outstanding debut. 125 cases; 11.5%; $85 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Raptor Ridge 2018 Estate Cuvée Sparkling Brut Rosé – This fine-tuned, all Pinot Noir méthode champenoise is a fine example of the quality sparklers being produced throughout the Willamette Valley. Pale straw, fine bead, tangy minerality, citrus flesh and rind, green apple... all you'd wish for in a fine bottle of bubbly. 364 cases; 12.5%; $55 (Chehalem Mountains) 92/100

R. Stuart NV Brut Rosé d'Or – This is principally Pinot Noir, with 20% Chardonnay. A pale copper, this offers complex flavors deftly showing nutmeg, honeysuckle, lemon meringue, white strawberries, crisp apples and on it goes. There's good length and detail all the way through. 120 cases; 13%; $65 (Oregon) 92/100

Soter NV Estates Brut X – This is the second edition of the Brut X (noted as such on the back label), Half is from the 2018 vintage, half is reserve wine; 60% is Pinot Noir, 40% is Chardonnay, sourced from estate vineyards. This is sleek, steely, subtle and subterranean, in the sense of layer upon layer somewhat hidden at first. Compact fruit, a fine bead, a touch of brioche and more awaits discovery. One way to unpack a young sparkling wine such as this is to let it warm up in the glass, and watch it open and change. With a couple of hours of breathing time, this did indeed open gloriously. 339 cases; 12.8%; $65 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

Stoller NV Estate Brut – This multi-vintage Brut from Stoller is almost 100% Pinot Noir, straw gold and deeply flavorful. Ripe apples, citrus rind, a touch of white pepper and anise, along with its superior length, make this one of the finest values in méthode champenoise Oregon wines. A hint of ginger informs the lingering fadeout. 750 cases; 12%; $40 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Stoller 2018 Larue's Brut Rosé – This is 80/20 Pinot/Chardonnay, barrel fermented prior to secondary fermentation, and has benefitted with an expansive palate. Accents of dry straw, concentrated cherry fruit and a bready base last and linger through a complex and captivating finish. 420 cases; 12%; $65 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website. 

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. 

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out.

Thank you for your support. This website contains no material written by AI. None. It is 100% created with HI (human intelligence). "The gold standard is trust, not information. A single trustworthy voice is worth more than ten thousand bot-written articles." – Ted Gioia (on Substack)

Goodbye Cheap Wine? Hello Premiumization!

This new trend seems counterintuitive (at least to me) given that consumers are drifting away from wine and toward a plethora of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Beer, cocktails, hard sodas, ciders and more new options have slowly but surely eaten away at overall wine consumption, even as boomers age out and calculate how to drink down their wine cellars before, well, you get the idea.

So wouldn't that suggest that demand for cheap wine would rise, as it would be more competitive price-wise with the alternatives? But it may be that the opposite is true. A story out of Australia this week noted that Treasury Wine Estates is shutting down a 50-year-old winery and selling vineyard assets because its budget brands such as 19 Crimes, Lindeman's and Wolf Blass are not selling well enough to keep the doors open.

Blaming changing consumer trends, wine preferences and so-called "environmental factors" a Treasury spokesperson noted that global tastes have tilted toward more expensive, high quality wines and away from cheaper (let's say supermarket-friendly) brands. 19 Crimes is notable because its sales took off during the pandemic thanks to the endorsement by Snoop Dogg. But trendy is as trendy does and apparently the celebrity glow has faded, and rather quickly.

Wine trends are difficult to predict, and this one is subject to closer scrutiny. On the same day I read the Treasury story another piece (this one out of England) asked if the premiumization trend is all but over.  Quoting statistics from DISCUS (the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.) the story (published in the Drinks Business) notes that inflation in particular has slowed, though not ended, rising sales of higher-priced wines and spirits.

Although I am eager to point readers to really well-made 'value' wines, I almost never find them among wines costing $10 and under. During the first six months of this year, for example, I spotlighted 27 Outstanding Value Wines. Only two fell below $10. Here's the breakdown.

White wines – 1 blend, 1 Chardonnay, 2 Albariños, 2 Pinot Gris, 2 Rieslings

Rosé wines – 4 sparkling, 2 still wines

Red wines – 1 Syrah, 3 Cabernets, 4 blends, 5 Pinot Noirs

The Underwood Bubbles were the only truly inexpensive wines, partly because they come in 12 ounce cans. Most of those listed here cost between $20 and $40. They qualify as values because in comparison with comparably-priced peer group wines they offer exceptional quality.

Why so many Pinot Noirs? Over the past decade I've tasted and reviewed far more Pinots (and Oregon wines overall) than Washington wines. The invitation has been extended to all Northwest wineries to contact me for potential features and reviews. I look to find a more equitable balance between Oregon and Washington wines in the coming months.

The weekly Value Wines to date:

6/30 – The Eyrie Vineyards 2021 The Eyrie Pinot Gris 94/100

6/23 – Areté 2019 Brut Rosé 91/100

6/16 – Hyland Estates 2022 Old Vine Single Vineyard Riesling 94/100

6/9 – Underwood 2022 The Bubbles & Underwood 2022 Rosé Bubbles 90/100

6/2 – Cardwell Hill 2022 Estate Rosé from Pinot Noir 91/100

5/26 – Day 2022 Vin de Days Blanc 94/100

5/19 – Abacela 2022 Albariño 92/100

5/12 – Dion 2021 Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 92/100

5/5 – Trisaetum 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 92/100

4/28 – Lone Birch 2021 Syrah 89/100

4/21 – Palencia/El Viñador 2022 Albariño 90/100

4/14 – Portlandia NV Rosé Sparkling Wine 91/100

4/7 – Ovum 2022 PNK Salt 93/100

3/31 – Abeja 2021 Chardonnay 95/100

3/24 – Hyland Estates 2021 Single Vineyard Petit Estate Pinot Noir 92/100

3/17 – Arenness Cellars 2019 Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 92/100

3/10 – Aquilini 2020 Chasing Rain Cabernet Sauvignon 92/100

3/3 – Panther Creek 2021 Pinot Gris 91/100

2/24 – Parabellum 2020 Coulée 96/100

2/17 – River’s Edge 2018 Barrel Select Pinot Noir 92/100

2/10 – Tyrus Evan 2021 Red Blend

2/3 – King Estate 2021 Inscription Pinot Noir 90/100

1/28 – Seven Hills 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon  92/100

1/21 – Love & Squalor 2018 Dry Riesling 96/100

1/14 – Peter William 2018 GSM 93/100

1/7 – King Estate 2018 NEXT Red 89/100

My general focus has been and will continue to be on limited production, high value, artisanal wines and wineries. This is on trend with trade and consumer preferences. Most importantly, better wines make for more interesting reading. There isn't much to say about generic, industrial, mass produced wines other than that they are easy to find and generally consistent in a rather generic style.

I leave you this week with notes on two outstanding producers, one from each state. WeatherEye wines, made by Force Majeure's Todd Alexander, are from the Red Mountain vineyard previously written up in my entry on Liminal wines. (March 31st) These latest releases are highly allocated so jump on them while you can. Sidereus was previously A Blooming Hill Vineyard. The winemaker is Jason Bull. They are very fine values across the portfolio. The Sidereus website also lists several Pinots but those were not submitted so I have not reviewed them.

WeatherEye

WeatherEye 2021 Hillfighter Estate White Wine

This is a tight, focused, dense and flavorful 100% Roussanne. It's yeasty, compact and layered with herbal tea, honeycomb, wet hay, dried pineapple and apricot. Unusual and fascinating, with exceptional length. 58 cases; 15%, $45 (Red Mountain) 92/100

WeatherEye 2021 Estate Roussanne

Yeasty, almost beery flavors underscore an unusual Roussanne from the vineyard atop Red Mountain. The flavors mingle citrus and stone, fruit and rind, with well-balanced acids. Native yeast adds subtle and elegant floral/botanical highlights. 51 cases; 14.5%; $85 (Red Mountain) 91/100

WeatherEye 2021 Estate Marsanne

A burnished gold, this dense and aromatic wine shows some of the oxidative characteristics of an orange wine, along with the wild, feral scents of native yeasts. The expected fresh fruit flavors are muted, while texture, depth and minerality are highlighted. The finish edges close to a bit of lingering heat, along with marzipan and nut oil. 80 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Red Mountain) 91/100

WeatherEye 2021 Estate Clairette

A lightly lemony white grape rarely found in this country. It's becoming less and less common in southern France, where it is one of a half dozen white grapes allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. This pure varietal bottling was whole cluster pressed and fermented in amphora and neutral wood. It's spicy and rich, palate-coating and flavorful with apple, melon, popcorn and saline notes. 46 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Red Mountain) 92/100

WeatherEye 2021 L'atomique Estate White Wine

The deep coppery gold color is from extended skin contact, and the winery notes that this is not an oxidative style, nor is it an orange wine. The mixed varieties – 40% Viognier, 33% Roussanne, 16% Clairette, 7% Marsanne, 4% Grenache Blanc – were picked together, de-stemmed, and fermented on the skins until almost dry, then barreled down to finish. It's strikingly aromatic with orange blossom, tangerine and chamomile highlights. The flavors linger and turn astringent through the finish. This is a one-of-a-kind wine from a one-of-a-kind vineyard. 56 cases; 15%; $85 (Red Mountain) 92/100

WeatherEye 2020 Hillfighter Estate Red Wine

This is a spicy blend – 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Grenache, 11% Merlot, 5% Tempranillo, 5% Syrah – with drying, astringent tannins. The core flavors bring tight, concentrated black fruits, espresso, charred wood and burnt tobacco. This is a bold, sturdy wine, well-structured and leaning heavily into the dark side. Much improved on the second day; it smoothed out, opened up and was enjoyed down to the last drop. 250 cases; 15%, $55 (Red Mountain) 93/100

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Grenache 

Made with native yeast, 25% whole cluster, in concrete and open top fermenters, this was finished in large format neutral oak. It's a splendid Grenache, with massive red and black fruits that vibrate through an electric core. Far more than just a fruit bomb, this wine evolves, expands and radiates through an extended finish. 180 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Red Mountain) 94/100 

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Syrah 

This was fermented in concrete and open top stainless fermenters with native yeast and 10% whole clusters, then finished in 20% new French oak large oak vessels. It's solidly varietal, with veins of iodine, licorice, black tea, licorice, espresso and... well you get the drift. Black stuff! These are young vines with enormous potential. 230 cases; 15%; $85 (Red Mountain) 93/100

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Mourvèdre 

All varietal WeatherEye wines are 100% the variety named. Native yeast is the standard at WeatherEye, here done with 15% whole cluster fruit. Aged in a moderate (10%) percentage of new oak, this exceptional wine clearly defines this grape (which is most often found in a blend) as a single varietal. Lightly savory, with peppery red fruits, it's a subtle red despite the medium high abv. The limited new oak exposure brings a hint of sandalwood to the finish. Give it plenty of breathing time and it opens up broadly with lush, palate-coating flavors. 70 cases; 14.6%; $85 (Red Mountain) 93/100

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Tempranillo

A bold style, bursts open with juicy/jammy blackberry and black cherry fruit. It was fermented with native yeast in stainless steel and then aged 22 months in 50% new French oak. As the abv on all WeatherEye wines suggests, they are fully ripe and relatively alcoholic. It's a consistent style across the entire portfolio. I suspect this Tempranillo will drink better and better over the next five years. 100 cases; 14.7%; $85 (Red Mountain) 92/100

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 

I don't know many if any pure Cabernets that were fermented in concrete and closed top stainless fermenters as was the case here. Native yeast is the standard at WeatherEye. This was finished in 60% new French oak over 22 months. The tannins are so astringent that they soak up the flavors.. Even after a full day the tannins did not soften up at all. 180 cases; 15%; $130 (Red Mountain) N/R

www.SidereusWinery.com

Sidereus 2022 Estate Riesling

Aromatic and inviting, this seduces with scents of citrus, pineapple and Meyer lemon. The fruit bursts open fully on the palate, juicy and refreshing. It's like a bowl of your favorite fruit salad, lively and acidic, clean and tangy. It's finished dry but with so much fruit that it has more body than bone dry Rieslings. 180 cases; 12.6%; $25 (Laurelwood District) 91/100

Sidereus 2022 Estate Pinot Gris

Estate grapes (from the vineyard formerly named A Blooming Hill) bring vivacious fruit front and center, a delicious mix of satsuma oranges, pears and papaya. This is simply bursting with flavor, clean, fresh and invigorating, with accents of gin-like botanicals trailing the finish. 315 cases; 13.5%; $25 (Laurelwood District) 92/100

Sidereus 2022 Roussanne

This tastes like an extra-rich Pinot Gris, with ripe, round flavors of Bosch pear cut with orange acidity. I tasted it warm to draw out any flaws (there were none) and later revisited it at proper cellar temperature for these notes. Along with the defining pear flavors you'll find green melon and papaya, a soft palate with good length, and gentle hints of citrus. 90 cases; 13.6%;; $35 (Columbia Valley) 92/100

Sidereus 2021 Estate Chardonnay

This first Chardonnay from Sidereus was fermented in one third new French oak. Predictably the young wine is still integrating some barrel flavors, which put a sharp and toasty edge on the entry. This definitely needs decanting/aeration to smooth it out, soften the palate and bring out the creamy butter and apple pie highlights. 141 cases; 13.4%; $30 (Laurelwood District) 92/100

Sidereus 2022 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir

The current Sidereus lineup of white wines is explosively fruity, and that appealing style continues to inform this splendid rosé. It's dancing around the edges of off-dry with 1.2% residual sugar, boosting the delicious flavors of strawberry and watermelon with a hint of powdered sugar. Nonetheless when you chill this down it's dry enough to work with a wide range of foods. Try cold noodle dishes for example. Experiment and enjoy! 210 cases; 13.4%; $25 (Laurelwood District) 90/100

Sidereus 2021 Bull's Blend

This is a four-grape Bordeaux blend, principally Merlot and Cabernet. Its flavors are up front, with a bit of a quick fade in the back palate. It's medium-bodied, but not as substantial as most Washington blends at this abv. Strikes me as more of a pleasant quaffer than a wine to cellar. 299 cases; 14.9%; $40 (Columbia Valley) 89/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out.

Thank you for your support. This website contains no material written by AI. None. It is 100% created with HI (human intelligence). "The gold standard is trust, not information. A single trustworthy voice is worth more than ten thousand bot-written articles." – Ted Gioia (on Substack)

The Remarkable Ageability of The Eyrie Vineyards' Wines

Thirty years ago this summer I was finishing up the first edition of 'Northwest Wines' with co-author Jeff Prather, a close friend who was at the time the Wine Director at Ray's Boathouse. During the year that the book was being researched and written I'd been paying particular attention to the drubbing that Eyrie wines were getting in the national wine press – notably some critical reviews in the two most influential publications of the day – Wine Spectator and Robert Parker.

The fashion at the time, even among many Oregon vintners, was to make heavy, over-ripe, alcoholic, super-saturated California-style Pinot Noir. Some of these wines closely resembled Syrahs. Eyrie's Pinots back then, as now, were 180 degrees apart in ripeness, élévage, texture and abv. Although Eyrie founder David Lett had pioneered Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley a quarter century earlier, his wines had fallen completely out of vogue. And I couldn't find a reviewer anywhere who would stand up for him.

I became that reviewer with the entry on Eyrie published in 'Northwest Wines' later that year. After recounting the many firsts (vineyards, grape varieties, awards) that the wines had accumulated by that time, I wrote the following:

"Recently Eyrie's Pinot has come under attack from wine reviewers who seem to believe that all Pinot Noir should be dark, jammy, and etched in new oak. 'I don't make dark color, high alcohol wines; I never have' is Lett's reply. 'I want finesse'."

"It is their incredible longevity that is the ultimate validation of Lett's theories" I continued. "Eyrie's Pinots set a towering standard for ageworthiness; they often don't begin to evolve until most other wines of the vintage have died."

Thirty years on those words still ring true. What has changed dramatically over time are widely-accepted standards of excellence for Oregon Pinots. From winemakers to retailers to somms to writers the favored wines today are low in alcohol, high in acids, and replete with herbal and earthy phenolics that are counterweights to ripe but never over-ripe fruit. I've spent the past week focused on a dozen current releases from Eyrie, not only because they continue to be the standard for longevity in Oregon, but because by tasting and re-tasting them over multiple days I can get a better view of their long term aging curve.

All Eyrie wines are estate-grown and farmed organically. In addition, regenerative no-till farming is practiced, meaning special attention is given to the health of the total ecosystem of the soils. The single block cuvées are produced identically using wild yeasts and small fermentation vessels. They're aged in mixed cooperage, including 12% new oak. They are like stair steps up the total vineyard elevation, from the lowest (Sisters at 220 feet) to the highest (Daphne at 860 feet).

Among the rarities currently shown are a luscious 2018 Melon de Bourgogne; a 2019 Pinot Meunier still wine; and a 2021 Trousseau. The wines bottled as 'The Eyrie" – a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir – seem to me to represent the essence of those varieties as seen through the lens of second gen winemaker Jason Lett.

And then there is the coup de grace as far as any lingering criticism of Eyrie from the old guard – the legendary South Block Reserve. This is a wine that was more of a myth than a reality for decades, and this new release has earned one of a handful of perfect scores I've awarded in the past quarter century.

You will find most of the wines reviewed below listed for purchase here. These scores reflect how the wines are tasting right now and could improve with additional bottle age.

The Eyrie Vineyards 2018 Melon de Bourgogne – A deep gold, this delicious wine, purportedly a domestic version of Muscadet, bears only a passing resemblance to the Loire Valley wine. This is rich and succulent, loaded with ripe fruit flavors of melon and papaya. It feels relatively light in acid, and may be at or near its peak drinking window. That said, with Eyrie wines being known for astonishing longevity, that is pure speculation. 45 cases; 12%; $45 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2021 The Eyrie Pinot Gris – Jason Lett calls this Pinot Gris "a liquid manifesto." He believes the grape can equal Pinot Noir in its ability to "reflect the nuances of site, craft and vine age." During my recent visit to the winery he pressed the point with a bottle from 1983 that was still drinking beautifully. But this young PG is perfectly delicious, with a refreshing stony minerality that soaks on through the finish.. The fruits coalesce around apple, peach and citrus and linger with a power and presence that suggests this too will age for decades. 156 cases; 12.9%; $30 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 The Eyrie Chardonnay – This special wine is a barrel selection from Chardonnay vines purportedly the oldest in the Willamette Valley. They are also, the winery believes, among the last surviving examples of the Draper field selection, a French import now believed to be extinct elsewhere. It's a slender wine, but not thin; fresh but not racy. The fruit brings apple and pear front and center, with a touch of lemon rind as the wine fades. Built to age, this wine should continue to evolve over the next 10 to 15 years. 196 cases; 12.7%; $90 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2021 Trousseau – It's been several years since I last tasted this wine, and the vines, planted in 2012, have had some time to develop deeper roots. The aromatics of this latest vintage are as evocative and compelling as Pinot Noir, the color reminiscent of Sangiovese, the fruit flavors a compendium of flowers, herbs, rhubarb and berries. The balance is fine, the tannins rugged but proportionate, and the finish brings touches of earth and citrus into play. In short, this is a fascinating and complex wine that is a perfect complement to Jason Lett's expansive portfolio of Pinot Noir. 11.5%; $40 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Pinot Meunier – Most commonly known as the sturdy component of Blanc de Noir Champagnes, this rather rare single varietal still wine unmasks the grape and reveals more of its true character. The flavors are surprisingly light – red currant, rose hips, herbal tea, orange peel – but complex and nicely intertwined. The tannins are present and accounted for but balanced, ripe and supportive. The flavors linger gracefully through a long finish. At the end of the day, it's a fine complement to the Eyrie Pinot Noirs, with its own special strengths. 375 cases; 12.8%; $50 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Estate Pinot Noir – This blends grapes from five separate estate vineyards, crafting a wine that perhaps best captures the Eyrie zeitgeist as it exists in the current decade. To my palate, along with 'The Eyrie' bottling, this is the smoothest and most quickly accessible of the winery's 2019 Pinots. The distinctive components that characterize Eyrie – earth, bramble, neutral wood, dried herbs, breakfast tea, tart fruits and a hint of funk – are here in perfect harmony. If you can put the word ‘classic’ in front of any Oregon Pinot Noir, it would be this one. 1553 cases; 13.1%; $50 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 The Eyrie Pinot Noir – From the original site farmed at Eyrie (since replanted), this honors the past while showcasing the present. Along with 'The Eyrie' bottlings of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, they form a trio that represents the summation of the decades of work put in by the Lett family. I don't know if any original vines contributed to this blend, but in any event they are quickly vanishing due to ongoing phylloxera. Nonetheless, it's classic Eyrie – subtle, elegant, a bit disarming, with light red fruits, tea leaf tannins, a long, gliding finish, and decades of life ahead. 13%; $85 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Sisters Pinot Noir – Jason Lett has divvied up his vineyards by age and elevation, this being the lowest site, planted four decades ago. There is a pleasing, earthy funkiness to the aromatics, a touch of leather and compost. Those same flavors wrap around tight raspberry fruit in a compact core. The Sisters name references the three Pinot family grapes planted here – Noir, Blanc and Gris. An earthy finish rings out with a tang as the wine fades. 503 cases; 13.3%; $55 (Dundee Hills) 92/100 

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Outcrop Pinot Noir – This site was planted over the past 20 to 40 years on thin, rocky, volcanic soils adjoining the original Eyrie vineyard. This seems like a more extreme version of the other Pinots – more earthy, with bitter herbs and thinner fruit. That said, it keeps its poise and balance, and makes a pretty good comparison to a fine Village Burgundy from a top vintage. Where will it go from here? Time will tell. 195 cases; 13.8%; $70 (Dundee Hills) 91/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Roland Green Pinot Noir – From a vineyard first planted in 1988 to ungrafted Pommard and Wadenswil clones, this initially opens tight and tannic. The unmatched track record for ageworthy Oregon Pinot established by the Lett family at Eyrie comes at a price – these wines, even when held back an extra year or two, can be tough to unpack. This is dense with composted earth, black fruits, espresso-soaked tannins and a thread of black licorice. After 24 hours the wine begins to unwrap; after 48 it's bursting open aromatically and the mouthfeel finally softens up and spreads out with strawberries, black cherries and very light suggestions of toasted almonds. 197 cases; 13.6%; $70 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2019 Daphne Pinot Noir – Daphne is the highest site among the winery’s vineyards, topping out at 890 feet. Principally planted to Pinot Gris, a small 1974 plot of Pinot Noir grows at the top. There the thin soils and cold winds emphasize the acids, giving this wine a juicy, lemony foundation. The red fruits are quite tart, strawberries and raspberries not yet at full sugary ripeness. The style fits well into the total Eyrie Pinot portfolio. This wine should be aggressively aerated, and is built to appeal to acid lovers. 198 cases; 13%; $90 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

The Eyrie Vineyards 2017 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir – Planted in 1968 and first bottled as a single block in 1975, these 10 rows of Pinot Noir are as special and iconic as any grapes in Oregon. This legendary bottling was for many vintages made and cellared but never released. I was privileged to attend a tasting of a couple dozen back vintages that Jason Lett orchestrated some years ago. This 2017 is a 'young' wine with almost unbounded aging potential. Elegant, subtle, complex, well-integrated components bring rhubarb, raspberry, pie cherry, tea, a touch of cumin and more flavors into play. After 24 hours baking spices and candied fruits emerge. By any measure this is a stunning achievement that can be enjoyed immediately (with decanting!) or cellared indefinitely. So often, expensive high end and rare wines are ripened to excessive levels, given massive amounts of new oak. and basically blown out. Here is a truly magical wine that has been given the vinification it deserves so it can show itself in all its unique glory. The track record of ageability speaks volumes. Drink now until.... 2050? 97 cases; 12.9%; $250 (Dundee Hills) 100/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. 

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support! This website contains no material written by AI. It is 100% pure HI (human intelligence). – Paul Gregutt

Corollary Wines – A Laser Focus On Méthode Champenoise Sparklers

When you see the phrase méthode champenoise on a sparkling wine it means that it was produced by the Champagne method. In plain terms, it was put through a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Of course there is a lot more to it, and I'm not going to drill down into the details here. But from a practical standpoint any wine that says it was done in this way is likely to be 1) expensive and 2) a cut above cheaper fizz made by simply carbonating a still wine, or (in the case of Pét-Nat wines) finishing the primary (not secondary) fermentation in the bottle.

In the past decade the number of méthode champenoise wines from Oregon has rocketed. The growth began when Andrew Davis opened his Radiant Sparkling Wine Company in McMinnville as a dedicated facility for fine bubbly. Rather than having to do the whole complex production process at their own winery, producers could simply make their base wines and have Radiant take them right on through to final disgorgement and bottling.

The Willamette Valley is especially well-positioned to make quality sparkling wines from the classic Champagne grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – all of which are grown here. The still wines have proven over the decades which sites have the chops, the dirt and the climate to do a much better than average job with these demanding grapes. So it's not a big jump to imagine that more than a few wineries should be able to do something great with sparkling wines.

Not that these wines are the same as great Champagne, though some come close. The unique Kimmeridgian clay that makes the wines great in Champagne is not found in Oregon. But  the best Oregon sparkling wines can emulate it, with notes of seashells and sea breeze aromatics. As the quality has become evident, more ambitious programs have sprung up, notably the sparkling wine program at Domaine Serene, which takes place at a new facility on site and now includes more than a half dozen different styles. Another new program has been launched at Corollary Wines, where co-founders Jeanne Feldkamp and Dan Diephouse have chosen to focus exclusively on top tier bubbly.

Only a couple of wineries in Oregon have debuted with a focus on Champagne-style sparkling wines. Argyle was the first. Roco was another. Soter came to Oregon with a strong background in sparkling wines. But none of them make sparkling wines exclusively. I reached out to Jeanne and Dan to get a better understanding of their purpose, progress and plans for Corollary.

Coming from a technology background, their interest in making sparkling wines seems to have developed more from a consumer p-o-v than from prior wine industry experience. They launched Corollary in 2017. The website currently lists a half dozen wines from purchased grapes that are now available. And last summer the couple purchased a previously-undeveloped plot of land in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, destined to be the home for a tasting room and estate vineyard.

PG:  Why have you decided to embark upon making only méthode champenoise wines – probably the most difficult and time-consuming concept imaginable for a start-up?

Jeanne:  "Dan and I met in San Francisco years ago, and we used to travel up to Oregon regularly to see my family in Beaverton. We often visited wineries in the Willamette Valley and after tasting mostly Pinots and Chardonnays we found ourselves asking why a region that grew such lovely classic Champagne grapes wasn’t producing more sparkling wine. There were Argyle, Soter, and a few others, but they were hard to find. And we still didn’t see how to scale a sparkling winery beyond a boutique project."

PG:  A visit to Radiant changed all that?

JF:  "We met Andrew Davis, who had just started Radiant Sparkling Wine Company, and at that point we saw how to make Corollary work from a business perspective. So we started to get serious about building out our plan to make it happen. Making exclusively traditional method sparkling is indeed difficult and time consuming, but that’s exactly what attracts us to it. We call Corollary our 50-year project because it’s the thing we felt was worthy of working on for the next 50 years of our lives."

PG:  I was struck by your creative approach, already obvious in these first releases. Excellent vineyard sources, intriguing blends, a carbonic rosé and single vineyard/single grape offerings. 

JF:  "This spring we released our 2019 Cuvée One, 2019 Cuvée One Rosé, 2019 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé, the other 2018 single vineyards. Later this year we’ll release our 2017 Extended Tirage Cuvée One. Next spring it’ll be the same, but for the 2020, 2019, and 2018 vintages respectively.

"We have added a few new fruit sources over the years to grow our program. We began receiving Winter’s Hill Chardonnay in 2021. We purchased Pinot Meunier from Anne Amie’s Twelve Oaks property in 2021 and 2022. And we have three new sites for 2023 – Ninebark (Pinot Meunier), Ten Peaks (Pinot Noir), and Trovato (Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier). We enjoy developing long-term relationships with our growers and taking a collaborative approach to building our knowledge about farming for sparkling.”

PG:  What's the progress with the vineyard land you purchased last year?

JF:  "We have 11 acres going in this fall at our site in the Eola-Amity Hills. Cattrall Brothers, where we’ve been sourcing fruit since our first vintage in 2017, is just down the street. So we’ve got experience working in the area and have found it to be excellent for bubbles.

"Everything we’re doing at the property is designed from the ground up with sparkling in mind. All the things we’ve learned over these last six years in the valley are informing our choices about vineyard design, rootstock and clone selections, water management, regenerative practices, and even guest experience. Our first phase of plantings will include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and some Pinot Blanc."

PG:  How will you design your vineyard specifically for sparkling wine?

JF:  "Clonal selections are a good example of how we’re designing specifically for sparkling. For example, we’ve eschewed Dijon clone Pinot Noir as it generally ripens too quickly, leading to low acid and more cloying wines. Instead, we’re planting more 'heritage' clones such as Wädenswil, Upright, Mount Eden and Mariafeld. We’ve found that these reach a better balance of acid and fruit in our climate for bubbles.”

PG:  I really enjoyed your 2018 Winter's Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc Sparkling Wine.

JF:  "Pinot Blanc is another great example. With the right clone and site, you get this beautiful floral freshness, minerality, and acidity. The Winter’s Hill Pinot Blanc has become not just an important single vineyard wine for us but also an important blending component because it adds a beautiful, ethereal touch to the blends.

”We also have a few blocks which will be field blends, inspired by the mixed-clone blocks we source at X-Omni and Momtazi. We’re experimenting with different clones we’re bringing up from Foundation Plant Services in California that were originally brought into the US by various Champagne houses. We’re excited to experiment with these and see how they do in Oregon."

PG:  I look forward to tasting the results.

JF:  "It’ll be 2030 or so before we start releasing any wines from the vineyard, so you’re going to have to be patient! :). It’s a slow roll with sparkling. Of the 7000-ish cases we’ve made so far, we’ve only released 1000 or so."

PG:  It's obvious from Jeanne's thoughtful comments that the commitment is there to do whatever it takes to build a stellar brand. My tasting notes will provide further insight into the quality already achieved.

A word about pricing. I do not and will not ever criticize any wine or winery for its pricing. I will certainly point out what I consider to be value wines, which are those that over-deliver relative to their peers at a particular price point. That's what underlies the weekly "Outstanding Value" feature on this website. I'm not looking for cheap wines; I'm looking for wines that are underpriced for the quality and category they represent.

Oregon's méthode champenoise wines are expensive to produce and priced accordingly. In general they start around $40 and go up into the hundreds from there. I have no quibble about that, but it will be up to consumers to make the call as to whether they offer fair value. I will be posting many more reviews of current Oregon sparklers on my Substack pages over the course of the next couple of weeks. Here are my notes and scores on the Corollary wines.

Corollary

Photo credit: Lester Tsai Photography

Corollary 2019 Cuvée One Extra Brut – From a dedicated sparkling wine-only producer, this blend is two thirds Chardonnay, one quarter Pinot Noir and the rest Pinot Blanc. The contributing vineyards are an all-star crew including X-Omni, Cattrall Brothers and Winter's Hill. This wine does not shy away from showing its fruit, a mix of pear, peach and melon, nicely blended and supported with ample acidity. The separate base wines were left on the lees for nine months prior to blending for secondary fermentation. It's a bold, fruity wine with a long, clean, tart and immaculately fresh finish. 191 cases; 12.5%; $45 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Corollary 2019 Cuvée One Rosé Extra Brut – This is a pretty copper-colored wine presented in a frosted glass bottle. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Gris. It's fruit-driven, with a burst of cranberry sauce and cherry candy in the center. The crisp acids frame the fruit with citrus rind, adding a touch of mineral along the way. The finish extends gracefully with no off notes. 161 cases; 12.6%; $55 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Corollary 2019 Momtazi Vineyard Extra Brut Carbonic Rosé – Calling this a "carbonic" rosé, the winery notes that the Pinot Noir clusters were left to ferment naturally for nine days prior to being foot-crushed. That plus the vineyard's biodynamic viticulture adds subtle grace notes to the flavors, hints of herb and earth and underbrush. The fruit brings a blend of orange, tangerine and pink grapefruit, highlighted with tart acids. 94 cases; 12.1%; $65 (McMinnville) 93/100

Corollary 2018 Winter's Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc Sparkling Wine – This single vineyard, single grape expression puts forward a strong case for making méthode champenoise wines from this rarely used – though allowed in true Champagne – variety. Tart, bracing and bursting with citrus fruit, this is a lip-smacking style which clearly puts a new world shine on an old world wine. It's bubbly for acid-lovers (and I am one) with a lemony kick that begs for fresh oysters (and skip the mignonette please). 65 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Corollary 2018 Namaste Vineyard Brut – Three quarters old vine Chardonnay, one quarter old vine Pinot Noir, this distinctive wine has a black pepper note that rings across the palate. It's precise, deep and racy, with touches of candied pineapple, ginger and Meyer lemon. The length and intensity are of particular note, and this very young wine is the one to cellar for a decade or more. 81 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Van Duzer Corridor) 93/100 

Corollary 2018 X-Omni Vineyard Blanc de Blancs – From a top vineyard in this Chardonnay-centric AVA, this exceptional all-Chardonnay bubbly deserves the center ring in the Corollary portfolio. I love the purity, the power and the precision of this wine. Fermented in neutral oak, left on the lees for six months, then re-fermented en tirage for three and a half years, this expressive wine is as close the Champagne as you can find in Oregon. Pay attention to the finish, which lingers and keeps adding nuances and details all the way through. 96 cases; 11.4%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100

========================================================­====

The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website. 

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Hyland Estates Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With A Killer Lineup!

In 1971 the wine industry in the entire Pacific Northwest consisted of (maybe) two dozen wineries, most of which have long since disappeared. Planting a vineyard was, to say the least, a grand adventure. What to plant, where to plant, when to plant and how to plant were open questions. California provided the model, which was all there was to go on, and it turned out to be not very helpful given that conditions further north were not comparable. Washington was considered to be too hot and dry in the summer, too cold in the winter to grow anything but (maybe) a bit of Riesling. Oregon, the experts said, was simply too cold and too wet to grow wine grapes profitably.

Nonetheless a few stubborn pioneers in both states saw better prospects coming, understood that new wineries would provide customers for their grapes, and forged ahead. Hyland vineyard, first planted in '71 under the guidance of Dick Erath and Charles Coury, was one. Starting with about 15 acres of Pinot Noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the vineyard quickly became an essential provider of grapes to such wineries as Adelsheim, Knudsen-Erath and Sokol Blosser.

It remained under the same management from the late 1970s until 2007, when Laurent Montalieu's NW Wine Company purchased Hyland and began an ambitious program of growth. The vineyard now comprises 185 planted acres, most of it Pinot Noir, including the rare and legendary Coury clone. The Hyland Estates brand was introduced shortly after the purchase.

About 500 cases of Coury Clone Pinot Noir are produced annually, from vines dating back to the early 1970s. Other old vine releases from Hyland Estates include Gewürztraminer from 1970s blocks, Riesling from 1972 and 1974 plantings and Chardonnay first planted in 1979. The list of wineries making Hyland vineyard designates reads like a who's who of Oregon's finest. Along with in-house clients Domaine Divio and Soléna Estate are heavy hitters such as Résonance, Cristom, Penner-Ash, Antica Terra, Beaux Frères, Nicolas Jay, Double O, and Brooks.

In an interview I did with Laurent Montalieu a few years ago he talked about his experience making wine in Oregon.

LM:  "As a winemaker you’re always reflecting, you’re always trying to understand how to make the best wines from the vineyards that you work with. My years in Oregon have taught me to be more of a hands-off winemaker. I’ve found not doing something during harvest is often the hardest decision. To me, winemaking style isn’t something that’s reflective of the hand of the winemaker, it is completely reflective of the land that in which vines are rooted."

PG:  How do you compare your Oregon wines to those of your native France?

LM:  "To compare wines from Oregon to that of Burgundy and Europe is easy because they are the same varietals, but ultimately the comparison is impossible because the terroir (geology, climate, culture, technology, people) is so different. Ultimately, each wine, whether it’s from Burgundy or Oregon or somewhere else should be judged solely for the fruit harvested from vines rooted in that soil and how they interact with their surroundings."

PG:  At your NW Wine Co. you lead a fantastic team that includes vineyard manager Bruno Corneaux (Domaine Divio) and winemaker Anne Sery. This is home for your own Soléna wines, the Hyland Estates wines, Domaine Divio wines and more than 100 custom crush brands. How do you approach such a mind-boggling task?

LM:  "We taste every day during harvest with the mindset of trying to make the wine better every day we can. This style of winemaking puts pressure ultimately on the picking decision. In Oregon, the vintage always comes down to the weather during September and October. We do not ever get to pick with a clear weather forecast in-front of us. As a winemaker, I put my trust into the land and the farming. Let the vineyard tell the story. Getting to know your land through wine is truly an amazing experience."

PG:  I've circled back to current and recent tastings of both Hyland Estates and Soléna wines (Soléna is the brand for Laurent Montalieu and his wife Danielle Andrus Montalieu, and is named for their daughter). Here are notes on the current and previous vintages.

Hyland Estates

Hyland 2022 Old Vine Single Vineyard Riesling – Though it was a major part of the original plantings back in the 1970s, Riesling is now a minor player in the Hyland vineyard. These own-rooted vines are between 45 and 50 years old, and bring the special density and detail that simply cannot be expressed in younger fruit. Tart, fresh, sassy citrus fruit flavors are streaked with veins of wet rock. The long, lip-licking finish brings subtle hints of honeysuckle and orange liqueur. 800 cases; 12.5%; $28 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Vineyard Riesling – Quite dry yet retaining some touches of fruit sweetness, this exceptional old vine Riesling is a masterful mix of lemon, lime, grapefruit, green apple and lemongrass, buoyed by tart acids and softening up just enough to trail out gently through a long finish. The palate is juicy and refreshing, the acids perfectly balanced against the fruit, with appealing touches of underlying minerality. 475 cases; 13.5%; $28 (McMinnville) 93/100

Hyland Estates 2022 Old Vine Single Vineyard Gewürztraminer – Own-rooted and half a century old, these vines reliably craft an expressive, detailed and downright delicious dry Gewürztraminer – certainly one of the best in the country. Even for those who may be ambivalent about the grape this is a must-taste wine. The perfumy aromatics are de-emphasized, replaced with layer upon layer of citrus fruits, stone fruits, lemon meringue, pineapple, white peach and candied ginger. 1000 cases; 13.7%; $28 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Vineyard Gewürztraminer – This is a very special wine, as it's sourced from own-rooted 50-year-old vines. Add to that a great vintage and a fine winemaking team and you have this treasure – rich, fragrant, true to variety and bursting with sweet citrus, pineapple, peach and pear fruit. The floral highlights are sensual without turning too perfumy, and the lingering finish brings hints of ginger and crushed rose petals. Whether you are familiar with this grape or not, this is a wine that should be experienced. 475 cases; 14.2%; $25 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Single Vineyard Chardonnay – These own-rooted vines date back to the late 1970s. The aromatics are exceptional, with the depth and layering of a fine Burgundy. Once you taste it that first impression is confirmed – this is a spectacular Chardonnay. It's densely packed with lemon, pink grapefruit, Cosmic Crisp apple, cantaloupe melon and green papaya fruit. Aging in 30% new French oak brings a lush toastiness to the creamy finish, which resolves languidly down through the palate, seemingly lasting for several minutes. 300 cases; 13.2%; $45 (McMinnville) 97/100

Hyland Estates 2020 Single Vineyard Chardonnay – This showcases grapes planted in 1979 on their own roots. The wine is lush and broad, with lime and apple fruit accented with clove and hints of chalky stone. The depth and precision are spectacular, and once again this smoke-impacted vintage has produced an exceptional Chardonnay. Delicious already, this should drink quite nicely through the rest of this decade. 250 cases; 13.1%, $45 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Single Vineyard Petit Estate Pinot Noir – Petit references the younger vines that go into this cuvée, but there's nothing diminutive about the flavors. With a burst of wild berry, savory herbs, hints of mint and tomato leaves, along with barrel highlights of cinnamon spice, this young wine has already melded its components nicely. It's penetrating and sharp, good now but with more bottle age should be even better. 1500 cases; 13.4%; $28 (McMinnville) 92/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Pinot Noir – It's a gift to consumers that old vine wines such as this from Hyland are priced within reach of many wine lovers. A lovely garnet shade, this is bright with cranberry, plum and cherry fruit. A subtle mineral note and a whiff of earth contribute depth and detail. The mouthfeel is textured and the finish long and clean. One quarter of the barrels were new, and aging was kept to just nine months prior to bottling, so the fruit and acid hold court while the barrels sing harmonies. Give this one some good decanting for maximum pleasure. Tasted over three full days it showed continued improvement. 4000 cases; 13.5%; $45 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Clone Dijon 115 Pinot Noir – This is a laser-focused wine which drills down with pomegranate, white raspberry, green herb and barrel spices front and center. The flavors lengthen through the finish, buoyed with citrus-tinged acids. Some 20% of the barrels were new. Tasted on the second day it's holding up well, fattening just slightly with a touch of buttery lactic flavor in the resolving finish. 250 cases; 13.5%; $60 (McMinnville) 93/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Clone Pommard Pinot Noir – If you like a more fruit forward style of Pinot, the Pommard clone is your best bet. It mixes berries and citrus with savory highlights and even a touch of chicken stock. There's a light whiff of compost under many of these Hyland Pinots, a nod to both biodynamic (half the vineyard) and organic (the other half) farming. This complex, young wine will reward more time in the bottle and/or aggressive decanting. 250 cases; 13.5%; $60 (McMinnville) 93/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Clone Wädenswil Pinot Noir – This punches through with tannins, barrel toast (25% new) and a focused attack that speaks to power. Dark highlights of roasted coffee beans, charred wood and a hint of smoke add to the impression of darker fruits. All of the single clone expressions from Hyland are very well differentiated. I'd drink this with your heavier meat dishes. 200 cases; 13.6%; $64 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Old Vine Single Clone Coury Pinot Noir – The Coury clone acknowledges Oregon wine pioneer Charles Coury, who along with Dick Erath was an advisor on the original planting at Hyland in 1971. There's a long, partly mythical story about the actual clone, but these vines – the oldest in the vineyard – produce an elegant wine with lovely aromatics, light color and persuasive length. Rose petals, strawberries, watermelon and the depth of the vineyard terroir make this a complex yet delicate wine; one that I expect will develop in fascinating ways over time. 400 cases; 13.5%; $60 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 Founders' Selection Pinot Noir – This is a reserve-level wine that (presumably) blends the various clones featured in Hyland's single clone old vine bottlings. I'm a believer in blends,, which take the best of the different components and meld them together in whatever proportions exemplify the best of them all. That's easier said than done, and I've participated in a lot of blending trials over the years. This vintage cuts back on the new oak (now just 25%) which hits the mark perfectly. The fruit marries ripe cherries with the terroir-driven frame of organic, earthy highlights. It's full and long, with a lingering richness, yet in no way over the top. 120 cases; 13.6%; $110 (McMinnville) 94/100

Hyland Estates 2021 50th Anniversaire Pinot Noir – I'm struck by the depth and detailed layering of this special wine. It's being released to celebrate the vineyard's first half century. The aromas are a sensual drift of rose petals, pastry, chocolate, candied orange peel and truffle, with flavors following and compounding. The mouthfeel is warm and smooth, the flavors accessible and abundant, the finish long and lingering. Almond paste and butter brickle notes come up, and the wine never flags. This is a marvelous tribute to a special site and spectacular history. 50 cases; 13.8%; $95 (McMinnville) 96/100 

Soléna

Soléna 2021 Domaine Danielle Laurent Chardonnay – This continues a string of exceptional Chardonnays under the DDL imprint. It's a sappy, sexy, full-palate wine, loaded with front-loaded flavors of butterscotch, apple, white peach, pear and citrus. The balance of fruit, barrel and acid is spot on, and the wine packs some real power all the way through the finish. Drink now through the rest of this decade. 150 cases; 13.3%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

Soléna 2020 Domaine Danielle Laurent Chardonnay – This is a stick-to-your-palate wine, with top notes of butterscotch, lemon curd and cut pineapple. The fruit gathers mid-palate focus and holds firm into a lip-smacking finish. Nectarine, Meyer lemon, pineapple and more are in the mix, with the juicy acidity to pair effortlessly with a variety of lemony entrées. 150 cases; 13.7%; $58 (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100

Soléna 2020 Grande Cuvée Pinot Noir – Very pretty purple/garnet color. Supple, sweetly tangy red and purple fruits. This is already accessible but with the structure and depth to age well. Light hints of fresh herbs and a vein of licorice add further interest. 4000 cases; 13.5%: $30 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Soléna 2021 Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir – Just released, this elegant, lightly savory, estate-grown wine is a lovely expression of the grape. Brambly raspberry and pie cherry fruit is accented with barrel notes of sandalwood. The supple tannins add a touch of breakfast tea. Already in perfect proportion, this wine should age gracefully for decades. 400 cases; 13.8%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

Soléna 2020 Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir – Bursting with tart blueberry fruit, this estate bottling is backed by moderate tannins and notes of breakfast tea. The acids punch through the finish, leaving a trail of lemon rind. Aged nine months in 28% new oak. Best drinking for this should start around 2025. 500 cases; 13.9%; $58 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100

Soléna 2021 Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir – A lighter style despite the listed abv, this has delicate notes of tea, rose hips, plum jelly and mint. It keeps the tannins in check and holds true through the lingering finish. 130 cases; 14.2%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100

Soléna 2021 Prince Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – First planted 40 years ago by the late Dick Erath, Prince Hill offers a well-textured wine with a mix of brambly berry, forest floor, truffle and toast. As with all the Soléna Pinots it's balanced and the flavors well-integrated. The tannins are ripe and supple, leaving a tea-flavored trail as the wine fades. 130 cases; 14.1%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 93/100

Soléna 2020 Prince Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – The Prince Hill cuvée from this historic site gets 50% new oak over a relatively short nine month period. As expected, there's a fair amount of toast in the nose and the barrel influence needs a bit more time to fully integrate. The underlying material is bright and bold and loaded with pretty fruit flavors of citrus, pomegranate and berry, backed with a wash of chocolate. 125 cases; 13.9%; $55 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Soléna 2021 Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir – Lovely aromatics introduce this single vineyard wine. It's quintessential Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, with fruit-forward flavors of berries and cherries. Here the fruit is nested in buttery caramel and light toast from the barrel aging. The balancing tannins support a lingering finish, with a touch of clean earth. This is quite accessible and delicious, but can also be cellared for a decade or longer. 300 cases; 13.5%; $65 (McMinnville) 93/100

Soléna 2020 Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir – This is the lynchpin estate vineyard, with some vines a half century old. The wine is fragrant and refined, mixing marionberries, huckleberries and blueberries in a lush mid-palate. Aging nine months in 38% new oak frames it with light flavors of toasted coconut. The supporting acids add a hint of citrus. These excellent 2020s from Soléna show that not all the red wines from that smoky harvest were affected by the fires. Drink now and over the next decade. 300 cases; 14.4%; $58 (McMinnville) 93/100

Soléna 2021 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – This iconic vineyard puts a muscular edge on its Pinots, emphasized here by the chewy tannins and robust cherry fruit. Shea delivers big, bold Pinots, all with respect for the stylistic parameters for which we value this special grape. More subtle notes of lemon verbena slip through the palate as the wine winds down along a twisting finish. 150 cases; 13.9%; $60 (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100

Soléna 2020 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – Wines from this splendid vineyard are always interesting because so many different winemakers play with these grapes. This has an aromatic mix of purple berries and sweet baking spices, leading to a forward palate with blueberry, black cherry and cumin. It seems to stop short but that should resolve with ample aeration. 250 cases; 13.9%; $55 (Yamhill-Carlton) 93/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re:  weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Tasting Canvasback's Red Mountain Reds With Winemaker Brian Rudin

I first met Brian Rudin when he took over the winemaking reins at Middleton Family Wines (Cadaretta and Buried Cane) over a dozen years ago. That followed a steep learning curve that carried him quickly from the completion of the two year wine program at WWCC to a cellar rat position at L'Ecole to production manager at Alder Ridge, and ultimately planted him, beginning in 2014, as lead winemaker for Canvasback, the ambitious Washington project of Napa-based Duckhorn Wine Company.

On more than a few occasions we've had a chance to chat and taste together, most recently this past week when he brought a selection of current Canvasback releases to my home in Waitsburg. It was at the beginning of our meeting, as Rudin was methodically pulling corks and giving them a quick, professional sniff, that a truly remarkable moment occurred. He suddenly stopped, gave a quizzical look at the bottle, and passed the cork to me. Something seemed a little off.

TCA – a corked wine – was my immediate thought, but there was no trace of the telltale musty character that I could detect. Rudin agreed that cork seemed fine. He poured us each a taste of the wine. It too seemed fine to me – a rich, ripe Cabernet Franc. And yet...

After further consideration he grabbed a second bottle, opened it, and poured. "This is the wine I know" he said. He felt that the first bottle was just a little... somehow... not quite right. This fascinated me as I am generally very sensitive to TCA and still couldn't find a trace of it. I went back and forth between the two pours. Maybe I could taste a slight difference (the power of suggestion?) but honestly if I were served bottle number one in a restaurant I'd have given no thought to calling it flawed.

I set the 'corked' bottle aside and the tasting proceeded without further concerns. In fact Canvasback has gone exclusively to Diam corks in the most recent vintages in order to avert any such issues. Two days passed, and as I was retasting the Canvasback reds for the last time I went back to the 'corked' bottle to see if any recognizable trace of TCA had appeared. What I found startled me. The problem with the wine was not in the nose, nor in the mid-palate. It was in the finish, which, compared to the second bottle, was attenuated. It dropped off noticeably, damping the fruit, while the better bottle had a long, luxurious, cascading finish. It had taken three days for the distinction between the two bottles to become obvious.

I've only had that experience once before while tasting young wines with a winemaker. It has convinced me that even at virtually undetectable levels TCA can slightly mute the fruit and finish of a wine. The impact may be so slight that it takes the palate of a winemaker, someone who has tracked that wine from vineyard to vat to barrel to bottle and knows it intimately, to spot it as quickly as Brian had.

The man has an exceptional palate by any standard, and remains incredibly humble about it. But he did acknowledge this in our wide-ranging conversation. "I'm at the midpoint of my career" he explained. "My experience factor is starting to catch up and trump the enthusiasm factor. I can now say to myself 'I have seen this before, learned what not to do and how to do things right'."

Canvasback has been focused from the beginning on making red wines from some of the finest vineyards on Red Mountain. Grapes from Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval and Quintessence are featured, along with Longwinds, the estate vineyard planted just above Col Solare about a decade ago. Total production has climbed to just over 50,000 cases, though the vineyard selects and reserves are more limited.

The Walla Walla facility and tasting room south of town on JB George road only handles about 10% of the total production. The rest is done at rented space at Artifex and Walla Walla Wine Services. Most of what we tasted was from 2019; subsequent vintages (2020 and 2021) produced less wine at greater effort and expense. They were unusually challenging – 2020 due to wildfire smoke, and both from dealing with the restrictions of Covid.

Rudin says he recalls little of the actual crush – a "blackout period" that he attributes to the non-stop, grueling work done while coping with no daycare or school for the kids and a partial quarantine. But tasting the wines now he says "I go back and I think it's some of our best work. I'm really proud of the 2020 wines; it took a lot of work to make a little wine. It was challenging from every level. But it shouldn't matter whatever the vintage challenges are. It's our job to work around them and through them and put out the best wines we can."

The wines we tasted together are current releases from the past four vintages, including a splendid Riesling from the Royal Slope and a Rosé of Syrah that was a revelation. You may purchase them here.

Canvasback 2021 Riesling – This is finished dry but slightly rounded out with a touch of residual sugar. It's sappy, sexy, racy and bright, with a tangy fruit core. The grapes are sourced from the Lawrence and Frenchman Hills vineyards in the Royal Slope AVA. About 60% of the wine was fermented and aged in 600 liter Austrian demi-muids, the rest in stainless. This has lovely layering and depth, with perfect proportions among fruit and acid, tension and breadth. It's finished with a screwcap for freshness and gentle aging. 400 cases; 12.8%; $32 (Royal Slope) 94/100

Canvasback 2022 Rosé of Syrah – It opens with dusty, cinnamon-scented aromas. Sourced from the Resurgent (formerly Wells) vineyard on the South Fork of the Walla Walla river at 1600 feet elevation. Rudin calls it "cool climate Rocks District" as it's a cobbled site whose waters once drained into that AVA. The cool climate means it gets extra hangtime without hitting high brix numbers. A pale copper shade, this delicious rosé expresses a side of Syrah rarely seen. Complex flavors meld white raspberries, blood orange, citrus and spice in a fleshy wine with exceptional depth and power. 420 cases; 12.8%; $34 (Walla Walla Valley) 93/100

Canvasback 2019 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Franc – The seductive aromatics and mouthfeel struck me as showing a textural lushness akin to the renowned Rutherford dust. The palate is fleshy and dense, with compact layers of earth, punchy pyrazines, black tea, cedar, cassis, black cherry and peppery tannins. Sourced from a 1998 planting the blend includes 19% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's delicious already, and it should age beautifully for the next 20 years. 14.5%; $74 (Red Mountain) 94/100

Canvasback 2019 Longwinds Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – This estate vineyard was bare ground when first planted in 2014 just to the north of Col Solare. Oftentimes such young vines make more immediately accessible wines. This is built upon refined, almost silty tannins, with a textured mouthfeel. That said, finishing the wine in 91% new French oak means those barrel flavors tend to dominate with notes of char, coffee and clean earth. The fruit is tasty and light – strawberries and raspberries – but somewhat hidden behind the strong flavors from new barrels. This is a wine to drink over the next five years. 14.5%; $74 (Red Mountain) 92/100

Canvasback 2019 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – The inclusion of 16% Malbec in the blend, winemaker Brian Rudin explains, binds the tannins in short chains which brings a more plush, supple character to the texture. This iconic vineyard, now owned by the Terlato family, is in the midst of a major revision as the old vines, many infected with leafroll virus, are not producing the yields required. This Cab is sourced from some of the oldest remaining blocks that date back to 1989. Though not as tannic as some Klipsun Cabs, it still feels stiff and tight. It's got the classic firmness and acid of Red Mountain reds, with iron and cassis, tobacco and cigar box highlights. 14.5%; $74 (Red Mountain) 93/100

Canvasback 2019 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Sourced principally from 30-year-old vines, this blends in 9% Merlot – just enough to broaden out the palate a bit and cut through some of the earthy phenolics of pure Cabernet. Elegant and ageworthy, underscored with the power of old vine Red Mountain fruit, this beautifully balanced wine is a long way from its prime, so aerate or cellar for another half decade. 14.5%; $74 (Red Mountain) 94/100

Canvasback 2019 Grand Passage Cabernet Sauvignon – This is entirely sourced from Red Mountain's Quintessence vineyard. A mix of black berry fruits, bay leaf, cedar, a hint of botanicals, it's got good center palate concentration and a long, mouthcoating fade. This young wine is approachable now, but should have a long life ahead. For now it's tight, firm, dense, compact and absolutely classic Red Mountain Cab. With aggressive aeration its true colors show. 14.5%; $88 (Red Mountain) 95/100

Canvasback 2020 Red Heaven Vineyard Syrah – This is Washington Syrah at its finest – dense, granular, textured, deep and loaded with black fruits, black tea and black licorice. It's a potent, powerful wine, with rich, chalky tannins, yet it avoids the overloaded 15+% alcohol that can burn out the finish of some Syrahs. I'd give this a ten year life for prime drinking. 14.5%; $74 (Red Mountain) 94/100

Canvasback 2020 Funk Vineyard Syrah – The Funk vineyard (owned by Saviah's Rich Funk) captures the essence of Oregon's Rocks District AVA in a more elegant style than some of the more notorious sites. The Canvasback tasting room is practically in Saviah's backyard, so this matchup is a shared benefit between good friends. I can't say enough about how good this wine is. Pure Syrah, loaded with ripe black berries, powdery tannins, dusty spices and highlight scents of lavender and violets, it's the sort of wine that just demands attention and brings a smile. Big, bold and beautiful, it should drink nicely over the next decade. 14.5%; $74 (Walla Walla Valley) 96/100

========================================================­====

The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

L'Ecole No. 41 – Still The Leader In Walla Walla Merlot

Way back when Merlot was in the doghouse following the release of the film 'Sideways' (Jack: "If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot" Miles: "No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f-ing Merlot!") it was already known to a handful of producers that Walla Walla was a special place to make this particular Bordeaux red. The Northstar winery was established specifically to specialize in Merlot, and at L'Ecole it was the first wine to be awarded important medals following the release of the premiere 1983 vintage.

Forty years later, in a stellar lineup of spring releases, it's still the Merlot that shines brightest. No slight intended; as you can see in my notes, I thoroughly enjoyed all five estate wines from the current vintage, along with the extraordinary Semillon from the Stillwater Creek vineyard. But it was the Merlot that kept me enraptured day after day.

In 2010, when the second edition of "Washington Wines & Wineries" was published, my profile of L'Ecole included this quote from owner/winemaker Marty Clubb: “Merlot is still king at L’Ecole. The key to Washington doing Merlot right is that it’s the thinner skin varietal, and like Sémillon it tends to plump up with rain at harvest. We don’t have that problem with Merlot. In my mind that is a key reason why we can make such extracted, aromatic, spicy, nicely-balanced Merlots. We control the water.”

Now as then L'Ecole's Merlots (both the Columbia Valley and estate grown versions) are blends. Marcus Rafanelli, who took over as lead winemaker about four years ago, continues the winery's dominance following a seamless transition. The now mature estate vineyards are a tremendous asset, as Rafanelli explained in a conversation (via email) a few days ago when I asked for his thoughts on this 2020 release.

MR:  "It doesn't really matter which vintage it is because the goal is always the same.  We want to make a balanced, ageworthy Merlot that is approachable on release."

PG:  Fair enough in general terms. How do you zero in on a specific style?

MR:  "We don't really have a target flavor, but look more for balance and structure, and we do this mostly in vineyard. We work with our growers to make sure that the crop is distributed evenly, that clusters are spaced properly and of the same size. This helps with maintaining balance and consistency from year to year. It also means that we can wait a bit longer for flavors to develop while holding onto some of the natural acidity. We are  lucky to work with  vines that are middle aged, 25-30 years old, and those vines don't show the extremes of climatic events like young vines."

PG:  So call those vines middle-aged or simply mature (not old!) they bring a wealth of advantages, not least of which is adaptability to climate change. How does this fruit behave in the winery?

MR:  "When the Merlot is cropped and grown correctly, it makes our job at the winery 'easier'. We mostly monitor temperature during fermentation as hot temps can lead to more tannin extraction and can send the wine into an unbalanced state. We are gentle with our twice daily punch downs and don't use pump overs to mix the wines as that can also lead to over extraction. We don't fine our red wines after fermentation so all of our tannin management must be done in the few crucial weeks of the ferment."

PG:  I imagine that blending trials are the last piece of the puzzle, and probably a lot of fun.

MR:  "We taste the wines as a team twice, first knowing the variety and block, the blind to make sure our initial impressions are holding true. I also put some thought into what oak to use, and lean on cooperages that make barrels for the Right Bank wineries in Bordeaux (Millet, Quintessence, Boutes, Maury). I find that the barrels we use for the Merlots are mostly medium toast. That lets the fruit shine through without adding excessive toasty notes to the wine. We want the vineyard/place to shine first and foremost!"

PG:  As it certainly does. Here are my notes. All of these current releases are available online.

L'Ecole No. 41

L'Ecole 2021 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Semillon – A Washington specialist in Semillon, L'Ecole has rarely if ever made one better than this. The aromatics alone are world class, with white flowers, lemon custard and vanilla. The flavors follow, layering in green pineapple, lime, chamomile and a thin streak of butter. Clearly this vineyard is a prime site for the grape, and no one does it better than the team at L'Ecole. Note that there is a less expensive Columbia Valley bottling, good but not this good. 570 cases; 13.5%; $25 (Royal Slope) 94/100

L'Ecole 2020 Estate Grown Merlot – A textbook Walla Walla Merlot, this is both satin smooth and flecked with savory highlights. Sourced evenly from the winery's Ferguson and Seven Hills vineyards, the Merlot is blended with 14% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's richly scented, structured and detailed with stacked black fruits, coffee grounds, baker's chocolate and green tobacco. Optimal drinking – 2025 to 2035. 1000 cases; 14.5%; $42 (Walla Walla Valley) 95/100 (see Wine of the Week above).

L'Ecole 2020 Estate Grown Cabernet Franc-Merlot – This 50/50 Right Bank-style blend has a sturdy, muscular core of black currant fruit, framed with green tea tannins. It's bold and compact, requiring considerable breathing time to unpack. The overall balance suggests medium to long term ageability, with the best years for this wine probably in the 2030s. 325 cases; 14.5%; $42 (Walla Walla Valley) 93/100

L'Ecole 2020 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – For classic Walla Walla Cabernet with both elegance and power look no farther than this pure varietal expression. Sculpted flavors of cassis, bramble, espresso, black olive and a touch of charred wood combine in a compact Cabernet showcase. After considerable (24 hours) aeration the wine comes into full focus, graceful, long and complete. 1950 cases; 14.5%; $44 (Walla Walla Valley) 94/100

L'Ecole 2020 40th Anniversary Red – This special blend of estate-grown Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc celebrates the winery's four decades in business with a one-time return to the original school kid's label drawing. It seems to give a nod to the style of the earlier wines also, with a tilt toward greenish flavors and a tannic finish. This is not meant as a criticism; such Bordeaux-influenced blends had a major impact during the early decades of this state's wine industry. 1200 cases; 14.5%; $50 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100

L'Ecole 2020 Estate Grown Ferguson Vineyard Red – A five-grape Bordeaux-style blend, this is three fifths Cabernet Sauvignon. The unique, high elevation Ferguson vineyard, named to honor the winery founders, Baker and Jean Ferguson, is exceptional in every way, and as it enters full maturity the flavors it delivers continue to deepen and extend. Classic cassis, lead pencil, basalt-driven minerality, toasted walnuts and coffee grounds are the prime strengths, though as it rolls through a chewy, meaty, lingering finish more and more layers pile on. A steak lovers red, this has the power and tannin to take on any red meat you put on the grill. 1300 cases; 14.5%; $70 (Walla Walla Valley) 94/100

L'Ecole 2020 Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah – Grown above (but not in) the Rocks District AVA, this potent Syrah puts the emphasis on brambly blackberries, red and black licorice, chicory, coffee, dark chocolate and subtle baking spices. The spicy character resonates across and through the finish, giving the wine a delicious vibrancy. Given the quality it's a fine value in estate-grown Walla Walla Syrah. 1050 cases; 15%; $40 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-original, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Abacela Celebrates More Than A Quarter Century of Innovation

Founded in 1995, this Umpqua Valley winery has been at the forefront of change, experimentation and growth in this central Oregon AVA ever since. A comprehensive and detailed overview of those years is posted on the winery website here so I won't attempt to do a better synopsis.

As with many longtime admirers, my attention was first captured by the commitment to Tempranillo, which sparked Earl and Hilda Jones to do the exhaustive science-based research that ultimately led them to plant their picture postcard vineyards in the hills outside of Roseburg. Until that time the California versions of Tempranillo had never really come close to the quality of Spanish Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines, and certainly no one anywhere in Oregon thought that the heart of the Umpqua valley was the place to plant that flag.

This weekend the winery celebrates 28 years since the first vines went into the ground. Along with their multiple versions of Tempranillo, Abacela has led the way with other single varietal wines – Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Albariño, Tannat, Tinta Amarela, Touriga Naçional and Graciano – and been among the first to make Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Dolcetto, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo in Oregon. It's an incomparable track record of consistent, determined, well-researched innovation; all the more remarkable as it was done by a single family, not a corporation or university.

In the summer of 2021 the torch was passed from the founders to their son Dr. Greg Jones, who'd grown up in the vineyards and established a most successful career as the leading authority worldwide on the impact of climate change on viticulture. His extensive work history and climatological research is well documented on his own website here.

I've had the pleasure of hearing Greg speak at numerous seminars and wine events over the years, and even collaborated with him a few years back at IPNC. I asked him to comment on his transition to Abacela CEO and his plans for the next quarter century. 

Greg Jones:  The transition has been going very well. Coming from academia, grading papers, dealing with inept administrators, now on to managing grapevines, wine, and great staff at Abacela has been a joy!"

PG:  What is your immediate focus?

GJ:  "I have mostly been trying to refresh and replace things within the operation. After 25+ years of producing great wines, many things from the website, our marketing approach, hospitality, vineyard management, etc. are all getting a freshening up. I find myself mostly being the maintenance man, helping our staff have the tools they need to produce great wines and represent the brand."

PG:  I have very fond memories of visiting Abacela, taking the bumpy ride up the steep slopes to the top of the vineyard, and always being astonished at the sheer beauty of the place. How are you handling visitors these days?

GJ:  "In terms of hospitality, we have gone to a mostly reservation-based system, remodeled our outdoor space to be able to seat more guests and be more welcoming and comfortable during the summer. We have expanded our Pizza Fridays to once a month during the winter and every Friday from May 1 to mid or late October, and added a music program every other Wednesday during the summer months (right up your alley!)."

PG:  Given your exceptional background and knowledge of global climate change, how specifically do you see it impacting your estate vineyards?

GJ:  "From a climate perspective, I feel that my father and I did a good job making the right choices on the variety-climate matching. We are in the sweet spot for what we currently grow, unlike many plantings that have mismatches between the climate and variety which makes small changes in climate a very big deal. However, we do know that climates will continue to change so we must be diligent going forward."

PG:  Going forward doing what? 

GJ:  "We are planting some new vineyard area, about 15 acres that my father wanted to do over the years and now I am moving forward with it. It is a 2+ year process with the goal to plant more Tempranillo, Grenache and Albariño mostly, but with some small amounts of our key Portuguese varieties as well. We are of course looking at some newer clones, more drought resistant rootstock, and block structures that will facilitate greater ease and cost of management."

PG:  Thank you Greg Jones! It's great to know that Abacela is going to continue setting the gold standard for innovation for many years to come.

Here are my notes on a selection of the current releases:

Abacela 2022 Albariño – Among Abacela's many pioneering achievements was the introduction of this classic Spanish white wine to the Pacific Northwest. This is a spicy, peppery, vivacious wine. It deftly stacks bright fruit flavors of apple, pear and white peach with skin flavors and crisp acids. There's also a finishing hint of salinity that spreads out through the end palate. A lovely white wine perfect for summer sipping. 1108 cases; 13.9%; $22 (Umpqua Valley) 92/100

Abacela 2022 Grenache Rosé – A pale copper hue, scents of rose petals and grapefruit, juicy mouthfilling citrus fruit and a slice of watermelon – what's not to like? It's dry and flavorful, compelling and dense enough to hold your interest on through the finish. Finished with a screwcap, this rosé may be enjoyed now and over the next two years. 1042 cases; 12.9%; $20 (Umpqua Valley) 91/100

Abacela 2020 Fiesta Tempranillo – This lovely wine pushes its berry, plum and cherry fruit front and center, backed with firm tannins and a sprinkling of dried herbs. It is the most affordable bottle among the winery's portfolio of four different Tempranillos, with a screwcap for convenience should you take this along on a picnic. Jamón and Manchego? Some crusty bread. You bet – go for it! 1930 cases; 13.9%; $27 (Umpqua Valley) 90/100

Abacela 2018 South East Block Reserve Tempranillo – This block is among the oldest in the vineyard. The wine is the classic color of bulls blood, a dense, dark, deep wine with red currant, black cherry, black olive and savory herbs all in the  mix. No new oak was used; the barrels were 30% American oak and the rest French. Green tobacco highlights come up as the wine breathes. This wine is made for steaks (no surprise there). 170 cases; 14.4%; $58 (Umpqua Valley) 92/100

Abacela 2018 South Face Block Reserve Syrah – This makes the case for Syrah from this part of Oregon. It's focused on savory, brambly flavors of marionberry, blackberry and herbs de Provence. It's well-balanced, sleek and compact, finishing with a streak of vanilla. Good now but better with aggressive aeration. 306 cases; 14.9%; $48 (Umpqua Valley) 92/100 

Abacela 2018 East Hill Block Reserve Malbec – Intensely aromatic, dark to the point of blackness, this is as potent as any Malbec I've ever had from this hemisphere (hello Argentina!). Concentrated flavors bring a concert of purple fruits, smoky tannins, clean earth, tobacco and espresso. Still young (2018 is the current vintage) it offers a lot of palate bang for the wallet bucks. Decant, aerate or cellar another half decade or longer. 236 cases; 14.1%; $46 (Umpqua Valley) 94/100

Photo credit:  Andrea Johnson Photography 

===========================================================

The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our all-origiinal, 14-song CD ("It Hasn't Happened Yet") is now streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music et al. Check it out!

Thank you for your support – Paul Gregutt

Itä – Reinventing Walla Walla Wines

Quite a few new Walla Walla wineries have popped up throughout the pandemic, which doesn't seem to have slowed down this region's extraordinary wine renaissance. As birdwatchers know, birds attract birds, and the same applies to wineries. The Enology & Viticulture program at the Community College kicks out a couple dozen newly-minted vintners every year, and many find work in nearby, or jump right in to launching their own enterprise.

One new winery garnering a lot of buzz is Itä, and owner/winemaker Kelsey Albro Itämeri paid me a visit a short while ago with a half dozen of her current releases. What impressed me immediately were the two different takes on Sémillon, a grape rarely found here. Surveying the whole portfolio, principally sourced from the Les Collines vineyard, I couldn't help but note that Kelsey, like some other recent arrivals on the scene, was breaking the boundaries of making the usual wines from the usual vineyards, and doing so in very creative ways.

The reality for start-ups is that competing for grapes from the top vineyards is challenging, and all too often the grapes available are going to lock you in to making yet another Walla Walla Syrah or Cabernet blend. Itä doesn't entirely shy away from that (as you can see below) but blows past those limitations with the cleverly-paired Sémillons, a Rosé of Primitivo and a Nouveau Zinfandel. Oh and there is also a true Walla Walla Pinot Noir (not another Walla Walla winery making Oregon Pinot Noir). In brief, a creative tour de force. 

I asked a simple question – how did you get into winemaking? – and got an answer worthy of a reality series.

Kelsey:  "It was definitely a long and winding road for me to get to winemaking. I grew up in Seattle, went to Georgetown University intending on a career as a diplomat. When I graduated in 2009 it was not easy to find a job. My father (Tom Albro) was running for Port Commissioner in Seattle and hired me to be his campaign manager. I next moved to LA to work with my brother, worked in reality television for awhile, got burned out, joined a natural foods company out of Berkeley doing regional sales in the Pacific Northwest and finally realized LA was not the town for me. In the Bay Area I met my husband who worked at the same company. After awhile I realized that working for a startup run by two 24-year olds was a recipe for dysfunction. By then I just wanted to work a more normal job and then come home. I started bartending for a group of neighborhood bars owned by the Tonic Nightlife Group in San Francisco. This was a balm for the soul; I worked 6 hours a day and made more money than ever."

PG:  OK, all good. But not exactly a direct shot into winemaking.

KI:  "I could also do a spreadsheet and no one else there could. So I began doing that for the group. My husband and I would go up to Napa to escape our tiny apartment, and we never wanted to go back home. We moved to Walla Walla in 2016. My parents had bought a 160-acre property across from Reynvaan in 2011. My husband found work managing Garrison Creek Cellars. I worked the 2016 harvest a Balboa and started classes at the Community College in 2017. I did internships at The Walls and in Burgundy, and made wine in our garage from a one-acre test plot the parents owned (a little bit of a brutal introduction to farming).

PG:  Brutal introduction?

KI:  One day I was running a new sprayer. The container with the chemicals wasn't property screwed down, we hit a bump, and suddenly it was half off the sprayer and full of chemicals. By the time we got it back on we were spraying in the heat of the day and crisped up the vines. I knew the vines were trying to tell me something, I just didn't speak the language."

Lessons learned, Kelsey forged ahead immediately following graduation, making the first commercial Itä wines in 2019 at a location in the incubators run by the Port of Walla Walla. Her goal, she explained in a follow-up interview, "is to make wines that are true to the place they were grown, which for me, is exclusively the foothills of the Blue Mountains, as close to my parents' property as possible. In the cellar, that means that I don't do any amelioration of must or juice via water or acid additions, and I also use almost entirely neutral French oak during aging. Both of these choices are in service to the idea that if I 'edit' the juice or wines, then what I and the consumer are tasting is not really indicative of that year, those grapes, and that place. Due to this, I tend to pick quite early, since I won't add acid later. It also happens that I have a preference for lower alcohol and higher acidity in my wines, which I think is quite apparent in the line up."

PG:  It is indeed, and these preferences fit in well with more universal trends among the recent generations of winemakers and consumers. Apart from my own enthusiasm at seeing Walla Walla wines reach a new and exciting stage in their ongoing evolution, wines such as these wines challenge me to work past my own limitations, spurred on by the simple excitement of trying something new.

Current Itä releases may be purchased here.

Itä 2022 '1 of 2' Sémillon

This unusual pair of Sémillons is labeled simply 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. This one is fermented and aged in stainless, the other in neutral wood. Both wines are 100% varietal and sourced from the same block at Les Collines. The '1 of 2' is effusively juicy and fruity with luscious lime and pineapple. That opening burst of flavor is framed with a refreshing mineral note, and the nicely balanced phenolics add further details to the finish. Sémillon remains a bit of a rarity in Walla Walla (and throughout the Northwest) and it's a real pleasure to taste one so fresh and delicious as this. 146 cases; 13.6%; $28 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100

Itä 2022 '2 of 2' Sémillon

Fermented and aged in neutral wood, this low alcohol wine has been softened up a bit by both barrel aging and lees stirring. There's a subtle creaminess to the palate, giving a smooth pathway through layers of citrus, apple, white peach and green melon. At first it seems tight, austere, bone dry and slightly metallic, so give it ample breathing time and don't over-chill in order to see all it has to offer. 181 cases; 11.4%; $28 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100

Itä 2022 Rosé of Primitivo

This low alcohol, pale rosé is tart but full-flavored. The unusual grape gives the back half of the wine a subtle flavor of ham - yes, ham - that lingers along with the citrusy acids. A good wine to chill on a hot summer day. 142 cases; 11.4%; $28 (Walla Walla Valley) 90/100

Itä 2022 Nouveau of Zinfandel

There's nothing ordinary about this wine. Walla Walla Zinfandel is rare, and for reasons explained above this was picked early. Perhaps to tame the acids it seems to have a tiny bit of residual sugar, yet is nonetheless finished dry. Drinking more like a rosé than a standard nouveau, this is a delicate wine with hints of rose petals and cherry blossoms, finishing with a burst of tart lemon. 115 cases; 10.5%; $30 (Walla Walla Valley) 88/100

Itä 2021 Breezy Slope Vineyard Pinot Noir

This vineyard is in the southeast corner on the Oregon side of the AVA, and sits at a high elevation (over 1600 feet). Inspired by the Pinot Nero wines of Italy's northeast, this it hits the mark beautifully. Pinot Noir, for all its flightiness, can express itself remarkably well in quite different terroirs. This delicate wine speaks to me as I am a fan of Italian Pinot Nero, and this too has that high mountain sharpness, minerality, mountain strawberry fruit and subtle details of herbal tea. Don't expect the power of more familiar styles; this style of Pinot Noir should be appreciated on its own terms. 171 cases; 11.9%; $48 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100

Itä 2020 Merlot

This is a solid, muscular, tannic wine with compact flavors of black fruits, espresso, char, cedar and smoke. This is just right for ribs and other grilled meats, with powdery tannins strong enough to cut through the fat. A few more years in the bottle are recommended to help smooth it out. 133 cases; 13.5%; $48 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100

Itä 2020 Syrah

Syrah finished below 13% alcohol hits a whole different spectrum of flavors than most examples from Walla Walla. This fits the Itä style, which favors low alcohol, early picking, high acids and elegant but light fruit highlights. On the down side this sacrifices much of the fruit and funk for which Walla Walla Syrahs are famous. It trends more toward generic light red berry flavors with a peppery kick. 170 cases; 12.7%; $48 (Walla Walla Valley) 88/100

I hope you will give this winery and others like it your full attention and support. This is the sort of tenacious talent that will keep Walla Walla wines in the global spotlight for decades to come.

"My hope," says Kelsey, "is to have our tasting room, production facility, and (eventually) estate plantings at my parents' property. I'm honestly excited to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what really sings up in them thar hills."

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website. 

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com. Our 14-song CD is now streaming on YouTube.

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

In Praise of Old Vines

The Willamette Valley is especially fine for exploring off-the-beaten-path, mom 'n' pop wineries. Such treasures abound, and you may not know about them unless you go looking, for their production is often small, local and limited to direct sales and a handful of wine shops.

May is Oregon Wine Month and on the website you'll find some terrific options for wine touring and tasting, food and wine extravaganzas, live music and more. I want to draw your attention to the Oregon Asian American Pacific Islander Food & Wine Festival scheduled for May 20-21 at the Stoller Family Estate. Small bites from AAPI-owned Portland restaurants accompanied by wines from participating wineries are on offer, with tasting windows at set times (to avoid over-crowding) and different chefs featured on each of the two days. Purchase tickets here.

My own wine country explorations are often focused on seeking out old vine vineyards, and Oregon has a surprising number tucked away. On my recent visit to Dion Vineyard I found a slice of Willamette Valley history of which I'd been unaware. I've tasted and reviewed Dion wines over the past years, but the actual history of the vineyard was an exciting discovery. And as you will see below, the winery offers visitors a chance to purchase and taste vintages going back a decade and even longer.

Dion Vineyard

Kevin Johnson and Beth Klingner's vineyard and tasting room are on the back side of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, well off the beaten path. The vineyard dates back to the mid-1970s when it was first planted by Kevin's parents and grandfather. Until 2007 they simply grew and sold grapes; currently they also make between 700 and 1000 cases of their own wines annually. Although quantities are small, there is a compelling range to the portfolio, including back vintages, old vine bottlings and a lovely pair of sparkling wines.

When traveling throughout the Willamette Valley it's a treat to visit wineries both new and old, big and small, fancy and homespun. Dion welcomes visitors from March to November, and as with most small wineries your best experience will be on an uncrowded week day. I usually aim for springtime, as the weather is mild and there's a chance to taste the first releases from the past couple of vintages. At Dion, as is true of Dusky Goose which I recently profiled on Substack, you can also find well-cellared back vintages at fair prices.

Here are some current and upcoming Dion releases. All of these are currently listed for sale on the website though some are for wine club members only. Purchase information is here.

Dion 2022 Pinot Gris

I loved the previous vintage and the '22 is a fine follow-up. The vines are fully mature and able to express the richness and depth found in the best versions of Oregon Pinot Gris. This is a juicy, refreshing wine, its ample citrus fruit amplified with bracing acidity. 82 cases; 12.9%; $27 (Chehalem Mountains) 92/100

Dion 2021 Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

If I were to choose a mid-priced Willamette Valley Pinot Noir to show a visitor from, say, California, how good these wines are... this is the wine I'd choose. It's forward, fruit-packed, varietally pure, palate-soaking and long. There's a fine balance of plummy fruit, balancing acids, natural vitality and sleek tannins. It's a harmonious wine, instantly enjoyable (with a screwcap for safety) yet built for a decade of cellaring. 13.2%; $35 (Laurelwood District) 92/100

Dion 2020 Old Vines Pinot Noir

Dion's vines are among the oldest in the region, so this designation carries some weight. Here they deliver the sort of profound yet delicate flavors that make these wines so special. Subtle layers combine mountain berries, citrus, hints of tropical fruits, juicy acids and more. The length is sensational. 14%; $65 (Laurelwood District) 95/100

Dion 2017 Old Vines Pinot Noir

This has a harder edge than the 2020 Old Vines bottling, with stiff tannins and a tight, hard finish. It's most likely an accurate reflection of the vintage, and the picking decisions made. But as a result, the more ethereal qualities of old vines are muted here. I found it much better on day two, still chewy and tannic but more fruit showing. 14.3%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 91/100

Dion 2010 Winemakers Reserve Pinot Noir

This well-aged wine is in a prime drinking window, perhaps just beginning to show early signs of drying out, with astringent tannins dominating the finish. That said, the aromatics are brilliant, with hints of brown sugar and strawberry preserves. It's at or near its peak, and is still listed for purchase on the website. 13.3%; $80 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100 

Dion 2021 OG Pinot Noir

OG indicates original vineyard meaning the oldest vines on the property. Just one barrel was made. This unique wine is not (yet) listed on the winery website, so I have no price. But as with the 2020 old vines bottling, it's elegant, detailed, subtle and long – the sort of wine that few places in the world are capable of producing with this grape. Light, captivating flavors of strawberry, melon, sandalwood, lemon oil and much more cascade across and down the palate. 12.8%; $xx (Chehalem Mountains) 94/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my Substack which is free and has an abundance of material not found on this website.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com! 

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Just Out: The Long-Awaited 2021 Wines From Brick House and Trisaetum

It's no secret that I deeply admire many of the wines from the Ribbon Ridge AVA. As it happens, two of my longtime favorite producers are right across the street from each other at the apex of the ridge.

Doug Tunnell founded Brick House in 1989 after a storied career as a network news correspondent. As he recalled in a recent interview, his mother grew up on a farm near Carlton and had a number of friends living in the area. "When she learned of my interest in purchasing a place suitable for growing grapes, she put the word out among some of those friends, and one of them, a guy who dabbled in real estate sales, called her in the fall of 1989. 'I hear Doug’s back in town on a home leave,' he said. 'He oughtta go look at this farm on Lewis Rogers Lane.' Which I did. It had Willakenzie soil (one of the three recommended soil types for wine grapes back in the day); 12 acres of filberts, a decrepit fruit orchard, 8 acres of pasture and this weird old brick house. It was early fall, very dry and warm, just as I remembered Yamhill county from my days as a kid visiting Granma. I was sold on the Lewis Rogers Lane piece before we reached the end of the drive off the county road."

It was some years later (2005) that Trisaetum's James Frey "heard about a hazelnut farm situated on Ribbon Ridge between Beaux Frères, Patricia Green and Brick House that was going to go on the market. We had just planted our home site in the Coast Range and were looking for a second vineyard site to eventually build our winery. Based on how much I loved the wines coming from Ribbon Ridge in the early 2000s, I made an offer on the property sight unseen before it hit the market. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made."

The moral of these stories seems to be when opportunity knocks you reach for the checkbook and don't ask questions!

I've tracked wines from both of these estates consistently from their first few vintages, and been constantly impressed with their development. Trisaetum initially focused on Riesling and Pinot Noir at its estates, which now include a bit of Chardonnay. For several vintages the Freys provided space for Burgundy's Domaine Louis Jadot to make wines while their Résonance winery was being built. Jadot's lead winemaker Jacques Lardière was among those who mentored James Frey as he moved from a career in photography into winemaking. Now, as Trisaetum approaches its 20th anniversary, Frey Family Wines has expanded to include the brands 18401 Cellars (a Bordeaux blend from Walla Walla grapes) and Pashey (méthode Champenoise sparkling wines); all produced at the winery on Ribbon Ridge.

At Brick House the goal from the start, as noted on the website, was "to foreswear the range of herbicides and other powerful chemicals that were common in Oregon’s vineyards at the time." At first the entire property was certified for organic production, and later for Biodynamic grape-growing. Here the focus is on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay. In the reviews below you will also see a sensational rosé has been produced.

"We take our role as stewards of this plot of land seriously" the winery website explains, "intervening in Mother Nature’s system only occasionally and with a thoughtful, gentle hand. Over the years we have come to understand that when you chose a farm, you chose humility. It is a way of life with profound rewards." For a map of the Brick House property and an insightful explanation of their commitment to the land they farm, look here.

To purchase the following Brick House wines go here.

Brick House 2022 Intentional Rosé of Pinot Noir

This is only the third intentional (non saignée) rosé ever made at Brick House I am told. It comes from young vines that were replanted after phylloxera began taking out the older Pinot. This was sourced from a five year old Pommard block. Don't let the light color fool you, this is a big, flavorful, fruit-powered rosé, rich with sweet bubblegum, peach, papaya and tropical fruit flavors. 12%; $30 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Brick House 2021 Chardonnay

This is the sort of gem you'd hope to find by the glass at your favorite bistro. Lovely aromatics to begin, then a mid-palate that's loaded with stone fruits, grapefruit and mineral highlights. All through the finish it's got the extra depth and texture that comes with biodynamic farming. 12.5%; $28 (Ribbon Ridge) 91/100

Brick House 2021 Cascadia Chardonnay

This is layered elegantly, with citrus flesh and rind, apple skin, pear and, well, it just keeps on going. The top Chardonnay from Brick House, it's a barrel selection with just enough exposure to new (or newish) wood to put a sheen of brioche on it. Note that the website still lists the 2020 but this is due out soon. 12.5%; $48 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Brick House 2021 Select Pinot Noir

This is high-toned, with sharply-defined raspberry/cherry fruit. Those cherry candy flavors fill the mid-palate, leading into astringent, earthy tannins. As it breathes open you'll find hibiscus, chamomile, lemon verbena and a slew of botanical highlights in a compelling finish. 12.5%; $42 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Brick House 2021 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir

From vines a quarter century old, this young Pinot perfectly expresses the glorious diversity of biodynamic wines. Wild, feral, gamey, unruly flavors compound across the palate, keeping you riveted through the lingering finish. Peppery red berry fruits, juicy acids and underlying wet stone flavors balance it out. Give it plenty of aeration and/or decanting for maximum enjoyment. 13%; $68 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100 

Brick House 2021 Evelyn's Pinot Noir

A barrel selection, this has sweet fruit flavors of blueberry jam, with some pie-like pastry highlights trailing. The tannins bring light astringency, and the dynamic, biodynamic textures keep the finish detailed and long. 13%; $88 (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

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To purchase the following Trisaetum wines go here.

Trisaetum 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

This estate-grown barrel selection can be identified by its brown label. Grapes from all three estate vineyards are in the blend, crafting a well-modulated, elegant wine that is a perfect expression of the grape. Flavors mix berries and plums, a dash of chocolate and a dusting of brown spices. It's a lovely bottle and a fine leader for the whole Trisaetum 2021 lineup. 2500 cases; 13.3%; $40 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Trisaetum 2021 Wichmann Dundee Pinot Noir

Often the lowest alcohol wine in the portfolio, this new vintage adds a tart tang to snappy cranberry/strawberry fruit. It's light and well balanced, fermented with half whole clusters, and aged in one quarter new oak, finishing with a gentle hint of milk chocolate. 325 cases; 13.1%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 91/100

Trisaetum 2021 Ribbon Ridge Estate Pinot Noir

Full, firm and forceful, this is a sturdy, solid, almost blocky vintage for this estate selection. Black cherry dusted with cocoa gives the fruit a chocolatey note, and the finish resonates with a saline note derived from the high-quartz marine sediment of the AVA. 560 cases; 13.7% $60 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Trisaetum 2021 Coast Range Estate Pinot Noir

Seductively aromatic, this teases with scents of sandalwood and Asian spices, then leads down a delicious trail of feathery red fruits and delicately-framed tannins. It's an elegant symphony of flavors, whose delicate touch belies its staying power. 305 cases; 13.3%; $60 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

Trisaetum 2021 Estates Reserve Pinot Noir

Along with the overall consistent elegance of these 2021s, it's worth mentioning that the back labels of James Frey's wines are among the most clear and informative of any I've ever seen. Here cascading flavors of strawberry, watermelon, raspberry and citrus roll into tannins tasting of breakfast tea. The finish resonates like the fading notes of a symphony. 255 cases; 13.3%; $80 (Willamette Valley) 94/100

Trisaetum 2021 Family Reserve MMXXI Pinot Noir

This ultra reserve is two thirds whole cluster fermented, aged in 30% new oak and blended from "select portions of barrels" rather than entire barrels. So in a nutshell it's a painter's wine, and James Frey, along with his winemaking skills, is a talented painter. This is instantly delicious, with forward and open fruit flavors of blackberries and red cherries. Details of saline and dried seaweed emerge to accent the finish, and there's a stony austerity to the tannins. All in all this wine jumps through a lot of really interesting hoops. Give it ample breathing time or you won't get the whole show. 112 cases; 13.7%; $100 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my free Substack pages.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

The Dramatic Appeal of Walter Scott Chardonnays

In recent months many in the digital and print wine media, powered by praise from such influential wine writers as Jancis Robinson and Eric Asimov, have been singing the praises of Oregon's Willamette Valley Chardonnays. As I've been covering Oregon wines in depth since the mid-1980s none of this came as a surprise. The only question in my mind was "what took them so long?"

I'll answer my own question. It took that long because the great majority of Oregon's best wines never make it out of the state. I doubt that Jancis and Eric (and most other well-known wine scribes) have had much opportunity to taste these wines, and certainly have never watched them grow in stature year by year, vineyard by vineyard, winery by winery as I have.

Oregon's Chardonnay renaissance began quietly with the introduction of Dijon clones to the Willamette Valley almost 30 years ago. Now after decades of site development and evolving winery practices the subtlety and intensity of Oregon’s best Chardonnays clearly differentiates them from the crowded West Coast competition.

In well-ripened, balanced vintages such as 2016 and 2018 they retain vivid acidity, brightening naturally rich stone fruit and tropical fruit flavors, while allowing winemakers to cut back significantly on the percentage of new French oak. In cooler vintages such as 2017, their inherent transparency and elegance punches up the aromatics, bringing nuances of soil and site, herb and earth along with crisp citrus fruit. Even in the fraught vintage of 2020 there were many outstanding Chardonnays made from grapes picked ahead of the fires.

On this website in just the past few months I've profiled Chardonnays from a number of producers who specialize in them, including White Walnut, Hyland, Lange, Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Ponzi. This week I'll put the spotlight on another superstar producer:  Walter Scott.

Founded in 2008 by the wife and husband team of Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow, the very first Walter Scott vintages got off to a great start as they were produced at Patricia Green Cellars and Evening Land. Since 2012 they've found a home in leased space from the Casteel family (Bethel Heights), who also provide grapes from their Justice vineyard.

One surefire way to measure the quality of a young, small production winery is to note their vineyard sources. The current lineup of vineyard-designated Walter Scott Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, all from the 2021 vintage, reads like a who's who list of some of the most desirable sites in the Willamette valley. Many are in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, which Ken Pahlow (and many others) believe is the epicenter for great Chardonnays.

As noted on the website, "most of the sites we work with surround our home in the Eola-Amity sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley. Our farmers share our vision for producing high quality fruit while fostering connections to the land and local communities. We value the importance of working with good stewards of the land. The caretakers we partner with are committed to dry farming without the use of herbicides, pesticides or fungicides."

I asked Ken to share his thinking and evolving practices as far as vineyard management and the actual winemaking.

KP:  "There are a number of changes which have occurred over the years (crushing vs. whole cluster pressing, starting ferments in tank prior to barreling down) but the one definite adjustment has been lower yields in every site we work with. Yes! Lower yields with Chardonnay makes the difference between ‘good’ Chardonnay and great Chardonnay. We attempt to set our yield early in the season through extra shoot thinning. This has been the case since 2018. In general we are 25-30% less crop than any of the neighbors in sites we share with other producers."

PG:  What do you perceive as the advantage from dropping so much fruit?

KP:  "This early shoot thinning allows the vine to work at ripening all the fruit we intend to keep. Instead of hanging a little bigger crop and then doing green harvest at veraison, we have our crop set from the start. The vine is not wasting valuable energy ripening fruit that will then be cut off."

PG:  How did your late-picking neighbors react?

KP:  "This practice was met with much skepticism, but what we have seen is lower PH’s, higher TA’s, balanced sugars, lower malic acid and most importantly more intense expression of place. There’s more density, tension and power without sacrificing elegance and freshness. And all of our contracts are by the acre to make sure our growers are taken care of."

PG:  What has changed or improved in the cellar over the years?

KP:  "In the cellar we have been making subtle changes every vintage. We used to press all Chardonnay as whole clusters, but I wanted to experiment with crushing the grapes as they go into the press. This was prompted by my appreciation of the wines of Hubert Lamy, Roulot, Coche Dury, Arnaud Ente, Guffens-Heynen, etc. In 2019 we began experimenting with crushing our Chardonnay, and as of 2020 all the Chardonnay is crushed as it goes into the press. There is no ‘maceration’ as once the press is full, we start pressing. What does it achieve? We get a slightly greener juice, a little uptick in TA, more solids (lees), more phenolics and on the practical side we get more grapes in the press taking a three-press load day and making it a two-press load day. Given that Chardonnay makes up over half of our production this is a big deal."

PG:  What then?

KP:  "Fermentation is now started in tank as opposed to starting in barrel. I observed this practice while working the 2017 harvest in Burgundy alongside Dominique Lafon. By starting in tank we get a more uniform fermentation and lees dispersal in the juice. Once the fermentation is really raging we run the juice to barrel. I also believe that we get a touch more reduction by starting in tank. All ferments are started ’native’ using a pied de cuve which we build up over a couple weeks leading up to harvest using all the leftover juice from our vineyard sampling while checking the grapes for ripeness."

PG:  You seem to prefer fermenting in larger barrels. 

KP:  "We use a lot of 500 liter and more and more 350 liter barrels. Both provide a larger juice volume to wood ratio for freshness and tension with less wood influence. The single vineyard wines and Cuvée Anne see 50-70% new oak. Given our lower PH’s, higher acidity and lower alcohol this wood integrates and becomes part of the wine accentuating and amplifying all the positives. Chassin, Damy and Francois Frères are our barrels of choice."

"During fermentation we check temperature and specific gravity of every barrel every day. If a fermentation stops or slows down then we will stir. Therefore, bâtonnage is kept to a minimum and used only to promote completion of fermentation by kicking those lees up in suspension. Chardonnay is all about the details!"

"Once primary fermentation and malolactic are complete the wines are sulfured to 40mg/L and spend 12-13 months in barrel getting topped up every 7-10 days. Just before we pick the next vintage, we rack the single vineyard wines and Cuvée Anne to tank with all the lees to age an additional 4-5 months prior to bottling. This process allows for the wines to come together and evolve without further exposure to oxygen."

"Just before bottling the wines get a gentle fining (if needed) and filtration for clarity. The 2021’s received zero fining and only a the gentle filtration. Our hope, in the future, is to be able to stay in tank a little longer and bottle unfiltered. But if filtration makes the wines better then we do it. Whatever is takes to make epic, site expressive Chardonnay, we are going to do that."

PG:  Not all of the 2021 Chardonnays reviewed here are currently listed on the website, so I am guessing they may be offered to club members ahead of any general distribution. Other than the Cuvée Anne case quantities are quite limited, so my advice is to sign up for club membership. I've also tasted the 2021 Walter Scott Pinot Noirs. Those notes will be posted on my Substack pages.

Walter Scott 2021 Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay

This tart and spicy selection is tightly focused and sharp-edged. The acids penetrate deeply and frame the clean apple fruit. I gave it an extra day - and then another day - and it not only remained fresh and compact, it was a bit more accessible. This should be decanted or cellared for another couple of years. 13%; $?? (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100

Walter Scott 2021 Hyland Vineyard Chardonnay

Tangy, tangled citrus flavors of Meyer lemon, pineapple and blood orange suggest this is sourced from younger vines (just a guess). Fruit and acid drive this wine, and it comes to a tight focus through the mid-palate and down the finish. There are touches of mineral, parsley and lime circling the finish. 13%; $?? (McMinnville) 93/100

Walter Scott 2021 Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay

Given roughly one third new oak, this opens with that nose-pleasing scent of barrel toast, then opens into a well-defined mix of citrus rind, lime and green pear, with a dusting of white pepper. The texture adds further interest as the finish brings a pleasing succession of savory fresh herbs. 365 cases; 13%; $80 (Mt. Pisgah) 93/100

Walter Scott 2021 Cuvée Anne Chardonnay

Much as I admire the single vineyard selections, the Cuvée Anne – a barrel selection from several sites including Justice, Koosah, Seven Springs, Sojeau and X Novo – speaks to the power of a good blend. The winery believes that this best represents their vision of Willamette Valley Chardonnay as expressed through the lens of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. This is a rich, aromatic and lightly savory wine, replete with flavors of mandarin orange, white peach, honeysuckle and crisp apple. Fermented and aged in 40% new oak, then finished in stainless steel. 625 cases; 13%; $50 (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100

Walter Scott 2021 Justice Vineyard Chardonnay

This exceptional site, one of the Bethel Heights vineyards, brings flavors with instant appeal; a soft, palate-soaking mix of apricot, orange and cantaloup melon. The acids and barrel influence are already well-integrated and those acids give it a juicy boost. As it weaves its way down the throat the flavors continue fresh and pure. Drink this delicious wine now and on through the next five years. 13%; $?? (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100

Walter Scott 2021 X Novo Vineyard Chardonnay

In some respects this is the iconic vineyard for Walter Scott, and it anchors all that is valuable and authentic about the winery's AVA and vineyard-focused Chardonnays. It's supple and steely, tight and tart, focused and long. The tree fruits and citrus components provide a firm, full-bodied core. The finish brings hints of seashell and iron filings, and lingers languidly as long as you care to follow. This may have a 20-year life ahead. 13%; $?? (Eola-Amity Hills) 96/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my free Substack pages.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Gregutt Hits The Oregon (Wine) Trail

This is an overview of my recent three day visit to a dozen Willamette Valley wineries. I want to focus on how I approached planning such a trip and how you can maximize the value of your own wine country excursions. In addition I've posted quick summaries of the first day's visits, some recommended wines and links for purchase. More details of this trip will be posted on my Substack pages in the near future. Full reviews of all the wines gathered during the week will continue to be written and posted over the coming weeks.

Given that I've spent a big chunk of my life visiting wineries all over the world, it's not surprising that I am frequently asked for recommendations from folks planning a wine country excursion. A common question goes something like "we are planning a weekend in the Willamette Valley and we like Pinot Noir. Where would you suggest we go?"

That narrows things down to about 730 options. It's like asking me what is my favorite wine. I don't have one, and I can't help a stranger plan a short trip when I know little or nothing about their budget, their palate or their preferences. But what I can do is tell you how I organize my own schedule. There are certain considerations that will help anyone tour wine country efficiently. Even though my planning was organized around specific goals relating to gathering material for this website, the basics are the same for everyone.

What is the purpose? Pleasure? Education? Entertainment? Purchasing wine? Exploring a specific region or grape? Think about what you want to accomplish, then dive into specifics.

Are there certain wineries you absolutely know you want to visit? Is there a well-defined region that is of particular interest? Do you have any flexibility as far as timing? Once you settle on specific dates you can make educated guesses about the weather, road conditions and how busy the wineries are likely to be.

For my recent trip I budgeted three full days in wine country. I wanted to focus on Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills and McMinnville wineries, allowing one day for each sub-AVA. That met another key goal – minimizing driving times. The Willamette Valley is flat-out beautiful, but it's a big place. Even within sub-regions distances between stops can quickly eat up valuable time. Before you make specific appointments, spend some time mapping driving distances. You want to spend no more than 30 minutes between destinations.

Plan on visiting two wineries in the morning and two in the afternoon at most. That may not seem like a lot but you do not want to be rushed. That gives you an hour and a half at each stop and a half hour between them. Ideally your first appointment is at 9am, your second at 11am. Give yourself an extra half hour for a quick lunch stop and start your afternoon at 1:30, with the final appointment at 3:30.

If you want free time to do other non-tasting activities you probably won't be able to do more than a couple of wineries a day. But if wine tasting is your primary focus, then clump your visits as physically close to each other as possible. Make specific reservations; do not just plan to drop in. When booking, ask your hosts if they offer food or if there are nearby restaurants they can recommend. Eat a real breakfast before starting out and keep lunch light. Save any 'destination' restaurant meals for the evening.

Many wineries offer on-site lodging. It's great fun to wind up your last stop at a winery with a lodging option. Availability will depend on the date or dates you choose, so plan as far in advance as possible.

In the Willamette Valley you will not have any trouble finding excellent Pinot Noir. But don't miss the chance to taste Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier and other white wine options. There are more and more excellent sparkling wines, from simple Pét-Nats to fancy méthode champenoise. So be open to experimentation and you will make some fun discoveries.

At some point you have to choose specific wineries. One option is to pick a known winery for your first destination, then look online to see nearby tasting rooms, and take a chance on one that's new to you. Or phone the first winery during business hours and ask about their neighbors. The more time you spend doing the research, the better your experience is likely to be. There are a number of tour operators who will work with you and handle the transportation. One that comes highly recommended by a number of wineries is Backcountry Wine Tours.

Oregon winemakers are a resilient and adventurous crew, and they've grappled with climate change, wildfires, phylloxera and Covid challenges in recent years. Now with a couple of excellent vintages (2021 and 2022) being introduced, they will be especially pleased to see you and generous with their time if you avoid the most crowded weekends and are genuinely interested in what they have to offer.

Here are some quick sketches of the stops I made on the first day of my recent trip. I will post up comprehensive reviews of new releases for each of these wineries over the next month or two. My accounts of Day Two and Day Three will appear exclusively on Substack. I suggest that you (especially those who work at a winery) sign up as a subscriber. No cost, no obligation. OK, here we go.

Day One – Ribbon Ridge

Brick House

Founded in 1990 and certified Biodynamic just five years later, Brick House has long been one of my favorite stops up on Ribbon Ridge. The last few years have not been easy ones for winemaker Doug Tunnell and assistant winemaker Savannah Mills. In 2020 all their Pinot Noir was declassified due to wildfire smoke issues, and was blended into a non-vintage cuvée (the 2020 Chardonnays, on the other hand, were superb). For the past decade phylloxera has been creeping through the vineyard, leading to ongoing replanting. Currently it's the Gamay that is being replaced, so current production of that wine is down to just four barrels. The 2021 vintage wines are just now beginning to be released.

Brick House 2021 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir

From vines a quarter century old, this young Pinot perfectly expresses the glorious diversity of biodynamic wines. Wild, feral, gamey, unruly flavors compound across the palate, keeping you riveted through the lingering finish. Peppery red berry fruits, juicy acids and underlying wet stone flavors balance it out. Give it plenty of aeration and/or decanting for maximum enjoyment. 13%; $68 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100 

Dion Vineyard

I made it a priority to visit Kevin Johnson and Beth Klingner because I'd had the chance to review several previous vintages of their Dion wines and found them to be exceptional. The vineyard and modest winery and tasting room are on the back side of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, off the beaten path. The vineyard dates back to the mid-1970s when it was first planted by Kevin's parents and grandfather. Until 2007 they simply grew and sold grapes; currently they also make between 700 and 1000 cases of their own wines annually. Although quantities are small, there is a compelling range to the portfolio, including back vintages, old vine bottlings and a lovely pair of sparkling wines.

When traveling throughout the Willamette Valley it's a treat to visit wineries both new and old, big and small, fancy and homespun. Dion welcomes visitors from March to November, and as with most small wineries your best experience will be on an uncrowded week day. I usually aim for springtime, as the weather is mild and there's a chance to taste the first releases from the past couple of vintages. Here is one that is just about to be released. 

Dion 2022 Pinot Gris

I loved the previous vintage and the '22 is a fine follow-up. The vines are fully mature and able to express the richness and depth found in the best versions of Oregon Pinot Gris. This is a juicy, refreshing wine, its ample citrus fruit amplified with bracing acidity. It's due for release next month. 82 cases; 12.9%; $27 (Chehalem Mountains) 92/100

Patricia Green Cellars

If you've never been to this storied winery in the heart of Ribbon Ridge a glance at the website gives you a hint of what awaits. "Patricia Green Cellars enthusiastically and unapologetically produces more individual bottlings of Pinot Noir than any winery in America" the first page reads. This is true, and as a longtime fan of the wines I've often noted that it's quality more than quantity that makes this more than a dig-me boast. The biggest challenge for any winery producing a big lineup of Pinots from the same vintage is making each of them distinctive, stand-alone wines. When it gets down to single clone or block selections, all too often I taste a good component rather than a complete wine.

The remarkable achievement at Patty Green is that the dozens of different cuvées are all distinctive and compelling, no matter the vintage. Yet even knowing this, I was startled to walk into the tasting room and find a lineup of 36 - yes 36! - 2021 Pinot Noirs staring back at me. How to proceed?

As I surveyed the lineup I noticed that there were no fewer than six different wines from the Freedom Hill vineyard. That seemed to be the perfect focus for a 90 minute tasting, one that would put the winemaking team of Jim Anderson and Matthew Russell to the test once again. Matty and I tasted through all six, giving them as much time as possible. My preference is always to taste at home, where I can return to the bottles over the course of several days. So these notes are first impressions, but let's just say I was very very impressed. Reviews of more '21s will follow in the weeks ahead. Purchase the 2021 Pinots here.

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Pommard Clone Pinot Noir

"Pommard is a giver. We don't like to impose too much. We're like storytellers" - Matty Russell.

Still young, tart mix of cranberry, raspberry and a little black cherry. Some spice and chewy barrel tannins. In particular it is showing strong phenolic flavors right now, with notes of stem and soil. All in all it's a nicely woven wine that should develop beautifully with more bottle age. 13.2%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Dijon 115 Clone Pinot Noir

I found compelling freshness, sparked with good acidity and tangy cranberry/cherry fruit. Spicy, sharp and deliciously deep as it dives into darker flavors of black cherry and chocolate. Great persistence through the finish. 13.6%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 94/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Wadensvil Clone Pinot Noir

From a 1998 planting, this is aromatically captivating, spicy, with highlights of clean earth, graphite and black cherry fruit. Impressively dense with a slightly chalky mouthfeel, the accent components of bark and earth are perfectly proportioned. The overall focus, depth and detail are very impressive. 13.8%; $48 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Coury Clone Pinot Noir

This stunning effort is loaded with black fruits and tannins that taste like tea leaves. It carries itself with a delicate lightness, seemingly both elegant and powerful. The long, lingering flavors mix berries, dried leaves, hints of citrus and tannins that build gracefully into a cascading finish. 13.5%; $75 (Willamette Valley) 97/100

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Perspicacious Cuvée Pinot Noir

This cuvée is compiled from a different clone every year – recent vintages have cycled through Dijon 115, Coury, 115 again and currently Wadensvil. It's a barrel selection, 100% whole cluster fermented in a Grand Cru style. In sum this is bigger, darker and more tannic than the other Freedom Hill expressions, and clearly built for the long term. That said it was a bit too stubbornly closed to really get a handle on it in my time-limited tasting, so no score for now. 13.3%; $150 (Willamette Valley)

Patricia Green Cellars 2021 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

This is the least expensive Freedom Hill offering, a mix of Wadensvil, Pommard and Coury clone fruit from younger vines. Compared with all the other Freedom Hill wines reviewed here this shows less focused specificity but the reward for the taster is that it piles on the flavors. Dark fruits, coffee and spice add up to a big, flavorful wine that is, quite honestly, a steal. 13.3%; $37 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Domaine Divio

Co-founder and vigneron Bruno Corneaux is a man worthy of a full length book. Suffice it to say he is a native of Burgundy, educated in France, has worked all over the wine world and currently manages his own vineyard as well as the old vine Hyland vineyard. If anyone can lay claim to making Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a Burgundian style he is the man, yet it's more accurate to say that he applies his vast knowledge and experience to perfecting a style that emphasizes the best of both worlds.

Domaine Divio was founded about a decade ago, and from the beginning impressed me as one of the top 10 wineries in the Willamette Valley. Almost all of the wines are sold from the website and tasting room, with numerous small production cuvées that are exclusive to wine club members. This is a wine club you should join if you want to explore some of the very best wines that Oregon has to offer. Take note especially of such rarities as Aligoté, Pinot Beurot, Passetoutgrain and several Crémants.

Domaine Divio 2022 Pinot Beurot (Pinot Gris)

This traditional name for Pinot Gris references monks robes in brown burlap (hence beurot). The wine is fermented in neutral oak and given up to six months on the lees. It's rich and loaded with sweet brown spices. The ripe apple fruit tastes like a fresh bite of apple pie. The winery is featuring it as a Mother's Day special at a steeply discounted price. Details here. 350 cases; 12.8%; $32 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Domaine Divio 2021 Les Climats Chardonnay

The back label provides this explanation of the term:  "In Burgundy we talk about 'Climats' to describe what makes certain vineyards special and unique. The term is more specific than 'terroir' as it encompasses both terroir and the micro-climate, and therefore takes into account the soil, aspect, elevation and weather specific to a given area." All of Bruno Corneaux's Chardonnays are textbook examples from an exceptional vigneron. This compelling wine fills the palate with well-textured flavors of tree fruits, citrus rind, seashell minerality and herbal tea. It's dense and detailed, long and compelling. Not yet released. 13.3%; $?? (Willamette Valley) 96/100

Domaine Divio 2021 Clos Gallia Estate Chardonnay

The estate vineyard was about six years old when these grapes were picked. The flavors reflect that youth, with green citrus, apple and lime in particular. Juicy acids keep the wine lively and the palate fresh, with a kiss of new oak decorating the finish. 130 cases; 13.1%; $60 (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales. Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups. I encourage you to subscribe to my free Substack pages.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted. 

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com 

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Rosé Roundup + Outstanding New Wines From Force Majeure

Our exceptional Pacific NW rosés are highly anticipated and often made in small quantities. They start to trickle out in the beginning of the new year before the first daffodils have bloomed, and continue on well into summer. By and large they come from the most recent vintage, unlike some from foreign lands that may get an extra year in bottle. It's freshness and newness that are for sale here, along with the anticipation of warmer weather, summer picnics and days at the beach.

For all their charm, rosés are not subject to any particular regulations other than those that apply to every wine of any type. In other words, there is nothing that specifically defines a rosé. We look for the color, the recent vintage, the springtime release and of course the name on the label. Other than that anything can be called rosé, made from any grape or combination of grapes, or simply made by blending a little red wine into a white wine.

Very good rosés are made here in the Northwest from grapes as varied as Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto, Gamay, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel and combinations of any of the above. The best are made from grapes that have been grown and picked specifically for rosé, given a modest amount of skin contact prior to fermentation and fermented without the skins, most often in stainless steel. A little color is the goal, minimizing red wine tannins, retaining acidity and emphasizing fruit.

When in search of the finest quality stick with dry rosés (though some fruit sweetness isn't always detrimental). The days of sweet blush wines are long behind us. Drink your rosés chilled but not ice cold. If you're throwing a party, buy several different rosés so you may admire the rainbow colors and be sure to enjoy the fresh, floral, fruity aromatics.

Recently Pét-Nats have come in vogue, and they are often simply rosés with a bit of carbonation (hence the crown cap rather than cork finishes). These can be deliciously refreshing, but I don't list them here as they are generally available only at tasting rooms and not easily found elsewhere. Ask your favorite winery if they happen to have one next time you are visiting. 

Due to the sheer volume of rosés that are released each spring the list below makes no pretense of being at all comprehensive. These are noted because they represent a good range of regions and styles. Now through mid-summer is when you should be on the hunt for the 2022s. Go get 'em!

Abacela 2022 Grenache Rosé

This is an elegant wine, pure Grenache, with light strawberry fruit and a dash of white pepper. It's clean and fresh, though it thins out quickly.

1042 cases; 12.9%; $20 (Umpqua Valley) 89/100

https://www.abacela.com/product/Grenache-Rose-2022

Airfield Estates 2022 Sangiovese Rosé

Sangiovese, when ripened lightly, makes an excellent rosé, as it does here. There's a peppery note throughout, and the acid/fruit balance is spot on. With a bit of breathing time the wine gains concentration and brings up cherry pit flavors through the finish. Note:  not yet listed on the website so I cannot provide a link.

2552 cases; 12.2%; $18 (Yakima Valley) 91/100

Goose Ridge 2022 Revelation Rosé

A GSM style rosé from estate-grown fruit, this has rather high-test alcohol for rosé but keeps everything in good proportion. Fruit-powered from start to finish, it's a mix of orchard fruits, melon and spring herbs. There is just enough acid to keep it lively, but do chill it down for best drinking. 13.8%; $18 (Goose Gap) 88/100

https://www.gooseridge.com/product/2022-Revelation-Rose

Hyland Estates 2022 Single Vineyard Rosé

This gorgeous rosé is principally Pinot Noir, though a mix of other estate-grown varieties are also in the blend. It's effusively fruity, with big, bold flavors of citrus and orange and melon and even a hint of papaya. As good as it is, the temptation is to pop a maraschino cherry into the glass along with a shot of vodka. I leave that experiment up to my bartender friends. Go big! 275 cases; 13%; $28 (McMinnville) 91/100

https://www.hylandestateswinery.com/product/2022-Estate-Rose

Julia's Dazzle 2022 Pinot Gris Rosé

Part of the Long Shadows lineup, this popular rosé comes in a distinctive bowling pin-shaped bottle. Pinot Gris when left awhile on the skins has a natural blush color, which is unusual for a white wine grape. This is all you could wish for in a springtime sipper – it's fruity, forward, crisp, clean and lovely to look at. 6945 cases; 13.4%; $18-$20 (Columbia Valley) 92/100

https://longshadows.com/wines/2022-julias-dazzle/133

Lone Birch 2022 Rosé

The value label from Airfield, this Syrah-based rosé is fruity and feels slightly off-dry. It's spicy and crisp, done in a style that will appeal to most consumers, at a price that no one will argue with. Though not the most complex rosé in this group, it represents a fine value in a well-made, every day choice. Note:  the website is way out of date so I cannot post a link for purchase.

1300 cases; 12.8%; $12 (Yakima Valley) 88/100

Ovum 2022 PNK Salt

This unusual rosé is sourced from 40-year-old Columbia Gorge Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a musky, dusky wine, a sunset hue, with astonishing depth and power. Perhaps the pink salts of Hawaii are the inspiration; it's bone dry and mineral-drenched wine. The strawberry and candy cherry fruit carries an appealing hint of saltiness that should prove irresistible for matchups with "take me out to the ballgame" type foods. Definitely one of the top rosés of the vintage.

12.5%; $19 (Oregon) 93/100

https://ovum-wines.obtainwine.com/product/2022-pnk-salt

Portlandia NV Rosé Sparkling Wine

This non-vintage Syrah-based wine, made by the traditional method, is lovely to look at – a fading sunset hue. I've had few if any sparkling Syrahs, but this one avoids unnecessary tannins or earthy funk. It might easily be mistaken for a sparkling Pinot Noir, which is a good thing. The flavors dance around mixed tree fruits and citrus, and if you look hard there are hints of berry also. It's a captivating wine that delivers plenty of pleasure for the price.

4880 cases; 12%; $22 (Columbia Valley) 91/100

https://portlandiavintners.com/sparkling-rose/

Quady North 2022 GSM Rosé

This is one of a number of superb rosés from Quady North. It's 56% Grenache and 42% Syrah; what the 2% Mourvèdre brings to the mix is a bit of a mystery. This is a juicy, lively wine, with rather delicate flavors touching upon citrus, apples, and orange slices. The jaunty, colorful label adds to the overall 'let's party!' feeling. 2837 cases; 12%; $17 (Rogue Valley) 91/100

https://quadynorth.orderport.net/product-details/0787/2022-Rose-750mL-12pct

Quady North 2022 Cabernet Franc Rosé

Past vintages have featured rosés from Grenache and Counoise; this year it's Cab Franc in the spotlight for the first time since 2011 As always with Quady rosés it's handled with a light touch, and the intensity of the flavors is surprising given the alcohol below 12%. Flavors skip lightly over spring fruits and berries, no hint of underripe or green fruit at all. 401 cases; 11.8%; $20 (Rogue Valley) 92/100

https://quadynorth.orderport.net/product-details/0788/2022-Rose-of-Cabernet-Franc-750ml-118pct

Ricochet 2022 Confluence Rosé

A field blend of Syrah, Malbec and Viognier grown at Moody vineyards in the Columbia Gorge, this is a highlight from the portfolio of Erich Berg. Barrel fermented, this is revelatory, capturing lovely floral and citrus aromatics that lead into a lushly-textured and lively palate. Details of citrus, orange liqueur and earthy strawberries come out, but this is not a heavy or tiring wine in any way. Its flavors extend and develop much as an older rosé might, so the prospect for additional complexity is tantalizing. But right now it's hard to resist. 300 cases; 13%; $25 (Columbia Gorge) 92/100

https://vinoshipper.com/shop/ricochet/confluence_rose_107480

Toil Oregon 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé

This is a solid, quenchable wine, balanced and dry, with flavors of rhubarb, unripe strawberries and crushed rose petals. It's light and easy going, a perfect wine to chill and sip on a spring picnic. 400 cases; 12.5%; $30 (Oregon) 90/100

https://www.toiloregon.com/rose-of-pinot-noir-2022

Wine by Joe 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir

The everyday nature of this lineup is emphasized by the fact that you can buy this in bottle or can. It's solid, unpretentious and inexpensive, though it won't roll your socks up and down. Just a good glug, with strawberry and cherry fruit backed with zesty citrus. VW

x cases; 13.1%; $14 (Willamette Valley) 90/100

https://dobbesfamilyestate.com/product/2021-wine-by-joe-ros-of-pinot-noir

Winter's Hill 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir

You can expect to pay a little extra for rosés from estate-grown, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir because they often give you a little extra. Subtle details add texture and length to the wine, and move it from being a simple quaffer to a more serious wine deserving of thoughtful attention.

224 cases; 13.5%; $29 (Dundee Hills) 91/100

https://wintershillwine.com/product/2022-rose-of-pinot-noir

Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2022 Estate Grown Rosé of Pinot Noir

Tart, lightly spicy and featuring racy acidity, this refreshing rosé will make a fine aperitif and accompaniment to cured meats, salty cheeses or picnic dishes. Nothing fancy about it, but a pleasant quaffer. The website is way out of date so I cannot provide a link for purchase.

250 cases; 12.5%; $24 (McMinnville) 88/100

Force Majeure

All are current releases except as noted.

Force Majeure 2020 Tempranillo

Estate-grown, fermented with native yeast and aged in roughly 40% new oak, this potent wine elevates the potential for all Tempranillo grown in Washington. Had I a time machine I'd whoosh forward to 2038 and do a re-taste, because it seems built for running true for such a time. Deep, dark, juicy blackberry and cassis fruits are wrapped in toasty oak. The tannins are powerful and fully ripened, adding hints of cured meats, bacon, black olives and charcoal while maintaining polish and focus. The wine rolls seamlessly through a lingering finish. Slated for a July release. 15%; $95 (Red Mountain) 94/100

Force Majeure 2020 Épinette Red Blend

Various sources define épinette as a black spruce, a tamarack, a cage used to fatten fowl, an alternative name for Chardonnay or Saint-Pierre Doré, a diatonic fretted zither and a spinet! Draw your own conclusions as to which best fits this lovely blend of 53% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Given 65% new oak, it is still in the shakedown phase and wants a good decanting if you are drinking it anytime time soon. The slightly gritty tannins support a frame of tobacco, char and coffee grounds around the tightly-wound cassis and black fruits. In sum this is a fine representation of a Red Mountain Bordeaux blend. Drink 2026 to 2040. 250 cases; 14.8%; $95 (Red Mountain) 94/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Epinette.pdf

Force Majeure 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon

This Red Mountain estate Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from 14-year-old vines along the southwest ridge of the vineyard. The deep, loamy soils that contain fractured basalt, concreted ash and granite left over from the Missoula floods. It's rare that young Red Mountain Cab is this approachable without any sacrifice of terroir, depth or power. From the inviting aromas of black fruits and tobacco on through the mid-palate flavors adorned with mineral and graphite highlights and into the smooth yet chewy finish, this wine seduces. Aged in three quarters new French oak, this shows how winemaker Todd Alexander is masterful with barrel and tannin management. Drink now through the 2030s. 425 cases; 14.9%; $150 (Red Mountain) 96/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Cabernet-RM-Tech-Sheet.pdf

Force Majeure 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Walla Walla estate sourcing makes for a gentler Cabernet, less tannic and a bit smoother than the winery's Red Mountain estate bottling. Here the mid-palate broadens out with a display of plum and berry fruits, dusty chocolate, mocha, cedar and tobacco. It was fermented in a mix of concrete and stainless tanks, then aged in 78% new French oak. 270 cases; 14.8%; $150 (Walla Walla Valley) 94/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Cabernet-WW-Tech-Sheet.pdf

[93] Force Majeure 2020 Parvata

Parvata (sanskrit for mountain) is a GSM blend sourced from estate-grown Red Mountain fruit. It's a different blend than the previous vintage, more Grenache, less Mourvèdre, fermented as before in concrete and stainless prior to aging in 20% new French oak. It's effusively aromatic with tightly-packed flavors of blueberry, black cherry, cigar box, black pepper, ground coffee, peat and graphite. Already drinkable, it needs ample aeration or decanting to show its best. 450 cases; 14.9%; $85 (Red Mountain) 95/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Parvata-Tech-Sheet.pdf

Force Majeure 2020 Syrah

This was co-fermented with 2% Viognier in a traditional Rhône style – 22% whole cluster, concrete fermenters, native yeast. Mixed clones add texture and detail, the purity of the varietal fruit is clear and the tight focus lingers all through the finish. In short it's classic, textbook Red Mountain Syrah at the highest level. Black fruits are adorned with notes of black pepper, violets and sage. Somehow, despite its youth and power, the wine carries a sense of restraint, muscular, balanced and built to age. 520 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Red Mountain) 96/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Red-Mountain-Syrah-Tech-Sheet.pdf

Force Majeure 2020 Syrah

This is the first release from the estate vineyard, which is split in half by the Rocks District boundary. It is therefore a rather restrained approach to a region known for its aggressive funkiness. This is savory and smooth, with grassy notes of dried grains, coffee grounds and moist earth. The lovely blueberry fruit flavors shine through; the concrete fermenters bring drying minerality, and the 30% whole clusters are included in a balanced finish without dominating. 170 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Walla Walla Valley) 93/100

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2020-Force-Majeure-Walla-Walla-Syrah-Tech-Sheet.pdf

Force Majeure 2020 SJR Vineyard Syrah

SJR is the Rocks District vineyard of the Delmas winery, and this wine's aromas express the classic funk/umami notes for which the AVA is recognized. Sniff your way through its rainbow of scents and flavors including compost, breakfast tea, blood sausage, tapenade, cut tobacco, cedar and espresso. The fruit flavors build through the finish – blueberry, blackberry, black cherry – but the umami-soaked tannins clear the decks as the wine fades. This is a three ring circus of a Syrah, and should drink beautifully over the rest of the decade. Slated for a July release. 137 cases; 15%; $85 (Walla Walla) 97/100

===========================================================

The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups.

Wineries may request scores for all their wines.

Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales.

Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Long Shadows Wines: The Legacy of Allen Shoup and the Mastery of Gilles Nicault

Long Shadows was the last and greatest project from Allen Shoup, who was at the helm of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (then called Stimson Lane) from 1980 until the turn of the century. Among his many innovations while there were winemaking partnerships with Ernst Loosen (Eroica) and the Antinori family (Col Solare).

Those seminal projects blossomed into Long Shadows in 2002, when Shoup rolled out a portfolio of ultra-premium wines carefully concepted to have each of them express a particular Washington wine industry strength. From concept to bottling every wine was guided by a well-known partner/consultant from outside the region – a marketing stroke of genius and a testament to Shoup's gift for gentle persuasion.

Though it was the visiting winemakers who frequently grabbed the spotlight, the actual day in and day out winemaking at Long Shadows was handled from the start by Gilles Nicault. A native of southern France and graduate of the University of Avignon, Nicault arrived in Washington 30 years ago, intent on further expanding his winemaking knowledge. He wound up at Woodward Canyon, working with Rick Small, and from there took the reins at Long Shadows, his self-described "dream job."

Long Shadows wines were great from the start, and over time it became clear that it was Gilles, the onsite Director of Winemaking & Viticulture, who was the glue that tied them all together. After two decades they continue as a seamless portfolio of exemplary, even iconic wines. And though he is too modest to take the credit unless pressed, the winery has made a gradual and challenging transition under Nicault’s careful guidance. Not only has Long Shadows weathered the passing of Allen Shoup, who died last November, but also the gradual decoupling of the original group of partner/consultants.

That process began as some of these mentors aged out, and was (perhaps) accelerated by the impact of Covid on travel. Whatever the reasons, currently all Long Shadows wines are made by Nicault and his team, while the winery remains in family hands, with Shoup’s step-son Dane Narbaitz serving as President & CEO, and son Ryan Shoup as Director of Retail Sales.

Gilles and I sat down in the Long Shadows tasting room on a sun-splattered early April morning to taste through some of the current releases and talk about the challenges ahead. The Blue Mountains were snow-covered and sparkling, the air so clear they seemed close enough to touch. I'd just learned that the cold weather that has settled on the entire Pacific Northwest for weeks on end brought with it the dubious distinction of recording the greatest disparity between average and actual low temperatures anywhere on the planet! That didn't seem to bode well for this year’s grapes. So we started the conversation there.

PG:  We've been enduring record cold and it looks as if it will continue well into April. In your three decades here have you ever seen this before?

GN:  I have not. But also I've never seen such amazing September/October weather as we had last year. The good thing is that so far it's like last year when budbreak was delayed and we had a very late frost so the buds were safe. It's hard to say where we're going this year, but I like where we are now with good moisture in the soil profile. We didn't have a really harsh winter. It got down to zero degrees but there was no vineyard damage.

PG:  Apart from the challenging weather how are you dealing with the passing of Allen Shoup? How does that impact the management and especially the vision for the brand?

GN:  He was so smart, and such a visionary that he set Long Shadows up to be run without him. Dane is now President/CEO, and we've been working together for 15 years. I've been here since the beginning in 2003. Allen was my mentor and he left us in a very strong position to be able to run the company.

PG:  The original partner winemakers are no longer involved. How do you replace them? Or do you?

GN:  I am the sole winemaker now. I got to work for many years with all these talented people, and from the beginning I knew the terroir. So slowly but surely I have taken over, starting with Poet's Leap and Saggi around 2017, and over time (and with Covid) the rest. It has not been a very precise jump from everything to nothing. It evolved. But I've been here all along, getting dirty during harvest, doing vineyard maturity checks, fermentation checks. And for each different wine I had an incredible mentor.

PG:  So where do you go from here?

GN:  We are going to continue to focus on increasing quality. Because if we just keep it where we are already we'll stagnate. Allen always pushed us to be active in creating better and better wines with a focus on what we are.

PG:  You do have superb vineyard sources, although no estate vineyards. And you seem to get the best old vines from each site. What do old vines give you that makes them special?

GN:  It's both the site and the deep roots. An old vine needs less water, so it can go through hot weather much better. You don't need to keep adding water drop by drop - hydroponic irrigation - as you do to young vines which swells the grapes. So the old vines give more complexity. Young vines are like little kids - they can run run run and then they collapse. An adult can go longer. Old vines can take more stress. 

Let's taste the wines! 

Long Shadows 2021 Poet's Leap Riesling

Hand-picked and whole cluster pressed, this strikes a generously juicy balance between acid and sugar, fruit and phenolics. Some new grape sources are in the mix that now includes DuBrul, Bacchus and Gamache old vines. Packed with fruit, the wine has great weight and persistence, accented with threads of chamomile, butter and finishing with lingering softness that adds a touch of vanilla. As good or better than ever. 3335 cases; 12.5%; $20  (Columbia Valley) 95/100

Long Shadows 2020 Dance Chardonnay

First and lasting impression - this is immaculate, clean, perfectly proportioned and defined. If Dance is the name, the dancer is Baryshnikov. Restrained power is the template here. The Wente clone fruit from French Creek and Boushey vineyards is given full expression without becoming at all blowsy or too broad, as can happen at times with this clone. If memory serves, this 2020 shows a bit more fresh green tea, green herb flavors than the previous vintage. 790 cases; 14.1%; $42 (Columbia Valley) 94/100 

Long Shadows 2020 Saggi

Emulating a SuperTuscan blend, this current vintage is 62% Sangiovese, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah. It's a bright ruby red, with equally bright flavors and a cherry candy character that is charmingly fresh. The Sangiovese component blends grapes from three AVAs – Walla Walla, Candy Mountain and Yakima Valley. The flavors coalesce in the finish around muscular tannins from the Stone Tree Cab, and licks of spice from the Boushey Syrah. 2155 cases; 15.1%; $65 (Columbia Valley) 92/100 

Long Shadows 2019 Chester-Kidder Red

This is roughly two thirds Walla Walla Cabernet and one third Candy Mountain Syrah, with a splash of Petit Verdot punching up the tannins. It's a solid, muscular wine that benefits from the best of both the main grapes. Firm, compact flavors of cassis are framed with 85% new French oak, adding more spice and finishing with a toasty note. This will want plenty of aeration and/or more bottle age in order to show its best. 2160 cases; 14.9%; $65 (Columbia Valley) 92/100 

Long Shadows 2019 Sequel Syrah

Sourced from various sites and clones, this pure varietal is a classic evocation of cool climate Syrah powered by Washington fruit. Deep blueberry, blackberry and black cherry flavors penetrate down through the palate with juicy persistence. The acids are clean and splendidly fresh and the tannins just strong enough to provide a framework to the finish. Young as it is this wine is already drinking nicely, though primed for medium-term development. Best drinking? 2025 - 2030 would be a good guess. 2130 cases; 15%; $65 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Long Shadows 2019 Pirouette

A five-grape Bordeaux-style blend, this is principally composed of Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope fruit. It's a great Pirouette, poised and potent, with a seductive chocolatey entry, good grip and prevailing richness on through the extended finish. Spicy, savory and lightly floral, this brings the full flavor palette to the tasters' palate. Drink now and over the next 15 years. 2515 cases; 14.8%; $70 (Columbia Valley) 95/100 

Long Shadows 2019 Pedestal Merlot

Kind of old school, given the 15+% alcohol and 85% new oak barrels. With one quarter of the blend being Cabernet and Malbec it nonetheless makes good sense and good wine. The grapes were sourced from two of Washington's warmest AVAs and allowed to achieve full maturity. This is smooth, dark and dense. The black fruits are packed down tightly, and the ripe tannins have a slight grainy character that enhances flavor suggestions of ground coffee and ultra-dark chocolate. This is the style evangelized by consultant Michel Rolland, chosen as the original designer of this wine, and here executed to perfection. 2615 cases; 15.1%; $70 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Long Shadows 2020 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon

Beginning with the newest releases, Long Shadows has labeled its wines as coming "From The Long Shadows Vintners Collection" – a nod to the changes occurring at the winery, detailed above. This is simply stunning, a Vegas-style display of fruits and flowers, spices and barrel toast. Somehow it is silky, savory, textured and lush all at once. The flavors run through a long finish like threads in a shawl, and trying to untangle them is an impossible challenge. This wine is inescapably delicious, beautifully focused, and surely destined to be long lived. 3985 cases; 14.9%; $75 (Columbia Valley) 96/100

Long Shadows 2019 Feather Vintage Select Cabernet Sauvignon

Historically Feather is classic expression of pure Washington Cabernet, and this is no exception. It is as clear and focused as Washington fruit can be, sourced from old vine sites at Weinbau, Dionysus, Bacchus and Sagemoor, along with a newer vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. It's rich, chocolatey, nutty and lush, with a mix of black fruits, graphite and baking spices seamlessly integrated. 3720 cases; 15.4%; $70 (Columbia Valley) 95/100

Côté Nicault 2019 GSM

Beautifully built, judicious use of different fermentation vehicles. This is layered nicely. Gilles - when I make a GSM I try to go back to my roots, with layers, elegance, some garrigue notes. Concentrated, stacked wine with clear minerality from homogenous, gravelly soils high up on the mountain. The fruit opens up with marionberry, blueberry and blackberry compote, expanding and long lasting through the finish. 309 cases; 14.9%; $85 (Red Mountain) 94/100

Purchase these wines here.

===========================================================

The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups.

Wineries may request scores for all their wines. Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales.

Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Want some great music to go with these great wines? Check out www.davepaul5.com!

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt

Liminal's Extraordinary Wines From WeatherEye Vineyards

The WeatherEye sites are planted entirely above the Missoula flood plain (over 1200 feet) atop Red Mountain. Ryan Johnson, whose long years of vineyard experience include 15 years at Ciel du Cheval and the planting of the Force Majeure vineyard, did the unique design and layout for this stunning site. Cameron Myrhvold purchased the land almost 20 years ago and encouraged and supported the notion that grapes could thrive in such a windy, rather desolate, high elevation location. Todd Alexander initially moved north from serving as Bryant Family winemaker in Napa to take over the winemaking at nearby Force Majeure. He is now responsible for those wines as well as several other brands, including the estate wines from WeatherEye.

The Red Mountain AVA stops at the ridgeline, but the vineyard climbs over the top and continues on the north side of the mountain. "Not quite half the vineyards are on the north side," Alexander explains, "and therefore not part of the Red Mountain AVA. So a big difference is the way the grapes ripen here – longer hang time, less intense sun. Ryan has also planted different clonal material than at Force Majeure. There's a lot of variation in soil type. Everything is planted high density, meter-by-meter, a lot of shade so even in the kind of mid-summer heat we've been getting it's doing really well."

Johnson and his team farm the site in various "micro-blocks" matching vine densities and trellising to the specific soils, topography and exposures. Most of the vines are head-trained according to traditional Rhône valley viticultural practices, at elevations as high as 1400 feet. The extreme terrain, wild variations in soil types and labor-intensive cultivation pay off, the principals believe, by providing "opportunities for growing wine grapes, limited only by our imagination."

Currently planted to 33 acres of Rhône, Bordeaux and Spanish varieties, WeatherEye fruit is in great demand. The first estate wines under the WeatherEye label were made in 2018, a tiny production of Syrah and Grenache. The 2019 vintage brought the total production up to around 400 cases. The 2020 vintage introduced the first white wines. (Quick notes on both 2019s and  early release 2020s are re-posted below). My notes on the 2020/2021 vintage wines will be featured next month.

Just ten wineries are able to obtain some WeatherEye grapes, and along with the estate wines made by Todd Alexander, the wines from Liminal winemaker Chris Peterson are the standouts.

Liminal (meaning "at the threshold") is the project of Peterson and business partner Marty Taucher. It resulted from an ongoing search for new vineyards to grow their Avennia winery. "Avennia had been growing nicely," Taucher explains, "and we were pleased with how the wines were being received. But we wanted to consider adding some new fruit to the portfolio. In the summer of 2018 we started looking in Walla Walla and particularly the North Fork but didn’t see anything that was ready for us in the near term. On the way back to Seattle, we started talking about what my Microsoft friend Cam Myhrvold had been planning for his land on the top of Red Mountain. We knew he had brought in Ryan Johnson to manage it so no harm in checking it out to see the progress that had been made. Chris texted Ryan and he invited us for a tour.

"Gobsmacked is the correct term for how we reacted. Ryan had meticulously paired his viticulture strategies with the rugged land throughout the site. We got excited about the possibility of creating wines from the different and unique blocks that we explored with Ryan that day. Our timing was fortuitous, as Ryan and Cam had not yet really started to market the fruit extensively and 2018 was going to be the first commercially available vintage. On the drive all the way back to Seattle we talked about how we could possibly incorporate new blocks of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre as well as the Bordeaux varietals into our Avennia mix. It seemed nonsensical to simply make more of our Avennia wines with the fruit. Kind of defeats the purpose of what Ryan and Cam were accomplishing. So we decided to create an entirely new line-up of “smallish” production (50 - 200 cases) wines and focus on making the most of the unique blocks that Ryan and Cam have given us exclusive access to, particularly the area we call the High Canyon.

"We introduced the Liminal portfolio as a separate entity in 2020. Cam and Ryan appreciated that we were going to put the focus completely on this vineyard. With Liminal, the focus is 100% on the fruit from WeatherEye. So that’s the story. Ryan and Cam have been great to work with and we appreciated the opportunity to get in literally on the ground floor. We are not partners in the vineyard, but we are probably their largest customer."

PG:  Thank you Marty for this background. As I was tasting Liminal wines for the first time – prior to doing much if any research on the history of the vineyard – I too was gobsmacked. I spent several days with the wines, carefully tasting their slow, steady evolution. Liminal wines are released twice yearly to list members (sign up here.) The next allocation period will begin in August 2023 and will feature the 2021 High Canyon Series (Viognier, Grenache, Syrah) and 2021 GSM. A few back releases are still listed for sale on the website. The Liminal and WeatherEye wines profiled here, though not inexpensive, are in my view astonishing values for their rarity, uniqueness and ageability.

Liminal Wine

Liminal 2020 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Viognier

Few if any Washington vineyards have achieved legendary status in their first few vintages. WeatherEye is one, and one sip of any WeatherEye wine tells you all you need to know. Viognier is not a major presence on Red Mountain, and yet this wine stakes a credible claim for it being an essential grape there. In just its third vintage it stands out for its concentration, finesse and length. It captures the citrus flesh and rind, botanical nuances and precision focus of the best examples I've ever had. And goes the extra mile, extending the finish while adding further details of mineral, matchstick and metal. Sold out. 48 cases; 14.2%; $50 (Red Mountain) 95/100

Liminal 2020 Vineyard Series WeatherEye Vineyard GSM

Other than my first exposure to Rhône-style wines from the Rocks District and Rocky Reach AVAs, I have never been instantly convinced that here was a unique terroir whose young vines have already captured its essence. A stunning display of power and finesse, this mix of Grenache (46%), Syrah (28%) and Mourvèdre (26%) underscores deep flavors of mountain strawberries with natural minerality and black tea tannins. Despite the high finished alcohol it seems to be a bit restrained – no hint of overripe or jammy fruit, nor any burn in the finish. In other words, it's beautifully aromatic, balanced, orchestrated and detailed, with the promise of Rhône-style ageability ahead. 187 cases; 15.4%; $60 (Columbia Valley) 96/100

https://liminalwine.com/products/2020-gsm

Liminal 2020 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Grenache

This is pure Grenache aged in neutral oak and sourced from the original vines at the highest point of Red Mountain. This generous wine is loaded with blackberry and black cherry fruit. Instead of the funk you might find in a Rocks District Grenache, the defining terroir that meshes this wine together is a natural minerality. The site allows the acids to remain strong and supportive despite the high alcohol, and the sophisticated winemaking of Chris Peterson ties it all together with no need for new oak. It's a tour de force already, and as the vines mature future releases should only get even better. 68 cases; 15.1%; $85 (Red Mountain) 95/100

https://liminalwine.com/products/2020-grenache

Liminal 2020 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Syrah

The High Canyon Series from Liminal is dedicated to the original vines that climbed Red Mountain to previously unplanted heights. The tension, detail and potency of these wines is beyond compare. This is Syrah with the precision and density of the finest Rhônes, yet with a particularity to the fruit and minerality that comes from this special site. Power, focus and density characterize this vineyard, here with extra concentration and length. I generally avoid comparisons to specific French wines because Washington is not France! But in many respects this is every bit as good as the best of Côte Rôtie, without duplicating it. This is a wine I could happily sip and savor for days. 122 cases; 15.1%; $85 (Red Mountain) 96/100

https://liminalwine.com/products/2020-high-canyon-syrah 

Liminal 2020 Block Highlight Series WeatherEye Vineyard Block 16 Syrah

Defining this exceptional vineyard as "a study in specific terroirs, with many small distinct aspects, elevations and trellising systems" the Block Highlight Series highlights particular blocks deemed the most compelling the vintage. This was given one quarter new oak (other Liminal wines get neutral oak), perhaps to punch up something deemed missing. Block selections are basically components, but really good components, so no criticism there. What I love about this wine is the absolute purity of the fruit – dense blueberry and plum and blackberry flavors, with a juicy edge. Aromatically complex with rich black fruits, espresso, a touch of char and potent, graphite flavored tannins, this wine lingers almost indefinitely, and pushes the fruit more forward than the winery's other Syrahs. I love it. 90 cases; 15.2%; $70 (Columbia Valley) 96/100

https://liminalwine.com/products/2020-block-16-syrah

Liminal 2020 Block Highlight Series WeatherEye Vineyard Block 47 Cabernet Sauvignon

This is pure Cab treated to 100% new French oak aging. This is a seriously important wine. In the pantheon of Washington Cabernets it deserves a place with iconic wines such as Quilceda Creek, Leonetti Cellar, Betz and L'Ecole's 'Ferguson' bottling. The density is exceptional; it's packed with deeply layered flavors of black fruits, cassis, ground espresso, dark chocolate, black tea and tobacco. This stunning wine should cellar well for decades. I'd taste a bottle every five years until your cellar runs dry. Sold out. 68 cases; 15%; $125 (Red Mountain) 97/100

WeatherEye Releases (previously reviewed)

These are quick notes from a tasting last summer. As noted, some are still listed on the website as available for purchase.

WeatherEye 2020 Roussanne

Good balance, lightly peppery, firm, subtle, expressive. Citrus rind, native yeast.

25 cases; 14.5% (Red Mountain)

NOTE:  The 2021 Roussanne (not yet tasted) is currently for sale:  https://weathereye-vineyards.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

2020 WeatherEye Marsanne

Tight spacing, lower elevation than the Roussanne. A little skin contact. Aromatic, complex, spicy and packed with interesting fruits, marzipan.

25 cases; 14.8% (Red Mountain)

NOTE:  The 2021 (not yet tasted) is currently for sale:  https://weathereye-vineyards.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

WeatherEye 2020 L'Atomique White

Intentionally intense, color is from extended skin contact, but no punch down, no extra extraction, not an oxidative style, not an orange wine. 55% Viognier, equal parts of the rest, all used barrels. All picked together, de-stemmed, not pressed, fermented open top tank until almost dry (on the skins), barreled down to finish.

38 cases; 15.3% (Red Mountain)

NOTE:  The 2021 (not yet tasted) is currently for sale:  https://weathereye-vineyards.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Grenache

Intense, concentrated, with dense raspberry and black cherry fruit. Tannins are drying but sanded smooth, and even on the third day this is remarkably fresh and flavorful. The relatively high abv gives a liquorous trail to the finish.

80 cases; 14.8%; $85 (Red Mountain)

WeatherEye 2019 Syrah

Sleek, steely, firm, tight, sculpted, this walks a fine line among various styles. Tart, lightly brambly fruits seem encased in cement. It's an ageworthy and definitive style that is set apart from other Red Mountain Syrahs.

140 cases; 15%; $85 (Red Mountain)

NOTE:  Still listed for sale on the website:  https://weathereye-vineyards.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

WeatherEye 2019 Tempranillo

Light leather, cherry tobacco, graphite, black cherry and polished, soft tannins are all in the mix. All the WeatherEye reds have a definitive twist to the tannins; all are impressive given that the vineyard was barely five years old in 2019.

100 cases; 14.7%; $85 (Red Mountain)

NOTE:  Still listed for sale on the website:  https://weathereye-vineyards.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

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The wines I review have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups.

Only reviews for recommended wines are published, with links to winery websites to facilitate DTC sales.

Additional exposure comes via my frequent posts on Substack, Post Alley, Instagram and several Facebook wine chat groups.

Please send current and upcoming releases according to your own release schedule (check with me first re: weather/travel exceptions). All new releases from Pacific Northwest wineries are welcome and will be tasted.

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt