Fall for Oregon Pinot Noir

The arrival of fall in Oregon offers the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend in Oregon wine regions. Unique among domestic wine regions, Oregon wineries, large and small, open their doors for three days of wine tasting with appropriate food pairings, winery tours, winery dinners, live music, and best of all, discounts on wine buys. Many wineries are offering barrel tasting of the 2016 Pinot Noir vintage, tasting of the highly acclaimed 2014 Pinot Noir vintage, and tastes of library and limited release wines. For a complete listing of winery open house events, consult the latest print version of Oregon Wine Press, or visit the newspaper’s website at www.oregonwinepress.com/thanksgiving-in-oregon-wine-country-2016. The photo below is of Luminous Hills Vineyard this autumn.

If you are planning to visit Oregon’s Willamette Valley for Thanksgiving weekend, November 25-27, there are several other sources of information. Visit www.travelportland.com for a comprehensive listing of Portland’s wine, beer, artisan food scene, as well as lodging options. Portland’s urban wineries are particularly noteworthy, and one could spend the entire Thanksgiving weekend visiting superb producers without leaving the city. To experience Portland’s wine scene, PDX Urban Wineries at www.pdxurbanwineries.com offers a passport through nine local tasting rooms. Among the twelve winery members of PDX Urban Winery Association are notable Pinot Noir producers Boedecker Cellars and Willful Wine Company.

Willamette Valley Wineries at www.willamettewines.com/event/wine-country-thanksgiving/ offers a printable Guide to Wine Country Thanksgiving. The 35 wineries in Tualatin Valley, located in the northern tip of the Willamette Valley, is just minutes driving time south of downtown Portland. Visit www.tualatinvalley.org/ wineries-vineyards/annual-wine-events/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-wine-weekend-2/ for wine touring information Thanksgiving weekend.

Two lesser known Oregon regions that would interest wine enthusiasts are Mt. Hood Territory and the Columbia Gorge. The Mt. Hood Territory, located southeast of Portland and easily accessible by a short drive, is best known for its outdoor activities, but The Territory is blessed with passionate vintners, sustainable farmers and all-star chefs. Visit www.MtHoodTerritory.com. The Columbia Gorge Wine Country north of Mt Hood Territory and 60 miles east of Portland has 50+ vineyards and 30+ wineries among the wild beauty of the Columbia Gorge scenic area in both Oregon and Washington. The diverse topography of the region is highly suitable for world class wine production of diverse grape varietals including Pinot Noir. Visit www.columbiagorgewine.com for a wine touring map and visitor’s guide.

This issue may be late for many readers to contemplate a visit to Oregon wine country, but remember that Oregon wineries also have a special Memorial Day weekend each year. Many winery tasting rooms are open year round and most others are open by appointment. The winter months can be rainy in the Willamette Valley, but the region is uncrowded from November to April, and the wineries are quiet and welcoming to visitors who can experience an unhurried visit. The websites listed here are valuable resources for travelers all year.

Oregon has enjoyed an unprecedented string of three warm vintages: 2014, 2015 and 2016. The 2016 vintage had an extremely early bud break beginning about April 1, and a very early harvest, among the earliest on record. Many wineries reported that their harvest began in late August and had concluded by late September. The combination of early bud break and early harvest still led to adequate hang time, and the early onset of harvest allowed growers to pick fruit without winter weather pressure.

What has the last three warm vintages in Oregon meant for the character of Oregon Pinot Noir? Consumers will find the wines generally more akin to California Pinot Noir, with higher alcohols, more structure, more concentration, and darker fruit aromas and flavors. However, the heat during September and early October allowed vintners a wide latitude regarding picking decisions and resulting styles.

Many of the Pinot Noir wines reviewed in this issue came from the 2014 vintage. The Oregon Wine Board’s annual Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census Report indicated that overall wine grape production increased by 39 percent in 2014, to 78,000 tons, with the majority of the increase coming from higher yields. Vintage 2014 was the third year in a row that Oregon’s wine industry had reported double-digit gains in production. The Report found that Pinot Noir is still by far the most popular Oregon grape, with 17,146 acres or 63 percent of the total acreage (compared to 14,808 acres or 62 percent of total acreage in 2013).

Remember that the late André Tchelistcheff, one of California's greatest winemakers and consultants, once said that when "the great Pinot Noir is made, it will be made in Oregon."

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Domaine Drouhin Oregon: Burgundy’s First Footprint in Oregon Still Leaves an Impression

Wine enthusiasts often eagerly seek out the newest “hot” producer of domestic Pinot Noir, hoping to be one of the first to spread the word after experiencing the pubescent winery’s first wines. Real connoisseurs of Pinot Noir know that proven wineries that have stood the test of time with consistently world-class Pinot Noir production are ones to focus on. Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO), is a perfect example. DDO, owned by Maison Joseph Drouhin, was the first Burgundy house to make wine outside of France in 1988, and continues today as a significant Burgundy presence in Oregon and the New World.

Robert Drouhin, struck by the resemblance of the Willamette Valley to the Côte d’Or, and by David Lett’s 1975 The Eyrie Vineyards South Block Reserve Pinot Noir that placed second in a 1979 blind tasting of French burgundies versus their American Pinot Noir counterparts in 1979, initiated the purchase by Maison Joseph Drouhin of 100 acres in the Dundee Hills overlooking the town of Dundee.

Robert chose his daughter, Veronique, to direct the new project in Oregon. She oversaw the initial planting of vineyards at DDO in 1988, and crafted the first three vintages, 1988-1990, from purchased grapes. More land was acquired, and today there are 225 estate acres, 124 of which are densely planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 1989, a four-level gravity-fed winery was constructed, the first of its kind in Oregon.

Over the years, Veronique Boss-Drouhin, pictured below, also known as Vero by her friends, has been a long distance winemaker, continuing to live in Beaune, and traveling periodically to Oregon to oversee DDO. Because of the difference in harvest between the Côte d’Or and the Dundee Hills of Oregon, she can supervise crush and fermentation in Beaune in September, overseeing 400,000 cases of Maison Joseph Drouhin wine production, and then fly to Oregon in time for crush which usually arrives in late September or October. The on site assistant winemaker at DDO since 2009, Aaron Bell, works in close association with Veronique.

The Pinot Noirs at DDO emphasize balance, finesse and elegance over robustness, and although they can be charming upon release, they age magnificently. The grapes are hand-picked, usually all de-stemmed and indigenous yeasts are employed in long fermentations. Oak character (new oak is at about 20%) is minimized. The wines are aged from 9 to 15 months in French oak barrels custom made in Burgundy (the Cuvée Laurène and Cuvée Louise receive the extra 2 months in barrel)é. Veronique likes to say that the DDO wines are “Burgundian at heart, but with Northwest intensity.” The wines have more extraction and fruitiness than those from Maison Joseph Drouhin, but often less extraction than many other Oregon Pinot Noirs.

There are three Pinot Noirs offered at DDO. The Domaine Drouhin Oregon Dundee Hills Pinot Noir (often referred to as “Classique”) has been made from estate and purchased grapes but is now harvest entirely from the Drouhin Family Estate in the Dundee Hills (10,000 cases and is readily accessible. This wine is released 2 years after the vintage. The Domaine Drouhin Oregon Cuvée Laurène Pinot Noir has been made since 1992 and is named after Veronique’s first daughter who was also born in 1992. It was the winery’s first bottling of 100% estate fruit. This has been referred to as the winery’s “flagship wine.” It is a barrel selection with more structure, extraction and age ability (2,000 cases), and is released 3 years after the vintage. The Domaine Drouhin Oregon Cuvée Louise Pinot Noir was first produced in 1999 and is named after Veronique’s youngest daughter. This wine is a special selection of the winemaker’s favorite barrels and is extremely limited (200 cases), and primarily sold to winery club members. The Louise has a little less structure than the Laurène, with more elegance and finesse.

Some have likened the three Pinot Noirs to their Burgundy counterparts: Estate = Village level, Cuvée Laurène = Premier Cru level, and Cuvée Louise = Grand Cru level. This is not strictly the case, but rather more Veronique’s stylistic choice. Veronique told me, “For Cuvée Laurène, I look for a wine with good volume, good length, more structure than the Dundee Hills Cuvée, and above all, more aging potential. The goal for Cuvée Louise would be like looking to produce my ‘Musigny,’ the ultimate level of elegance. So the Louise may or may not be as structured as Laurène, but look for the best balance, length and finesse.” Certain blocks on the estate are more appropriate to one or the other blend.

Veronique’s recommended drinking windows are as follows. For the Dundee Hills Cuvée, the average time to drink from release is 8-10 years. The average time to drink Cuvée Laurène and Cuvée Louise is 5 to 25 years. Approximate annual production of the three cuvées is 10,000 to 12,000 cases for Dundee Hills Cuvée, 2,500 cases for Cuvée Laurène and 400 cases for Cuvée Louise.

DDO expanded its reach and offerings starting in 2013 when they acquired the Roserock Vineyard, a 279-acre property at the southern tip of the Eola-Amity Hills, with 122 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. DDO had previously purchased grapes from this vineyard that includes vines dating to 2004. Three inaugural wines were released from RoseRock Drouhin Oregon in 2016 from the 2014 vintage including the 2014 RoseRock Vineyard Chardonnay ($35), the RoseRock Vineyard Pinot Noir ($35), and a deluxe Pinot Noir cuvée named Zéphirine ($60). Zéphirine is a selection of the best barrels from the 2014 vintage chosen by Veronique to express the excitement the winery feels for their new Estate. The wine was previewed in July at the International Pinot Noir Celebration.

The Domaine Drouhin Oregon Tasting Room at the winery’s 225-acre estate winery is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. A tasting flight of five wines, including Chardonnay, is offered ($15). Tours are available everyday except Wednesdays by reservation. For DDO wines, visit www.domainedrouhin.com. For RoseRock Drouhin Oregon wines, visit www.roserockoregon.com.

All Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noirs reviewed here are from the Drouhin Family Estate in the Dundee Hills, Dayton, Oregon. The RoseRock Drouhin Pinot Noir is from the estate Roserock Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills.

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Recently Tasted Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

DION Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains

Three generations have been stewards of the family owned Dion Vineyard. Kevin Dion Johnson and Beth Klingner are currently in charge. The vineyard consists of 60 acres of southerly slopes rooted in Laurelwood soils at elevations of 300 to 500 feet. The Laurelwood soils tend to reflect the higher tones of red fruits (pomegranate, red cherry and strawberry) more so than other Willamette Valley areas. Also, the vintners at DION Vineyard tend to pick on the front end of ripeness resulting in lower alcohols, pleasing acidity and more elegance. Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are primarily grown here. Some vines are over 30 years old. The winery website is www.dionvineyards.com.

Lenné Estate, Yamhill-Carlton

I have enjoyed reviewing many wines from this outstanding Yamhill County Pinot Noir producer. The wines come exclusively from the 20.9-acre estate vineyard that is ideally situated with a steep south-facing slope at a perfect elevation as well as poor soils. The 2014 vintage Lenné Estate Pinot Noirs are bigger styled, powerful and fruit forward wines with notable tannin. They currently are somewhat shy, simple and lack some aromatic charm, so it would be advisable to cellar these wines a couple of years. Owner and winemaker Steve Lutz considers 2014 “a remarkable vintage.” He feels the vintage is similar to 2008 in many ways and predicts the wines will be long lived. If you must pop the cork now, decant and serve with some protein like steak or cheese to counter the big fruit tannins. Steve considers the age ability to be 6-10+ years after release for all but the Le Nez wine that is meant for earlier consumption. I have given a range of scores for the wines because they were difficult for me to accurately predict their future based on their current reluctant attitude. Damn Pinot Noir is quite the vexing mistress.

The wines are available on the winery’s website at www.leneeestate.com.

VIDON Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains

VIDON Vineyard is located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA at an elevation of 300 to 500 feet. The site is southwest facing, very warm, and contains deep volcanic Jory soil. The three blocks of Dijon clone 777 and 115, and Pommard, were planted in 2000 and 2001 with a vine density of 1,555 per acre. The wines represent the 12th vintage for farmer and winemaker Don Hagge.

The grapes are de-stemmed into 1.5-ton fermentation tanks. A 3 to 5-day cold soak is followed by spontaneous fermentation with feral yeasts. The cap is punched down by hand. The wines are in the winery’s barrel room where they undergo malolactic fermentation. The wines are estate grown, produced and bottled.

The winery website is www.vidonvineyard.com.

Willful Wine Co., Portland

Owner and winemaker Pam Walden crafts Pinot Noir at an urban winery in Portland. She enjoys working with Pommard clone for its elegance and texture, especially in a warm vintage like 2014 when it tends to ripen later and retain more grip than other clones. The wines reviewed here represent outstanding value. Visit the winery website at www.willfulwine.com.

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Pinot Briefs

Oregon Harvest 2016 Relaxed No rain to worry about this harvest season in Oregon. Most vineyards had been picked by the first week of October and wines were comfortably resting in barrel post fermentation. Since bud break was early in 2016, the season was comparable in length to the average in Oregon, even as much as 110 days for some vineyards. 2016 caps off three excellent vintages, all ripe and opulent, unprecedented for Oregon. Some have likened the warm vintage to Oregon’s 2006 vintage in that although the grapes were very ripe, the wines have good lift and modest tannins.

Oregon Offers Unique Lodging Options The Mt. Hood Tiny House Village opened in May 2016 at Mt. Hood Village RV Resort & Campground in Welches, Oregon. Five tiny living spaces full of character ranging in size from 175 to 260 square feet and $129-$139 a night. The Vintages Trailer Resort in Dayton halfway between Dundee and downtown McMinnville is located within the 14-acre Willamette Wine Country RV Park. Each unique trailer (example pictured below) offers amenities such as gourmet coffee from Caravan Coffee, luxurious terrycloth robes, comfortable mattresses and hotel-quality linens, and propane grills. A pool, hot tub and outdoor lawn games as well as an adjacent dog park and neighboring vineyards add to the appeal. Caravan-The Tiny House Hotel in Portland is the first lodging property of its kind in the U.S.. Six customfabricated “tiny houses” in the Alberta Arts District range from 100 to 200 square feet. The nearby Radio Room provides room service. The Society Hotel recently opened in Old Town Chinatown in Portland. The 36-room boutique hotel restores an 1881 building to its original purpose as a lodging house and a street level café is a bonus. Marriott is opening the Hi-Lo Hotel this winter, the latest in the hotel group’s Autograph Collection. The 120-room boutique hotel occupies the historic Oregon Pioneer Building, retaining Huber’s Café (the city’s oldest restaurant, with a dining room on the National Register of Historic Places). The hotel will feature modern organic furnishings and locally handcrafted amenities throughout.

Jackson Family Wines Buys Willakenzie Estate Willakenzie Estate has joined Penner-Ash, Gran Moraine and Zena Crown as part of the portfolio of California-based, Barbara Banke-led, Jackson Family Wines. La Crema and Siduri, located in California’s Sonoma County, are Jackson Family Wines properties that also produce Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The acquisition of Willakenzie Estate includes the brand, winery, hospitality center, and 100 vineyard acres on the Yamhill-Carlton Estate and 25 vineyard acres of Pinot Noir at the Jory Hills Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. Jackson Family Wines also announced plans to build a large winemaking facility on the property they acquired from Evergreen Aviation in McMinnville in January of this year. The winery is expected to be finished in time for the 2017 harvest.

Gypsy Dancer now in Carlton The Oregon Wine Press reported that Gypsy Dancer is occupying the space vacated by K&M Wines in downtown Carlton and will open a tasting room in time for the holidays. Gypsy Dancer was originally founded by Gary and Christine Andrus for their two daughters - Romanée and Gypsy - in 2002. After Gary Andrus passed away, Gypsy Dancer Estates was sold to Ardiri Winery. Christine reentered the wine business with the 2012 vintage. Winemaker Todd Hamina produces a “Legacy” Pinot Noir using grapes sourced from friends’ vineyards. A second Pinot Noir, “Tribute,” is made by winemakers who were mentored by Gary. (See photo of Christine and the two girls on Home Page)

¡Salud! Achieves Record Amount ¡Salud! is an Oregon charity that provides health care services for seasonal vineyard workers and their families through Tuality Healthcare. The 25th anniversary event on November 11 and 12 raised a record $911,300. The money raised is used to provides services for about 5,000 annual medical and dental encounters to workers at 150 vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley.

Alit Offers Unique Transparent Pricing Mark Tarlov, a founder of Evening Land Vineyards and now the proprietor of Chapter 24 Wines and Maison l,Envoyé, launched Alit with 3,000 cases of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir sourced from seven vineyards from the 2015 vintage. Tarlov chose a different winemaker (Alban Debeaulieu) and enologist (Pierre Millemann) that used for Chapter 24, made by partner and consultant Louis-Michel Liger-Belair of Burgundy. What makes Alit unique is transparent, direct-to-consumer pricing. That is, using no middlemen and charging the end customer the ex-cellar price for the wine. Alit's team figured out the cost of making their initial wine and arrived at a cost per bottle of $15. The bottle is marked up by $12.35 or 45 percent of the final bottle price that covers utilities, insurance, legal, compliance and marketing costs. Tarlov expects that about 25 percent profit will be left over for the winery.