September 29th, 2012 Tour: Amalie Robert, Bethel Heights, Witness Tree, and St. Innocent

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Wineries Visited

1. Amalie Robert Estate
13531 Bursell Road, Dallas, OR 97338  (503) 882-8833
Tasting Room: Appointment Only

Wines Tasted:
2009 “Her Silhouette” Chardonnay
2010 “Our Muse” Viognier
2010  Pinot Muenier
2008 “Vintage Debut” Pinot Noir
2006 “Dijon Clones” Pinot Noir (purchased 1 bottle)
2009 “Satisfaction” Syrah

15 miles Southwest of Salem and just outside of the Eola-Amity AVA.   Driving along Bursell Road billowing plumbs of dust from thirsty gravel roads just South of the Van Duzer wind corridor, I begin to think that my GPS is about to start rerouting.  Just as I begin estimating from the amount of dust coming off the road….something you learn growing up on a farm in Lecompton, Kansas….I would say it has been almost 3 months since the last rain, I begin to pass familiar Oregon Pinot Noir vineyard designate names (Freedom Hill, Firesteed, and Croft).  Here we are, at Amalie Robert, about to have a private tasting with co-founders/owners Dena Drews and Ernie Pink.

What an exceptional experience as we taste under the sun overlooking the vineyard block as Dena explains the narrative and winemaking of each wine and elaborating on the characteristics she has noticed from the BellPine Soil that covers the former Montmorency cherry orchard.  A few minutes later, Ernie arrives with 5 different sets of Syrah, Viognier, and Pinot Noir clusters from his morning walk through the vineyards to exemplify clonal and vineyard block variation, he also apparently grows his own rootstock.  After tasting the entire lineup and exhausting every curiosity I can formulate, we decide 2 hours could turn into all day, as I take advantage of the chance to geek out with Dena and Ernie before buying a bottle of 2006 “Dijon Clones” Pinot Noir and contemplating a case purchase of the Syrah (another reason to revisit Dena and Ernie).

$1000 Question: I would supply my own Jeroboam bottles if they would bottle a few cases of the 2011 Pinot Noir for me.

2. Bethel Heights Vineyard
6060 Bethel Heights Road Northwest, Salem, OR 97304
(503) 581-2262
Tasting Room Open: Tuesday-Sunday 11 .m. – 5 p.m. (January Hours: Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Wines Tasted:
2010 Chardonnay Estate Unoaked
2010 Gewürztraminer
2009 Riesling
2010 “Carter Vineyard” Pinot  Noir
2010 “Casteel Reserve” Pinot Noir
2010 “Southeast Block” Pinot Noir
2010 “West Block” Pinot Noir

This was my first trip to visit Bethel Heights, and deciding to visit on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in late September was not the ideal scenario for our group.  As expected, tour group after tour group, buses and limos arrived and departed like clockwork, stopping to toss back a succession of beautifully crafted single vineyard estate Pinot Noir that represent distinct differences from their estate vineyards; from the “West Block” planted in 1977 with own rooted Wädenswil, the “Southeast Block” planted in 1979 with own-rooted Pommard, the “Justice Vineyard” planted 1999-2001 with Pommard and Dijon 667, to  sourcing fruit from the revered Carter Vineyard in the Eola Hills.  I plan to return on a Tuesday later this fall to try all 8 Pinot Noir wines that they produce, in a comparative tasting.  More info: Pinot Noir clones,  History on Pinot Noir Clones in the modern Oregon Wine Industry. and a great seminar here.

Even though the staff was extremely busy, they managed the crowds with the hospitable authenticity that has become a hallmark of the tasting room.

$1000 Question:  A few cases of the 2010 “Casteel Reserve”,  It was easily my favorite and this wine is made to age, with the blend of  Wädenswil, Dijon 114, and Dijon 667, you get what you would expect, beautiful aromatics, deeper structure, and balanced acidity, all coming from a very cool wet vintage, resulting in a meager 12.8% alcohol.  With only 11 months in oak (60% new), I would love to see a parallel version aged for 18-24 months in 25% new oak.

3. Witness Tree Vineyard 

7111 Spring Valley Road Northwest, Salem, OR 97304
(503) 585-7874
Tasting Room Open: (May-October) Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Wines Tasted:
2009 Witness Tree “Estate” Pinot Blanc
2009 Witness Tree “Estate” Viognier (Purchased 1 bottle)
2010 Witness Tree “Willamette Valley” Chardonnay
2010 Witness Tree “Chainsaw” Pinot Noir
2009 Witness Tree “Estate” Pinot Noir
2009 Witness Tree “Vintage Select” Pinot Noir
2009 Witness Tree “Claim No. 51” Pinot Noir
2009 Witness Tree “Benchmark” Pinot Noir
2009 Witness Tree “Sweet Signe”

We stopped at Witness Tree on our way to St. Innocent, an obvious decision by anyone who has ever tried their wines.  Elegance and structure define their Pinot Noir, and this is evident as you run the gamut of five Estate Pinots.  We ran into some employees from Shea Cellars and Archery Summit, seeming to enjoy the 2009 Benchmark Pinot Noir, my personal favorite.  This wine reiterates my affinity of old vine Pommard grown in the Eola-Amity AVA, such structure, spice, and finessed aromatics are becoming “my benchmark” for these wines.

$1000 Question: 1 Case of 2009 Benchmark Pinot Noir, and 1 case of 2009 Hanson Pinot Noir (though I have only heard how amazing it is). Also, the Viognier is on sale for $100/case and is a steal for a estate Viognier of this quality, especially coming from only 2.5 acres.

4. St. Innocent Winery 
5657 Zena Road Northwest, Salem, OR 97304   (503) 378-1526
Tasting Room Open: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Daily

Wines Tasted:
2011 Pinot Gris “Vitae Springs Vineyard”
2010 Pinot Blanc “Freedom Hill Vineyard”
2010 Chardonnay “Freedom Hill Vineyard”
2010 Pinot noir, Temperance Hill Vineyard
2010 Pinot noir, Zenith Vineyard (purchased 1 Bottle)
2010 Pinot noir, Shea Vineyard
2010 Pinot noir, Justice Vineyard
2010 Pinot noir, Freedom Hill Vineyard
2009 Pinot noir, Momtazi Vineyard

St. Innocent was the very first Winery I visited when I moved to Oregon.  I attended Equinox in the Eola-Amity Hills in March of 2011, an annual event where the Eola-Amity wineries get together to showcase their wines on the Spring Equinox.  This event made me realize how little I knew about Oregon wines and how easily I succumbed to palate fatigue, basic a neophyte to the wine world.  Since that time, I have spent countless hours studying, tasting, traveling, reading, and working with/around wine.  To taste through these wines understanding the history and propensity of each vineyard, the viticulture and winemaking techniques employed, the clonal compositions in relation to site and vintage, along with the ability to deductively taste and formulate an opinion about each wine with valid perspective feels pretty amazing.

Like anything someone might become passionate about, I anticipate looking back on this stage of perception and wine knowledge in the future with the same reverence of naivety as I continue to learn and experience more each day.

As expected, wine-maker/vineyard manager/president Mark Vlossak, coaxes extraordinary compositions from each vineyard in regards to vintage parameters and site propensity.  His ability and knowledge of vineyard sites, vintage forecasting, viticulture adaptation, wine-making finesse translates into small production Pinot Noir that is respected worldwide.

September 24, 2012 Tour: White Rose, De Ponte, Anne Amie, and Trisaetum

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MONDAY September 24th, 2012……80° and the sun is still shining here in the Willamette Valley as I guide my friend/co-worker Josh along with his girlfriend, Allison and her parents from Arizona into there first Willamette Valley tour/tasting experience.

Wineries Visited:

1. White Rose Estate Winery   6250 Northeast Hilltop Lane Dayton, OR 97114
Tasting Room Open: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  (Daily)  503-864-2328

Wines Tasted:
2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
2010 Appellation Series “Chehalem Mountains AVA” Pinot Noir
2010 Appellation Series “Dundee Hills AVA” Pinot Noir
2009 Appellation Series “Chehalem Mountains AVA” Luciole Vineyard (**PURCHASED 1 Bottle**)

As anyone who reads Portland Monthly knows that both 2010 Appellation Series wines were given 98 points and ranked #1 and #2 in the publishing of 50 best wines of 2012.

They are indeed wonderfully composed wines of elegant structure, balance, and complexity, but it was the 2009 vintage that my palate seemed to have an affinity for, I believe that the approach of low yields and wine making decision of partial use of whole cluster fermentation, extended maceration, and 15 month barrel regime is a beautiful treatment of Dijon Clones 115 and 777 at elevations above 650′ and though the 2010 are beautiful, I think as with the 2007 vintage (my favorite vintage) the acid structure will be perceived as much more elegant once the polymerization of tannins in the bottle find their sweet spot.  As for drinking right now, the warmer 2009 vintage is recommended.

$1000 Question: I would purchase 12 bottles of each of the Appellation Series and the remaining balance on the 2009 Luciole Vineyard for drinking NOW!!!

2. De Ponte Cellars  17545 Northeast Archery Summit Road, Dayton, OR 97114
Tasting Room Open: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  (Daily) (503) 864-3698

Wines Tasted:
2011 De Ponte DFB Estate Melon
2011 De Ponte Rose
2010 Clay Hill Pinot Noir
2010 De Ponte Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
2010 Lonesome Rock Ranch Pinot Noir
2009 De Ponte Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
2009 De Ponte Estate Pinot Noir
2008 De Ponte Baldwin Family Reserve Pinot Noir (Purchased 1 bottle)

Let me preface everything else with the fact that De Ponte Cellars is in my opinion the best winery in the Willamette Valley of the 70+  I have visited, from quality of fruit, vineyards, winemaker (Isabelle Dutartre), tasting room staff (Aaron), current releases (From the Melon to Shirley Gran Reserva, tasting room views, reserve bottle options, and so much more.  Everyone that I introduce to De Ponte Cellars is blown away at the elegance and beauty of the wines and the estate.  The 2007 Baldwin Family Reserve was my first transcendent wine experience, with a finish that lasts elegantly intact and composed for 3 minutes, everyone should taste it on their 18th birthday, it would fix so many of societies ills.

$1000 Question: 3 bottles of 2007  Baldwin Family Estate Pinot Noir, 3 bottles of 2008 Baldwin Family Estate Pinot Noir, 3 Bottles of 2008 Shirley’s Gran Reserva (Only 2 barrels produced and even better than the Baldwin Family Estate..if that was possible), 2 Bottles of De Ponte Rose, 2 Bottles of De Ponte Estate Melon, and 2 Bottles of 2010 Lonesome Rock Ranch and 2010 Dundee Hills Pinot.

Anne Amie 2008 L’iris Pinot Noir

3. Anne Amie Vineyards  6580 Northeast Mineral Springs Road  Carlton, OR 97111
Tasting Room Open: 10 a.m. – 5 P.m. (Daily) (503) 864-2991

Wines Tasted:
2010 Pinot Blanc
2011 Cuvée A Amrita
2011 Cuvée A Midnight Saignée Pinot Noir Rosé
2011 Estate Riesling
2011 Pinot Gris
2009 Annahala Vineyard Pinot Noir
2009 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
2009 Twelve Oaks Estate Pinot Noir
2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
2010 Cuvée A Pinot Noir
2008 L’iris Reserve Pinot Noir 
2009 Prismé Pinot Noir Blanc (Purchased 1 Bottle)
2009 “Stickies” Anne & Amie Late Harvest Muller Thurgau Dessert Wines Set (Purchased 1 set)

Anne Amie Vineyards is a beautiful estate producing elegant and refined white wines along with some spectacular Pinot Noir (especially L’iris) and one of the finest dessert Muller-Thurgau I’ve ever had.  Sales Manager, Erin, took us through 13 wines on our visit and I was impressed to taste such a range of wines, all refined and showcasing the quality of fruit and the talent of Thomas Houseman and the rest of the Anne Amie winemaking team.

The 2009 Prismé Pinot Noir Blanc is the finest Pinot Noir Blanc I have ever tasted, also one of the more expensive, apparently this is what happens when you select the finest blocks of estate fruit, finesse the free run juice without extracting any color and barrel ferment in French oak puncheons, followed by 18 months in 25% new, 25% 1 year, 50% neutral French oak, allow complete malolactic fermentation and lees contact.  Seriously, if you consider yourself a Pinotfile or enthusiast of Oregon wine, do yourself a favor and purchase a bottle or 12.

An interesting observation during my visit was the approach to tasting notes, I usually ignore tasting notes and suggested food pairings, because every person has a different olfactory sensory threshold based on exposure, experience, and many many other physical and psychological influences, plus they are normally laughable and the food pairings belong on a menu at Applebee’s or Olive Garden.  At Anne Amie the descriptors were more than a singular expression of a spice or fruit, but more a composition of taste one has experienced before, as a Chef and Olfaction nerd, I take these very seriously and  was blown away at the accuracy and breadth of tasting descriptors and impressed by the food affinity suggestions.  Well done Anne Amie, the future looks bright for you.

$1000 Question: 1 case of 2008 L’iris Pinot Noir, 1 Case of 2009 Prismé Pinot Noir Blanc, 2 bottles of Anne dessert Muller Thurgau.

4. Trisaetum Winery & Vineyards 18401 Northeast Ribbon Ridge Road, Newberg, OR 97132 (503) 538-9898
Tasting Room Open: Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. (Closed Monday-Tuesday)

Wines Tasted:

2011 Coast Range Estate Dry Riesling
2011 Coast Range Estate Riesling
2010 Trisaetum Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (restaurant only)
2010 Artist Series No. 12 Pinot Noir
2010 Artist Series No. 13 Pinot Noir
2010 Artist Series No. 14 Pinot Noir
2010 Coast Range Pinot Noir (Purchased 1 bottle)

Trisaetum…..Situated in one of the best pieces of land in the Willamette Valley (Ribbon Ridge AVA), but focuses on all the right things, shown in their approach to fruit purity during the sorting process.  Not only do they have a cold room to stabilize the temperature of the berries, but they involve single berry sorting, “bug sucker” vacuum process to eliminate debris, and then an “Dyson style” air knife to dry and clean the grapes prior to crushing and fermentation.  The result is amazing purity and elegance in the wine, along with an immaculate and thoughtfully designed gravity flow winery and underground barrel room (ask for a tour).

Trisaetum owns Estate Vineyards, which the winery and tasting room are situated in the midst of, along with a Coast Range Vineyard that was planted in March of 2005 in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.  They harvest and vinify them separately, and produce many vineyards designate wines, along with numerous wine-club only blends.

Trisaetum as a brand, along with their vineyards are very young and flourishing, I expect nothing but exceptional wines for many vintages to come.

This winery is a great place to sit on the patio overlooking the vineyards, drinking some extraordinary crisp and complex Riesling or my personal favorite, 2009 Coast Range Pinot Noir.

$1000 Question:  Futures in the 2012 Coast Range Vineyard.

The pre-harvest anticipation is present at each winery we visit, after a very dry and relatively warm and consistent growing season, many winemakers/agronomists have drawn parallels to the 2008 vintage.

This seems to be a welcome shift after the cool wet vintage of 2010 forced incredibly low yields just to reach phenolic ripeness, compounded with the flocks of  migrating American Robins ravaging the grapes during there trip South.  2011 was just as unsettling, the anticipation lasting into November harvests , though many of the results coaxed from both of these vintages are nuanced, complex, balanced, and show elegant acidity that begs to be drunk with the companionship of food.

As anyone familiar with the Willamette Valley or the Pacific Northwest, the culture and the wine, are both products of great vintage variation, and as each vintage finds itself on the ever growing spectrum of variables and conditions, the complexities and nuances of Pinot Noir are becoming a welcome variation by palates around the world.  All thanks to the  passion, intuition, and talent of the agronomists and winemakers that are able to synthesize these variables with the materials and tools they are giving by mother-nature throughout the annual life cycle and growing season into the exquisite compositions that we have come to “expect” of Willamette Valley wines.

All this summation of recent vintage is tangential to how beautiful the Willamette Valley is this time of year, in maturation and attitude, the grapes and wine community are ready to finish this courtship with mother-nature and make this vintage official though the consummation known as harvest 2012.

 

September 11th….I’m thinking January 7th, 2013…..Chasing the sun South

Today is 9/11/2012, a date that elevates an unassuming Tuesday in early September into the realm of national reflection and personal ponderance.   As most people today go about their daily lives with heavier hearts, the predictable scenario of remembrance of the lives lost, forever changed, and coaxing of thoughts regarding the evolution of one’s life over the past 11 years.

I think as a country we have moved through the first 6 stages of grief and just as the physical world around us has mirrored this process, I feel optimistic that our society and national attitude has enter the 7th stage, Acceptance and Hope.

Writing about September 11th or my perception of the status of our national psyche is far from the content I set out to focus on and definitely not a subject that I intended to find common ground and share affinities or resentment with others about.

The catalyst of this post is the subject of reflection.  On September 11, 2001 I was a senior at Perry-Lecompton High School in Northeast Kansas.  A town that is culturally, socially, and financially light years away from presenting/pouring/sharing bottles of Archaval-Ferrer,  Pulenta Estate, and Clos de los Siete in succession with just as many people that were in my graduating class, but instead the cast is less reminiscent of Napoleon Dynamite and instead features world renown winemakers, captains of industry, business tycoons, and beautiful Argentina women at the foothills of the Andes Mountains.  Today forces me to reflect on the fact that life is malleable and the journey we choose is distinct to our motivations and interactions.

At age 28, my motivations and interactions undulate from my epicenter of interest and passion, food and wine.  A passion that if respected and celebrated can lead you on a journey across continents and into the kitchens and hearts of wonderful people from any background.

Today reiterates my passion and direction at this moment in my journey.  A journey towards Endless Veraison.

My Veraison

Veraison?…..Represented in viticulture as the point at which the grapes begin to change color and “ripen”.

Veraison of Pinot Noir At Helvetia Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon

On another level it is the physiological maturation of a grape…As the environmental influences and climate begin to impact the complexities and nuances of how a grape will develop, basically it’s growing up!

My Veraison takes on a different context, but represents a similar stage of life. The stage in life where vintage is defined, sometimes lack of Veraison in life can spoil a vintage and become a sour vinegar.  My Veraison is a reminder to tend to every year´s personal environment, influences, and challenges as if producing a timeless representation of my life and who I am.

Incorporating passions and interests into an adventure ment to challenge, evolve, and refine my perspective is my approach to Veraison in life and as in wine, the cycle never ends.

Jeff Lewis 1/23/2012

32 Liters to Freedom!!

Organizing 3 months of my life into a 32 liter pack in the name of convenience seems ironic, but I believe it just happened….

In my attempt to avoid dealing with a massive pack and checking luggage all over South America, I decided to find gear that fit my adventure and could be packed down to fit into a carry-on size pack.

Here is a list of everything I planned into my 3 month adventure:

It all started with the bag, A PacSafe 32 Liter bag that was perfect for my packing list.

• 4 pairs of Trousers (I’ve recently decided after talks with my UK friends that Pants<Trousers.
• 3 pairs of Shorts (It is hot here, 90 degrees and mad sunny, so these are important.
• 9 shirts (mostly dri-fit and lightweight dress shirts)
• 5 pairs of socks (all anti-microbial and lightweight)
• 2 pairs of Exoficio underwear (The best, but at $25/pair they should be)
• 2 pairs of shoes (Salomon Travel RX and my super durable Sperry top-sider flip-flops- the only Sperry product I would ever own).
• SunIce all weather lightweight jacket.
• Marmot Nomad 30 degree Down sleeping bag.
• First Aid kit
• Sea to Summit Dry-lite microfiber towel 24″x48″
• Sunglasses (polarized)
• REI neck money pouch
• Oregon Scientific watch with digital compass and alarm (both very important)
• Sony Alpha A-33 DSLR Camera with HD Video (2 extra batteries and charger)
• 17″ Laptop (yeah, a lil’ big for traveling, but it has all of my design software, making me mobile for design work in Argentina).
• 500 GB Seagate FreeAgent Go External Hard drive.

I finish the rest, time for a Siesta.

What I’ve picked up so far:

• PrePago (prepaid) Cell phone ($220 pesos)
• Electronics Adaptor ($10 pesos on Calle Florida for a vender, normal price $15 pesos)