Dundee, Carlton, McMinville and in Between

After a panic level morning of racing to the dealer to have them repair my air conditioning and the driving to Carlton by 11:30 to meet my friend Kelly Fox, I was exuberant when she presented me with a bottle of her Momtazi Pinot Noir. (reviewed here) 

Most winemakers dream of having their own eponymous label at some time in their career. Kelley Fox has been crafting wines in Oregon for ten years including terms at Hamacher, The Eyrie Vineyards and Torii Mor. Since 2005, she has been co-winemaker with Scott Wright at Scott Paul Wines, where she emulates the style of elegant Pinot Noir that her mentor at The Eyrie Vineyards, David Lett, taught her. As she notes on her website, www.kelleyfoxwines.com,    “What I love most about Pinot is its transparency. I prefer authenticity and even grit to armchair idealism. Pinot does this. There is something so real about it, for the better or the worse.” With the 2007 vintage, along with her father, Gerson Stearns, she has launched Kelley Fox Wines. Two vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from Momtazi Vineyard and Maresh Vineyard have already created a buzz among pinot aficionados. The tiny production will have a small window of availability. Contact Michael Alberty at www.StorytellerWine.com in Portland, Oregon (503-206-7029, 800-753-2531).


2007 Kelley Fox Wines Momtazi Vineyard McMinnville Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13% alc., 133 cases, $39, screw cap. Sourced from a 10-year-old block of Dijon 113 and 115 clones. Bio-dynamically-farmed vineyard. · Light garnet color in glass. Mineral-infused aromas of cherries with a whiff of iron, wet stone and funk. Discreetly composed core of earth-dusted dark red fruits, especially bright, juicy cherries. Moderate tannins with balancing acidity. Very good and recommended. 

After visiting at Scott Paul I went over to  Ken Wright Cellars and see what  he had put aside for us. I was thrilled when he gave a '05 Abbot Claim and a '02 Tyrus Evan Claret. Tyrus Evan's tasting room is just across the street so I went over to taste the reds and get pricing for the donations. I am always impressed by Ken's skill in wine making. I had an argument with a fellow the other night at UVA wine bar about the effects of "place" on the grape and therefore the wine. The best example I had for him was the Syrahs from Tyrus Even: one from Del Rio and one from the Columbia Valley. These two wines, made from the same grape, are as far apart in smell, taste, and feel, as any I have tasted. Both are outstanding but one (Dell Rio) is earthy and richly fruity while the other is cleaner, brighter, and has a more complex back taste.
Carrie Simonson led me through the reds before I had to rush off to visit Troon and Alexana. Here she is holding the 'o2 Claret.

Lunch at Cielo Blue was Polo Scallopini with a nice Pinot noir. Fantastic! Perfectly done pasta tasty local chicken, and lots of bacon, artichoke, and sauce.

Relaxed, well fed, and determined to get a couple more bottles before the sun went down, I set out across the street to visit Alexana.  
(from the web site) Alexana Wines was born of Dr. Madaiah Revana’s love of the great wines of Burgundy. In the spring of 2005, Dr. Revana began a search for both the ideal region and an experienced winemaker with the goal of making Pinot Noirs that could rival those from Burgundy. His search ended in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where he met Lynn Penner-Ash .(More)

I met the Dr. at the IPNC this year and he promised a bottle so as soon as he gets done traveling I will be bringing back one of his exquisite wines. They also have a lovely tasting room. Kelda tasted me through the wines and I must say they are amazing, My favorite is the '07 Revana Vineyard Pinot noir. I was impressed by the grassy, floral notes and the spicy red fruit . It received a 92 from Parker and a 91 from Wine Spectator.

I had to rush over to Newburg and out to Sineann cellars to pick up Peter's donation. I had no idea what he had in mind. When I got there Russ was working in the lab and called Peter to see which bottle to hand over. He ran upstairs and came back with a CASE of '07 Lachini Pinot noir.
Blackberry and black fruit are prominent in this dark, dark  Pinot. Brown spice nutmeg  in both the nose and flavor.
I was overwhelmed! This will mean a huge amount for the OMP auction.
As I left I took this shot of the valley as the day began to fade.

Last stop of the day was Chehalem Winery where I met Deanna. She lead me through a tasting of the Chardonnays. I really love the whites they produce. They are crisp, steely, and clean with lots of texture and complexity. They gave a bottle of the INOX, as they did last year, and I bought a bottle to enjoy with fruit and cheese at a friends house later that night.
I had dinner at Press Wine Bar and met Jack Hasting and
Chris Burrough who work at Domaine Drouhin and after a great meal and some good conversation, they invited me for a tour of the winery and offered a bottle of their fine wine. We arranged to meet at the winery in the morning.

My First Long Day of Wine Gathering

I left Eugene on the 18th about 7:00 and drove straight through to Oregon City and found a cheep but nice Best Western right on the river. They gave me great deal and a fourth floor room with a wonderful view. Times are hard and there were very few cars in the lot and fewer diners at the restaurant adjoining the motel. I had a nice meal with a glass of Firesteed Pinot Gris.
This morning after a traditional bacon and eggs I headed down town to pick up a bottle of Holloran's 2007 Staford Hill Pinot Noir they brought down to his office for me. Stafford Hill provides outstanding value for handcrafted, small production wines.
After getting directions I drove to Lake Oswego on 43 then left on McVey to Rosemont ( be careful the round about as the sign is not visible so you have to go all the way around to see it) then back south to Oswego Hills Vineyard and Winery. It is a beautiful farm with white barns and house. They are building a new tasting room using the same style. I found Jerry Marshall, the owner, covered with sawdust and looking very happy. He was gracious with me for interrupting him and gave me one of his very best wines, the Vintage Select Oregon Pinot Noir 2006.
I took I205 to Tualatin and cut over to 99w and headed south with a stop at Ponzi Vineyards where Jeff Mathews gave me bottle of their 2006 Chardonnay Reserve.
He said that they were very proud of this one and gave me a taste. It had a very light, sweet nose with a little citrus and burnt sugar, it tasted like soft spiced berry fruit. Loved it!
On to Rex Hill for a bottle of Chardonnay and a bottle Day and Night Red from A to Z. Great web site!

I made stops at Adelsheim, (where they just put in a solar array!) and picked up a truly great wine, the 2006 Elizabeth's Reserve, and at Bergstom where Sara Kofman, the tasting room manager, gave a 2007 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir. These kind of donations makes this whole trip worthwhile!
I went in to Newburg and found Chehalem Winery tasting room and picked up a INOX Chardonay. "Dave McIntyre's WineLine, June 11, 2006, "Two Unoaked Chards." ABC really could be called ABO -- anything but oak. The extreme example of the movement's success is unoaked Chardonnay. These came originally from New Zealand and Australia, but some wineries in the U.S. are now making them and bragging about it. Oregon's Chehalem bottles an unoaked "INOX" (French for stainless steel) Chard that is a winner year in and year out."
Now for a drive: I, like most men, hate to turn around or ask where I am so off into the hills! I found Vidon Vineyard and had a good time talking to Don Hagge, the owner, and enjoying his amazing view. He gave a bottle of 2007 3 Clones Pinot Noir (90 points in Wine Spectator in the April Issue). Thank you Don!
I was excited by the next stop because of things I had heard about Peter Rosback and his wine making skills. Sineann Block One is a Cabernet made from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley by Paul Champoux. The vineyard is one of the oldest in the Northwest and has constantly produced intense and complex Cabernet Sauvignon.He also gifted me personally with a small bottle of 2008 Pinot Gris that I am tasting even as I write. Honey and wild flowers on the nose with an acidic taste that turns to very pleasant tingle on the tongue! I really like this wine.
Now for another wild chase through the valley: Owen Roe and O'Reilly was hard to find: no cell signal, but I found them and he rewarded me with a 2007 O'reilly's Pinot Noir and an Owen Roe 2006 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills, their richest of the 06 Pinot Noirs.
On the way south I stopped at Duck Pond and was given a 05 Pinot Noir Jory Cuvee "WINEMAKER NOTES: Using grapes primarily from its estate St. Jory vineyard in the South Salem Hills (and 9% from the Dundee Hills), the ’05 Pinot Noir Jory Cuvee is a wine that is bright and yet complex. It opens with aromas of petals, spicy pie cherries, raspberries and cinnamon, followed by clean flavors of raspberries, Rainier cherries and cranberries, with hints of vanilla. " (Quoted from their wine club site.)
My last stop, right at 5 till 5:00 was Four Graces. This is a wine that I look forward to trying again. They let me sample the 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and I liked the structure and the light fruit of the wine. This is the perfect example of the wine being strong yet delicate, like a ballet dancer rather than a weight lifter. It has been compared to a new world Burgundy but I think it is time we begin to just say that it is a Dundee Pinot Noir.