Tasting on the Fourth

Art in the Vineyard, Eugene arts and community celibration, always brings out some great wineries and wines. This year was no exception and though I was not there for tastes this time, I could not help myself.

My friend  Michael Bailey was there representing the wines of a new incarnation of a old winery, or shall we say, an old vineyard site. Marquam Vineyards and Winery was planted in '83 and produced wines that were drinkable. They had a good Riesling back in 2000 as I recall.. Joseph Dobbes, a Doctor, and father of Joe Dobbes Jr. ( a noted winemaker here in Oregon).  sold the property to Phill Kramer and stepped aside, leaving great grapes and lots of work to do.
Kramer set about cleaning, fixing, and repairing and is now producing some really great wines under the name AlexEli
I tasted the '09 Riesling and was impressed by the body and gentleness in the mouth. Citrus but no sting, a little peach? Very nice! Michael is sold on them and I trust his tastes as much or more than most. He always finds special wines and wineries to rep.

 Next visit was with Allen at Methven Family Vineyards where I tasted his '09 Pinot Noir (great!) and chatted about the year in wine. He is hosting, again and for the last time, "Uncorked" wine event with auction and all sorts of goodies. Hard work for a winemaker but he and his wife are engaged in the community and have always been willing to step in.
I wish them luck and wish Linda and I could make time to come up for the event. I saw some really exciting items for auction and some experiences you just can't get anywhere else. I never got to them this year to ask for "One Bottle" but I plan on hitting him up for next year event.
Dave Masciorini is a big man and perhaps because of that, the name of his winery, Namaste' (I bow to you) is a surprise. His is gentle and always ready with a smile, and he knows his wines. Located outside Dallas, Oregon (no, not The Dalles) the vineyards supply all the grapes he uses for his remarkable wines.
Dave tells of one woman, confused by the location, calling from outside Hood River for direction... and I must admit, I once found the street address (306 Court Street) of Bolton cellars located in The Dalles in Dallas and sat in front of the building calling and  asking where they were. (Look it up)
Anyway, back to wine. Dave makes a superb Pinot Noir, actually two. Both are single grape wines and both come from his vineyards. The Abundance Pinot Noir is made with Dijon Clone 115 and has a distinct flavor and character, usually a little toward the delicate, elegant side. Very nice wine and the '09 is just lovely!
The Prosperity Pinot Noir leans to the bold and complex side. This one is made from the 30 year old vines bearing Pommard grapes and is full of dark fruit and hints of chocolate, anise, and finishes with raspberry and just a hint of sweet strawberry. I love this one.
  He also makes a variety of whites that are all worth tasting.

I also stopped by for a quick hello at Noble Estate and said hello to the famous model, Lauren, who works there, undercover as it were.The new free run '09 Pinot Noir is absolutely worth tasting, and buying! Hard to describe but think very light hints of bacon and berry syrup! Dark berry and complex layers over musty, mossy, dark fruit nose. Wonderful!
The whole day was great and I did visit a few more wineries just to say hello but did not have time to do any tasting. I have learned not to get to busy with wines when I am with my wife!

Day Two of SIP!

It was great to spend time with Rebecca and Thibaud, seen here in the add for IPNC. They are truly the greatest. That's me in the blue shirt in the back left side having a great time!

Now I have to go gather wines. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is amazing by its self but pack it with fine wines and food and you have a formula for fun. My first stop today was at Troon, where the lovely Joni presented me with a bottle of '09 Kubli Bench Zinfandel, a lush, rich wine with spicy sweetness and a long dark fruit finish. The tasting room they opened in Carlton was a good idea and allows some of Southern Oregon's wines to get a little attention in the land of Pinot Noir. Stop by for a visit next time you are up that way.

Brian Jordan, owner of Eliana Wines was new to me so I stopped to say hello and find out more about his wines. I was excited to learn about their approch to wine making. They are making a Bordeaux style blend of 56% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc and  16% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is among the better blends I have tasted over the last few years. With its rich front of berry and slight oak leading to smooth mouth filling dark berry and earth. Overall light and clean aftertaste that will go great with beef and roasted vegetables. He gave me a bottle of the '08 Reserve for the auction and I plan on making a trip down to take a closer look and a longer taste.

After a bit of a snack I visited with Bethany and Brad Ford (and their soon to be addition to the family) for a taste and to see how things were going. Illahe Vineyards located outside of Dallas and the wines are really good this year. I really loved their '06 but this one is one of the best I have tasted! Raspberry, lots of dark cherry, a hint of island flowers in the nose with sustained after taste of dark berry and black cherry. They have sold their grapes for 25+ years to some of the top wineries and it is nice that they are now taking it to a new level and making their own. Worth a visit. They gave me a bottle of the '08 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

Todd, owner of Biggio Hamina Cellars, looked a little worn out but was in great spirits and very busy giving out tastes of his fine wines. We had had three of his Pinots last night with beef stew and I was looking forward to tasting them again. All of his wines have a distinct flavor that shows his hand in the making. Rich and lush with lots of layers of fruit and flowers combine in various ways to create some truly fine wines. the best place to taste them is at the new tasting room and winery just outside of McMinnville, where you can also get a very good meal. Todd handed over a beautiful '08 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Near the entrance, in a place that you had a chance of missing on the way in, was Namaste Vineyard's booth where Dave was pouring tastes and sporting his signature hat. I love his wines, but of all of them, the Tranquility Riesling is my favorite. It has a flavor much like the Northern Rhien wines that I like and is full of interesting spices and fruit.

A lot of people chill their Riesling to the point where you can't really taste all the nuances but I like mine just below room temp.. Dave gave us a bottle of the '09 Tranquility Riesling and I may bid on that one myself.
I was getting a little rushed as I had to be home for an afternoon event so I ran to the next few booths and gathered up what I could. Kathken Vineyards,  located in the hills outside Salem off Orchard Hieghts Road, they are in prime land for grape growing and their wines show it well. I did a quick taste of the '08s and really enjoyed the estate so Ken gave me a bottle of '08 Estate bottled reserve Pinot Noir and off I went.
Crater Lake Cellars's owner, Steve Gardner, gave us a bottle of the Firehouse Red #4 they made for a fund raiser for the fire department this year. 

It is a combination of lovely red and black fruit, a light pepper spiciness, accent with smooth tannins and acidity. 

I walked over to WildAire Cellars booth and watched as a bunch of people elbowed their way in for a taste. Things were getting pretty crowded by 1:00 and the wines they were tasting were very popular. I picked up a bottle of the '09 Clay Court Vineyard Pinot Noir and said my thank yous and headed for the door. Be sure to visit them in Carlton when you are there. They are wonderful folks and really know how to make great wine.

Went to Sip! And I Left a Bottle Behind...

Such an absolutely wonderful day in so many ways! The weather was just right for a drive and it followed me up the freeway to Woodburn, over to Newburg, with a stop at Sokol Blosser for a pick up of a bottle of their delicious '07 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir($38),  and then on to Evergreen Museum where Sip! was in its third day.
Destiny Dudley, Tasting Room & Wine Club Manager at Cana's Feast, who is putting together an auction on the 28th for wine to water at Alu. met me so I could give her two of my etchings for the event. We met up with Chris Czarneck , Chef at Joel Palmer House, for a few tastes but I told them to go on without me as I was taking my time, visiting, and begging.

My first stop was at the Evergreen Winery tasting room to figure out who to ask for "one bottle" It took me all day but I found the right person to ask someone else who is in charge if it is OK to give us one...God I love big organizations.
Next stop was a booth that is selling wine guides that have coupons  and maps in them . It is called the "Wine Country Guidebook" and looks like Cindy Anderson, the author, put a lot of time in to it. She gave us one for the auction and I plan on pairing it with a couple of tasting room certificates. That should make a nice weekend for someone. I will also use it to track down some of the wineries I have yet to ask this year. Good tool.
John Olson was the first face I recognized and he sampled me a really good blend he came up. Excellent mouthfeel and finish, nose from the Merlot and back from the Cab franc. Really like this one. The Umpqua Valley is such a great area for a day of tasting and I recommend a tour before the crowds hit! Mathew and Jean Driscoll of Wildaire cellars, gave me a bottle of the '08 Timothy Pinot Noir($20). Nose of plum compote, soft, not jammy, with a slight hint of figs, rose petal, and vanilla. On the palate , pie cherry, island spice, coco, and currents. Bright clean mid palate and a long spicy finish. Good for now but will drink really well in about 3-5 years. They make some really fine wines and are a winery to watch.

Next stop? Zerba. I am getting old. There are no polite ways to say how stupid I feel sometimes at the things I do, or as it were, forget to do, like pick up the bottle Zerba so kindly offered, that I took a picture of, and that I left sitting, bagged, on their counter. Now I have to drive all the way to Milton Freewater! I tasted the Wild Z, the wine they tried so hard to give me, and found it big and bold with lots of jammy notes and a really mellow finish. Can't wait to taste it again...in Eastern Oregon.
(I talked to them today and they said I could pick up one in Portland!)

I ran in to Ray Walsh of Capitello, who gave us a bottle of his Pewter Labeled Pinot Noir early in the week and he said the event had gone well and he was up from last year in sales. Good sign! Here he is looking heroic, as well he should. I heard more comments from other wineries about his wine than of anyone else. winemaker extraordinaire!
I had a bite to eat and then found a charming young lady looking a bit tired and ready to go home. Jo Spencer was giving tastes of the Mia Sonatina wines and I was amazed that I had never tasted them. The '08 Pinot Gris has a caramel, baked apple nose, rich mouthfeel, and citrus on the tip of the tongue and soft white fruit on the mid palate. Long finish of spice and pear.
The '07 Merlot had a hint of rubber that gave way to dark cherry and chocolate, then tasted chocolate, plum jam, hints of leather and earth. Long complex finish. Four stars!
Next came the '07 Cab. Slight smoke with chocolate and dark cherry with hints of licorice, complex and soft on the mid palate. It has a hard back taste that quickly mellow to a fine long finish. Great tannins and acids. 5-7 years.
The one they gave us is the '07 Crescendo blend. Much boysenberry, coco, soft mouthfeel, sweet notes that counter the darkness of the chocolate and big fruit. Four stars!

Last year, Dave Mascioriniear  of Nameste Vineyards gave me the '07 Peace and so this year I ask for the '08 Peace ($12). Linda and I bought the case of mixed whites that contained the '07 and we loved it.

From their site:Peace is our unique blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Gewürztraminer fermented to a semi-sweet style done exclusively in stainless-steel tanks. The 2008 Peace has ravishing peach scents coupled with floral overtones to tickle the nose with a rich aromatic style. Blending the acidity and sweetness of our Chardonnay with the spice and floral notes of our Gewürztraminer has created a beautifully balanced wine with rich fruit tastes. For those looking for a wine of great character and versatility, this is your wine.

Over to Troon and a visit with the woman who runs the northern outpost in Carlton,  Joni, who surprised me buy saving me a trip down to the Applegate valley by handing me the '06 Old Vine Meritage ($39)

Stunning color, dark chocolate, black cherry, hints of sandlewood, all emerge from the glass over time with each swirl. Gold Medal - Dallas Morning News Wine Competition She is so sweet!

On to my last stop(s). I found out that both Zenas and Sejourne are owed by the same family so I got to catch two wines in one ask.Robyn Howard (left) gave me one from each winery, a '07 Cab Franc($26) from Zenas: Rich deep plum color, wild plum jam and current with coco on the nose, mellow soft mouthfeel that intensifies and moves to a blackberry and spice back. Lovely wine!
The Pinot Noir($25) that she gave me from Sejourne, '  is one of many '08 wines I have taasted, and though they are to new to assess what they will be like in a few yeears, it is a fair bet that most will be a good solid hit. They have hints of the "big" of the '06 and some of the complexity of the '07 while retaining their own style. This one is a hit. Dry coco and coffee with sweet fruit on the nose with black berry, spice, pepper on the tongue and a return of the coco. Finishes semi sweet, dry and pleasant. Long after.
Just before I left I sat down for a 20% off plate of Mexican food and struck up a conversation with a young couple who looked like they needed to rest for a while. This event is demanding of the people in the booths but for those who spend time and effort to see it all, it is also draining. They were there looking for wineries to carry some of her company's products and I ask Mimi if I could take a look. They had a cool aerator/decanter that I am sure will attract some interest, but the really cool item that caught my eye was a fold up cooler with holes for the bottle neck. You can fill it with ice and carry around your wine while it chills. I want one if any of the wineries buy some.
On the way out I stopped and said hi to Jennifer who was running the booth for Walnut City Wineworks. They are always so nice and the wines are outstanding.
I made good time heading back to Eugne and had fun screwing with my Google navigator on the way by taking roads she had not sugested. I know these things have electronicly generated voices, but she was begining to sound genuinly peeved!
Until next time.