Yamhill-Carlton Event

Every year there is a gathering of the wine makers in the Carlton-Yamhill region. They get together and let everyone come and taste the wonderful and diverse product of their labors. This year the tasting was held at Anne Amie Winery and it was perfect. Lots of room for everyone, lots of parking space and the Carlton Trolly to get all 500+ people there, and a great group of volunteers to make sure it all went smothly.
I saw a lot of familiar faces and wineries such as Ghost Hill, Alexana, Ken Wright, Dick Shea, Drew of Vertical fame (his wine, Harper Voit Strandline Pinot Noir, is in the book), and lots more wonderful folks.
Stewart and Athena were there from Boedecker Cellars. They have a tasting room in Portland that you HAVE to visit. And while you are there taste some of John's GC Cellars wine.

I only picked up one bottle there, the Dennison Cellars '09 Kiff Vineyard Pinot Noir from Tim and Denise Wilson.
A remarkable wine with lots of chocolate, flower petal, lavender, black cherry, and marionberry dancing around in your mouth. Tim Wilson has  made wine at some of the best wineries and is now out on his own. Very exciting and a wine to watch.
After tasting most of the morning I headed out to visit with Pam at Daedalus and to pick up her donation of a bottle of '08 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir .

The wine is from the fifth oldest vineyard in Oregon and has intense and rich layers of flavors that can only be tasted once and once again, and again as they change and develop in your mouth. Keep this one in mind for that special dinner of wild salmon.
One last stop at Orchard Heights near Salem for a donation of Orchard Heights Winery: '07 Pinot Noir and Orchard Heights Winery: Merlot.
If you have never been to Orchard Heights you are in for a treat. The food is great, the store is packed full of wine, food, and fun, and they do event dinners there also.
Home after a long day and back to Carlton in the morning for Holt International's party at Ken Wright Cellars.

The First Two Bottles for the Auction

Iris Vineyards is located in Cottage Grove, just past the Village Green on the right, and the Taco something on the left then left, and down Palmer Avenue, a side street that leads past the Territorial Seed Co.This leads you to the poorly marked front door of the winery.
First time visitors need to use the map.Having been there many times, I had no problem finding the place and was rewarded with some great tastes and some good conversation.
Laura Pearson, the office manager, lead me through a sampling of their wines starting with the '07 Pinot Gris. Rumor has it that the '09 kicks ass so I will have to come back and taste it when it is released. The '07 kicks at least 3/4 of an ass. Caramel and tropical flowers on the nose with a hint of melon, then a tropical fruit and perfumed taste with a not unkind acid back. Very nice with spicy salads.
The '06 Chardonnay was a bit of a surprise. It has aged very well and has a softer, cleaner pallet than when I tasted it last year. Smooth. The nose is a distinct white peach and honeydew smell and the mouth feel is soft with a pleasant finish of caramel and melon.
Next came what I was really looking forward to trying, the '07 Pinot noir. With all the bad press the '07 Oregon Pinot noirs got (undeserved in 80% of the cases) I had to taste this one again. It has softened, matured, and become a well from which to sip multiple layers of sublime tastes. Black fruit and cola on the nose with a very subtle hint of mint, then an unfolding of plum, pepper, clove, and red fruit on the tongue. Layer after layer of tastes , each supplanting the other to create a swirl of pleasure in the mouth. Very nice finish with a little allspice and pepper after taste.
Now the BIG deal: Last year we were blessed with a bottle of the '06 Pinot noir Reserve so I ask if we could have another. They said yes! This wine is so good it hurts me to give it away. It was given 90 points by Wine Enthusiast and 91 points by Wine Spectator, both in 2007! Now, as you may have noticed, it is 2010 and this wine has had time to mature a bit. The oaks have given way to soft, supple hint of wood, the sharper berry and cassis flavors are now mellow and inviting. This is a wonderful wine with the most appealing mouth feel and finish that  I am shocked that they still have any left.
Laura Pearson, the office manager, presented me with a bottle of the '06 Reserve Pinot Noir and I was on my way after many thank yous.
Next stop, Saginaw Winery, located at the Saginaw exit (176) off I-5 just north of Cottage Grove. Nice of them to name the exit after the winery!

I was driving my brand new Subaru and was having way to much fun on the freeway down to Cottage Grove so on the way back I just had to do a litttle back roads driving. Raelly not that much fun as all the roads leading to Saginaw Winery are straight. Still, there was a bit of adventure when I turned in to the winery and was comfronted by some very anoyed sheep. They wanted to know what I was doing disrupting their afternoon meal. Nice to see organic viticulture at work with weed control thrown in.

The tasting room was inviting and its walls were populated by paintings by many of the Lane County  plein  air painters group. The wine was wonderful! Cheryl Byler, one of the owners, started me out with a taste of '07 Chardonnay. Caramel and flowers wafted up my nose, followed by a smooth, soft fruit and floral taste with a nice clean finish. It won a gold at Newport in '09. A delicious wine, too bad there is none left!
Next came the '07 Pinot Gris. This wine is right at its limit I think. It has a fresh peach nose and is just a little in to the dried fruit tatse. Drink now and enjoy!
The first red she offered was the'08 Pinot noir. This wine stands out as one of their best. It has deep dark fruit with layers of complex vanilla, spice, leather, tobacco, and chocolate and finishes with a little pepper and spice. I ask if I could have a bottle of the this for the auction and she was gracious enough to say yes.
I must admit that I have a long time love affair with Marechal Foch. My wife and I were married at Chateau Lorane and our guests went through roughly 8 cases of Foch and Baco noir so I always have a soft spot for this wine. Their '08 Marechal Foch  is a superb example of what this wine can be. It is rich and dark, with a most unusual nose: hibiscus and lilac! I recommend this wine as stand alone or , if you must, with dark roasted meats.
I also tasted the '09 Rose' : fresh cut pear and apple with a silky mouth feel and an acid bright finish, the '09 Riesling: a perfect , not too sweet, flowery and fruity wine, and one of my favorites, the '09 Muller Thurgau. This has a bone dry nose followed by fresh peach and citrus flavors. Great wine for cheese and fruit.
This year was tough for everyone in the southern part of Lane County. Almost all the vineyards had problems with fruit set, birds, deer, and just ended up with nothing to pick. She said their Muller was completely eaten by the wildlife, Bohemian Waxwings to be exact.

At Long Last, Pinot!

After many visits and tastes, not an unpleasant course of events by any stretch of the imagination, victory has been achieved! One bottle from Lavelle winery here in the heart of Lane County.
Lorie gave me a bottle of the '07 Pinot Nor ($24), one of Mathew's first wines I believe, and a good one at that.
Very light in structure, fine in texture, baked fruit nose with a hint of choc and earth, a little hard in the mouth at first but gives way to cherry, strawberry, and vanilla, long finish of dry fruit. Best with roasted vegetables and hamburger.
The tasting room at Fifth street is one of the best around. Good food and music on occasion, with nice people hosting. Visit often!

202 Bottles of Wine for the Ball

Morgan Broadly was pleased to hear how well his Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir had done  last year in combination with Bergstrom Shea, and Shea's own wine, $300 each for the bottles. This time he gave us an '08 Shea Vineyard($50) and says that it tasted out very well at a gathering of winemakers recently. Very exciting to have another, and this year we have Alaxana's Shea, Bergstrom's, and I hope soon, Dick Shea's also. Morgan said that he had been at a tasting of some of the top wineries and that the '08s were showing well but most were not as "big" as the '06. I have tasted a few and have been impressed.
I headed north to Corvallis for a visit with my friend Jerry at Wineopolis but he was out so I stopped by the Pioneer Hopyard Vineyards tasting room located at

255 SW Madison Ave, and was given the '03 Pinot Noir ($19). This wine won a Bronze Medal at the 2005 Oregon State Fair and  is ripe with  huckleberry, blackberries, and currant. Long sweet finish with loads of acid and tannins. Drinkable now but you can keep it another 5-8 years. They keep the wine back for a number of years before releasing them. They are worth a stop, and yes, they are in a jewelry store but they have a wide selection of wines for sale including many Oregon wines.
Next stop was the Spring Hill Country Club to pick up a round for the 18@18 part of the auction. You can see how far I have to go at Oregon Golf and Music Project.

I left there and stopped by Springhill Cellars to pick up a bottle of the '07 Pinot Noir.
This wine needs time in the bottle. It has enough tannins and should mellow after a few more years. Very herbaceous, with sage, fresh cut Chard, dusty leather, black current, and a subtle hint of strawberry jam. A little harsh on first sip but much better on the second. It has lots of room mid-pallet for red sauce or spicy meats or pizza.

Had a nice drive up to Highway 22 on back roads and even the dairy farm that usually smells SOOO bad was calm. When I got to Red Hawk Vineyard and Winery I was treated to a pleasant visit with Betty, the owner, and Brandi who was doing the tasting (seen here) a taste of some very yummy wines, my favorites being the '08 Gamay Noir with tropical notes with red fruit and honey on the nose with a chocolate cherry, anise, and pepper taste. very approachable, good starter wine. The '08 Syrah was delicious! Big black fruit with notes of spice and earth, a little pepper on the back. I picked up a bottle of the '08Grateful Red ($15), also a good drinking wine. Able to stand alone or with food, it has soft black fruit, earth and slight hint of chocolate and strawberry. Long finish with spice.
I love the view from up on the hill. They look down over the Willamette and you can see for miles. Great place for a visit and a taste.
On the way through Dayton I stopped at Joel Palmer House to ask for a donation of a meal for two . Heidi and Chris Czarnecki gave a certificate for dinner for two and Heidi gave an overnight stay at Fox Farm Cottages., 
The Abbey outside of Lafayette is where all the wine for the auction is being kept, along with thousands of of other cases of Oregon wines so I called Rebecca and let her know I was getting close. We unloaded 5 cases of wine from the car and moved it to our assigned space along with all the other cases and magnums. It is getting pretty populated with good wines!

I got to McMinniville about 5:00 and instead of trying to hit any wineries I just went to my friend Thibaud's  house and put my things away. He came home and started marinating steaks and cutting up vegetables, and opening wine.Rebecca showed up with the rest of the fixings and we talked over some of his delicious wines By the time the food was ready we had developed quite an appetite and were ready for something besides great wine. Rebecca sugested the idea of having wineries sponsor tables at the auction for $200 and 6 bottles of their wines, three red, three white for the table.. They would get two seats and be able to talk about their wines, and they would get to stand for acknowledgment when their wines came up for auction.

Great meal, great company, and a much needed nights sleep and I was ready to face the day.

After a Latte' at the Safeway Starbucks I Drove up the hill through the dense fog of the morning to Winderlea Vineyard and Winery, where Donna and the dog gave me a bottle of the '07 Estate Pinot Noir ($50) and a beautiful box for it.From their tasting notes:The 2007 “Estate” pinot noir (formerly Goldschmidt) was picked on Sept 29th and Oct 15th. The core of the wine is two new blocks of Pommard planted in 2005 which we allowed to ferment in our new Taransaud wood fermenters. The remaining fruit was fermented in stainless steel and macro bins. In addition to being fermented in wooden tanks, the Estate was barrel aged in French oak barrels for 9 months prior to being bottled in August. (more) Last year the '06 Estate went for $150 in the silent auction so I look forward to another great sale.
I was sorry to have missed Bill but I will make a trip up just to sit on their deck and watch the vines grow.  I drove over to Four Graces, where as luck would have it, I had won their Facebook friends prize of a very neat zippered vest, a t-shirt, and an insulated wine bag that holds two bottles!
Melanie made sure I had the right size, XXL unfortunately, but I am working on it.
Driving out to Brooks Winery I realized I was almost out of gas so I turned back (that is so hard to do!) and filled up in Lafayette. I caught Heather before she had to leave and we tasted some of their wonderful wines.
The story of this winery is at once tragic and uplifting. The founder passed away at a very early age and his sister took over management, but ownership went to his young son, now 14,. the youngest winery owner in the world. I encourage you to visit and enjoy the wonderful energy coming from the staff and from the winery. I did not get to taste the wines that were selected for the White House State Dinner but you can buy them! I left with a bottle of the '08 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir($25). From their notes: On the nose beautiful primary aromas of minerals,dusty bing cherries, blueberries, beeswax, redcurrants, blackberries, spice, roses and a mouthwatering cornucopia of small red fruits pour from the glass. As the wine sits in the glass more dark and savory aromatics of tobacco, tar, smoke, freshly picked plums, bitter orange peel and grilled bread emerge.(more)
I had fun driving over the top of the hill and down the other side and in to Amity for a quick burger at Ashes Cafe, then a visit to Coelho Winery. They have a wonderful tasting room filled with fine wines and chocolate from the Brigantine monastery so you can indulge at least two vices while you are there.
This year they gave us a bottle of their '06 Divertimento Pinot Noir ($18). I will stop by again and taste it as they have no tasting notes posted as of yet. I am sure that even though it is 4 years in the bottle that is has enough structure to last for a while longer. Listen to Dave talk about his wines here in a video done by VineStories.
They are working on a huge project that will change the face of Amity, a new winery and tasting room with lots of space right on highway 99.
I drove back toward the north to Kristen Hill Winery where I picked up a bottle of an '02 Pinot Noir. This is a really small winery with a tasting room located in an adjacent house surrounded by Daffodils. Rustic and pleasant and they make really good wines. From their notes:

family owed and operated. Produces about 1000 cases per year. Specialty is sparkling wine. Our wines are served with down home friendliness in our German style tasting room next to the vineyards. You'll have such a pleasant experience, you won't want to leave. Great for novice wine tasters as we try to impart some wine education during the tasting. Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Blush, Port are also available as well as our 3 sparkling wines. No tasting fee.
I made a stop at Left Coast Cellars and met a very old dog, and nasty cat ( who has been seen dragging unsuspecting tasters in to the bushes), and a beautiful woman, Devon. The latter helped me through the tasting of their wonderful wines. 
The '07 Rose' of Pinot Noir is a very good afternoon in the sun kind of wine, light, yet rich with melon and soft red berry, and a taste of fruit cocktail and cherry. Not an overly sweet wine and no hint of grapefruit or citrus. Nice finish with just a little bit of sharpness.the most surprising wine was the '08 Left Bank Pinot Blanc. It has qualities that are hard to find in a white. Lots of good fruits like guava, banana, pineapple, kiwi, white grape, and citrus but with a remarkable mouthfeel of softness and body. It has one of the most complex endings I have tasted in a Pinot Blanc. I left with a bottle of the '05 Estate Grown Pinot Noir.
I drove over to Rickreal for a taste and a bottle from Cherry Hill Winery's new tasting room. Linda and I went to the Valentine's Day tasting there so I knew what I wanted. The new '08 Syrah($29), using Del Rio fruit, is a hit. Smokey, earthy, candied fruit, lush, soft mouthfeel, long finish. Like this a lot. Next stop was the Emerson Winery where I met the assistant winemaker and the owner and picked up a bottle of the '07 Avelina Pinot Noir. from Tom. From their tasting notes;
Showing excellent extraction, 2007 Avelina Pinot Noir is a deep ruby-garnet color in the glass. Clean and expressive scents of sweet currant and kirsch immediately greet the senses, followed by hints of spice, subdued oak, and perfumy, blossomy highlights. A taste reveals an intense, round, hedonistic wine built on flavors of black cherry and currant, giving way to exotic spices, vanilla, smoke, and minerality.(more)
Driving back the long way, I hoped to catch Lumos or Harris Bridge wineries open. No such luck.

The gathering will intensify over the next weeks leading up to the auction as I have about 55 more wineries that gave last year that I have not been to yet!

More Great Reviews!

Kelly Fox, who was kind enough to donate one of her fine Pinot Noirs to our auction, got a very nice write up in Portland Monthly Magazine along with Belle Pente and Scott Paul (she is the wine maker there):
Last August, Oregonian wine writer Katherine Cole sang the praises of pinot noir from Burgundy, France. “Wines like these feel like a refreshing slap to the face,” she wrote. “They quiver with an electric energy that shocks the lips, waking up the palate to the possibilities of pinot.” Cole went on to conclude that “our local wineries are capable of observing all of these rules; many just choose not to.” More

Eola Hills on a Beautiful Day

My first stop on Wednesday was at Cubanisimo Vineyards where I met Christina Collada, the daughter of the owner. She was working in the office when I came to the tasting room and hurried down the stairs no doubt hoping for a real customer. Instead she got me, begging for "one bottle". She was very gracious and gave me not one but two!  The first is an '07 Rosado de Pinot Noir, an exciting blend of taste: citrus and vanilla, with peach and red berry. Nice finish with a hint of flowers. The second is the '07 Pinot Noir. The tastes just kept unfolding as I sipped. Current, cassis, chocolate and tobacco, with sharp, bright notes of black cherry.
I love the '07s because of the complexity and the changes that happen as you drink them. The '06 Pinot Noirs were very good but most lacked the follow through that gives such pleasure after the first taste.

Next stop: Orchard Heights Winery, where Linda and Carol greeted me with a bottle of the '06 Pinot Gris. They are always very grasious and friendly, and they sell VERY good chocolates, and nuts. A very dangerous place. Here is Linda holding their donation.
I drove past Cherry Hill, and a few more of the wineries that I plan on visiting later and headed for Bethel Height Vineyard.Founded in 1977 and actively producing salmon safe wines since then, they are a true part of Oregon Wine making history. Maggie let me taste several of the wines including the '07 Estate Grown Pinot Noir, a lively, complex wine with earth and cane fruit. Should last a long time and drink well at about 6-8 years. Again, the '07's are just such  great wines and keep unfolding as you taste.
I had to be in McMinnville to help with a pump over at Ghost Hill so I will come back in a few weeks and try to get the ones I missed.

Tasting Maysara's 2005 Delara Pinot Noir

I opened one of the "One Bottle" auction bottles that Linda and I purchased in April at our Oregon Mozart Players auction, and I must say, I am well pleased.
Let me clarify how I ended up buying two cases of the wine I had driven all over the state of Oregon to collect from all the wonderful donors. I was in the Tux up front with Bob Sogge and watching the auctioneer trying to get the bid up over $400 per case when out of the corner of my eye I spotted one of the most rabid bidders...my wife. So I not only was afforded the great pleasure of meeting the wine people and tasting the product at the wineries, I also got to bring some home, and raise $900 for our Players.
The wine is the 2005 Maysara Delara Pinot Noir. Superb! Soft fruit nose opening to a chocolate and clove back. Lush chocolate, black cherry, and a little more chocolate. The mouth feel is smooth and filing with a little tooth. Should be great in another 3-5 years. Love it.
Kind of sad I opened it now...but not THAT sad.

Lots of Little News

Well, where to begin...Linda and I bought two cases of the "all Pinot Noir" cases at the auction and we have been having fun opening a few for dinner and for friends. We opened 2006 Thomas Wine Dukes Family last night and had to decant it and let it open up for a while. I am by nature an impatient man but the wait was well worth it. I had a big stak and a plate of various veggies with humus. The wine held its own and then some!
We saved a glass each and had it this evening before a concert. WOW.
The wine was made by R. Gary Andrus in his last year of active wine making.

Putting the Cork in it!

Well, today is the clean-up day. I need to go to Cottage Grove and accept a bottle from Iris Hill and then track down a friend who has a bottle of Erath and a couple more for me.
The article in the paper was nice though I think they forgot to mention that ALL THE WINERIES DONATED THE WINE! It sounded like I bought it all. Oh well. To all the incredible wineries "Thank you again for your heart felt gifts. Wine is what you do, how you make your living, and is a real love. I know that to give so freely after being ask so often by so many is a burden. I don't know that I would have the patience to put up with it. That is why I limited my asks to ONE BOTTLE. Thank you again!
I will post tasting notes, wine recommendations, and travel tips over the next few months until I start the journy over again, hoping for even more next year.
More later
Thanks

Wednesday at a Dead Run!

I left Winderlea with a bottle of Inaugural 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir and headed up the hill to Aramenta where they gave me their very fine 2006 Chardonnay. I then dashed to Willakenzie Estate and had a nice relaxing talk with Ronnie about the winery and it's history and a taste of their four top Pinot Noirs. I left with a bottle of 2006 Pierre Leon Pinot Noir!
Off to Elk Cove for a promised 2007 Pinot Gris( 91 points W.E. editors choice). I never get tired of a well made Pinot Gris. There is a mix of delicasy and power in that wine and when made right, it is great!
Deep breath! Off to Carlton where I stopped for a really nice chat at Cana's Feast with Patrick and left with a bottle of 2006 Bricco Reserva, a Sangiovese that is excellent!
I stopped by the wine studio but nobody home so I went down to Scott Paul and found them doing paperwork and after some pleading, left with a wonderful 2007 Cuvee Martha Pirrie Pinot Noir.
Down the street Solena Cellars had a big surprise waiting in the from of a Magnum of 2006Dommaine Danielle Laurant Pinot Noir . This is a very good wine and should be held for 8 to 10 years and will be a singal item at the auction.
A short hop to McMinnville and the next stop, Panther Creek for a bottle of 2007 Winemaker's Cuvee Pinot Noir. This is one of the wines that prove 2007 was good year after all. It hearkens back to a cool climate Pinot Noir that is delicate yet strong and has a fine quality.
Alas, I am almost 60 and happily married...My last stop of the day was at R. Stuart& Co where Nicole entertained me through a glass of Pinot and a relaxed end of gathering for the day. She gave me a bottle of 2007 Autograph Pinot Noir.
Home and a rest, then off again Friday!