Quick Visit to Carlton

Salud! holds an auction every year and sell various items to raise money for the health care of our migrant workers, without whom we would have little wine to enjoy.  This year I have been ask to create ten etchings in an edition of ten to be auctioned off to help raise money. I was honored and have been driving around capturing images to make in to photographic etchings. I also plan to do one of each on wood, gold leafed and framed, as I did for the dismally advertised "Art of Wine" at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum. They were supposed to work to bring tourists in to Lane County to sample our wines...
Oh well.
Anyway, on Wednesday I took one of my studio assistant, who just turned 21, on a tasting trip up the valley with stops along the way.
Left Coast Cellars is one of the most beautifully presented wineries in Oregon. The setting is stunning and the landscaping is perfect. They also have a large solar array and a very good restaurant
They also have a set of fountains that help hydrate the local bee population. As we walked up to the tasting room I looked over and saw a few dozen bees on each fountain happily sipping, then flying off to be replaced with more thirsty companions. I guess I had never really thought about them drinking. Seems appropriate that they have their own tasting room.
We tasted through the whites and I was struck by the depth and complexity of the '07 Chardonnay.

This wine is 100% barrel fermented and has a huge nose of pear and fruit blossoms with a taste of fresh pear and quince jam. There is a hint of pie spices balanced with good acid, a slight mineral after taste, and the overall feel of the wine is elegant and rich. I highly recommend this one. 
 Next one the list of must haves are really ANY of the '08 Pinot Noir. They are all outstanding and complex and all are worth the stop. It is not often that I enjoy every wine I taste but today was an exception.
While you are there, sit down and enjoy some of the wonderful food they prepare on site. Read the article about Oregon's restaurant/ winery news. 
While we were there over a dozen people, from farm hands to tourists came and went, praising the food and the wines. 

We made a quick stop at Bethel Heights to get a picture for an etching. They are one of the major sponsors of Salud! and are on this years list for my donation. I took a few shots and I think I have settled on an image of their wisteria and a view Northeast through the vineyards. I have time and lots of reasons to stop back and try another image.
We drove up through Amity then to Carlton where we were treated to my all time favorite taste treat! Republic of Jam was closed for production and restocking but they let me in and gave Saga a sample of their wares. You can tell by her reaction that she enjoyed the tastes! I ended up buying Blueberry Lavender Jam and Lemon Caraway soda syrup,. I am told that the bartender at  Thistle makes a drink with it involving bourbon that is out of this world! ( last night we tried some shaken with Gin and did not find it lacking ;).
 Next door at Horseradish we had a bowl of soup and a hot sandwich , and of course a glass of great Oregon Pinot Noir. As we sat down at the back bar Ryan showed me a wine I had not heard of nor tasted, Zimri Cellars '06 Pinot Noir. This is an outstanding wine. Rich and deep with a huge nose and wonderful mouthfeel and finish. I was very impressed, and at $30, it is under-priced!

 While we were waiting for our meal Saga found something very special, her own wine!
When we finished we left through the back door and walked over to visit with Dave at Carlton Cellars and taste some of his fine wines.

More on that when I get back from a meeting!

Dave tasted us through his lineup staring with his very tasty and very complex Pinot Gris. This wine has lime and white pear with a little flinty mineral in the nose and a rich dry taste. I really enjoy this wine.
Next we tasted the rose and it surprised me a bit. I had had last years and enjoyed it but this one is far more interesting. Lots of strawberry, hints of flowers, and a very interesting taste that changes rapidly as you taste again. I scored a bottle just for a little sip out on the deck this weekend.
Next came the lineup of the Pinot Noir .
Seven Devils is the everyday, house wine that you keep for the acquaintance (if you can keep your hands of it). This is a gentle, rich wine with a slow start and a long finish. Great food pairing as it has brighter fruits and a lot of ripe blackberry and cherry. In the short time it has been in bottle it has changed a lot. I can't wait to taste it again in a few months.
Roads End Pinot Noir is ina class of its own. The gift that keeps on giving, and if anyone tries to tell you that filtering ruins the complexity and structure of wine, let them taste this one! Here is what Parker had to say:

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate concurred, giving the 2006 Roads End a 90-point score that identifies it as "An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines." Dr. Jay Miller writes in his October, 2008 review:

"The 2006 Pinot Noir Roads End spent 10 months in French oak. Medium/dark ruby-colored, it reveals an attractive perfume of cedar, black cherry, and black raspberry. This leads to a layered, smooth-textured wine with plenty of sweet fruit, good balance, and a medium-long finish. Drink it over the next four years."

 Next stop was in Ken Wright's parking lot next door where I got what will be an etching when I am doe. Here is the image now. When I am done with it I will post it to show the end result.
We made a quick stop a Wildaire and we both loved the Clay Court Pinot Noir. Remarkable wine and worth the stop. Linda and I have bought bottles on each trip up and they don't last long. The wine is best described as plush, like a big overstuffed sofa with solid wood legs! You just want to lay down in it and let it engulf you. The nose really leaps out and grabs you with pie spices, dark ripe cherry, and big notes of hot blackberry pie. The first sip is almost a shock as you find a whole different pallet waiting for you, one of cherry compote and caramel with layer after layer of vanilla and creamy red berry. The finish is long and pleasing with just enough earthy, spicy mix to make you want another sip.
Last stop in Carton was at Troon. I felt I had to school her on the differences in the Oregon wine regions and this is one of the very best places to do it.
It was late so we hurried through a couple of sips, then Chelsea brought in the sign and the other folks, Paul Cronauer and his wife Sarah, tasted through a perfect collection of Southern Oregon wines.
 We got started with the '10 Dry Riesling. I love this wine and just thing Greg killed on this one. Bone dry with very complex minerality and gentle hints of stone fruit and white grape.
The reds are all good and interesting but one stands out as a must have, the 2007 Humbug Fire Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  This one was done after the devastating fires down the in '07 and some of the proceeds go to fund the firemen. The smoke in this wine was like being next to a campfire! The fruit was like roasting berries on a stick and eating them while they were still warm. This is just an outstanding wine and should be shared.
Last stop of the day was at Nick's on Third Street in McMinnville for some ribs and a cheese plate.  Then  the long drive home and back to the studio.



 

 

Carlton for Lunch

Tuesday I took a much needed break from etchings so I  scheduled  a lunch with my good friend Kelley Fox at The Filling Station. Kelley is the winemaker for Scott Paul but her real fame comes from her own wines. She is one of a growing coterie of women winemakers here in Oregon.
Last year we managed to put together a case of Pinot Noir with all the wines made by women here in Oregon and sold it for a good chunk of change at the OMP auction.
I am on a reduced gluten diet and was more than pleased to find the they bake their own breads and make a gluten free loaf made with Bob's Red Mill ingredients. The Ruben was great!
After she went back to work I walked over to Republic of Jam and stocked up on treats. The Strawberry Basil, the Apple Tarragon  Mustard, and the Marionberry Sage all went home with me.
Next door at Horseradish I had a nice glass of the Toluca Lane '09 Pinot Noir. This is an outstanding wine and for $34 it is a steal! I paired it with a chocolate caramel with sea salt from Honest Chocolates next door.

Next stop was a taste over at WildAire Winery and visit with Matt, the owner and winemaker. I settled on a bottle of his '09 Clay Court Vineyard Pinot Noir. This wine is made from grapes grown only in Jory soil and has a soft, lush mouthfeel and a ripe pie cherry, spices, and French Vanilla. Love it!

I drove out to Adelsheim and ArborBrook to look for ideas for the etchings and found a couple of great shots to start from.
I plan on doing ten etchings from ten of the Salud! wineries each year till I have them all. These will go to the Salud! Auction for sale.

A Nice Afternoon in Carlton Area

This morning, after weighing in at 253.8lb, I loaded up my collected wines (no, this is not it, this is the wine display at Red Hills Market, mine is bigger) and drove north to the Abbey to drop them off for storage at Northwest Wines to You. Got kind of a late start as I stopped for an oil change, then got as far as Gateway Adventure Center and had to have them come out a find out why the check oil light was on. 45 minutes shot. When I got to Lafayette and the Abbey, Rebecca and Katie were ready for lunch so we tried out the new spot in Dundee,  Red Hills Market. Very well done building just off 99 to the left going north at the Dundee Bistro (also one of my favorites). They have a very nice Oregon wine wall and an assortment of yummy take away,I had two salmon salads trying to get to about 500 cal. and they both had the quiche and we were all smiling! I heard one of the best lines from anyone in a while come from Chelsey, who was at the register taking orders. She had read the notes for the quiche wrong and thought CH stood for chicken, not cheese so she said "Sorry, I had a Blond Moment" which was perfect as she is a stunning (and obviously clever) blond. She was also amazingly polite given the crowd of people trying to get lunch.
Great food, great service, and really good iced tea. they also have a nice selection of Smith Tea and they both stocked up. I understand their Bloody Mary is to die for, and they sell the mix.
Back to the Abbey and then to Lemelson Vineyards where I met Laura Arce, who is in charge of direct sales. She heard me out and tasted me though the wines they had out for tasting.
The whites were outstanding! I really love the Chardonnay.  The reds were all very different and the most complex and subtle was the one from the Meyer block. Hard to put my finger on what it was about the tastes but it had such interesting herbal and dry fruit. I have always enjoyed their wines and their commitment to the environment. They have always been organic growers and have a firm belief that introduced chemicals have a negative effect on terroir. This commitment shows in their wines. I also like the fact that they have committed, as have my wife and Ito solar energy.
She chose a bottle of Thea's Selection Pinot Noir, very good!

As the auction grows I am seeing more of the wineries beginning to give their best so I will see what they are willing to give next year.
Carton was calling so I parked on Main Street and walked across to Barking Frog Winery, introduced myself and started begging. I had great time talking to Cindy about the different reds they produce. They have a good selection of reds from Tepernillo to Pinot Noir and we taste quite a few of them. She decided to give me the tasty and complex  '09 Tempranillo from Washington Grapes. Of all the wines I tasted here, my favorites were the '08 Sangiovese, and the '06 Syrah. Man are these good. The Syrah was a special treat because they had an '07 to it to. The '07 was developing in bottle and was complex and fruity with very nice mouthfeel but the '06 just stood out as keeper. Juicy, complex fruit and leather, and spice, finished with cassis and spice for a long smooth finish.
The '08 Sangiovese was very different than  some I have had of late. It was very bright with strawberry and citrus on the nose followed by crisp dark berry and cherry. The mouthfeel was also a pleasant surprise. While a lot of the Sangioveses have an almost acid and  harsh feel on the pallet, this one was just perfectly balanced.
I am in a real quandary because I do like to sip, taste, and swallow and I have learned just a little bit goes a long way, but due to this diet I am on  I have to spit.
I always get a kick out of being in a winery with novice tasters and spitting into the bucket and watching them. Most people have been around wine tastings, seen a bit about it on TV, or seen Sideways or Bottle Shock or some other wine movie so they are used to noisy, spitting wine nuts. But some are not, and the looks they give just crack me up. I am always very polite and nice and explain why I am wasting such great wine, sometimes more to myself than to them.

Next door I pulled a stunt that I have never done before: ask the same people for wine in the smae year, and got it! Now I have to take it back! WildAire was busy and Matt was pouring when I came in. I had a strange feeling I had picked up a bottle at SIP! but my little mind. Well, we forget things, yes?
So I ask again and he gave me a bottle of their marvelous Clay Court Pinot Noir. Oh well, I can now have another excuse to visit.

On over to a place where my diet almost went to hell in a jam bottle! Republic of Jam is a little store that you HAVE TO VISIT! That is an order! (The former drill Sargent in me is coming out...) Lynette was there with her partner Amy Wilder and as promised in a short conversation a few weeks ago at Horse Radish, she figured out something to donate to the auction  in June: A year subscription to their "Jam of the Month Club"! Her June shipment is around the 15th so it will be perfect.
She let me have the sampler starting with a cremosa made with spiced cherry syrup, a small square of angle food cake (small) with strawberry/ balsamic reduction and infused whipped cream, a Marion Berry pie made from berry, goat cheese, and filo dough about 3/4 of an inch wide, and a meatball with hot fennel and orange chutney. I made it out without gaining any weight but it was a close call.
Around the corner is Troon, Cliff Creek Cellars, and a couple of others who will open soon. I went in to Cliff Creek and as they did last year, they presented a lovely bottle of their Claret. This one is the '05  Claret is

48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot and has a wonderful feel to it. I am a big fan of blends and this one rocks! I visited with Jo Jo while her daughters dog vied for my attention. Cute is an understatement.
Before I left town I stopped to see Joni at Troon and see the new promotion Carlton is doing. I think this is a terrific idea! they have umbrellas at each winery for people to use while wandering around town
very clever!

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.