'05 Devitt Merlot

We had a nice treat for dinner, a 2005 Devitt Merlot sourced from Steel-head Run Vineyard. Dark complex candied fruit, coffee, dark chocolate in the nose with fruit compote, 7 spice and deep dark fruit in the mouth. Excellent mouth feel, sot and pleasant with perfect acid balance. I had it with a roast and a salad and it paired very well. Great finish. I let it open for about 45 minutes and the difference was noticeable. Thank you Jim.

Grass Pants and Long Sleaved Shirts

This was my only trip south this year and I hope I made the best of it. I know I missed some wineries that were expecting me to come begging but there is always next year.*
On the way to Ashland and Jacksonville I stopped for a promised bottle of wine from.Abacela. When I got to the winery, located on the edge of Winston, I had to walk the last few yards up to the old tasting room. There were construction crews and others everywhere, working on the new building and getting the lot ready for a touch up. This year they donated on of my favorites out of their line up. The Abacela: '07 Tempranillo Estate 
from grapes first planted in the early 1990's Earl and his wife Hilda. They were the pioneers in the production of Tempranillo in America. Now Tempranillo is grown all over but these vines are established and deep, pulling up strength and body with their deep root. This is a really fine wine and we are proud to have a bottle from such an influential producer.
I plan on taking Linda down there on my birthday to do a little tasting and buying. The trip from Eugene to Bandon and back, stopping at wineries along the way, is a great way to spend a Sunday.

My next stop was a newer addition to the wineries in the area, Pyrenees Vineyard and Cellars.
I tasted a few of the wines and was impressed by both the whites and the reds. The Pinot Gris was my pick for the whites, with hints of apple and tropical fruits and a long fresh finish.
The reds made it  harder to choose a favorite but I think I would have to choose the Zin. Cool climate Zin seems to retain more of the bright cherry nose and the pepper and dark spice without being to big and smokey. Like this one a lot.

I left my smiling hostess and headed toward Grants Pass for lunch at a surprise find, 'The Vine" restaurant. I had stopped at a local store for my protein fix but needed more so on my way out I spotted the sign and peered in. It was almost 1:00 and the place was slammed! I found a seat at the bar and looked over their wines. Lots of locals! Always a sign they are connected to the community. The steak I had came with FRESH, HOT veggies and was one of the best I have had all year! Blown away, I ask Glen Hendriks, the owner, what the hell a great restaurant was doing in a parking lot mall in Grass Pants!??? He said that his wife and he had been in the business for about 25 years and wanted their own space, knew how to please customers, and wanted to give it a shot. Wow! I LOVE this place!
They have a gluten free option menu and feature vegetarian foods along with trad. I loved the place and will be back. They are at 1610 Allen Creek Road, Suite111 heading out to Cave Junction, just before you leave civilization or what passes for it in Grass Pants...
Now off to the Applegate Valley where I made my first stop. Devitt Winery is run by Jim Devitt, owner and winemaker. Granted, he is not as pretty as most of the last two hosts, but I always enjoy stopping for a visit with Jim. He has been making wine and creating wine related products, like his Auto-Topper for a very long time. You kind of have to be a wine geek to get what this is for and how cool it is, but it is cool. Jim gave us a bottle of his 05 Cab Franc, a Silver medal winner in the World of Wine tasting, this wine has a bold tannin structure with up-front fruit, full bodied, dry, fruity with a lingering finish and great mouthfeel. Goes well with red meats, wild game, cheese and chocolate.
If you visit him, bring a pig. A pig ANYTHING. When you get there you will see why! Make sure you taste the variety of Cab Francs he has. There are some real winners in there!
Next stop was at Longsword. They used to have a little wine stand out by the road that Linda and I always got a kick out of. Now they have a beautiful tasting room with a view of the vineyards and the same very, very old friendly dog. 
They make a remarkable Accolade Sparkling Chardonnay that is a huge hit every time we serve it. It is not over sweet and has just the right sparkle. “The Wedding Wine” was originally made celebrate the wedding of the owner’s son, Accolade is all fun. A mouthful of fruit with a hint of sweetness and just enough effervescence to tickle your tongue, this sparkling wine pairs with spicy foods as well as wedding cake!
Next stop, Fiasco!
There is so much to say about these folks that I feel I need a separate posting just for them! So be it. But for now I can say they are among the most entertaining people I have met down here. 
After tasting through their wonderful wines I was given a bottle of the '07 Zinfandel. This is an intense and fragrant wine. You get notes of olive oil, dark rich cherry and jam plus a hint of dark chocolate in the nose, then a rush of plum and black cherry with hints of tobacco and cocoa in the mouth. Long complex and pleasant finish.
I said goodby and headed for Jacksonville for a glass of wine at South Stage Cellars and a visit with my friend Larry. I love talking wine with him as he knows as much or more than anyone I have met. There was a crowd and the music was lively so I grabbed a bottle of their best, an '08 Syrah (as yet unreleased) that Larry donated, finished my glass, and drove to the hotel. I checked in to the Red Lion (God I wish they would fix up their hotel near downtown!) and walked over to 38 Central for some really great food. I sat at the bar and ask after my friend, the owner David Graham. He was out with a broken leg! Disappointed but still hungry, I ordered the muscles and a salad. I ask for a recommendation for a wine to pair with this simple meal and got  some wine  that (they say if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all...)







I have had bad wine, but this, this was an insult to Oregon, the Willamette Valley, and Pinot Noir, and whoever did it should be ashamed of themselves!
I almost threw it at the bar tender but thought better of it as I knew he HAD to be messing with me.He redeemed himself with a glass of Linda Donovan's Chardonnay  .
I was intrigued by the wine and by his tales of this woman winemaker and her new building a few blocks away so I got as much info as I could and planned a visit in the morning.
Next day after the cut!

Jacksonville,Medford, and Grass Pants, part three of three

Let's see, where was I? Oh yes, flying pigs!

I left Devitt and drove down the road to Wooldridge Creek Vineyard and Winery visit Greg Paneitz and beg him for a bottle of his best. Didn't take much begging to get an excellent bottle of  '07 Syrah ($32), and as a treat, he also gave the newly released '08 Pinot Noir ($36) . Linda and I have been coming down to Ashland for years to attend the Shakespeare festival and a few years ago we were lunching at Allyson's and met Greg and Cara doing a wine tasting. The next day we drove to the winery and became wine club members and have been enjoying the wines every since.
One of the cool things about them is that they are always looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One way they have come up with is to buy used beer kegs, refit them, and fill them with wine (25 bottles) and inert gas. They use a stainless tap  for wine (Here is Greg with the newly designed Tap Pull). Beer uses brass and that is effected by the acids in the wine due to its copper component. The systems are sold complete and all the bar or other outlet has to do is have the tank refilled. The cost savings are enormous due to the lack of waste, bottle storage, breakage, etc. Standing Stone
in Ashland, Four Daughters in Medford, The Craterian Theater in Medford (16 taps for the intermission crowd), and The Melting Pot in Portland has installed the system. Look for the article in the Oregonian on the 2nd of March, I will link it from here and from news.
They also only use American made bottles with a thinner glass and smaller punts.
getting back to the really important stuff: WINE!
Greg let me taste a number of their wines beginning with an '08 Rose': Melon and Strawberry in the nose AND on the palate. Nice semi-sweet finish.
The Warwick '08 White Wine: White peach and vanilla in the nose and smooth ripe peach and pear with a little hint of honey in the mouth. Tannins, from being left on the skins, give it a complex and very pleasant mouthfeel. This is a keeper, unusual for a white.
Now the '08 Pinot Noir ($36): Chocolate covered cherry smell right out of the box, caramel, blueberry and black currents with a strawberry after taste. Nice tannins, great mouthfeel. I may bid on this one myself!
The '07 Syrah:($32): BIG nose! Black fruit with slight plum note over black current and a smokey undertone. Last was the '07 Tempernio: Tobacco, earth, chocolate and black fruit with bits of bright cherry. Very drinkable.
I bid Greg farewell and driving out of the winery, got this shot. You have to love Oregon weather, it was raining in Medford and Jacksonville.
Rosella's Vineyard and Winery was open and had a bottle waiting for me, a non-vintage Red Wine Blend ($18) that tastes like every grape it is made from. Strawberry, blackberry, chocolate, pepper, and a nice bite. I would match this with a good Parmesan cheese over red sauced pasta!
They are also pursuing the kegged wine concept. This is very exciting and is a good competitor to the California box wines.
I also tasted a really nice '06 Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine is aged in American oak, has great tannins, a complex structure, and great berry and earth notes. Good for at least ten years.
My last stop is one of the prettiest wineries around, and they just keep adding new things. The new tasting room is beautiful! Cal spent some time tastinga few of the wines as his staff left to get ready for one of the many events they have.
We started with a '07 Merlot that just got gold at the Chronicle tasting in San Fransisco. Lots of red cane berry in the mouth with a hint of red cherry, currents, and strawberry, with anise and clove in the back of the nose. Herby nose up front. Lovely wine.
The '07 Syrah is filled with big ripe berry and dark fruit, with a very subtla hint of pine. A little peper and spice. Long smooth finish.
The blended red, Soulea is a big earthy red with a pleasing ripe taste. Great for the purposes Cal and I were putting it to.
The last wine I tasted is what Cal donated, a wonderful '07 Cabernet Sauvignon that had all the right qualities. Firm structue with deep smooth black fruit and very slight  notes of tobacco and earth. Unfolds as it hits different parts of your moth. Very nice wine.

Time to drive back to Eugene.

Jacksonville, Medford, and Grass Pants, part two of three

Oh what a beautiful morning! raining in Medford and Jacksonville but as I entered the Applegate Valley, the clouds opened and the sun began to shine.
I had a loose appointment with Bill at Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden and had a really pleasant drive through the southern valley. Cow Horn is a biodynamic vineyard that produces award winning wines. Northwest Palette says: There’s much buzz about biodynamics in the Northwest wine world. A kind of über-organic agriculture discipline, it sees the farm as a holistic energy system, and demands extra time, care, and commitment from the farmer. If you want to know how good biodynamically grown and made wine can taste, seek out this wine from Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. (more) 

Bill offered up a bottle of the Spiral 36($18) a Rhône-style white blend of Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne. 
He also offered a tour and tasting for six as an auction item. He was getting ready to bottle but was happy to show me around and show me the new area of vineyards they are planting. He was also excited about an article about the recycling programs they have for bottles and corks. Watch the video here
They have their own bottling line and they were cleaning it while I was there. There is a LOT of cleaning involved in winemaking, mostly to control unwanted yeasts. I did not want to hold him up so I took off to my next stop, Valley View Winery. They 
don't open until 11:00 so I stopped at the Outpost for some great chili and conversation with Tiffany, the owner the Outpost and the Feed store. She has been working on this project for a year. After the former tenet left she decided to take a chance. While I was there she sold  a fishing license and tag, and got a request for a bunch of washers by a guy working on his boat. Stop by for a visit and say hello.

 When I got to Valley View Winery I had time to taste while waiting for Mark Wisnovsky the President, to get out of his meeting.  Sarah led me through tastings of:
'08 Viognier: Lower in alcohol, fresh nose of bright fruit and vanilla and peach on the tongue. Nice finish.
Anna Maria Chardonnay 2007: Very nice. After 30 years of winemaking they still have it right! Nose of citrus, pineapple, and with a taste of vanilla, fresh pineapple, and butterscotch. I recommend it with crab cakes.
Anna Maria Syrah Rogue Valley 2006: 2 years in oak give this a slight maple syrup, dark black cherry, and ripe plum, back taste of plum and spice.
 Anna Maria Merlot 2004: 9 months in oak give this a nice sweet butter under taste with black current and a great acid/sugar balance.
Anna Maria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: This one wins Gold at this weekends Newport Wine and Seafood festival!  Black cherry and ripe plum, overtones of vanilla, and earth with aftertaste of vanilla and plum. Really a great wine!
Mark came out of his meeting and after some consideration, gave a bottle of the '06 Cabernet Sauvignon($24). One of my all time favorite Cabs came from Valley View way back in 1978.I had just returned from Germany for a visit before coming back permanently and drove my little 912 down to Ashland for a play and made a stop at one of the only wineries around. Anne sold me a case of the 1976 Cab and I got stung on the wrist by a hornet and dropped a bottle. What a waste! I wish I still had a bottle of that one.

Next stop, Fiasco. I interrupted Pamela, who was looking for a little solitude and instead, got me. If you have not been to visit them, go soon! The tasting room, their ideas, and the wine, are all worth the trip. They have a dirt floor, wine in barrels, and they sell jugs to the locals just like they do in Europe, where you can refill your jar of house wine. Very clever. Pamela led me though several of the wines from both Fiasco and from Jacksonville Winery which they also own. They donated one bottle from each winery.
From Fiasco, '05 Cabernet Sauvignon($38): Aged 38 months in French oak, this Cabernet is 85% Cab Sauv and 15% Merlot. Straw and earth with berry on the nose, rich plum and cherry with notes of vanilla and sage, cedar and toasted bread.
From Jacksonville Vineyard, '06 Merlot : Aged in oak for 30 months. Annis, clove, and sweet beery nose, lots of dry plum and dark berry flavors. Nice lasting finish.
I also recommend the '06 Super Tuscan, very good lighter red with great acid balance. Try it with Red sauce!  Really, all the wines I tasted were good to great. They are frequent award winners and should be a for sure stop on your trips South.

I did not get to taste at Longsword Vineyard but Tony gave me a bottle of their Accolade, a sparkling wine made originally for a family wedding but continued because of the demand. Love this one. We had some a few years ago when the tasting room was out by the road in a little fruit stand!
 I ask Matthew Sorensen about the rocks I had seen on the way in under the rows and he said "Got lots of rocks and this keeps the weeds down, keeps the vines warm, and collects moisture." It may take him a while to do all the rows but like he said, lots of rocks. Looks cool also!Devitt Winery is lust up the road and has a long history in wine. Brendon gave a gift certificate good foe ANY bottle(up to $35) of their wine. His grandfather, who owned and made wine for Pope Valley Winery in Napa, makes all the wines and they are tasty indeed!
Tasting the wines was a treat.The '07 Precipice: A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Zin, this wine gives up cane berry, chocolate, and spice to the nose,  with pepper front and back, and black current and sweet cherry notes.
Next came a smokey berry filled '07 Syrah with a rich mouthfeel and hints fo burnt sugar on the sides of the tongue.
My favorite is the '05 Cabernet Sauvignon: Black currents over dry blackberry and hint of sweet plum. Very good wine with lots of subtle flavors unfolding as you sip. I did not taste the 2007 Le Petite Oink" Labled and bottled as "WHEN PIGS FLY" but I plan on acquiring a bottle for a very good friend as a gift. He collects pigs and is one of the finest winemakers in Oregon, and he has a sense of humor!