Harvest at Ghost Hill

Wednesday began on a bit of a sour note. Linda was backed up in meeting and we were trying to get on the road to Carlton to help sort fruit. As we got ready to leave, barely in time to make it up there at a reasonable time, we opened the garage door to fine our more adventurous cat had secreted himself in the garage while I was taking this out to the car. Out he went under the garage door the moment it opened. To say I was upset would be a ...well, let's just say I am glad there were no small children within earshot. Linda, ever calm and present, walked out and found him enjoying hide and seek in the garden, and after a short chase, he stopped in the dry leaves in the gutter and had a good roll. She calmly went over and picked him up. Back in the house, dusty and happy, and we were getting later and later.
We made it up in record (well not quite record time, after all, Linda was in the car with me) time and dashed in to Horse Radish for a plate of Hummus and salad.
Rebecca (seen above trying NOT to fall in) , the winemaker for Ghost Hill, was all ready for us, gave us our stations, and in came the grapes.
We were using the facility at Carlton Cellars, owned by my friend Dave Grooters and his partner/ wife Robin Russel, and were under the gun to finish and have things cleaned up so the next batch could come in.

The picking began at 11:00 on the Bayliss- Bower vineyard and we had Wädenswil on the sorting table by 1:00. The clusters were huge and firm. I tasted a few random grapes and I was amazed by the development in structure and complexity. These had a semisweet flavor bursting with rich,lush flavors of blue fruit, spice, pepper, and a soft mouthfeel. The seeds were brown and the skins were dense but not overly thick.. Very pleasant hint of acid.
We found very little botrytis as the leaves had been cut back to avoid standing water on the fruit and there very few unripe clusters.

Next came the 777 and man was it intense! This grape usually has a sweet, dark juice and a firm fruit with a thicker skin than other Pinot Noir grapes. These were no exception, rather, they were some of the finest firmest, most flavor filled 777 grapes I have ever tasted. Dark fruit, thicker, chewier skin with none of the usual bitterness, just a slight acidic feel on the tooth. This is going to be an exceptional year. We found a bit more mold deep in the clusters but still very little. The smaller more conical clusters were larger this year due to more hang time and because of the intense dropping of fruit done for the development of the best possible fruit. Most vineyard dropped fruit to 1 cluster per stem.

After a short break we started in on the 114 and I was amazed at the cluster size in these bins. The fruit, being thinner skinned than the 777, was easy to burst and the flavors were sweet and rich, not from high brix, usually higher in this clone, but from the long cool maturation that took place.
This is called physiological ripeness (or physiological maturity) of grapes is a relatively recent addition to the discussion of ripeness in viticulture and winemaking. The phrase has become a "catch all" term used to describe other factors in the development of ripening grapes that affect a wine's quality beyond the standard measurements of sugars, acids and pH. These factors generally includes evaluating the ripeness of tannins as well as the development of other phenolic compounds that contribute to the color, flavor and aroma of wine. In many ways, the concept of physiological ripeness is similar to the French term Engustment (from the Latin root gustis or taste) which denotes the stage of ripening when aroma and flavor become apparent. Research has shown that most aroma compounds develop in the berry in glycosylated form as secondary metabolites which occur late in ripening as the build up of sugars have leveled. This stage is distinct from the sugar/acid interactions of ripening because it is possible for a grape to be "ripe" in the context of sugar and acid levels but still be very immature when it comes to the development of tannins, aromas and flavor that characteristic a complex or quality wine.

For the most part, many of these qualities are difficult to objectively measure so evaluation of the physiological ripeness of grapes is centered around observing and physically sampling the grapes. With experience winemakers and viticulturists learn to associate certain taste and characteristics with different stages of development. They evaluate the skin and pulp texture of the berry as well as the color of skins, seeds and stems. If the seeds are still green, the tannins inside the grape are more likely to be harsh and bitter. As the tannins continue to develop, the seeds start darkening in color. They will observe the lignification of the stems as they turn from being flexible and green to hard, woody and brown (for many varieties but not all) indicating that vine has completed its work in developing its "offspring" grape clusters and has started to store carbohydrates and resources for its next growing season. During the ripening period winemakers and viticulturists will continually sample grapes throughout the vineyard in the weeks and days leading up to harvest. ^{(from an article in Wickipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripeness_in_viticulture)}

Absolutely joyful flavors.The smell of these grape filled the winery as they were crushed.
On to the last and my surprise favorite, Pommard. The clusters were small and had good brown stems on much of the grapes. The taste of these was what I will call meaty. Dense, ripe, smooth, and satisfyingly flavorful. I could eat bowls of these for breakfast. Very little sweetness, just that mature taste mentioned above.
The last tank was filled with a blend and we selected whole cluster with brown stems for the tank. Can't wait to try that one.
After a few hours of clean up, we bade farewell and headed in to Dundee for a bite at Dundee Bistro. There are so many fine places to eat but I had my heart set on the deconstructed clam chowder.

Manilla Clam Chowder with Mussels & Fuji Apples
fingerling, applewood bacon, leeks, cream & spinach 16

I was not disappointed. I had it with a glass of the 2009 PONZI Willamette Valley. Perfectly balanced, not to sweet and held its own against the apple and cream tastes.
A long drive home with a 1977 performance from the Met of Il Trovatore on the radio, ending the day on a fine note.
There are few things more wonderful than having your hands in the wine you will one day drink!
Mark my words: This WILL be the best year Oregon has seen for developed flavors and character of the wines. This will be the benchmark!

Weddings in the Vines

Youngburg Hill, along with Willamette Valley Vineyards, David Hill, Ponzi, and some others are featured in Oregon Bride magazine as a place for your wedding.
I have been to most of these places and can't think of a better way to make your vows than surrounded by the bounty and beauty of Oregon's best product!
Linda and I got married at Chateau Loraine on the shores of Lake Louis and it will always be a wonderful memory! The wine was great also!

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.