Alla Walla Walla

With last month's Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, WA; the local wine community rolled out the red carpet in a big way. Friday night featured a downtown walkabout, with all of the downtown tasting rooms open and pouring.

Saturday morning brought a seminar on Walla Walla terroir with geologist Kevin Pogue. The seminar centered around many factors that are key to the success of Walla Walla wines. The ice ages and the Great Missoula Floods left silt soils rich in minerals. The high desert climate and it's bitter cold winters has kept out phylloxera, allowing Walla Walla's vines to remain ungrafted. The northerly latitude and warm summers allow for a long growing season, with plenty of radiant sunshine to the vines. Conversely, the cool nights keep acids high enough and allows for even ripening. Finally, the dry weather allows for consistent vintages due to the predictable amounts of water to the vines. These are notable built-in advantages that have helped Walla Walla (and many other areas of Washington for that matter) come into its own as a wine growing region.

The seminar concluded and we were off to tour vineyards and wineries in Walla Walla. Our exact destinations were unknown, as we randomly choose school buses to board with various destinations.

Les Collines Vineyard

I boarded a bus that started at Les Collines Vineyard for a vineyard tour and tasting. Les Collines is a leading vineyard in Walla Walla. Our hosts were vineyard founder and Amavi Cellars vintner Norm McKibben, and Brandon Moss from Gramercy Cellars. Les Collines features 240 acres of vines in the southeast of the Walla Walla AVA. With more rain in the eastern foothills of Walla Walla, this is one of the wettest vineyard areas in Eastern Washington, albeit with only about 24 inches a year. The vineyard is less reliant upon irrigation than other nearby areas, with only light irrigation in August. Les Collines is certified sustainable, practicing minimal input farming and a self composting operation. Vineyard practices include meticulous pruning, shoot thinning, green harvesting, and control of soil moisture. The three primary grapes grown here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
and Merlot.

We took a walk through the vineyard, with Norm pointing out their shoot positioning and the stage of berry set on the vines. The vineyard is stunningly beautiful, and in the prettiest area of Walla Walla that I saw over the course of the weekend. It was a stark and desolate beauty; located next to wheat fields, and spread across gently rolling hills, with expansive views of the surrounding foothills.

The Wines-

Finally it was time for the real treat. We tasted three wines made from Les Collines grapes.

~2007 Amavi Cellars Les Collines Syrah, Walla Walla- Aged 16 months in 20% new French oak. Rich in the glass with gamey fruit, olive, and savory herb aromas. Lush and smooth on the palate with black fruit, leather, pepper, and mint; and a dusty gripping structure and finish---excellent---$34.

~2006 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, Walla Walla- Tempranillo, Grenache, and Syrah. Soft floral and mineral accented by the fruit. Drinks nice and elegant with red fruit, coffee, & earthen spice. Silky with spicy tannins and nice length---very good to excellent---$40.

~2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla- The nose held aromas of violets, cured meat, black olive, pepper- accented with subtle fruit. On the palate the fruit came to life with notes of lush blueberry, while carrying through the depth of the nose, before finishing with peppery tannins and a long finish---excellent---$42.

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Panel discussion at Reininger Winery

The second stop on our tour was at Reininger Winery. On the way there, our bus driver nearly caused an accident as we pulled right out in front of oncoming cars. A honk and a bird later, we made it in one piece to Reininger! There, we sat for a panel discussion with Chuck Reininger, Ron Coleman of Tamarack Cellars, and Mike Tembreull of Tero Estates. It was an interesting discussion with questions and input from our group.

Some of the things that were discussed included: the relative ease of doing business in Walla Walla compared to California wine regions (and how that has helped the area's development as a wine region); the evolution of the AVA- they are still discovering what grapes and practices work best; and what wines should be the identity of the AVA.

The Wines-

We tasted a wine from each of the vintners in attendance.

~1999 Reininger CIMA, Walla Walla- Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Very dark in color with brick highlights. The nose reminded me of chocolate covered cherries, along with hints of earth. The cherry was riper and more prevalent upon drinking, with hints of coffee, tobacco, and cocoa. Silky with smooth loose tannins. Nice, seemed a little past its peak---good to very good---$? (no longer available)

~2008 Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley- Deep garnet color with aromas of dried herbs & violets, vanilla, and minerally red fruit. Lots of red fruit on the palate with backing spice and pepper. Silky and creamy tannins and spice on the finish---very good---$28.

~2007 Tero Estates Windrow, Walla Walla- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec- harvested at the same time and fermented as a field blend. Aged in 500L oak puncheons. Meant to be a precise representation of the vineyard at a particular moment in time. Aromas of mineral, black cherry, pipe tobacco, and coffee- with the addition of caramel, black fruit, and light spice on the palate. Supple structure with opulent tannins---very good---$42.

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Northstar Winery

The final stop of the day was for a lunch and private tour at Northstar Winery with winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld. Northstar is Chateau Ste. Michelle's Walla Walla property, and is in the south of the AVA. They've set out to highlight the potential of Merlot in Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley, making big Merlot wines with lots of oak character and firm structure. Northstar is a large-scale winery with full visitor amenities.

The Wines-

~2006 Merlot, Walla Walla- 78% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cab Franc. Aged 17 months in 56% new French oak. Big and unctuous with lots of cocoa, coffee, and black fruit- oak driven. May need some time for the oak to integrate further---good---$50.

~2006 Merlot, Columbia Valley- 76% Merlot, 19% Cab Sauv, with Petite Verdot & Cab Franc. Aged 18 months in 70% French & 30% American oak (total 65% new). Savory black fruit and notes of spice- with hints of mineral, spice, black fruit, and integrated espresso oak notes. Well structured and firm---very good to excellent---$41.

Not available on their website, we also tasted the 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah, and the 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet was my favorite wine of the visit; with plenty of leather, cedar, red & black fruits, spice, and tobacco- all with peppery firm tannins---very good to excellent.

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Being a younger region, and without the high profile of the California wine regions, an AVA like Walla Walla is one that I previously viewed from the periphery. Knowing some of the benchmark wines, but not really knowing Walla Walla. This was a great indoctrination, and one that I'll look forward to exploring further in the future.

Click the link for all Walla Walla photos.

(Domaine Drouhin & Eyrie) Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley!- Part 2

The second half of the day brought two of the great names in Oregon wine. There was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a stop in Mcminnville at Eyrie.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Throughout the 70's and 80's, Robert Drouhin of Burgundy's famed Domaine Drouhin, developed an appreciation and love for the terroir of the Willamette Valley. Participating in, and sponsoring tastings in France that helped to showcase Oregon Pinot Noir in comparison to its Burgundian brethren. In the late 1980's, Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born. Robert's daughter Véronique was tapped to make world class Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. The attention of a world class vintner from Burgundy became another feather in the cap of Oregon wine.

Located in the southeast of the Dundee Hills AVA; Domaine Drouhin is a state of the art, gravity flow winery. Its regal, hilltop location overlooks an expanse of 225 acres, including 95 acres of vineyards. The view from the winery is epic; expanding past the vineyards, out over the valley, and toward Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. The winery is stately and traditional in feel & decor, but fits in well with the aesthetic and feel of the Northwest.

While our tour was looking out over the vineyards, the recorded sound of squealing pigs moaned in the background. Meant to scare off deer looking for the sweet fruit, our guide joked that it may have reached the point of diminishing returns. Drouhin's vineyards are among the most densely planted in the US, with over 3,300 plants per acre. With site specificity in mind, Drouhin cultivates their own rootstock and propagates their own plant materials. The vineyards are sustainably farmed, and yields are very low at around 1 ton per acre.

I asked if Véronique had divided the vineyard into separate lots or blocks for designated bottlings, and was told that she was still waiting for the 20+ year old vineyard to mature before making such designations. Currently, reserve bottlings come from designated fruit as opposed to designated lots. Intuitively, these are wines made in old-world traditions to be refined in style. Uninoculated fermentation, minimal handling, and judicious use of new oak are common.

Our tour headed inside and lasted throughout the winery, stopping to converse with cellar workers along the way. We were treated with a sample of the stainless steel portion of the 2009 Chardonnay, still in tank and yet to be filtered or fined. It was rich and crisp with a beautiful toastiness from the lees. Finally, we headed back upstairs for a seated tasting with fine cheeses and vineyard views. Wines aside, this was an exceptional tour and winery experience. Kudos to Terrie for her hospitality.

The Wines-

~2009 Pinot Noir Rosé, Dundee Hills- Natural yeast fermentation. Saignée method of extraction. Aged 6 months in stainless steel. Vibrant with lush cherry, apple, and melon flavors that are accented with mineral and honey. A beautiful rosé---very good---$20.

~2008 Chardonnay "Arthur", Dundee Hills- Dijon clones. 50% fermented in barrel (20% new), and 50% fermented in stainless steel. Aged 8 months and blended. Light gold. Notes of mineral, green apple, pear, and lilac flowers- with ripe melon, pear, and apple flavors highlighted with floral and light spice. Crisp yet rich, a beautiful wine---excellent---$30.

~2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Native yeast fermentation. Aged in 20% new French oak. A garnet color with medium to light density. Earthy on the nose- with mushroom, cedar closet, and tobacco highlighted with subtle notes of candied cherry. Very balanced flavors with great depth- mineral, cherry, cranberry, and earth. Lithe and luxurious with hints of pepper on the tannins, all culminating in a long finish. Poetic---excellent---$40.

~2006 Laurene Cuvée, Dundee Hills- Native yeast fermentation. Never more than 20% new French oak. Barrel selected. Slightly darker color. Aromas of tangy cherry, wet forest floor, and mossy earth- with further notes on the palate of caramel, cherry, vanilla, and earthy spice. Long finish. I'm smitten---excellent---$65.

~2004 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as 2007 WV Pinot. A little more brown and brick color. Medium density. Red fruit, caramel, and mossy earth- with flavors of cherry & cranberry, along with traces of floral and mineral notes. All layed out long with spicy tannins and silky fruit on the finish---excellent---$?

~2002 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as the other WV Pinot's. A softer brick color. Leafy cherry tobacco aromas with cedar and spice. Bold fruit on the palate, earthy with subtle spice and traces of cedar. Seamlessly balanced. Silky and spicy in its structure and finish. Epic---stellar---$?


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The Eyrie Vineyards

The history is Eyrie is well-writted. In 1965 David Lett moved north to Oregon to plant the first Pinot Noir & Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley; as well as the first Pinot Gris in the US. His Pinot Noir went toe to toe with the finest Burgundy in high profile tastings throughout the 1970's. His work led the way for players like the aforementioned Drouhin family to put down roots in the Willamette Valley. Today, Jason Lett carries on the tradition of excellence at Eyrie.

While Eyrie's estate vineyards are all located in the Dundee Hills AVA, the modest winery and tasting room are in downtown Mcminnville. Jacques, our host in the tasting room, explained that in such early stages of Oregon's wine evolution, the banks would not loan money to the Letts to build a winery in the hills. As a result, the winery has always been located inauspiciously in the town. Jacques was a great host and it truly was a pleasure to taste through the wines.

The Wines-

~2007 Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills- Orange, Juicy Fruit gum, stone fruit- with very pleasant spice---Very Good---$14.

~2008 Original Vines Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills- Selected from old vines. Aromas of toast, stone and tropical fruits come alive on the palate and are melded with pleasant spice---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Pleasantly light in color; with aromas of cranberry, cinnamon, and violets. Deepens on the palate with black cherry, pepper, and fruit cake- with silk and spice in the structure---Very Good---$30.

~2008 Black Cap Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Rich style. Aromas of maple, caramel, black cherry, and plum- tightly wound. The palate holds silky spicy red and blue fruit and minerals all solidly structured---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2006 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Earthy, gamey, musky, and feminine on the nose. Opens up to spice, rich red fruit, and earth on the palate. Lithe and silky throughout with solid structure---Excellent---$60.

~2005 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Lighter. Still earthy, but with vanilla and white pepper along with its red fruits. Candied red fruit flavors, cola, spice, and pepper- all silky and lush---Very Good---$60.

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We capped off a great day of tasting with a dinner at the McMenamins' Kennedy School in Portland. Then it was time to hit the road for Walla Walla, WA and the Wine Bloggers Conference. It was a dusk drive into the Columbia Gorge and beyond. More on wines from Walla Walla and Red Mountain in the coming posts... Cheers!

Columbia Gorge at dusk

All Willamette Valley photos here-

Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley! - Part 1

Traveling out to last week's Wine Bloggers Convention, I stopped in Portland for a day of tasting Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. My friends Chad and Erin were kind enough to take in a weary traveler from the East Coast. From Georgia, they've taken well to being cool and eccentric Portlanders. He's a college professor, and she designs umbrellas. They also raise chickens and have a pet turkey ("Turkey") in the backyard.


Needless to say, Erin and I were eating local eggs for breakfast, before heading south into the Dundee Hills and Yamhill-Carlton districts of the valley. This was my first time in Willamette. The plan was to visit some of the valley's famous names before heading out to the conference in Washington later that evening. After struggling to get out of Portland traffic, we made it to our first stop at Archery Summit ready for action.

• The Willamette Valley lies at roughly the same latitude as Burgundy.
• The climate is mild and moist, with cool & damp winters and dry & warm summers.
• Mineral-rich sediment soils were left after the Missoula Floods that flooded the valley between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago.

Archery Summit Winery

Located in the Dundee Hills, Archery Summit produces wine from vineyards throughout the AVA, as well as in the adjacent Ribbon Ridge AVA. Their program is 100% estate, and they cater their farming to suit each individual vineyard. Sustainable practices such as natural pest-control and hand cultivating are often used. The winery is 100% gravity flow, allowing minimal handling of the wines during production. They have an aggressive new French oak aging regimen on their Pinot Noir (consistently getting more than 50% new oak during cooperage). The style of the wines is bold and rich, with pronounced oak influence and comparatively high alcohol levels (mid 14% range). Although the tasting room is small and quaint, visitors can roam the aging caves.

The Wines-

~2007 Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- A blend from all their estate vineyards, combining Dijon, Pommard, & Wädenswil clones. Fermented with 12% whole clusters using native yeast fermentation. Aging was 10 months in 54% new French oak barrels. The wine was front-loaded with black cherry, plum, and cola notes with a bit of mossy earth. Silky and solid with smoke and further earthy notes to close---good to very good---$48.

~2007 Renegade Ridge Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Biodynamically farmed vineyard using Dijon clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 65% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sweet & spicy red cherry, cranberry, and plum notes are enhanced with maple syrup and earthy depth. Lush and silky with dusty tannins---very good---$85.

~2007 Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge- Dijon, Martini, Wädenswil, and Pommard clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 60% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. I really liked this one- leads with mineral, floral, and mushroom notes that are accented with cherry. Refined on the palate with savory notes- truffles, dried herbs, then highlighted with red fruit. Light peppery tannins and a lengthy spice finish. Should age well as the fruit enhances with time---excellent---$85.

~2007 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills - Dijon and Pommard clones. Fermented with native yeasts using 3% whole clusters. Aged in 62% new French oak for 11 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Lighter in color. Aromatic and savory- truffles highlighted with floral and cherry & plum fruit notes. Silky and light with nice earthy mineral accents. Politely firm with a nice finish---very good to excellent---$85.



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Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

The second stop brought us to the eastern edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, just west of the tiny Ribbon Ridge AVA. There, Lyn Penner-Ash makes killer Pinot Noir from single vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. The modern-rustic eco-friendly winery has a tasting room that overlooks the gravity-flow cellars, also with sweeping views of across the valley. Lush landscapes and vineyards surround the winery. Warm, friendly, and elegant surroundings were a nice precursor to the wines.

The Wines-

~2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir- Aged 10 months in 35% new French oak. Cherry, floral, and mineral notes releasing further savory and dark berry flavors. Silky with lots of earth and fruit to finish----very good---$45.

~2007 Palmer Creek Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills- Dijon & Pommard clones. Aged 10 months in 29% new French oak. Lighter, with expressive mineral, floral, and spicy cherry aromas. Beautiful spice, herb, and honey aromas framed vibrant yet subtle fruit. Nice acid-tannin balance. Fine structure and finish. Should age well.---excellent---$55.

~2007 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains- Dijon & Wädenswil clones. Aged 10 months in 36% new French oak. Cherry cola, toffee, floral, and mineral notes. Firm with nice acid, closing with berries, mineral, and spice---excellent---$55.

~2007 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton- Their estate vineyards, planted to Dijon clones. Aged 10 months in 40% new French oak. Deeper and richer. More blue fruit and black cherry with only very subtle hints of mineral and earthy elements. Silky tannins---very good---$60.



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Next up was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a tasting at Eyrie. To be continued...

In the meantime, check out more photos from the day in Willamette Valley here.