An in-depth view of the Willamette Valley and its wines from the perspective of the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference

What do strawberry shortcake, old fabric mills, air & space museums, wiking and scorching heat have in common? All were happening this past weekend in Portland and the Willamette Valley for the Wine Bloggers Conference2012. The Oregon wine community laid it on the line for a bunch of crazy wine bloggers and were truly able to highlight what makes Oregon wine, and pinot noir in particular, something unique and special.

Almost immediately after disembarking the plane, I joined a small group hosted by Travel Salem on a “pre-conference excursion,” which promised us both wine and cultural activity. The wine end of things featured vineyard visits to Johan Vineyards and Left Coast Cellars, just outside of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in an area they are calling “Perrydale Hills,” potentially a new Willamette Valley sub-AVA.

According to Johan’s owner Dag Johan Sundby and winemaker Daniel Rinke, what makes this area unique from the neighboring AVA is its access to the cooling breezes of the Van Duzer corridor, coupled with the sedimentary soils of Helvetia and Santiam. The hallmarks of Johan include biodynamic farming in the vineyards and terroir-driven winemaking practices. At Johan I tasted beautifully bright gruner-veltliner; crisp and rich chardonnay fermented in concrete and aged in barrel; complex skin-macerated orange pinot gris; and of course balanced and elegant pinot noir. It was an impressive introduction to these wines. (Click toread notes on these wines).

The walk over to Left Coast Cellars took us through the vineyards on both estates. Even in the toasty heat (the visit encompassed three unseasonably hot days by Willamette Valley standards), you felt the cool breeze of the Van Duzer corridor. Left Coast Cellars’ wines are 100% estate grown with sustainable and organic farming practices. The style of the wines is slightly more “new world” than Johan, still showing grace, balance and character. I thought a wine such as their 2007 Left Coast Cellars Pinot Noir  Latitude 45 was a wonderful showcase for their estate, and represented excellent value with pricing in the $30 range. (Click to read notes on these wines).

Day 2 of the Salem excursion included visits to the venerable Willamette Valley Vineyards, where we learned about their volcanic basalt soils at the estate and toured and tasted in the cellar. I was most impressed by their single vineyard pinot noir, made in somewhat of a polished style but with impressive breadth and depth. On the way out we saw author Rex Pickett of Sideways fame preparing a signing for his new book Vertical, the next chapter in the story of dysfunctional oenophiles Miles and Jack who are stuck perpetually in adult-adolescence. Incidentally, Pickett delivered a caustic and bombastic Saturday keynote address at the conference about which I’m certain much was tweeted (as was everything else at the conference). (Click to read notes on these wines).

We were then shuttled to Piluso Vineyards, literally a mom and pop wine operation stationed in a farm house with a vineyard in the front yard. The location is on the sparse eastern side of the Willamette Valley. Here you might see tempranillo, viognier, müller-thurgau, riesling and pinot noir planted in rows right next to each other. I found it to be rather unusual to see pinot and tempranillo in the same vineyard, but by this time I had consumed a fair amount of wine so I was just going with it! The Piluso’s were charming people with a wide variety of good wines that were fairly priced. Incidentally, their estate pinot noir has garnered some nice praise from The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. Not bad for the humble Piluso’s! (Click to read notes on these wines).

Outside of wine, we learned that you can waterslide and see the Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Air & SpaceMuseum, and about the history of mill-working in Salem at the Willamette Valley Heritage Center. These were nice diversions. The last stop of this excursion was at EZ Orchards, where Kevin Zielinski is making a méthode traditionelle sparkling cider. Don’t think sweetness here; this is dry and crisp with a nice toasty complexity. Their fresh strawberry shortcake wasn’t bad either.

A second trip down into the valley was made during the conference. We boarded a mystery bus and headed out to parts unknown. Where we ended up was at Willakenzie Estate in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. There we were greeted by five winemaker/proprietors of Yamhill-Carlton wineries: Bernard Lacroute of Willakenzie, Lynn Penner-Ash of Penner-Ash, Brian O’Donnell of Belle Pente, Adam Godlee-Campbell of Elk Cove, and Laurent Montalieu of Soléna. We were treated to a seminar in the vineyard on fruit pruning and the marine sedimentary soils featured in the AVA. We also tasted in the winery a fantastic flight of single vineyard 2010 pinot noir from each producer. Each wine was beautiful and expressive and complex, but the wine of the flight for me went to Soléna’s Domaine Danielle Laurent -- it was all that and more with serious structure. The grand finale involved “wiking” through the vineyards to the crest of a ridge with an epic panoramic view of the Willamette Valley. One could not ask for more breathtaking scenery against which to enjoy a dinner and wine. (Click to read notes on these wines).

It was great to experience the Willamette Valley in new ways and taste the wines in this context. This was my first exposure to the 2010 vintage for Oregon pinot, and it looks like a savory and complex group of wines with nice structure. The links above to the tasting notes include 64 Oregon wines tasted over the weekend. Cheers!

The inside of the Spruce Goose

Dag and Dan from Johan pouring wine in the cellar

Walking to Left Coast Cellars from Johan

Associate Winemaker Joe Wright from Left Coast Cellars

Winemaker Don Crank at Willamette Valley Vineyards

Piluso Vineyards

EZ Orchards 2010 Cidre

Laurent from Soléna Estate talking soils in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA

Adam from Elk Cove and Lynn Penner-Ash talking pruning

The walk at Willakenzie

View of the valley 

At the convention- clonal tasting of Erath pinot noir

2011 Wine Travels- Best of Willamette Valley

September 2011 brought two wonderful days in the Willamette Valley. It what was turning out to be a cool vintage in Oregon, as the vines were just getting into veraison in the first week of September.

I visited AVA's and wineries throughout the northern part of the valley. Most of the wines available to taste were new release 2009's. On balance these were forward and open with generous fruit and silky texture with balanced spice and earth notes. The best of the bunch had the structure to suggest some longevity. A few of the vaunted 2008's were sprinkled in. These were dense and serious, suggesting of things to come.

The producers visited were Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie, Bethel Heights, St. Innocent, Cristom, J.K. Carriere, Brick House, Beaux Frères, KenWright & Elk Cove. My 10 favorite wines from these visits are below- please click on each wine's link for more info.

2009 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Mineral, mushroom, casses, fig and vanilla aromas. Earth, spice, floral and cherry fruit on the palate. Very balanced and complex with earthy tannins and a long finish. My favorite of the lineup. (I really liked!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir The Upper Terrace, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Aromas of cherry, plum, spice, earth and mushroom. Satin on the palate with tea notes, rich spice and fruit, and further savory earth and mushroom and earth. Firm round tannins and a big finish. Bolder and more streamlined than the 2009 Beaux Freres Vineyard PN but not quite as complex. (I loved!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Savory full bouquet of mushroom, earth, mineral, anise, fig and allspice. Full flavors of spice, ripe fig, black tea, cedar, leather and mushroom- deep and savory. A fine silky feel with polished firm tannins and a pleasant zip of acidity. A full long earthy finish. Bold and heady yet grounded with balance... an outstanding wine. (I loved!)

2009 J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir, Antoinette, Willamette Valley,Eola-Amity Hills

Winery visit- 9/8. Cola, violet, sandalwood, cranberry notes on the bouquet. Moves along to cherry, fig, mineral, and earth on the palate. Seamlessly layered with a rich silky feel. Polished tannins with pronounced acid. A long creamy fruit finish. (I really liked!)

2009 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Lots of spice on the bouquet- eastern and baking. Additional lavender and fig notes. Layers of flavors on the palate- cherry, raspberry, crushed rock, white pepper, and subtle earth. Great weight and feel. Round tannins. Floral and fruit notes on the finish. Nice length. Very elegant. (I loved!)

2009 Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Alluring aromas- mineral, lime, straw, and butterscotch. Leesy rich palate with stone fruit and butter toffee notes. Pleasing silkiness and good acid. Lengthy finish- lush and breathy. (I really liked!)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard, WillametteValley, Eola Amity Hills

Tasting room visit- 9/8. Plum and cherry notes on the nose with additional earthy spice. Deep on the palate- with mineral, cranberry, cherry, earth, fennel, and spice notes. Firm tannins and a lengthy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Original Vines Reserve,Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Huge aromatics- reminded me balsam-wood, cedar, leather, violet, fig, cherry, and mushroom. On the palate it hones in on cranberry and fig fruit, mineral and earth, and subtle oak. Round and fine with polished tannins and savory fruit on a medium-long breathy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Aromas of slate and rich apricot. Rocky citrus and stone fruit flavors. Opulent feel with balanced acid. Rich leesy notes on the finish. Very nice and an excellent value. (I really liked!)

2008 Cristom Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard, WillametteVineyard, Eola-Amity Hills

Lost notes- but I remember this for big earthy stemmy tannins, big fruit, and plenty of floral, spice and earthy complexity. the Cristom wines were great- Several could have made my favorites list. (I loved!)

Day 1 Photos

Day 2 Photos

2011- Sans Blog

Damn... what happened? The last time I posted the blog was called "Wineheimer" and it was September of 2010. It's been crazy busy since then with a wine sales job taking most of my time and energy.

2012 will bring a new location and hopefully the time and energy to post again. I'm relocating to Santa Barbara CA, and hopefully will be posting wine blogs in the new location from a new perspective. I'm no longer in the wine business, so I feel comfortable relaunching the blog from the perspective of a wine enthusiast and overall superfan!

In the meantime I'm posting a photo recap of my highlights of 2011.  The links below are photos from my vineyard travels of 2011... Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley. If you like vineyard pictures ad nauseum you'll want to check these out.

SANTA BARBARA 2011

PASO ROBLES 2011

MONTEREY, SAN BENITO, SANTA CRUZ

NAPA VALLEY

SONOMA COUNTY

MORE NAPA VALLEY

WILLAMETTE VALLEY 1

WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2

WALLA WALLA VALLEY

CHATEAU CHAMPOUX (please note that my team won the grape stomping championship!) and RED MOUNTAIN

(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-