Oregon Notes.

Tasted Friday, August 5, 2016 - Friday, August 26, 2016 by Mlermontov with 612 views

Introduction

Notes from the trip. Huge thanks to Paul Cunningham for arranging these tastings and also letting me try many of the wines from his cellar.
the notes are brief but i hope they may be useful to some of you.

Revelations from the trip (from a person who used to own almost no chard): Oregon Chard - it isnt just there...it is very good. and when handled with care - perhaps can compete with some of the best in the world (to my taste).

Flight 1 - The Dinner Wines (11 Notes)

These are Oregon wines tasted at 2 offlines as well as a few dinners. One of these was a Dungeness Crab picnic at Johan Vineyards - hosted by Paul W. The other - a generous offer to cook for us by Vincent F. after a long day of tasting in the WV. both times we felt like family and really at home. I didnt get to all the wines (and i was driving) this many of the notes are rather brief.

Cameron wines - to me had the feel of LdH rioja. not just in the funk but is the fruit. will be looking for more. See chard revelations below as well.

Flight 2 - WillaKenzie Experiment (4 Notes)

This was at Paul C's house - who let us taste through this experiment. i dont think i have ever had the opportunity to play the clone game before and it was both educational and fun. as the scores show - i loved the 777 clone the most. quite impressive differences in these wines! thanks again.

Flight 3 - Glenn Levine and the throwback night (3 Notes)

first of all - here is the best part of the wine community - a stranger is welcomed into someone's home like family, sharing dinner and amazing vinous treasures. This is what wine community should be all about. and i look forward to the chance to repay the kindness here in NYC. Glenn's offer to open some "oldies but goodies" could not be refused by any sane individual. all three showed very young and impressively powerful. the Ridge took my heart though i found Hanzell very impressive (i dont think anyone needs to worry about Pichon's place in the wine world)

Flight 4 - the "Others" (6 Notes)

these are wines that i and others brought that do not fit into the "Oregon" category so i put them here. Shout out to #LivingintheFasslane :)

Flight 5 - Vincent Fritzsche (3 Notes)

It was great to get the chance to taste the wines in the cellar with Vincent. I have already gotten on the bandwagon - i think Vincent is making excellent wines that will shine with age. In addition to the wines below we got to taste a ton of different barrels - which is always fun. His 2015s show serious promise and the chardonnay was a stunner. Here again we got to play the clone game and to see the differences clones and vineyards can have on the wine. Vincent's wine all have an earthy note that, IMO, will show more as the wines age and will give them the elegance i love in pinot.

Flight 6 - Kelley Fox (3 Notes)

How does one explain these wines or the hands that make them? ethereal? otherworldly? earthy to the core?
Kelley's wines tastes the most of Oregon to this amateur. they have a sense of place that no other wines showed (this is not a knock on others - virtually all the wines we had showed "terroir" ...but here there was some "OTHER" connection that i cannot possibly verbalize)
We met at the historic Maresh vineyard and i cannot see meeting in any other way than under the trees and by the vines. (btw the blackberries here are just amazing!)
Between talking about philosophy, poetry and pinot, one quickly got the sense of the depth involved in both the person and the wines.
I love them. every one of them. And i know there are many more bottles of Kelley's wines in my future. And, hopefully, many more chances to meet and talk.

Flight 7 - Biggio Hamina (7 Notes)

Meeting Todd Hamina and drinking with him was like meeting a mad scientist in his laboratory. Lady Caroline Lamb once said of Lord Byron "Mad, bad and dangerous to know!" ... and i think this applies...for who else ages Syrah in barrel for 57 months!! These were not wines for the faint of heart - they were fighters, ready to pounce with bright fruit, brighter acidity and so much life! Thanks again to Todd for sharing the wines and the stories and i do hope we get together in NYC!

Flight 8 - Eyrie (5 Notes)

the Old Faithful. Class, elegance, age... these wines defy time and the Pinot Gris defies genre as well! the pinots showed "european elegance" ....they are wines to have with dinner that will play well with any food, enhance it, but never overpower it. the 1998 pinot we had

Closing

thank you to all who participated/organized/cooked and overall made us feel like family. Dont forget - you now have family in NYC who will always be happy to welcome you.

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