Weekend Before Thanksgiving in the Willamette Valley, Oregon
Oregon
Tasted Saturday, November 21, 2009 by subtlet with 684 views
Introduction
The weekend before Thanksgiving has quickly become my favorite time to visit wineries in the Willamette Valley. The holiday weekend itself is, of course, the main event, but the weekend before has a number of events as well. Without the large crowds, more time can be spent enjoying and discussing the wines, and sometimes, I can even find a flat surface to set my glass on while I write notes. This year, we visited some of my favorite producers in the area. All have a great track record in my tasting experience, and it’s always exciting to see what the new releases are like, and to check in on bottles that have been on the market, or in my cellar, for a while already. For every single bottle we tasted, the wine maker was either pouring or in the room. I can’t emphasize enough how great this is. You may or may not want to have a conversation with a winemaker at any given place, but their attendance contributes a degree of sincerity. In many cases, these are men and women chasing a dream, and seeing how they interact with the fruits of their labor is always interesting. It’s great to see how they view their product, how they project themselves to visitors, and to hear about their thoughts on the future of their wine, the region, or wine in general.
Flight 1 - Soter (5 Notes)
The first stop was at Soter for a short tour and explanation of their process for making sparkling wine. Soter’s sparkling offerings are always solid, and Tony Soter is a wonderful host. I had a decent idea of how sparkling wine was made, but I was excited to hear the explanation first hand, and hoped to learn something new. The lecture was enjoyable, and in addition to demonstrating the disgorgement, we got to taste a bottle of brut rose immediately after. It was great to compare tastes before and after the final dosage. What a great opportunity! We then went up to the beautiful tasting room to taste their still wine offerings. I have a lot of respect for everything they produce, and for how they do it. They strive to farm sustainably, treat their employees well, and deliver wines focused on quality. They also are only open for tastings occasionally, so this weekend provided a great opportunity to visit them.
Flight 2 - Stag Hollow (10 Notes)
Our next stop was at Stag Hollow. Their 2004 777/114 Reserve was my first futures purchase ever, and I always try to keep up to date on their portfolio. They also are only open for tastings on special occasions, so I make a point of visiting them when I can. This visit was even more exciting because they were pouring futures of the 2008 reserve wines. Many producers have expressed excitement about 2008, in some cases even when the 2007’s were still the current release. Some of their wines can be a little too heavily structured for my tastes, but sometimes they really nail it and produce a unique wine that is right up my alley in terms of flavor, texture, and complexity. Their wines also are built to age well, which is another reason I like tasting through their line up whenever I get a chance.
Flight 3 - Adea (4 Notes)
The final stop was another of my favorite destinations. Adea Winery is one of the best stops in the valley. In addition to producing a full line of quality wines, Adea rents the facility to some other local wine makers. Dean, the owner of Adea, also makes winery equipment, which makes his studio an ideal facility for up and coming producers to work. There is a sense of community between the producers, and an enthusiasm for wine and wine making that is inspiring. The wine makers are all friendly and it’s great to hear their thoughts on production, and their goals for current and future vintages. It’s a great location to try a few different styles side by side. Toward the end, the long day did catch up with me, and my palate started to fall off. So, a few notes toward the end have no formal score, but my impressions are still written down along with, in some cases, the score I would use if pressed to do so.
Flight 4 - Bishop Creek Cellars, at Adea (5 Notes)
Flight 6 - Matello, at Adea (5 Notes)
Flight 7 - Twelve, at Adea (3 Notes)
Closing
This trip turned out even better than expected. The highlights were the opportunity to taste the pre-dosage brut rose at Soter, the 1994 Celebre and 2008 777/114 Reserve from Stag hollow, 2006 Dean-O’s Pinot, and 2007 Biggio Hamina’s Ana Pinot Noir. I love Oregon.
2005 Soter Brut Rosé Beacon Hill 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
The nose is tart with strawberry scents in the fore and some citrus scents as well. Crisp acidity comes across on the palate along with jumpy bubbles on the front and middle. The strawberry delivers all the way through, and shows up on the sides of the palate. There's a small amount of dark pie crust. It's not "burnt" dark, just dark.
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2007 North Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 87 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
A deep and earthy funk appears on the nose looming over dark cherry scents. The fruit is nice and deep aon the palate with crisp cranberry flavor and acidity supported by some even tannins. A bit of heat comes through.
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2006 Soter Pinot Noir Beacon Hill 89 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Tart blackberry and pomegranate scents appear on the nose. The wine has a nice and clean mouth feel. The acid is even, and the tannins are on the lighter side with blackberry flavors delivering nicely. A hint of earthy funk comes through as well. 89-
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2006 Soter Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Ranch 89 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
The nose suggests deep, dark blackberries soaking in a bowl of rose water. It tastes like super dark and ripe blackberries wrapped in a light pie crust. The acidity is solid and even across the palate and it works well with some nicely integrated oak. It's a bit on the rough side for me, but the fruit and structure are right on. 89+
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2005 Soter Proprietary Red Little Creek 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Deep plums appear on the nose with nutmeg and ... pork chops. Yes, I'm going to stick with pork chops. Great blackberry flavors and distinctly "cab" fruit appear on the palate. The tannins are even and gentle all the way through and some bright acid wraps everything up nice and cleanly. This is well put together, with a number of interesting things going on, quite nice. 90+
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