Wine Article
2008 Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Noir La Bohème
Last edited on 11/17/2010 by NuTricks
This is the only version of this article / View version history
Winery Notes:
The La Bohème Vineyard, planted in 1985, is now a 17-acre high-density site comprised of Pinot Noir grapes selected from the original Estate Pommard planting. The individual vines were isolated and chosen for their small clusters and berries with intense flavors, both characteristics of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs. This picturesque vineyard rises to 800’, overlooking the winery and original Estate vineyards, making it one of the highest elevations sites in the Willamette Valley. This steep hillside vineyard undergoes extensive pruning and cluster thinning to limit yields and maximize ripening in order to concentrate the fruit. La Bohème has been served twice at the White House, on the first occasion with herb-crusted pheasant breast at a state dinner for Helmut Kohl and the second dinner party with loin of lamb. Traditionally this is a seductive wine that would also compliment grilled salmon, veal or beef.
There is a quiet kind of excitement in the Willamette Valley after harvest 2008. Phrases and clichés keep rolling on such as classic cool climate, vintage conditions that are only dreamt of, potential to show the best of what Oregon has to offer. Add to this, repeated references to perhaps one of Oregon’s best vintages, 1999 and understandably many in the valley are smiling. Oregon’s 2008 growing season started late, with bud break on average ten days to two weeks behind schedule and followed with a relatively cool growing season. Thoughts of the recent wet and cool harvest of 2007 had many aggressively thin vineyards to concentrate fruit and speed up ripening and ward off disease pressure. Yet as in 1999, a beautiful Oregon autumn saved the day! Fall was spectacular with sunny days and cold nights, producing the tiny berries and small clusters not seen since the 1994 and 1998 vintages, laying the foundation to produce extraordinary wines.
The La Bohème Vineyard, planted in 1985, is now a 17-acre high-density site comprised of Pinot Noir grapes selected from the original Estate Pommard planting. The individual vines were isolated and chosen for their small clusters and berries with intense flavors, both characteristics of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs. This picturesque vineyard rises to 800’, overlooking the winery and original Estate vineyards, making it one of the highest elevations sites in the Willamette Valley. This steep hillside vineyard undergoes extensive pruning and cluster thinning to limit yields and maximize ripening in order to concentrate the fruit. La Bohème has been served twice at the White House, on the first occasion with herb-crusted pheasant breast at a state dinner for Helmut Kohl and the second dinner party with loin of lamb. Traditionally this is a seductive wine that would also compliment grilled salmon, veal or beef.
There is a quiet kind of excitement in the Willamette Valley after harvest 2008. Phrases and clichés keep rolling on such as classic cool climate, vintage conditions that are only dreamt of, potential to show the best of what Oregon has to offer. Add to this, repeated references to perhaps one of Oregon’s best vintages, 1999 and understandably many in the valley are smiling. Oregon’s 2008 growing season started late, with bud break on average ten days to two weeks behind schedule and followed with a relatively cool growing season. Thoughts of the recent wet and cool harvest of 2007 had many aggressively thin vineyards to concentrate fruit and speed up ripening and ward off disease pressure. Yet as in 1999, a beautiful Oregon autumn saved the day! Fall was spectacular with sunny days and cold nights, producing the tiny berries and small clusters not seen since the 1994 and 1998 vintages, laying the foundation to produce extraordinary wines.