Always have a good conversation with an Architect named Bob when I visit Downtown Uncorked for Tasting Tuesday. Last night we shared a half-bottle of this 2008 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir. It had beautiful aromatics mixed with black cherry and and strawberry fruit character. I think it’s the best pinot on the list at the moment. The list really needs more representation from Carneros. I’m never disappointed in a pinot from that region.
I can remember very distinctly the first time I took a sip from a glass filled with Caldwell‘s Proprietary Red. A laser beam of focused fruit and polished tannins that opened nicely with a very long finish. Classy. Not cheap juice but worth the money if you’re into good wine. John Caldwell’s passion for making excellent wine is evident in every bottle.
I had a chance to meet Mr. Caldwell for the second time last night at work. He’s an awesome person to talk to. He curses about every 5 words and has a no bullshit attitude. I found him very inspirational.
When I started getting into this crazy wine business my curiosity had me reading all sorts of books on the subject. Seeing tiny photos of all these beautiful wine regions were intriguing but they had always seemed so far away. When you actually see the vineyards in person it can be a little overwhelming. In a good way of course.
Our next stop after ADEA was WillaKenzie Estate. Simply gorgeous estate with a beautiful tasting room surrounded by a patio with bright flowers. We arrived a little before 10:30am and were greeted outside by the tasting room guy. Can’t remember his name but he was very nice and informative about all the wines and the estate. This Estate is northeast of the small town of Yamhill in the Yamhill-Carlton District where the fast-draining marine sediments are some of the oldest soils in the valley. A perfect place for growing pinot noir.
There were three wines that stood out for me here:
This white was floral, complex and fruity. Displaying a lightly perfumed nose of white flowers and apricots with a fresh fruity core of honey dew melon, apples and peach on the palate. It was a surprise to taste such a complex white. This pinot gris was light on its feet but had depth of flavor that introduced something new with every sip. They also do a late harvest pinot gris.
It makes total sense to have this grape variety here. I was probably a little too excited when he pulled this one out next. It was raspberry fruit on the palate followed by a little spice on the finish. Really nice wine. A big fan here.
Let me get this out there first. All 5 pinot I tasted were excellent. What I found intriguing about the Kiana was an extra subtle layer of earthy complexity that I usually like in pinot. A little spice, clove and mint to go with the fruit. A special single vineyard wine from a producer I’ll never forget.
It was a little after 7am on a Tuesday as I was waking up in a creaky hotel bed in the town of McMinnville. My wine novice buddy Davin and I drove down from Seattle the day before making sure to take the long way in order to see volcanoes and enjoy the beautiful Washington scenery. Most people should have maybe a week or two to explore the Willamette Valley. We had only one day. So we made the most of it.
The day started with us grabbing a quick bacon and egg burrito at Carl’s Jr, filling up the rented Subaru Forester gas tank and asking a nice white-haired local man for directions to Gaston. Gaston is 18.5 miles north of McMinnville and a gorgeous drive filled with rolling hills, giant grand firs, horses and goats. It was about 68 degrees and the sky was clear blue when we arrived at ADEA. We were greeted by a large black Labradoodle, a massive St. Bernard and the daughter of winemaker Dean Fisher. All three were friendly. Dean was out back rushing to complete a half-resurrected new building for sorting this seasons crop but his wife Ann poured us a couple of tasters of 100% Pinot Noir Rosé and walked us around the estate. The wine smelled like pure strawberries and flowers and mixed well with the essence of evergreens in the breeze. The tall evergreen trees seemed to make a semi-circle barrier around the estate. We drank a little and we talked a little. Mostly about how hot it was this season and that a lot of the clusters were uneven. Ann was worried about it. She was puzzled about how this vintage would turn out. I had heard about the weather in Oregon being hotter than Texas during some parts of June and that’s really saying something. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 Willamette wines will turn out. My best guess is most will be higher alcohol which will add more body and a little more fruit.
Well. Here it is. A place to write about wine. I’m looking forward to filling this place with tons of experiences and I hope to learn something along the way. I leave for Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Washington State this weekend for my first trip to world renowned wine regions. It’s been a few months planning and I’m excited to see the day finally come. I’ve called ahead and set up appointments with wineries including a meeting with the self proclaimed terroirist (a person who makes wines that reflect their specific micro-site or vineyard) , Gordy Rawson of Chatter Creek Winery. Gordy was very warm and welcoming on the phone and I’m looking forward to meeting him and tasting through his current releases.
I’m spending one day in the Willamette Valley where I’ll be visiting Adea, Beaux Freres, Archery Summit, Domaine Serene, Bergstrom and Domaine Drouhin. The Willamette Valley is known for its Pinot Noir, but I really want to get into their whites too. Specifically the Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.
Lengthy posts and podcasts detailing my experiences will come after I return so grab the feed and lets share and learn together.