Drink Up The Willamette (Dammit)!
Even though I am involved in many aspects of the wine and spirits industry, sometimes I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I forget about various events and "holidays," especially those that show up on the National Days of the Year Calendar. Some are ridiculous, others are fun. However, I do enjoy when a day is devoted to specific alcoholic beverages, no matter if the concept is coming from some marketing board that wants the spotlight for a day.
So apparently I missed the fact that it was #PinotNoirDay on Friday during my summertime tunnel vision. A bummer since I really do enjoy Pinot Noir, but it is a grape that does show itself in so many ways: lean, juicy, earthy, fruity, rich, acidic, green, jammy, aromatic, overoaked and underoaked. Pinot Noir is just so finicky about where it grows, and the slightest variation in climate and soil can drastically change its aroma and flavor profiles. Fortunately, I have discovered that there is one area on Earth that will consistently deliver great quality from vintage to vintage: Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Known as "Papa Pinot", David Lett (1939-2008) had the vision and passion to make Pinot Noir successful in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Image credit: Wikipedia
The Willamette (yes, rhymes with "Dammit") Valley is a geological formation that was carved out by the Great Missoula Floods of 10,000-15,000 years ago, also responsible for creating Eastern Washington's Columbia Valley. It was here that David Lett, a UC Davis student in 1968, held a belief that wine grapes would grow successfully. Professors at Davis advised against this, theorizing that the climate was too cool and too wet for wine grapes to thrive, even cool climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Lett essentially flipped the bird to the faculty and made his way up to make it happen. David and his wife Diana produced their first Pinot Noir in 1970. In 1979, they entered their vintage 1975 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir into the Wine Olympics of Paris. It stood up to the very best coming out of Burgundy, thereby helping make Oregon (and Willamette Valley) leave their mark as a serious wine producing region. This revelation led to the Willamette Valley receiving its own recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983. Other varieties, such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer began to show real quality as well.
It's amazing when you think about how monks spent centuries seeking out sites for Pinot Noir to grow in Burgundy, and yet in a mere 15 year period Oregon was being taken seriously as a place with great potential for quality winemaking. By this point, names such as Erath, Ponzi, and Sokol Blosser were establishing themselves in the Willamette Valley winemaking community. If you are a geology nerd, note that the Coastal Range to the west of the valley shields a lot of wet weather during the growing season, keeping the vines warm and exposed to enough sun at peak growing season. Even though 2017 saw some serious heat spikes, the Willamette Valley doesn't get ridiculously hot. With regard to how Pinot Noir fares in general, wines don't get jammy, but they are fruity with noticeable acidity and very clean flavors with fresh berry-scented aromatics. While the narrative on the Pacific Northwest is rainy and mild, the major winemaking regions could not be further away from this type of climate.
Eventually, sub-regions of the Willamette Valley began to carve out their own niches, displaying subtleties that the larger valley may not be able to show you, based on differences in soil composition, micro-climates, etc. Dundee Hills, where Lett planted those first vines, are considered the traditional heartland of grapegrowing, with deep and concentrated flavors. Chehalem Mountains has vines at higher altitude, leading to wines with great color and structure. Other AVAs that became officially recognized in just the past 15 years include Eola-Amity Hills, Yamhill-Carlton District, and Ribbon Ridge; I would go into more detail on them, but I need a little more experience in tasting some of these wines to give you a feel for them.
Now, wines are not particularly cheap. Good quality Pinot Noir rarely is. In fact, based on what you might encounter from Burgundy (highly-structured and earthy) or from warm spots in California (rich and opulent), Willamette Valley sits right in the middle of the spectrum. You will pay a minimum of $20 for many bottles from Willamette Valley and you can easily hit on wines well into the luxury price bracket of $75+. Producers are often small and family-owned, producing a few hundred cases per year, so you are getting true artisanal products.
All that being said, there are many producers I find offer consistent quality at a fair price that are worth paying for. So in honor of being late to the #PinotNoirDay party, I submit three Willamette Valley Pinot Noir wines for you to seek out and taste! Besides...who cares if you missed the "holiday"...drink these any time of year.
Willamette Valley Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($29): When Jim Bernau founded this winery, he was able to keep the name of the valley in the name of his wines since he registered prior to Willamette Valley being given AVA status. His flagship Estate Pinot Noir showcases fresh red cherry and raspberry flavors, complemented with cinnamon and nutmeg with a touch of violet petals on the nose.
Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($32): Packed with raspberry, blackberry and blueberry flavors, this example is backed up with plenty of acidity to counter a plush texture along with roses, anise, and wild herbs. Long on the finish with refreshing acidity.
Chehalem Wines Chehalem Mountain Corral Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir ($49): Powerful, complex, and even a little chewy, this Chehalem expression gives you pomegrante, espresso, and a touch of English Breakfast tea, along with a range of baking spices, including cardamom. An awesome celebratory wine!
