Lots to share about Oregon wines
Our trip out west was huge, with the exception of the stinky, dirty, noisy, overcrowded, United Airlines flight from SFO. UA should be praised for having a full complement of Eddie Haskells whose fake smiles and smarmy cordiality are only slightly more acceptable than the rude scowls and intrusive bad manners of the TSA agents in San Francisco. I’m happy to report our local contingent at Philly was cordial, polite, efficient and appeared to be on guard. The UA crew was quite a bit more enthused as well. It might be attributed to leaving at 6:30 a.m. and returning at 2:30 p.m. I’m sure it is a very long day by 2:30 working the security gig or the soft drink-extruded snacks run in those narrow aisles. I’m all for security and service with a smirk, and I know those folks have a very tough job. Some passengers are probably rude and discourteous on occasion. However, if they can’t take the heat please find other employment. Sadly, the management is reminiscent of the warden in "Cool Hand Luke," played by Strother Martin. That said, so far this flight is no fun at all and it’s 3 p.m., a bit too early for a double vodka on the rocks. I’m hoping that writing the column will distract me until I wend my way home with my lovely wife Barbara.
All that said, the trip out west was remarkable. I have much to report. Before getting into it, let me advise all that the 2014 Pinot Noirs from Oregon are universally well above average. We covered both northern and southern Oregon boutique wineries. While the 2010s and '12s were excellent the '14s are shaping up to be awesome. Save some bucks to cellar a selection and you will be well pleased in a few years. I will say few will be ready before 2017 but many are approachable for those who lack storage or patience.
The 2012 vintage was extraordinary in Oregon. A hot, dry summer caused small-cluster Pinot Noir with intense concentration. Many winemakers reached out in '13, but a cold, wet start and some cool late-summer weeks caused a rather poor production. Then came 2014, a classic, sound growing season, which was rated 94-97 points overall by Wine Spectator. After a warm, dry spring, the vines got off to a fast start. The set was perfect. Rising star winemaker Anne Sery Martindale focused in on Arbor Brook, Laurent Montalieu’s Hyland Vineyard, and Guadalupe in Yamhill-Carlton, three of the best regional vineyards. By the end of August, she recognized that 2014 juice had more possibilities than 2012. She also realized there would be a great deal more juice available. Time to tie up excess production and get ready to make wine. She hit the nail on the head, and the first Willamette: The Pinot Noir Barrel Auction on April 2 was a tremendous success. Held at The Allison Inn & Spa, 66 wineries sold lots at $1,000 per case.
The tasting prior to the auction showcased about 70 small-production 2014s, including two from Laurent Montalieu’s superb Hyland Vineyard. Don’t let that $1,000/case throw you. There are hundreds of great 2014 PNs under $35.
OK, so here’s the great news. Most Oregon vineyards ship to Delaware. This means that you, my lovely wine pals, can access the boutique (under 500 cases but most running 100-200) products many of our distributors won’t take a chance on. You, however, can trot on down to your local friendly wine shoppe guy or gal and ask them to bring some in and if they wish they can ship it right to your door via FedEx or UPS. Be careful not to break any laws. Some of ours in lower/slower are a bit arcane. Barbara and I sampled well over 100 wines and found no turkeys. There are at least 100 wineries in an area slightly smaller than that which would encompass the land between Dewey, Long Neck, Route 5, Route 88 and the ocean. The joy is, there are 11 varieties of terroir, 15 soil variations and the benches, hills and ridges provide a multi-faceted cut of diverse sun exposures. Areas to look for are Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill/Carlton; Eola/AmityHills and Chehalem Mountains. Over the next few weeks, I plan on providing specific recommendations for each subregion and AVA, with winery names and vertical reviews where we enjoyed them. Final note, please keep those cards and letters coming. I truly enjoy them.
Email John McDonald at chjonmc@yahoo.com.
