Oregon Wine: Part 1

First off, apologies on the delayed posting, it's been a crazy week. Now onto the trip. Upon arriving on the Left Coast, I received a job offer that I quickly accepted, so the trip turned into a celebration as much as a vacation. We stayed at a hotel near my Auntie Mar and Uncle Mark's house in Lake Oswego, which is south of Portland. After a quick jaunt to Canon Beach (pictures to come) on Wednesday morning, we headed back to Lake Oswego by passing through Willamette Valley and hitting some wineries. And make sure to pronounce Willamette correctly, try saying the rhyming phrase, "It's Willamette, Dammit!"

Our first stop was Carlton Winemaker's Studio. This operation is a eco-friendly winery that leases its equipment to winemaker's who may lack the capital or need to have their own full size winery. As we tasted some Pinot Noir by Andrew Rich and Dominio, a strange thing happened. Andrew himself stepped behind the counter to make his espresso. He was kind enough to come over and discuss his two wines as Katie and I gave them a taste. We quickly realized that the Oregon Pinots tend to have a much more European feel, with an almost earthy spiciness, much like Burgundy wines. Andrew's two wines were both superb as was the Carlton Winemaker's Studio Red table wine, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Tempernillo, which we bought for my Aunt and Uncle, which I am sure they will love!

The next stop was right next door at Cuneo Wine Cellars. They have a broad selection of wine and had a focus on Italian Varietals. We tasted a wine called Bricca, which was essentially a Chianti, a blend of Sangiovese, some Syrah, and Nebbiolo. We also tasted their straight Nebbiolo. They were both solid efforts at the Italian Varietals that don't receive as much celebrity here as the French grapes. What we ended up purchasing was their Two Rivers Bordeaux Blend. I believe the blend was over half Merlot, with bits of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot. The high percentage of Merlot made it very approachable and smooth. In all, Cuneo had a good portfolio of wines, but its too bad they, and the Winemaker's Studio, are pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

After the two stops in Carlton, we headed for Route 99W, the main artery of Willamette (Dammit) Valley Wineries. Just before the town of Dundee we arrived at Sokol-Blosser on a recommendation from my aunt. The views were spectacular, and we had some tempting looks at Friday's stop, Domaine Drouhin. Sokol-Blosser's tasting room had a much more Napa Valley feel, then other tasting rooms we would visit during the week. They seemed to be trying to sell merchandise as much as the wine. We tasted a spectrum of their wines that included a summer sipping Rose (Beringer White Zin is cheaper!), an interesting blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel called Meditrina, and three Pinot Noirs. The Pinots echoed the Burgundy feel I mentioned early, not the real in your face fruit flavor of a Sonoma Valley Pinot. The Estate Cuvee Pinot, Dundee Hills Pinot, and Willamette (Dammit) Valley Pinot were all nice but the latter was by far the best bang for your buck. It offered deep aromas of black fruits and was smooth on your tongue, not overbearing.

Once we entered Dundee, the traffic began. 99W in Dundee is a two lane road, outside the town its four lanes. Do the math. So instead of sitting in traffic we pulled over to Argyle. This will go down as the Day One winner and one of my favorites for the trip. Their tasting room is situated in an old Victorian style home, and was just elegant! The bar was made of old oak barrel staves and you could see the wine stains in the staves, it was awesome! We first tasted their sparkling wines. They can't be called Champagne, because real Champagne comes from Champagne, France. If your ever looking for a new sparkling wine, seek out Argyle. Even their standard Brut, which means dry, was outstanding. The second we tasted knocked our socks off. It was a 1998 Knudsen Vineyard Brut. This wine is made from 100% Dijon (a town in France) Cloned Chardonnay. For the money is right up there with Vueve clicked when I am drinking the bubbly. We also tasted their Sparkling Rose and loved it! There entry level Pinot Noir was solid, but the Willamette (Dammit) Reserve was too good to pass up. After we mentioned we were celebrating my new job, the tasting girl pulled out a special bottle that was being released for another few weeks, after we tasted it and the girl walked away, Katie leaned over and said, "This is orgasm in a bottle." Needless to say we ordered it and I'll be discussing it further when it arrives. On a side note, always have some kind of story behind why your tasting. Like my new job or our honeymoon last year, having that reason to be there will usually get you some freebies. In Napa we had countless free tastings, and the girl at Argyle even waived our tasting fee for us.

Our last stop was across the street from Argyle and the Ponzi Tasting Bar. We figured it would be easier to cross the street then drive the fifteen mile to the Ponzi Vineyards down the road. The wines were good, but not spectator. We tasted another Rose, which the billed as a nice summer-time, out on your deck, easy drinking wine. Which means Beringer White Zin is cheaper. Don't get me wrong, a good Rose can kick Beringer's ass any day, but few places can do a Rose right and make it worth $10 a bottle or more. We really loved their reserve Chardonnay and Tavolo Pinot Noir. But other then those two the wines seemed kind of flat and for lack of a better word boring.

Next Post will be on our tasting extravaganza at Patricia Green Cellars, Hippy wine-making at Brickhouse, and Garage tasting at Aramenta Cellars. Till Next Time..."Wine is made to be drunk as women are made to be loved; profit by the freshness of youth or the splendor of maturity."--Theophile Malvezin

Oregon Wine Country

I'll be doing a four part series on our recent trek to Oregon starting tomorrow. Here's the lineup:
Post 1-Carlton Winemaker's Studio, Cuneo Cellars, Sokol-Blosser, Argyle, and Ponzi
Post 2-Patricia Green Cellars, Brickhouse, and Aramenta Cellars
Post 3-Willamette Valley Vineyards and Domaine Drouhin
Post 4-Dining at Bridgeport Brewery, Joel Palmer House, and Bistro Maison

Wine notes and updates

Its been awhile which means lots of wine has been consumed. Here are some quick hits:

-1996 Herzog Special Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Had a glass of this wine at my in-law's house. Its a kosher wine that'll knock your socks off! Loads of berries and a crisp bite with a long delightful finish that seemed to last for minutes! Mazel Tov!!!

-1997 Rutherford Hill 23rd Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, A gift from my good friend Phil, we opened this and shared it with him two nights back. Wow! The age on this reminded me so much of the '97 Silverado I had. That smoothness from the softening tannins, an aroma of raspberry jam locked inside a cedar-chest, and the flavors echoed the scent on your tongue! Two thumbs up to Phil on his introduction into bottle aged wine.

-2004 Darioush Signature Label Viognier, This was a special bottle we picked up in Napa last summer. Dariuosh is owned by Darioush Khaledi, and he created a Persian Palace in Napa. The wines are very pricey, but boy are they good. I can't even describe the Viognier we had for Easter today. It started off creamy and than transformed into a basket of peaches and apricots with just the right level of alcohol. The pictures don't do the winery justice!


-2001 Rodney Strong "A True Gentleman's Port," Oh baby was this good! I opened it the other night to share with Phil and had some more today. Its a splendid Cabernet Franc Port that is so easy to sip and enjoy.

There were some more wines from the past week, but nothing to shocking. I will be not posting for the next week as I trek to Oregon and Willamette Valley. There should be reviews, pictures, and stories trickling in after this week. And hopefully news regarding a possible new job! We'll see! Till next time..."Don't ask questions like that up in wine country. They'll think you're some kind of dumbshit, OK?"--Miles, Sideways (2004)

Tasting Notes and Tips from April 7th

My in-laws shared some nice wine with us last night. We broke the rules and started with a red then followed it with a white. When tasting wine, whether it be two or twenty wines, its standard to follow a certain progression. The first "rule" is whites before reds. The next "rule" is lighter to heavier bodied. And finally, dry before sweet. So when you are tasting various wines, begin by separating the whites and reds, then order them based on the final two "rules." And they are really suggestions more than rules. I would strictly adhere to them at a large tasting of wines, a wine dinner, or a tasting at vineyard or winery. If its typical home consumption, then do what YOU feel is right and works for you. Last night we started with 2003 Chateau Julien Monterey County Sangiovese. My battle with the common cold and an ear infection has thrown off my scent, but my palate picked up cranberries and a spicy finish. When my father-in-law first poured the wine, I noticed its soft colors and its translucency. I was thinking light to medium bodied with an almost scarlet color, could be a Pinot Noir? I was surprised to see it was a Sangiovese. Sangiovese is the Italian grape that is used primarily in Chianti. It has found a second home in California where many appellations have been experimenting with it and finding some success. After picking up some of the best Chinese food in town, my wife and mother-in-law popped open a 2004 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc. My in-laws split a case of this last month, and I have five more bottle sitting in the Cellar. The price was driven up from the 2003 vintage because of great review in Wine Spectator that gave it 91 points. A Fume Blanc is simply a fancy term for Sauvignon Blanc. A typical Sauv Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while a Fume Blanc is usually aged the traditional French way in oak barrels. The '04 Ferrari-Carano is really mind blowing. The first time I tasted it was citric and had some herbal tones on the finish. Last night it had more of a yellow delicious apple flavor with, what I felt, was a creamy finish. Noticed I said how "I felt." The important thing to remember about wine is that its about you and what you enjoy. Till next time..."Wine...the intellectual part of the meal."--Alexandre Dumas

New Arrival

The newest bottle has arrived. I am debating whether or not to share this glorious news already. But seeing as I am now a finalist for a teaching job, I'll share. First, the story. I had been craving this bottle since its release back in October. It is the one wine I plan on maintaining a vertical(same wine, consecutive vintages) of for years to come. I know it was available at local shops, but declined purchase because of the cost, I figured I'd save up the cash through homework club for it. Then, Wine Spectator names it Wine of the Year! The wine sells like hot cakes at every store in the area and the world. I kept my eyes peeled, but it seemed that everywhere was sold out. Until last Sunday when I scoured the internet. Sure enough wine.com, who was out of the wine two weeks ago, inexplicably had three bottles left. I checked with my wife to approve the purchase, even though its my homework club money paying for it. Once she said yes, I placed the order and had it delivered to my in-laws in CT, because RI direct shipping laws forbid consumer wine purchases. The bottle arrived today (insert drumroll here....)! A bottle of 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia! This wine is the flagship of all Napa Valley Cabernets. It is the wine that has pushed Opus One from its California throne. Oh baby am I pleased! A nice meritage of mostly Cabernet, some Merlot, a bit of Petite Verdot and just a dash of Malbec. This one will age quite nicely in the cellar. Till next time..."The day you open a '61 Cheval Blanc is the special occasion."--Maya, Sideways 2004

Wine Sunday

While most liquor stores in CT and RI either have limited hours or are closed on Sunday, this day of the week has become my time to research, browse, peruse, and use other methods to gain more knowledge about wine. I am wrapping up the excellent research book American Vintage by Paul Lukacs. His book chronicles the rise of wine in America, it's eventual demise due to prohibition and American culture, and its resurgence in the late 1970's. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters focused and California, and especially the information on Robert Mondavi. Its a shame that the man who led American wine to where its is today has no ownership in his namesake's winery as well as his other ventures. Of course, the wine giant Constellation Brands that bought out Mondavi has recently acquired Canadian giant Vincor. One wonders how the small boutique and family run operations maintain their status in our capitalistic, dog eat dog, society. I also completed some other arrangements for our trip to Oregon and Willamette Valley in two weeks. I ordered a wine shipping kit for twelve bottles to supplement my carry-on wine tote for the trip. We currently have appointments at Patricia Green Cellars, Brickhouse, and Domaine Drouhin. There will be much to write about upon our return. Plus, I made a spectacular purchase today. But you'll just have to wait for its arrival to learn more! Till next time..."Life is too short to drink bad wine."--Anonymous

Seriously Good Wine

Well, last night my wife and I went over my parents' house for some food and wine. I brought along my single vineyard Kunde Estate Zinfandel. My sister was there as well as my Uncle and cousin from Oregon that we'll be visiting in a few weeks. We started out with a magnum of Yellow Tail Chardonnay. For it's price range, this wine is tough to beat. Although after her first sip, my mom described the finish as, "an old soda can taste." After a few minutes there was a nice scent of vanilla on the nose. With dinner we cracked open the 1998 Zin. It had gorgeous bouquet of berries and hints of oak. The flavors on the tongue echoed the scents, with a smooth finish showing only a slight amount of pepper that typically accompanies a strong Zin. Suprisingly, at around %14 alcohol, it wasn't overpowering but had a gentle elegance about it. My dad described it as full-bodied, and we all agreed. I could see this wine be much zestier and a little bit rougher had it been consumed a few years earlier. The bottle age definitely smoother out its edges. This was the second bottle of Kunde I have tasted, the previous being their basic Sonoma Valley Zin. I highly recommend trying any of their Zins, and I will probably seek out one of their Chardonnays for a taste in the future. Till next time..."Wine is bottled poetry"--Robert Louis Stevenson

New Bottle!!!

Boy did I just get lucky...I was browsing at the local wine store when the manager started chatting with me. He knew I was interested in some French wines and said he had just the thing for me. He took me to their temp. contorlled wine room and pulled out a bottle of 1982 Chateau Margaux. Immediately I calculated what I would be willing to spend. The bottle would probably go at auction for upwards of seven to eight hundred dollars. When he said he'd part with it for $650, I pulled out the credit card and said, "Where do I sign?" Next month's bill will be quite the shocker but I bet it will be worth it. And Dad, if you're reading this.....April Fools!