Four days in Oregon, 11 producers

[Bweiss]

I’ll start this post with a huge thank you to this incredible community of wine lovers. I spent more time than I’d care to admit pouring over the notes, recaps and recommendations you’ve all posted related to Oregon wines and producers in order to create my itinerary.

And let me just say, you didn’t let me down…What a trip!

Let me also say thank you to all the producers I had the pleasure of meeting and tasting with on this trip. I deeply appreciate not only the quality of wines you all are producing, but the time so many of you spent with us, making our trip truly unforgettable.

I traveled with my wife and my wonderful in-laws, and we spent four days in the Willamette Valley tasting at 11 wineries. Ambitious, perhaps, but I really struggled to pare down the list of producers and even then, I’ll still have several to see for our next trip!

I’ll give some brief notes related to each producer, focusing on the tasting experience, and followed by brief tasting notes for everything we had the opportunity to taste. I really debated putting scores next to each wine, especially as we didn’t have a single “bad” wine this trip. I ultimately decided to include them to serve as a point of comparison, but understand that these are my subjective opinions of what I like — you may very well be different, and that’s great. Scores are following the tougher CT grading scale, so 89-90 pts is great, 91-92 is excellent and 93 and above represent world class scores.

What’s clear, overall, is that Oregon’s top producers are firing on all cylinders, producing complex, balanced wines of place and distinction. These producers’ wines show none of the cola/dr pepper/watery references that all too often show up in Oregon pinot reviews. And the Chardonnays, while still produced in far lesser quantities, I can confidently say are among the very best in the world - I fully expect to see a lot more Chardonnay from this region in the coming years.

After an existentially challenging 2020 vintage, 2021 is proving to be a great vintage for the region as a whole with well preserved acidity and lifted aromatics in both the Pinot and Chardonnay. And a sneak peek preview at 2022 shows we have a lot to be excited for (but more on that later).

We truly didn’t have a single bad experience the entire trip, and would do it all over again if given the opportunity — and I’d encourage you all to do the same if you haven’t yet traveled to the region. The people, the wines, the views, the food are all world class. But what stood out perhaps the most, and in contrast to other regions we’ve traveled to, was the culture.

Every producer wanted to know who else we’d be tasting with, where we’d be dining — and when we shared that information, it was always met with glowing enthusiasm, stories about their friendships, who used to work with who, things they admired about that other producer’s wines and it all revealed a deep sense of trust, empathy, sharing, and community that seems to be region’s signature, and not just in the 70s and 80s, but today as well. The old wine pairing saying “what grows together goes together” feels like an apt description of Willamette Valley culture.

[Bweiss]

Day 1: Dundee & Eola Amity Hills

Antica Terra

This was some of the most fun I’ve had at a winery tasting. The format is creative and unique. We tasted ten wines, only half of which are produced by Maggie and one of her three brands (Antica Terra, Lillian, The Glories). The others come from the “collective” which include wines from around the world (typically old world) that inspire Maggie, and serve as a fascinating point of comparison to Antica Terra wines.

There wasn’t a bad wine here, and we went from great to stunning across the board. The highlights for me included The Glories Number 1 (2018) which is a Chardonnay blend from sites in Oregon and California. It sounds sacrilegious, and perhaps so, but damn this wine just worked. Stunning complexity, acid, and length, with deep, glass-filling, aromatics.

Then, there’s the “high bar” board which offers up either a taste or a glass of some truly hard-to-get bottles. My eye was immediately drawn to the 1961 Lopez de Heredia Gran Riserva - it did not disappoint. If I didn’t have two more tastings to get to that first day, I would have stayed longer and enjoyed some Dauvissat and Roumier. Such a special and fun place.

2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs
Outstanding freshness and acidity here with refined bubbles. Green apples and baked goods with a long mouthwatering finish. 92pts.

2019 Clos Mogador Nelin
A rare white Priorat, with tons of overt slate-y minerality characteristic of the licorella soils. Some fruit, but it’s the minerals that shine here. Really unique wine and unlike anything else I can think of. 91pts.

2020 Antica Terra Aequorin Chardonnay
Stunningly precise and fresh Chardonnay, very Chablis-esque. The vintage worries many, but this wine was perfectly clean and not a trace of smoke to be found. 91pts.

2018 The Glories No. 1
A blend of CA and Oregon Chardonnay that quite frankly blew me away. Complex aromatics that draw you in. Harmony in the balance of acidity, fruit, and some reductive notes that bring layers of complexity to the wine. Wood is used, but judiciously and it’s done perfectly. Couldn’t wipe the smile off my face with every sip of this one. Expensive, but I bought it anyway. 95pts.

2018 Antica Terra Ceras
Dry, hot vintage that delivers greater concentration to the fruit here, but likely trades off some ageability. Stunningly made and blended, which is a hallmark of all Maggie’s wines. Drinking very nicely right now. 92pts

2019 Antica Terra Ceras
A much cooler vintage of the same wine, and it showed. Much lighter in color and body relative to the 2018, but more perfumed, floral, and ethereal. This was my preference, and the higher acid here suggests it’ll have a long aging life ahead too. Loved this wine. 94pts

2016 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens
I was looking forward to tasting this as a comparison to the Ceras, but found that the wine suffered from some premox, smelling of stale raisins. Not completely flawed, it showed good balance and texture, but I couldn’t get past the oxidized notes, so I’m withholding a rating.

2019 Isole e Olena Cepparello
100% Sangiovese, medium body, bright fruit like cherries and floral aromatics surround the wood. Enjoyed this wine, but found the finish to be cut short, oddly. Still, very good wine. 90pts

2013 Lillian Syrah
Back to Maggie’s wine and this was outstanding. Bought a bottle. Aged perfectly, this leans much more toward northern Rhone style while still having the phenolic ripeness you’d expect from California, but never sweet. I believe the grapes come from the Bien Nacido vineyard. I’ve had bigger wines from BN, so it really shows Maggie’s touch here that she built a more restrained and highly structured, immensely ageable Syrah here. 93pts.

1961 Lopez De Heredia Gran Reserva
One of the more unique aspects of Antica Terra is its “collective” offering, where guests can add a taste of some truly rare bottles from around the globe. When I saw the ‘61 LDH on the board, I had to try it. The wine was spectacular. Still tons of life in it, particularly the acidity which was all there. The fruit gave a whisper and then it was all about soft, Pinot-like floral aromatics that I’ve never experienced from Tempranillo - I suppose that’s all the aging. What a special wine, and a great Father’s Day gift. 96pts.

Bergstrom

We tasted in the Bergstrom home and the site of their namesake vineyard. Stunning views of the Dundee Hills here with beautiful flower and vegetable gardens too. The home belonged to Josh Bergstrom’s parents, and was originally where they planned to retire, but a surprise visit from Dick Ponzi led them to plant vines in the backyard and one thing led to the next.

We tasted four current vintage (2020-2021) Pinot Noirs from Bergstrom - the best from me was their Bergstrom Vineyard wine, which showed both great concentration and balance. It was very good, but perhaps not enough for me to pick up a bottle (but it was close). The thing that did get me to buy was their Sigrid Chardonnay, which could well pass for a far more expensive white burgundy. Some small bites were provided with the wines, each delicious. A serene experience with views to die-for.

2021 Bergstrom La Spirale Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge
The first of the Bergstrom lineup was a touch closed, and may need some time to loosen up a bit. The wine was good, don’t get me wrong, but just didn’t deliver the kind of rich aromatics as others we experienced in so many other wines of this vintage. 89pts, but I could see this one potentially move up with some either air or bottle age.

2021 Bergstrom Le Pre du Col Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge
This was quite good and had more of the full flavors and complexity I’ve come to know from Ribbon Ridge. Didn’t knock my socks off either, but a very well made wine that showed well despite its youth. 91pts.

2020 Bergstrom Silice Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains
A lot has been said about the 2020 vintage and this was the only red wine we tasted from the vintage. I went in with an open mind. There was something about this wine, what seemed like an upfront reductive note you’d more typically find in chardonnay… smoke influence? Perhaps. I’m not totally sure. It wasn’t totally off putting, but not to my preference either. It wasn’t bitter, wasn’t ash-ey, but there was something on this one that I can’t say I’ve tasted in the Chehalem mountains in any other vintage from other producers. I’ll reserve judgment on this one and consider it an enjoyable study in a challenging vintage. Hearing the various ways each winemaker dealt with 2020 was inspiring, and showed the immense creativity of some of these winemakers (more on that later).

2021 Bergstrom Vineyard Pinot Noir
This was my favorite among the Bergstrom lineup. Maybe it helped that we sat in the Bergstrom dining room overlooking these exact vines (and the view!)…. This wine just felt so much more alive and aromatic in the glass relative to some of the others we tasted. Enough structure to age for a decade or longer, but still absolutely enjoyable right this moment. 92pts.

2020 Bergstrom Sigrid Chardonnay
Another 2020 I thought, interesting. The Sigrid is Bergstrom’s flagship Chardonnay, built with a nod to the old world, Burgundian whites. And they nailed this wine. It’s clean, mineral driven, with awesome texture and laser-like fruit and acid to punch in for some mid-palette fireworks. ageable, absolutely. Expensive, especially considering some of the other incredible Chardonnays we tasted next, but we bought a bottle of this one to go. 94pts.

Evening Land

A few days ahead of our trip Evening Land staff called to ask if we’d like to experience our tasting out at the Seven Springs Vineyard (instead of the Dundee tasting room). Yes please!

Seven Springs is full of hills, with grapes at several elevations producing some really outstanding Pinot and Chardonnay (with a little chenin that is likely to be replanted in the coming years). Wind sweeps over those hills, and despite the sun exposure, it can get chilly quick there! Lots of biodynamic practices going on without being overly dogmatic about things, which speaks to a commitment to absolute quality and sustainability.

We couldn’t have asked for a better host in Chris, who made us feel right at home. The “garage” may not be your billionaire’s showroom tasting facility, but it sits atop the vineyard and provides stunning views below - this is the kind of place I want to drink wine.

2021 Evening Land Rose of Pinot Noir
A wine coming from young Pinot vines at Seven Springs. The wine is full of bright acid and complex flavor. It’s a rose built to be a rose and it’s great. Sad to see this potentially leave the lineup, it absolutely deserves to be made and serves a role here. 90pts.

2016 Evening Land Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine
I didn’t realize Evening Land made a sparkling wine, and I learned that soon, they won’t be, as they’re clearing this one out. It’s too bad, because I thought this was really wonderful. Riddling and bottle work was all done by the fine folks at Ultramarine. The wine has depth and character likely from some bottle age, and the acidity is still going strong. Bubbles are fine, and very champagne like. I bought a couple of these, and keep wondering whether I should get a few more. A nice surprise. 92pts.

2019 Evening Land Passetoutgrain (Gamay and Pinot blend)
Another wine leaving the lineup for future vintages, this one felt like what you get when a brilliant sommelier is part of the winemaking team (Parr). I’m even more sad to see this one go. It’s awesome. A mix of Pinot noir and Gamay that gives a nod to old Burgundian practices. I absolutely loved this wine and had to get a bottle. At the same time I could see how most consumers, even relatively experienced ones, might not understand it and marketing it could be a challenge. 92pts.

2021 Evening Land La Source Pinot Noir
This was my favorite Pinot from Evening Land. Exceptional fruit from a flagship vineyard, made to preserve acidity and structure in the wine. Some new oak here adds spice and helps with that structure, but everything is in check (not overbearing in the least). Showing well even at a young age. 94pts.

2021 Evening Land Summum Pinot Noir
Very similar to the La Source with the structure taken up a notch. More new wood here too. Gives the impression it really wants a decade or more of bottle age, and it may very well go much longer than the La Source…if you’re patient. 93pts.

2021 Evening Land La Source Chardonnay
Great balance here with high acid matching the oak, delivering on that Burgundian style so many aim for. Reductive qualities here show on the nose and are quite welcome in the wine. A very strong showing. 92pts.

2021 Evening Land Summum chardonnay
Again, lots of similarity to the La Source, but unlike the Pinots, I preferred the summum Chardonnay over the La Source in 2021. Similar qualities, but a touch more reductive notes here and laser-like acidity and fruit that suggests this has load of aging potential. 94pts.

2009 Evening Land Summum Chardonnay
Chris discovered a handful of old 375s of their 2009 Chardonnay (storage conditions uncertain), and, as an experiment, we decided to see how these held up. The answer: beautifully. One might expect an over the hill flabby wine considering both the age and the small format bottle, but this wine was alive and well. Acid had subdued some, for sure, but this is still an awesome wine and makes you excited to buy and cellar these wines new. 93pts.

[Max_S1]

What an incredible trip, thanks for the notes!

[Bweiss]

Day 2: McMinville Day

Morgen Long

Seth Morgen Long is truly a one man show, and producing some absolutely stunning Chardonnays in the region. Seth will be the first to tell you he’s laser focused on Chardonnay and nothing else. He’s a perfectionist who pays attention to every detail. His aim is to create Oregon chardonnay at the level of Meursault’s best, which is where he trained and developed a deep passion for Chardonnay. While my experience with Meursault is admittedly limited, I feel confident that Seth’s wines deserve a spot among the world’s best chardonnays — These are really special wines.

2021 Morgen Long Willamette Valley Chardonnay.
This isn’t just a blend of lesser sites; no, this is a serious wine that exceeds virtually every other WV wine I’ve tasted. Fruit coming from X-Omni, Seven Springs, Koosah, Temperance Hill, Fairview, Yamhill, and Durant proves it. Laser like precision and structure with a reductive nose up front. Drinking great now, but I strongly suspect will age great too. Bought a few of these. 94pts

2021 Morgen Long Durant Vineyard Chardonnay
A lot of similar descriptions to the WV Chardonnay, but with a site signature true to the Durant Vineyard. Beautiful wine. 94pts.

2021 X-Omni Vineyard Chardonnay
Hands down the best Chardonnay of the entire trip. This is a stunning wine that stops you in your tracks. Built to age, but beautiful now too, this wine will fool even the most die-hard white burgundy lovers. While not inexpensive, if you compare it to any top producer in Mersault, it starts to feel like a bargain. Bought a couple. 96pts.

2021 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
100% Koosah here, this is also another stunning, terroir-driven, Chardonnay. Balance is on point and delicious, made to Seth’s exacting standards. 93pts.

Goodfellow Family Cellars

@Marcus_Goodfellow is no stranger to this forum and so much of what has been said about him rings true in person. Marcus was generous with his time, and shared not only several outstanding wines, but also tons of winemaking knowledge - the sort of thing that makes him so beloved around here. The tasting space is quaint (the warehouse), the glassware (Grassl) is top quality, and the wines all go from great to outstanding. We made a full case purchase (in addition to the 2021 release case we already have on order for the fall!).

2021 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Blanc
Super fruity wine with a nice aroma and acidity to match the big fruit. Unique, and unlike any other wine I can think of. I can see this working well with East Asian cuisine. Heck of a deal too. Bought one. 90pts.

2021 Goodfellow Tsai Vineyard Chardonnay
Super young and clearly ageworthy, but still aromatically intense and highly enjoyable now. Some tannins are showing here, I like it a lot. Acid is there too. 92pts.

2021 Goodfellow Temperance Hill Chardonnay
Temperance has a clear signature for me, a sort of chalky note that runs through both the Pinots and the chardonnays. And I love it. The wine is balanced, complex, and preserves great acidity. This too will get blinded for a premier cru white burgundy. 94pts.

2019 Goodfellow Pinot Gris
The wine’s aromatics leap out of the glass at you with this wine. Apples, but a variety of them all here create this enveloping complexity that lingers seemingly forever. I generally don’t drink much Pinot Gris, but this is one I could absolutely see myself popping every once in a while. 91pts.

2019 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir
I really love the 2019 vintage, where top producers all seemed to draw out these sort of lifted, floral aromatics, even in more boldly fruited sites like Whistling Ridge in the Ribbon Ridge sub AVA. This wine brings immediate smiles to the face - beautiful. Bought some. 93pts.

2018 Goodfellow Long Acre Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir
Shows how the same site can be so varied by vintage, and even block when compared to the wine above. Still a great wine, but the hotter 2018 temperatures are less to my personal preference here. 91pts.

2015 Goodfellow Deux Vert Syrah
First time trying an Oregon Syrah and… it’s fabulous. Made more in an old world Rhone style, which I appreciate, but there’s something distinctly unique about the fruit here, that must be an Oregon terroir thing. The Grapes come from Yamhill Carlton, and I wonder why more Syrah isn’t being planted (for us wine geeks, anyway!). Bought some. 92pts.

2019 Goodfellow Heritage No16 Pinot Noir Lehman Vineyard
Wow. Just wow. Top contender for the best pinot of the trip. The wine comes from that 2019 vintage I seem to enjoy so much. Everything is just “right” here - acid, fruit, mushroom, tea, earth, a touch of tannin. Bought some. Can’t wait to blind some friends on this one. Seeing WOTN written all over this wine. 96pts.

MV Goodfellow Sparkling Blanc de Blanc
Marcus was so kind and shared his in-the-works sparkling wine when I asked how it was going. The nose on this wine is sublime with more lifted aromatics here than your favorite grower champagne. The base wine shows great acid and precision that should serve it well, and make for an ageable sparkler. Will Hamilton of Violin specially said he’d happily drink the base wine on its own, and I can’t argue with that - it’s great. The bubbles are still developing as this is still an in-progress wine. There’s no question though, I will be buying these when they’re ready, and we all have a lot to look forward to in these wines. (No rating yet, wine still in progress).

Violin

We drove a few blocks in McMinnville to arrive at a beautiful home at the bottom of a street where we met @Will_Hamilton, who might just be the most down to earth, kind and personable winemaker on the planet. The fact that Will’s wines are also top contenders for some of the best Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the Willamette Valley is just icing on the cake.

The home we tasted in is a rental property directly next door to Will’s home. We’ve already decided that on our next trip to Oregon, we’re renting Will’s place instead of getting a hotel. You should too.

Tasting in the kitchen felt more like tasting with a friend, and you don’t always get that at these appointments. The time flew by, we learned a ton, and enjoyed some truly exceptional wines. If you’re planning a trip to Oregon, I suggest you put Violin on your itinerary - you won’t be disappointed.

2021 Violin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
This is Will’s highest volume wine and it’s starting to come up more in distribution. It’s carefully crafted with grapes from a number of top WV vineyards. It’s balanced, nuanced, and while it may be the least favorite of the wines we tasted with Will, it’s still a remarkable value, and a great entry point into high end winemaking for budget conscious shoppers. 90pts.

2021 Violin Sojeau Pinot Noir
Another contender for the best Pinot Noir of the trip. Superbly made. The wine has both delicate floral aromatics while at the same time showing a full range of spice and mushroom. Hard to achieve both these things in one wine, and I absolutely love it. Bought some. 95pts.

2021 Violin First Man Pinot Noir
This is Will’s Monopole wine from the First Man vineyard. Silky and nuanced, showing nice red fruits and some tannins present here too. I see this one aging nicely, and I think I’ll like it even better in 2 or more years. 93pts.

2021 Violin Polk County Cuvée Pinot Noir
This also feels like it needs a couple years bottle age to strut its very best, but it’s still outstanding right now. Good structure here and some darker fruits to this Pinot vs the others. 92pts.

2021 Violin Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Pronounced fruit with a good bit of complexity to make it interesting. Acid is there, but not piercing. Probably one to drink this year, and while it’s a base level WV bottling, I think it’s better than 90% of everything else out there, and a screaming value. 90pts.

2021 Violin Sojeau Chardonnay
Now this is good. Really good. Starts with a slightly reductive note, then reveals flowers, fruit medley, nuts, and spices that go on seemingly forever while the acidity dances across the tongue and sparkles like fireworks. This wine is one of my contenders for best Oregon Chardonnay and I had to buy some. 95pts.

2021 Violin Black Walnut Chardonnay
Again, amazing. Picking up a bit of that same kind of chalky thing I get from Temperance Hill here in the Black Walnut. Doesn’t dance quite the same as Sojeau but this is still an incredible wine. 93pts.

[brigcampbell]

Whoa

[Todd_Tucker]

Thanks for taking the time and sharing all this. Sounds like a great time. FWIW, I wholeheartedly agree with you with regards to OR chardonnay. Thank you again!

[Bweiss]

Day 3: Detox (sort of…)

We took off the morning to give our palettes a rest and drove down the Silver Falls State Park for some hiking. And what a treat. The hiking here is easy to moderate, and the waterfalls are stunning. Great place for some exercise, great photos, and life long memories.

Argyle

Argyle helped to establish Oregon in the domestic sparkling scene, and they produce some rather nice sparklers that help keep things interesting when you’re starting to get some still wine palette fatigue. They produce in much larger quantities than everyone else we visited this trip, and while not all the wines were to my liking, we enjoyed our stop here.

The tasting room is beautiful. A converted hazelnut processing facility, it has high ceilings with a lot of old wood and has been meticulously converted (modern sliding glass windows and doors). The staff is warm and knowledgeable. You can sneak a quick tasting in here in under 45 minutes, as we did.

2019 Argyle Estate Reserve Brut Rosé | Willamette Valley
Beautiful sparkling wine. High acid with some depth. Bubbles are tiny and plentiful. A perfect brut when it comes to RS and finish. Really nice. 91pts.

2018 Argyle Knudsen Blanc de Blancs | Dundee Hills
Blinded, I’d have guessed grower champagne for sure. This is really nice. Bubbles are perfect. Does everything you want in a blanc de blanc sparkling wine. 92pts.

2019 Argyle Knudsen Brut | Dundee Hills
Not my favorite. A streak of oxidized fruit ruins this one for me, even though it does plenty of other things right. My wife felt differently, but I couldn’t get past it. 86pts.

2012 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut | Willamette Valley
Presented as a sort of tete de cuvée, I had high expectations. I like my sparkling wines with a laser like acidity that holds up with age, and this just didn’t have it. Certainly not a bad wine, it just didn’t really work for me, and I can’t help but feel like it might have been better disgorged at a younger age, maybe. 89pts.

2017 Argyle 35th Anniversary Chardonnay | Eola - Amity
A special bottling for Argyle, I was curious to try this Chardonnay. Unfortunately, it has so much new oak that it completely dominates and pushes the wine close to Rombauer territory. I’m sure some will love this style, and to each their own. Not for me. 82pts.

2021 Argyle Nuthouse Chardonnay | Eola - Amity
Nervous after trying the 35th anniversary chardonnay, and reading the name “nuthouse” I was expecting another oak bomb. To my delight, this wine feels like it’s all previously used oak and and the acidity is so much more present and alive here. I like it. Not as complex or deep as Seth’s, Marcus’, or Will’s Chardonnays, but this is very respectable. 90pts.

2021 Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir | Eola - Amity
I think I like the nuthouse site. This is a great Pinot Noir. Not really built to age, but it’s drinking really nice today and I’d be happy with this wine at any restaurant or social outing. 90pts.

2021 Argyle Dundee Hills Pinot Noir | Dundee Hills
On a roll now with the still wines, I thought we might finish with a winner. Not so much, unfortunately. The wine is overly ripe and shows that Dr Pepper sort of note that I find really off putting in Pinot. Again, some may really like this wine, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. 86pts.

Vincent

Another Berserkerday favorite around here, @Vincent_Fritzsche makes exceptionally good wines from some great sites.

We pulled up to Vincent’s facility in the Amity hills and met Jess, Vincent’s assistant winemaker. It turns out Vincent was traveling out on the east coast this day, and Jess didn’t know we were coming! It happens. Without skipping a beat, Jess grabbed several bottles and took us on a wine journey unlike any other we experienced the whole trip.

We started with some new 2021 bottles, then moved into some back vintage Pinots to experience how the wines age - all showed just beautifully. When we walked in, Jess was topping off barrels and asked if we’d be curious to taste some things in barrel. “Yes please,” I said with a big grin. Jess showed us some 2022 Pinots that were beautiful and show that we have a lot to look forward to in 2024 when these release.

To my delight, we also tasted Vincent’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in barrel (notes below) and a Tempranillo project he has going on as well. We finished on the back pad that has stunning views of the amity hills. I could hang out here for days. Jess is an amazing winemaker and guide. Thanks Jess!

Also, the new labels for 2021 look great!

2021 Vincent Royer Chardonnay
Outstanding. This Chardonnay has everything I want. Slight reductive note upfront, moving into complex fruits and nuts with that precise high acidity that dances on the palette. There’s oak here (I believe all used), and it’s used judiciously to draw out those deeper nut-and-spice like elements rather than pushing things toward vanilla oakbomb land. I really love this wine and I bought a few for the fall release of this wine (and I suggest you do too!). 94pts.

2021 Vincent Willamette Valley Tardive Chardonnay
A blend of multiple sites, but with the tardive, this adds some extended less aging to draw out more complexity. And it shows. This isn’t your run of the mill WV bottling. It’s fantastic. My preference is still the Royer SVD, but this is a fine example of top Oregon Chardonnay. 92pts.

2021 Vincent Pinot Gris
Again, I have less experience with Pinot gris, but I found this wine to be a lot of fun and refreshing. Seeing myself enjoying it on the deck on a summer day with a light meal. Aromatics are super pronounced here giving the wine a super lively feel to it. Bought it. 91pts.

2021 Vincent Armstrong Vineyard Pinot Noir
Clearly a bit young, but already showing off how good of a vintage ‘21 is. Typical ribbon ridge slightly darker fruits along with some tea and earthy elements showing up in the mid palette. It’s great. Bought. 92pts.

2016 Vincent Armstrong Vineyard Pinot Noir
A nice vertical tasting to compare and contrast with the 2021. This is an awesome wine. The site signature is very much there, but age has brought out more of that earthy side with some mushroom and herbal qualities that I find highly appealing. Bought. 92pts.

2017 Vincent Bjornsom Vineyard Pinot Noir
Another lovely site showing really beautifully right now. Lots of cranberry and tart cherry on this one. 91pts.

2019 Vincent Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir
There’s that favorite 2019 vintage again. This wine is spectacular and hits everything just right (for my tastes). Lots of well integrated spice and mushroom notes with an ethereal and light quality, plus acidity that blooms on the tongue and unfolds into red fruit. 93pts.

2021 Vincent Gamay Noir
My first Oregon Gamay, and this drinks more like a Cru Beaujolais (maybe Morgon) than a nouveau. Slightly darker fruited, showing earth, it’s great. Bought. 92pts.

2022 Vincent Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (in barrel)
Vincent has written about this project in recent emails, and it was a real treat to get the opportunity to try this wine in barrel. The wine leans more Bordeaux in style than what you typically find in Napa, and thats a very good thing in my book — Which is to say the wine is solidly medium bodied and doesn’t shy away from showing some pyrazines in addition to the dark fruits, leather, tobacco, and spice. I like that. There’s a floral and lifted aromatic quality to it that subtly says “Cabernet from a Pinot producer” that I also find highly appealing (I buy a lot of Corison and I can draw some parallels here). I can’t wait to see this evolve and there’s no question I’ll be buying this wine. Super cool.

[Bweiss]

Day 4: Ribbon Ridge & Yamhill Carlton

Patricia Green Cellars

Walking up to Patty Green’s tasting room in the Ribbon Ridge you can’t help but feel instantly relaxed. They have some of the most incredible landscaping in front and back. The tasting room is the entire back deck overlooking those flowers, plants, and, of course, the vines running up the hill for the estate vineyard. Stunning and serene.

Caroline was an incredible host, and we also had the chance to meet with @Jim_Anderson and chat about wine and some of his creative new projects underway (more on those in a moment). Following a wonderful tasting, Caroline took us through the vineyard via golf cart, sharing stories of the site’s history, sustainable farming practices, and more. We absolutely loved this experience and would go back again in a heartbeat. Lots of love for the Berserkers here at PGC.

No one in the WV does as many single vineyard designates, block wines, and single clonal varieties as Patricia Green. It’s worth stopping here first on your trip just to get an education on the region as a whole and the common clones. Ordering here is fun, albeit overwhelming if you don’t know the sites yet!

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Tempranillo Rose
Had this one before and really enjoyed it. Refreshing. A strong nod to France’s southern coast on this one. Light and airy never heavy. Bought one. 90pts.

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
PGC is the largest producer of Sauvignon Blanc in the WV which tells you how little is made here. This is great. Less herbaceous than New Zealand, but also not as stone fruit ripe as Napa. Sort of a nice in between that showcases the fruit and acid in balance. Nice! 90pts.

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Durant Vineyard “Bishop Block” Pommard Clone Pinot Noir
Loved this. Full of great fruitiness, but never pushing ripeness too far. Very round with that volcanic soil. Acid is in great harmony with the fruit on this wine. 92pts.

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Corrine Vineyard Wadensville Block Pinot Noir
Where other winemakers might use this purely to blend with, PGC sees a SVD wine, and I appreciate that. The wine isn’t quite as full or lively as the Durant, but it’s nonetheless a fascinating study of a single clone from a single site. 90pts.

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Dijon Clone Pinot Noir
Love this wine. There’s that chalky streak again in this wine that suits my palette. Earth and underbrush abound here with fruit and spice to match. This wine ticks every one of my boxes for Pinot noir. 93pts

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Wadensvil Clone Pinot Noir
Love this even more. Another study of clonal differences here vs the previous wine. The wine has even more of what I love and shows just how incredible the Wadensville clone can be in the right soil and site. Contender for the best Pinot noir of the entire trip. Bought a few. 95pts.

2021 Estate Vineyard Coury Clone Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir
Another lovely wine that ticks so many boxes. I still prefer the Freedom Hills, but would never be unhappy with this excellent wine. 91pts.

2021 Durant Vineyard Chardonnay
Nice, more mineral driven chardonnay compared to some of the others tasted this trip. I like it, but wished for a touch more acidity and fullness here, but it’s still a great wine in its own right. 90pts.

2022 Blueberry Wine
After reading so much about this collaboration between Patricia Green and Kelley Fox on a blueberry wine done in the style of a Pinot noir, I knew I had to try it. Jim and Caroline were kind enough to open a bottle and give a taste to all of us seated on the back patio. This is a fun wine. On the nose it’s unmistakably blueberries - like diving right into the middle of a blueberry pie. On the palate, it’s a whole other story. Your brain tells you the wine is going to be sweet blueberry juice, but the wine is bone dry, light and ethereal, the way you expect Kelly’s wines to present themselves. It’s excellent and incredibly unique. I see this working brilliantly as a dessert wine paired up with a savory/not-sweet dessert. If you’re feeling bored with the same wines over and over again, you need some of this in your cellar. 91pts.

Kelley Fox

Dustin, Kelley’s longtime assistant, recently left, and in his place is his good friend Jonathan, who is a sommelier with tons of experience at top restaurants including Grace, which was only the second restaurant in Chicago to earn the coveted three Michelin stars when it was operating. Jonathan knew Kelley’s wines inside and out, vintage by vintage, which speaks to how talented he is as a Somm.

The tasting took place in the barrel room where it’s all about the wines.

2021 Kelly Fox Mirabai Pinot Noir
A blend of Weber and Maresh Pinot, this wine represents the entry level for Kelley Fox. Heck of a deal, it outperforms so many other top level Pinots from other producers. It also shows Kelley’s lighter, more ethereal style. 92pts.

2021 Kelly Fox Pinot Blanc
Not a grape I have too much experience with, but this felt really good. Rich, but not heavy. Again, intense floral aromatics and a saline mid palette. Bought one 90pts.

2021 Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir
The grapes here come from old Ken Wright owned vines. Fruit and mineral driven here, with that lifted floral aromatic element that I find to be the common thread through all of Kelley’s wines. A great wine. 93pts.

2020 Kelley Fox Vermouth
Kelley’s answer to the challenging 2020 vintage was to produce sweet vermouth from her red grapes. I don’t drink a ton of vermouth, but this one really knocked me off my socks. Intense aromatics with a profound herbal note that really draws you in. We were told that the vermouth coats the glass in a way that you’ll need to wash it out at least three times to get it fully back to neutral, and I believe it! Bought one of these. 91pts.

Soter

Pulling up to Soter you can’t help but be taken by the breathtaking 360 degree views. The property sits high up in the Yamhill Carlton sub AVA and is situation right on the center of a major hill. You can see out for miles in every direction.

The building was the former home for Tony Soter and his wife when they moved up from California, and was later converted into the tasting room and kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen, a staff of highly skilled chefs were working away to prepare for the weekend solstice event, and man did it smell good. Slightly kicking myself for not doing the full lunch tasting here. Next time.

Having never tasted Sofer before, I was eager to try the wines. They were all hits, especially the sparkling, which really wowed me. Our guide, Troy, was great. Knowledgeable and highly personable. We left with a few bottles in tow and some awesome landscape photos too.

2022 Soter Pinot Noir Rose
Beautifully produced rose. High acidity and delicate red fruits. Refreshing. 90pts.

2020 Soter Estates Chardonnay
Another 2020 Chardonnay that shines. Lots of concentration and depth of flavor here that resembles premier cru burgundy. Loved this wine and bought a bottle to go. 93pts.

2021 Soter Estates Pinot Noir
The wine shows some of pinot’s darker fruits with good concentration and acidity to balance. Some grassy herbal notes compliment the fruit and show up in distinct waves, making this a really enjoyable Pinot experience. Lovely wine 93pts.

2020 Soter Vineyards Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir
This is the second Pinot Noir from 2020 we tasted over the course of the trip. While the 2020 Bergstrom pinot left me unimpressed, this Soter was markedly better - better as in, great! No trace of smoke on either the nose or the palette here (as far as my sense go), so huge kudos to the winemaking team that managed what seems like the impossible. Texturally, I have to say, the wine feels a little too smooth and soft, like some extra filtration may have played a role in the winemaking, but they managed to do this without stripping away flavor, fortunately. I still prefer the 2021 Pinot from Soter, but I give a lot of credit to the team for pulling off this very good wine. 91 pts.

NV Soter Vineyards Estates Brut X
The wines resembles a great champagne. Acid, fruit, toast, and the kind of refined bubbles that will definitely place this in Champagne in a blind tasting. Really impressed with this sparkling wine. Bought it plus a few other sparklers purely on the basis of how good this one is. 93pts.

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

Crushin’ it! Thanks for the notes.

[Anton_D]

The greatest tasting notes capture my imagination and alter my credit card bill.

Such a spectacular tour you took us on.

It made me go shopping.

[Bweiss]

I’ll wrap up with a list of my personal favorite wines from the trip. These are my opinion, so take it for what it’s worth. To me, these wines all showed impeccable balance of fruit and acid, restrained alcohol levels, aromatics that feel deeply alive in the glass, finish extremely long, and have either mineral or spice notes that bring added complexity to the wine. These bottles all feel age worthy as well.

Best Overall White Wines:

2021 Morgen Long X-Omni Chardonnay

2021 Violin Sojeau Chardonnay

2018 The Glories Number One

2021 Vincent Royer Chardonnay

Best Overall Roses and Skin Contact White Wines:

2021 Evening Land rose of Pinot Noir

2021 Vincent Pinot Gris

Best Overall Red Wines:

2019 Goodfellow Heritage no.16 Lewman Vineyards

2021 Evening Land Seven Springs La Source Pinot Noir

2021 Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Wadensville Clone Pinot Noir

2021 Violin Sojeau Pinot Noir

Best Overall Sparkling Wines:

Soter Vineyards Estates Brut X

Goodfellow Blanc de Blanc Brut (in progress)

[Jim_Stewart]

Wow, what a trip!

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Thanks for taking the time to write up all your notes. Great to see Will Hamilton’s Violin wines in your line-up. Up and coming for sure. Hitting Berserker favs (Goodfellow, Vincent, Patty Green) wins you style points in my eyes. They make delicious wines…and they’re great people that add important insights and meaningful support to the Berserker community.

RT

[Bweiss]

Couldn’t agree more. There’s no question the small producers are making a product that’s unquestionable higher quality than the more commercially recognizable names.

[Bweiss]

I’m considering adding another detailed segment on food and restaurants if anyone is interested!? Had some spectacular meals on the trip and you can see the region starting to become a powerhouse for foodies.

[scottkieser]

I would be interested in reading that.

[Max_S1]

Please do

[Dave_McIsaac]

It’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission

[Emery_A]

Thank you, @Bweiss for great trip notes. BTW, we exchanged notes on Bergstrom’s Sigrid in our CT conversation (@North Willis). Really great to hear your thoughts on other WV producers. Look forward to your food/restaurant impressions. Recently, we enjoyed a wonderful and creative meal at Hayward in the Mac Market collaborative space in McMinnville. Highly recommend. Small but highly and excellently curated wine list too.

[Bweiss]

Good to connect here! Who all did you see on your trip? Curious about your experience.