Week 3 Virtual Tasting for Charity - Wines of Oregon - D@vid Bu3ker for Dakin Humane Society - DEC9-DEC16

[Max_S1]

I sure hope you can taste the stems in 100% whole cluster! Because it’s so much more work than destemmed, or even partially destemmed, fruit that I would cry(shoot myself) if you couldn’t!

Ha! Just in the past couple days I’m actually placing that taste. Now that I do taste it, it amazes me how present and obvious it feels. Looking forward to drinking more of your wine over Christmas!

[ChrisJames]

2018 Patricia Green Cellars
Freedom Hill Vineyard
Pommard Clone

Was part of my fall club shipment. Intended to let these sleep but I have two so why not!

Anise, the good kind of licorice on the nose. Maybe some allspice.

The first sip is just classic yummy pommard. Dark cherry is the immediate flavor on the palate. Long finish almost a touch spicy. Not sure if the tannin or the alcohol.

Look forward to seeing how this evolved in the decanter over next few hours. Assuming my wife doesn’t drink it too fast!

E688BAFB-D11B-4173-A0D2-01C81DCE043A.jpeg

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Damn Joshua! You should comb your hair more often.

You don’t like my Afro?

Uh, er, yeah, of course I do! And you are very handsome with it combed back too.

[JDavisRoby]

I sure hope you can taste the stems in 100% whole cluster! Because it’s so much more work than destemmed, or even partially destemmed, fruit that I would cry(shoot myself) if you couldn’t!

Ha! Just in the past couple days I’m actually placing that taste. Now that I do taste it, it amazes me how present and obvious it feels. Looking forward to drinking more of your wine over Christmas!

I probably taste it in Todd’s wines more than any other whole cluster wine I drink. Not sure why.

[James_Lyon]

2014 Patricia Green Cellars Balcombe Pinot Noir

A little darker than the 2013 PGC BC. Nose is more expressive. Darker fruited, more blueberry notes than anything to me. Not a lot of spice or volcanic soil notes for the Dundee Hills to my taste. Perhaps a little on the nose and some spice on the back end. Although it’s starting to build on the back end. Overall, a wonderful wine and interesting contrast to the 2013 PGC BC last night. The BC did fill out tonight and added some orange rind notes.

Once again, the 2018 Goodfellow Dundee Hills Chardonnay paired perfectly with our dinner of fish tacos featuring leftover Sea Bass from last night’s dinner. Mouthwatering and definitely a candidate for best value Chardonnay in the world.

Full disclosure, the 2017 PGC Dry Muscat Ottonel was opened on Sunday night before the Christmas show gathering at the local restaurant.

And I’m a big fan of the 2016 PGC Balcombe Mortimer Cooke Memorial Pinot Noir as well. Structure for days and should be kicking for a long time. I was planning to open one this weekend. Needs lots of time or decant.

[Max_S1]

I sure hope you can taste the stems in 100% whole cluster! Because it’s so much more work than destemmed, or even partially destemmed, fruit that I would cry(shoot myself) if you couldn’t!

Ha! Just in the past couple days I’m actually placing that taste. Now that I do taste it, it amazes me how present and obvious it feels. Looking forward to drinking more of your wine over Christmas!

I probably taste it in Todd’s wines more than any other whole cluster wine I drink. Not sure why.

Interesting, I’m definitely going to pay a lot more attention to this in future bottles now that I know what I’m looking for.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

Trio of Oregon Rieslings tonight.

Ours was open from a “to go” tasting, and I just liked having it in the photo with the Paetra and Pierce Rieslings, but I am going to skip a TN on it.

The other two are two excellent producers of a grape that is under recognized in Oregon. Germany is Germany, but I enjoy being able to be both a homer and have my Riesling itch scratched by these wines.

The 2016 Paetra Yamhill-Carlton Riesling is a more golden color and moving into secondary tones as well. There is a lovely meld of orchard fruit, diesel, and bees wax. It’s a bit luxurious in the palate, and definitely has the feeling of being very much in the window. Soft throughout the palate, with very pleasant acids and a light touch on the finish.

2018 Pierce Riesling-a bit of backstory. Jess Pierce is an awesome person, who also was a Portland somm for quite a few years(Ned Ludd), and is now the Oregon sales person for Walter Scott. She also makes a few hundred cases of dynamite Riesling. The vineyard is Van Horn in the Columbia Gorge AVA. 18g/l of RS is balanced by a pH of 2.95(TA is 9.2 g/l).
I love this wine. It’s clean lines, beatiful texture, super refreshing acidity. Just the right balance of acids to RS for my palate. It’s quite bright and citrusy refreshing finish makes me just want more. And it was a perfect partner to the Thai green curry mussels we had after the oysters. I usually trade Jess a case or 6-pack and while it may age, I am always out when we trade the next time.

[Scott_Tallman]

Trio of Oregon Rieslings tonight.

Ours was open from a “to go” tasting, and I just liked having it in the photo with the Paetra and Pierce Rieslings, but I am going to skip a TN on it.

The other two are two excellent producers of a grape that is under recognized in Oregon. Germany is Germany, but I enjoy being able to be both a homer and have my Riesling itch scratched by these wines.

The 2016 Paetra Yamhill-Carlton Riesling is a more golden color and moving into secondary tones as well. There is a lovely meld of orchard fruit, diesel, and bees wax. It’s a bit luxurious in the palate, and definitely has the feeling of being very much in the window. Soft throughout the palate, with very pleasant acids and a light touch on the finish.

2018 Pierce Riesling-a bit of backstory. Jess Pierce is an awesome person, who also was a Portland somm for quite a few years(Ned Ludd), and is now the Oregon sales person for Walter Scott. She also makes a few hundred cases of dynamite Riesling. The vineyard is Van Horn in the Columbia Gorge AVA. 18g/l of RS is balanced by a pH of 2.95(TA is 9.2 g/l).
I love this wine. It’s clean lines, beatiful texture, super refreshing acidity. Just the right balance of acids to RS for my palate. It’s quite bright and citrusy refreshing finish makes me just want more. And it was a perfect partner to the Thai green curry mussels we had after the oysters. I usually trade Jess a case or 6-pack and while it may age, I am always out when we trade the next time.

7801BEE6-C87C-44FC-BAB3-EAF5A7674268.jpeg

Thanks for the Pierce note. I tasted some of her first vintage at Walter Scott a few years ago at the end of a long tasting day, so didn’t have a great take on it. Need to try again. Agree with you that even though I love German Riesling, Oregon Riesling (yours, Paetra, Ovum, Love & Squalor) absolutely scratches my Riesling itch.

[Scott_Tallman]

2010 PGC Four Winds Vineyard Pinot Noir

I’ve drank plenty of Crowley Four Winds Vineyard Chardonnay, which is great. Despite owning various vintages of Pinot from this vineyard, this is the first one I’ve actually tasted. Decanted half the bottle for about 45 minutes. On first sniff, plentiful red fruits (cherry & cranberry), a touch of earth and what I can only call the “Cameron funk.” I’ve learned over the years that the Cameron funk is either a love it or hate it thing, but I’m firmly in the love it camp. On the palate, the tannins are well integrated. Lithe with plentiful red fruits, earth, spice, and (yes) the Cameron funk, which dissipated over time, but never quite disappeared.

This wine was really in my wheelhouse (if blinded, I would have guessed Cameron’s Arley’s Leap, which is great company IMO). We only planned to drink half the bottle tonight, but this is going down so easy it may not live to see Friday. Wish I had more than this bottle as it has years ahead of it. Kudos Jim!

Pics below of the wine and our rescue, Noci.

I could tell Four Winds Vineyard stories for hours. Seriously. I will attempt to quick take the one most relevant here.

We started farming FW in 1997. Farmed it through 2006 and kept buying the fruit through 2011. So, I know it well. It always had funk. Lots of times it smelled of anise and fennel in fermenter. It was never super fruit driven (the 2008 tastes like Nebbiolo actually). One day, probably back in the 2005ish era, we had a pack of UCD kids come to the winery. We barrel tasted and when we got to the FW I could tell there was some whispering and mumbling going on. I knew what they were thinking and talking about. I said, “what do you think (knowing what the response was going to be)” and finally someone chirped up and said, “we think it has Brett.” I took $100 out of my wallet and put it on the table and said, “I will run a panel on this and if it has an appreciable amount of Brett I will send you all $100, if not you only have to get $100 between you all to send to me.” There were like a dozen of them. No takers.

The difference between school work and winemaking.

That’s a great story. Need to see if I can source any of your older vintages from FW, and pop some of the Crowley FW Pinots to get a better sense of the vineyard.

Now that I’ve drank a bit more, it definitely has funk, but not the kind I’d associate with brett.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

2006 Cameron Nebbiolo, Bottle #031

Nice bright dark red color with a touch of bronze. Dried herbs, tobacco…hold the roses and tar. For Cameron, there’s a noticeable slug of neutral wood. Sappy integrated fruit with focused acidity, moderate length and rubbing tannins. Good bones/structure and plenty of life…probably another 10+ years in front of it. No heat (13.4% abv). Reminds me of a rich, new worldy Valtellina, minus the terra. Paired well with roast leg of lamb (garlic butter, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper) cooked on top of a bed of yukon gold potatoes. Pretty sure Cameron was an original member of the D.R.C.?

RT

He and Russ Raney are the co-founders. And John still sits on the board.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

Trio of Oregon Rieslings tonight.

Ours was open from a “to go” tasting, and I just liked having it in the photo with the Paetra and Pierce Rieslings, but I am going to skip a TN on it.

The other two are two excellent producers of a grape that is under recognized in Oregon. Germany is Germany, but I enjoy being able to be both a homer and have my Riesling itch scratched by these wines.

The 2016 Paetra Yamhill-Carlton Riesling is a more golden color and moving into secondary tones as well. There is a lovely meld of orchard fruit, diesel, and bees wax. It’s a bit luxurious in the palate, and definitely has the feeling of being very much in the window. Soft throughout the palate, with very pleasant acids and a light touch on the finish.

2018 Pierce Riesling-a bit of backstory. Jess Pierce is an awesome person, who also was a Portland somm for quite a few years(Ned Ludd), and is now the Oregon sales person for Walter Scott. She also makes a few hundred cases of dynamite Riesling. The vineyard is Van Horn in the Columbia Gorge AVA. 18g/l of RS is balanced by a pH of 2.95(TA is 9.2 g/l).
I love this wine. It’s clean lines, beatiful texture, super refreshing acidity. Just the right balance of acids to RS for my palate. It’s quite bright and citrusy refreshing finish makes me just want more. And it was a perfect partner to the Thai green curry mussels we had after the oysters. I usually trade Jess a case or 6-pack and while it may age, I am always out when we trade the next time.

7801BEE6-C87C-44FC-BAB3-EAF5A7674268.jpeg

Thanks for the Pierce note. I tasted some of her first vintage at Walter Scott a few years ago at the end of a long tasting day, so didn’t have a great take on it. Need to try again. Agree with you that even though I love German Riesling, Oregon Riesling (yours, Paetra, Ovum, Love & Squalor) absolutely scratches my Riesling itch.

Those are my go to producers as well, but the Pierce is a favorite even among them. Ovum, when it’s on, is on another level. But we drank a case of 2017 and 2018 Pierce and every bottle was just delicious.

[Pau1_M3nk3s]

Had this with a first night feast of matzo ball soup, latkes, brisket and fixins, and sufganiyot for dessert.

• 2014 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Balcombe Vineyard Dundee Hills - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (12/10/2020)
  Dark red color. Nose is funky, along with pine and cherry. Palate has spice and dark cherry with a bit of savory character. Excellent.

Posted from CellarTracker

[David_Bu3ker]

Now how do I source some of that Pierce Riesling, and then smuggle it into the house…

[Jim_Anderson]

2010 PGC Four Winds Vineyard Pinot Noir

I’ve drank plenty of Crowley Four Winds Vineyard Chardonnay, which is great. Despite owning various vintages of Pinot from this vineyard, this is the first one I’ve actually tasted. Decanted half the bottle for about 45 minutes. On first sniff, plentiful red fruits (cherry & cranberry), a touch of earth and what I can only call the “Cameron funk.” I’ve learned over the years that the Cameron funk is either a love it or hate it thing, but I’m firmly in the love it camp. On the palate, the tannins are well integrated. Lithe with plentiful red fruits, earth, spice, and (yes) the Cameron funk, which dissipated over time, but never quite disappeared.

This wine was really in my wheelhouse (if blinded, I would have guessed Cameron’s Arley’s Leap, which is great company IMO). We only planned to drink half the bottle tonight, but this is going down so easy it may not live to see Friday. Wish I had more than this bottle as it has years ahead of it. Kudos Jim!

Pics below of the wine and our rescue, Noci.

I could tell Four Winds Vineyard stories for hours. Seriously. I will attempt to quick take the one most relevant here.

We started farming FW in 1997. Farmed it through 2006 and kept buying the fruit through 2011. So, I know it well. It always had funk. Lots of times it smelled of anise and fennel in fermenter. It was never super fruit driven (the 2008 tastes like Nebbiolo actually). One day, probably back in the 2005ish era, we had a pack of UCD kids come to the winery. We barrel tasted and when we got to the FW I could tell there was some whispering and mumbling going on. I knew what they were thinking and talking about. I said, “what do you think (knowing what the response was going to be)” and finally someone chirped up and said, “we think it has Brett.” I took $100 out of my wallet and put it on the table and said, “I will run a panel on this and if it has an appreciable amount of Brett I will send you all $100, if not you only have to get $100 between you all to send to me.” There were like a dozen of them. No takers.

The difference between school work and winemaking.

That’s a great story. Need to see if I can source any of your older vintages from FW, and pop some of the Crowley FW Pinots to get a better sense of the vineyard.

Now that I’ve drank a bit more, it definitely has funk, but not the kind I’d associate with brett.

Maybe you’ll get one as your replacement bottle. I’ll have to ask Wine Santa if you’ve been naughty.

[Rick_Allen]

We did a Zoom dinner with with Board member Mike Passo and shared a couple wines from Mike’s cellar:

2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Balcombe Block 1B Somewhat cloudy, medium garnet color. The aroma was cherry, raspberry with some Cristom brett showing. On the palate, the wine shows cherries, raspberries, the same brett note, a hint of Cameron funk, very smooth, no noticeable tannins, great mouthfeel, very nice finish. This wine is well balanced and IMO fully mature.

2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Bonshaw Similar appearance to the Balcombe. The aroma was more dark-fruited - blackberries, cherries with the same brett showing. On this palate, this wine showed the darker fruits along with the same brett note. This wine was slightly chunky, with some tannins peeking out, great mouthfeel, somewhat acidic finish. I don’t think this wine improves from where it is right now.

I preferred the Balcombe, but both were very nice wines and represented the much maligned 2007 vintage very well. I generally like my wines a little younger, but these were great!

We also drank,

2014 Walter Scott Chardonnay Cuvee Anne Clear, pale yellow, lemon curd and pear aromas and flavors with some toasty notes coming through on the palate, balanced acidity, great mouthfeel, very nice, long finish. This wine has a few years to go, though it’s drinking great right now.

[Fred_Bower]

Because it hadn’t been properly put away, the 2017 Domaine Drouhin Laurene got opened last night. This wine always benefits from some cellar time to my tastes, but it is often a very compelling try-at-release wine too.

This one was aromatically showing cherry and strawberry with some spice notes. Palate was all raspberry/strawberry/cherry at first and started to show some black cherry and something floral between violet and rose after a time. I left half for tonight and will report back if there is a drastic change but this one bodes well for future enjoyment. Recommended now and later.

Cheers,
fred

[Dennis_Atick]

A couple form last night:

• 2015 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir Fir Crest - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (12/11/2020)
  FWIW- this one appeared to be in a better spot than my first bottle last spring. Some mild stem notes and wispy red fruit scents. While still somewhat tight, it has a good bit of finesse. Excellent weight and texture. Tart and tight through the middle, with a lingering tart and red fruited finish. Nice wine with some upside still.
• 2015 Longplay Pinot Noir Jory Bench Reserve Lia’s Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains (12/10/2020)
  Full throttle. Not really speaking of a place. Rich. Ripe. Nose shows some oak and baking spices. Red berry fruit and some cola. It has nice weight on the palate, just a bit fruit forward (for me) right now. I Can see it being a crowd pleaser.Maybe can age a bit? See how it unwinds tonight.
  Posted from CellarTracker

[Keith_A_k_e_r_s]

• 2017 Drouhin Oregon Roserock Pinot Noir Zephirine - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (12/10/2020)
  Nose: The nose is perfumed, fresh, and lifted with red cherries, strawberries, plums, raspberries, clove spices, rose petals, crushed rocks, baking spices, herbs, and potpourri. As this opens up, it shows more and more depth with a good bit of elegance.

Taste: The feel is Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The feel is polished and elegant with red cherries, plums, raspberries, clove spices, rose petals, crushed rocks, potpourri, and herbs.

Overall: This really began to open up after 4 hours. There is an elegance to the red fruits that is really deep and enjoyable with a long lasting finish. There is definitely room for this to grow with 5+ years of aging. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[Sean_S]

• 2019 Paetra Riesling - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (12/11/2020)
  Great Dry Riesling. This wine is beyond bone dry and light pale yellow in the class. No petrol notes here, maybe a hint of flint. Bright lemon and green apple with chiseled acidity end to end. Nothing complex but a really quaffable wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

We did a Zoom dinner with with Board member Mike Passo and shared a couple wines from Mike’s cellar:
2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Balcombe Block 1B

I preferred the Balcombe, but both were very nice wines and represented the much maligned 2007 vintage very well. I generally like my wines a little younger, but these were great!

I remember that Balcombe 1B being seriously tasty. Probably my favorite PGC Pinot bottling. Glad to here it’s held up nicely.

RT

[Lee_Short]

The 2016 Paetra Yamhill-Carlton Riesling is a more golden color and moving into secondary tones as well. There is a lovely meld of orchard fruit, diesel, and bees wax. It’s a bit luxurious in the palate, and definitely has the feeling of being very much in the window. Soft throughout the palate, with very pleasant acids and a light touch on the finish.

Heh. I also jumped on the Paetra bandwagon and opened the 2016 Yamhill-Carlton Riesling. Here’s my note: there’s great acidity showing in this wine, leading to a persistent mineral / petrol streak on the finish. The attack shows clean white fruits, and the mineral notes come in quickly on the midpalate. There’s just a hint of sweetness, but more than enough acid to offset it. Very pleasing overall. I like this better than a bottle tasted shortly after release. Drinking so well now, it seems like it could be at peak — but I have no track record with the wines, so it’s hard for me to judge.