Here you go doc.
Let the birthday weekend celebration begin…
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The old Pinots are fire.
How was reduction on the ‘17?
Funny my local wine shop was doing a tasting with La Combe Verte today. GM noted theyve become less reductive on the reds. Need to circle back on some of the older ones…
Next time you’re in nyc I’ll pop some for you.
Older reds have more wildness than new reds, not sure if age or style change. Not better or worse, just pref. I do think whites have gotten more reductive over time.
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Perhaps a little reductive on Day 2 or maybe served too cold straight from the fridge. Lengthy finish that persists. I’m going to let it sit for a few minutes…
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Late response but we’ll be there (with kids). Zeph’s a friend and it sounded like a good excuse to spend a weekend out in wine country.
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I rediscovered a wine box containing some older Walter Scott goodies yesterday, so what the heck I enjoyed a few bottles tonight in preparation of Oregon 2026…
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How’d the Combe Verte hold up?
At 10 years, the 2016 La Combe Verte is very enjoyable. The finish is rather lengthy. I’ll hold the remaining bottles for a few more years…
Updated to add that’s Diam 10, I think. Can’t see that close up anymore…
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Ken and Erica popped the '24 Bracken Aligoté + Chardonnay blend today for us. Shelby Perkins vineyard. They had so little crop in '24 that they decided to blend them. In '25 they bottled them separately.
What they are doing with Aligoté is akin to Lalou and WK. A true unicorn wine with amazing texture and structure. Sadly I gave the rest of the bottle to @Matt_Perry so I won’t get to try it again tomorrow. 
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In the Masters glass, just for you. Nice wine but very tight. Lots of dry extract and pucker going on. Acid is on point. Ken and I used to joke that any new Oregon Chardonnay vineyard should have 9.99% Aligote planted in it. Ken took it a step further! Kudos to @ShelbyPerkins for the hard work as well!
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Thanks! That Aligoté section is in the most burly northernmost section of Bracken - it’s great to see the vines coming along. I’m a 'gote believer - it may or may not be interplanted with my Chard.
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Sounds great James. I just pulled the 16 FH Chard, is that under Diam as well? It’s been some time since I have had one and I can’t remember.
They send out 3 bottles of X-Novo aligote annually to Wolf Pack members for $32 a bottle. It’s akin to planting Aligote in a Grand Cru vineyard. Best value in new world wine? Possibly. I’m attempting to cellar it for a decade +.
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Sorry, I’m not sure, but I would assume if the 2016 LCV was a Diam enclosure that the single vineyard bottles would be as well. Currently, I’m at HFI in MAC watching it rain, so unable to double check my bottles. If my inventory is correct, I have 6 bottles of the 2016 FH in storage. Glad to pull a bottle sometime next week whenever I get home.
Walley Scott started using Diam in the 14 vintage across all skus. At some point they moved to Origine by Diam. I think the 16s are special Chards, the lowest yields of the “warm” vintages around it. Cuvee Anne 2016 enjoyed three years ago was a very complete, and youthful wine.
See you later James!
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Honestly, I worry about Diam with WS whites. The reduction has increased over time - imo. They are well made aka well structured with acid backbones. Adding Diam on top of it makes for triple leverage.
Even the 2014 whites I’ve had still feel young.
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DIAM just needs to be accounted for in terms of the sulfur treatment. If you are at 30-35ppm you’re fine with DIAM. If you are at 60, the wine is going to be entombbed. Considering 2014 was their first DIAM vintage, it’s possible they may not have had the adjustment dialed in.
But reduction isn’t the same as sulfur. The WS wines have become more reductive over time due to the vineyard work and lower and lower yields, combined with the winemaking methods. At least that’s my belief based on talking to Ken. I don’t have a lot of experience with his older wines.
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Had a similar thought after trying a 2016 Morgen Long a couple months ago. Tasted like it was a very recent vintage and I wonder whether I’ll live to see the wines to full maturity.
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It’s definitely something I think about with this style of wine. Not sure what levels of sulphur Walter Scott is using — maybe @Andrew_K knows, but the Morgen Long wines are in the 40 - 50 ppm range. I don think whether the wines are “entombed” under Diam with 60 ppm sulfur is totally settled fact yet, although it’s definitely something I worry about. There are white Burgs under natural cork that have a similar aging trajectory — I.e. 2014 Raveneau tastes like it’s 3 years old.
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