Your thoughts on recent vintages of OR pinot

WINE TALK
1

Just figured I’d check in and see what you’re drinking and enjoying versus holding. Some of you have really deep cellars but I only have OR pinot in any reasonable quantity from 2007 onward, with sporadic bottles from earlier years. So I will only try to generalize from 2007 onward. I lean toward the lean side in terms of producers so take that for what it’s worth.

Here is what I’m finding:

2007: drinking great but I’m holding most of mine to allow secondary characteristics to develop and in other cases to let some of the oak integrate (e.g., DDO Laurene).

2008: finally starting to unfold a bit. A year ago I regretted opening most of the bottles I checked as they were pretty closed. I’ve had some success in the last few months but still feel like it’s too early to find many good wines peaking. Still pretty primary but starting to strut their stuff.

2009: for the most part I am drinking these up. I bought selectively in 2009 and so I’m actually enjoying many of these wines. Eyrie showing very well, for example. No guilt on my part enjoying them early.

2010: my favorite vintage from Oregon in the 2000’s. Showed great upon release and continue to do so. Some called them a bit thin in the mid-palate upon release, but low yields and cool-ish weather combined to create lithe wines with just enough sappy texture and plenty of acid to make me giddy. I have heard people talk about wines “picking up weight” and it seems like this has happened w/ the 10’s. Or maybe it’s just in comparison to the 11’s. I think these wines will age well but I am having trouble keeping my hands off of them. Good thing I bought a ton.

2011: this vintage is all about faith for me. Faith that cool years that aren’t too dilute from rain will make great wines down the road. That varietal character will show through and provide complexity with age that may not be as evident upon release. I didn’t enjoy many of the 11’s that I opened early just to check on. They can be shrill, whereas most of the 07s I bought tended to be a bit light but not overly assertive. I consider 11 to be a more concentrated, slightly more structured version of 07. Over the past few months I am finding them to be more approachable. My plan is to try and hold them for secondary traits but to pop them for special meals along the way.

2012: I haven’t tasted extensively but I’d say the wines from my favorite producers are quite good and seem to have both the fruit and structure to age for a long time. For personal reasons I am largely out of the market and would buy a bit more if money weren’t an issue. I tend toward AFWE style wines but sometimes I enjoy something rich and juicy, so variety in the cellar is just fine.

2

I’m onboard with enjoying even years (including '06 at the time). Although I’ve had a few '11 Thomas and love it.

3

2007 - There’s wrong and there’s WTF wrong. Underperformers are not uncommon, but for the AFWE Pinot lover looking for value (when they were available)…“jackpot”.

2008 - Entry level has been strong. A few more years will certainly help. These are slowly entering the window.

2009 - Pretty much skipped it. Good wines to be found.

2010 -

2011 - A gorgeous vintage in the making. Patience required as it had an awkward youth. Many wines are still a little angular/disjointed.

2012 - Home run vintage for some. On average, more “obvious” than my preference. Not a vintage I’ll turn down, but one to buy selectively.

RT

4

Am pretty much in agreement with you Ron.

2007: Loved the Thomas and Soter MSR. Wished I had more.
2008: Agree with your assessment. The few I’ve open were still too tight, Auteur Shea being an exception.
2009: People I know are drinking these now and really enjoying them. One of the best pinot I’ve had this year was an '09 Thomas.
2010: Haven’t had enough to voice an opinion. I should probably buy more though.
2011: Yes, a faith-based vintage. I have a hunch that some of these (Arterberry Maresh, Brittan, Thomas) will be extraordinary in years to come. Jim Maresh is very keen on this vintage–more than 2012.
2012: I’m still on the fence. I think they may be over-hyped–at least for my palate. Sure, they will be crowd pleasers, but I want more precision, grip, tension. I believe it was Peter Rosback, Sinnean that said he found them uniformly delicious, and deliciously uniform. If I want a rich, juicy pinot, I look to California.

5

While not exactly a recent vintage I am finding 2004 to be drinking well now.

6

2007: Foolishly I drank most of mine because I had bought into the hype that they would be short lived. But an amazing year for under valued gems. Too bad most are long gone from the shelves and my cellar.
2008: Haven’t revisited many because pretty much all of them seemed to need time. For the most part I’m not really even looking at these right now, but I think long term they’ll be great. For now it seems to be best to just forget about them for a few more years.
2009: I love these now. A lot. Will they be long lived? Will they get better? My guess is that I’ll likely never find out with most of the wines since they’re so good right now and I’m burning through them.
2010: I’m with Ron on these. This could end up being one of the truly stellar years.
2011: I’m a believer in these, but think they’ll need time. Being sandwiched between 2010 and 2012, my guess is that they’ll be overlooked by most people and might become great bargains. Despite their reputation, I think ultimately most of the wines from reliable producers will become gems and possibly overshadow other more touted vintages (like 2012).
2012: Maybe it’s my contrary nature, but I’m afraid it might be a bit over hyped as well. There are certainly a lot of great wines out there. Because of the press and the riper style I’m sure they’ll disappear pretty quickly. But at this point I’m not a 100% believer that this will ever be my favorite vintage. But yeah, I bought a fair amount of them, so I guess I must have some faith.

7

Ron, I would mostly agree with your assessment of the recent Oregon vintages. I’ve been collecting (and drinking) Oregon Pinots for over 30 years. I’ve saved a few bottles from the 90s mostly for historical perspective but try to stay on top of drinking most of them while in my sweet spot. I like both the ripe and juicy Cali styled ones and the leaner more ethereal vintages. Some recent high spots include the wines below. jfagan on CT for full notes. Some I’ve had again since writing the note in CT but unless its showing differently I usually don’t write and additional note:
2005 Ken Wright Canary Hill Magnum 93 pts 2015-2018
2004 Ken Wright Savoya Magnum 93 now-2017
2002 Patricia Green Balcombe B 94 now-2018
2006 Patricia Green 4 Winds 93 spot on right now and one of the best '06s Ive had
2006 Patricia Green Estate OV 92 2014-2018
2007 Patricia Green Estate OV 91 now-2016
2006 Sineann Resonance Reserve 92 now-2015 This is a big boy!
2002 Sineann Phelps Creek 93 now-2016

YMMV

8

Baby killer!

I just had my first this past weekend. It is, indeed, nice. Even nicer, since it wasn’t one of my bottles.

9

First of all, in OR Pinot, producer matters a lot to me in terms of style prefences.

2007: Drinking pretty well now, but some producers really struggled to achieve phenolic maturity. Moisture and rot were issues too, so the key is to be selective.

2008: Powerful wines that achieved ripeness with relative ease. Wines are just coming out of their shells and should be optimal in 2-3 years from now for me.

2009: Easy-going immediate vintage. I really like the balance of 2009s.

2010: Really strong vintage that showcases balance. Cooler than some may prefer, but my style.

2011: The best wines for my palate show wonderful transparency and finesse; the worst are an absolute mess. Lively acidity- more so than 2007 to me- which bodes well for well-balanced wines’ ability to age.

2012: Most expensive vintage for OR on release but the wines are quite good. Reminds me of 2009 in Burgundy. These possess good ripeness and a lot of dry extract.

10

< 2002: I don’t have much; but, what I have I’m in no hurry to open.
2002: Based on the post IPNC tasting, there is no rush on these.
2003: I only have a handful left. They will get killed-off after I ensure that all the '06’s and '04’s are gone. Jim Anderson is right.
2004: Drink-up.
2005: Still waiting for the big guns to strut their stuff. Many entry level wines were fantastic. I have high hopes here; however, it will require more patience.
2006: Drink or sell.
2007: Very happy to own a fair amount of this vintage. Most likely in a sweet spot right now.
2008: As others have mentioned, entry level wines starting to show promise (i.e., Crowley Willamette Valley). Otherwise, forgetaboutit for at least another 5 years.
2009: Bought very little.
2010: Very pretty vintage. Drinking sparingly/selectively. Will probably focus more attention here, after my '07’s are depleted.
2011: As mentioned on other threads, many similarities with '07, but '11 is better. There could be some real sleepers here, as Rachel alludes to above. Not Pinot, but the '11 Cameron WV Chard is phenominal QPR.
2012: No doubt about, there were some fantastic wines made. If you are in the AFWE camp, taste before buying, as some will most likely be over the top. I am asking myslelf, however, could this be another 1994, producing wines that could still be drinking wonderfully in 20+ years?

11

I have only a couple from 2005 and 2006 left. Can’t generalize as I don’t drink enough Oregon Pinots but I did really enjoy a taste of a 2009 Sineann Wyeast Pinot Noir last weekend and may open a few more from that vintage while I save my 2008s.

12

2006: Drinking what few bottles I have left, with some pleasant surprises. The well-made wines held together quite nicely and are losing their exuberant, fleshy ripeness slowly but surely.

2007: I firmly believe the critics who dogged this vintage are now showing to be morons. I’ve been selective of my purchases but have had so many wonderful wines that truly showcase WV pinot.

2008: Peeks of brilliance here and there (2008 Elk Cove La Boheme - stunning) but the wines are coming along slowly. A few more years in the cool, dark cellar will do them fine.

2009: Avoided. I tasted so many messed up wines ranging from stylistic (high abv) to downright flawed (VA/EA, sulfide). Two of the best 2009’s I’ve had were the Eyrie Original Vines and Scott Paul Dix.

2010: Trying to hold off and having a tough time of it, but I keep reminding myself that they WILL get better and this could be “The Year” for people who are relatively new to Oregon wines.

2011: Gorgeous vintage. One of my favorites, but picking the right producers is critical because I’ve had a lot of flawed wines here too. Lots of yeast stress issues seem to be plaguing some of my favorites. That said, there are gorgeous, nuanced wines with long lives ahead of them that one can find.

2012: Big fruit, super accessible, and a whole lot of fun. Most 2012’s I’ve had are ready to go now, but there are plenty for whom that extra sun meant thicker skins and more tannins. I’m saving a nice stash for drinking after 2020.

2013: I am looking forward to seeing how these wines are viewed by the board and more importantly, the general public. There were some marvelous wines made in 2013 as well as some clunkers.

13

This is fun! I’ll play, too. We experience real vintage variation here in Oregon. I tell people we have something like 3 sorts of vintages: “Burgundian” vintages (2001, maybe 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011), California vintages (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 (especially) and classic Oregon
vintages (1999, 2002, 2008). This is too simple a reduction, I’ll admit, but it helps explain our vintage variation to the uninitiated.

2001 and earlier: Probably all should be consumed, with some '99’s able to go longer.

2002: Many prime, some just entering their better days.

2003: Hanging on well, though a bit soft in the acidity department. Ripe, high alcohol vintage.

2004: Probably as good as they will be. 2004 was a precocious vintage. Drink up.

2005: Just entering prime drinking. Finally. I’ve been waiting on these. A medium intensity, balanced (alcohol, acids, tannins) vintage that has rewarded aging.

2006: Not sure where this one is going yet. As Jim Anderson has said, the wines have a sappiness that may let them hang on to reward patient aging. Ripe, high alcohol vintage.

2007: Certainly made the critics look bad (and seemed to incline them to pull their punches on 2011) as many of the wines turned out well. That said, it is certainly a lesser vintage than most (except for all the deals it resulted in) and evidently precocious. I wonder if these will age well as they are fairly drinkable now and don’t have the stuffing to go really long.

2008: As many have written, many years away from prime. Forget about them for another five years or so.

2009: Another precocious vintage, somewhat like 2004. A little too young to consider drinking (I think they’ll get better), they wouldn’t be a bad choice if you had only vintages 2007 to 2012 to choose from.

2010: Maybe 2005-like? A long aging vintage likely. Medium intensity, good structure for aging.

2011: Many losers and some real beauties. 2011 was a difficult vintage. Those that are good should age very well.

2012: Our first truly California vintage. Dark, ripe, high alcohol. The acids and tannins seem to be in balance so these may age well. I remember people saying how the 1992’s (another California-like vintage, earliest harvest to date) would not age. Turned out they aged well. 1994 was similar to 2012, but not as extreme. A very small crop size dictated 1994’s qualities to a great extent.

2013: Expect there to be some real variation from this vintage. A huge rain event before the Pinot was fully ripe made harvest timing very important in 2013. A few picked before the rains (and have a green edge as the tannins were not “ripe”), many picked during or shortly after (as the threat of rot loomed greatly) and a few picked at the end of October after weeks of gorgeous fall weather. Way too early to gauge aging potential in general…

Peter Rosback

Sineann (ITB)

14

I’m all ears or eyes, so keep posting. Late to the game here in the modern era. Just to say that after having an '07 Antica Terra PN, I became a believer in the vintage several years ago and now buy all I can find. '09 are fruity and pleasurable, moving on to the '10s, I just drank some clonal 113, 114, & 115 Willakenzie that exhibit some of the best bright fruit over fruitiness from them. Now buying '11s for the future and '12s for drinking now.

15

Sad to read this thread without the word shitty in it. I miss Bob. [cry.gif]

</Thread drift>

16

Thanks for playing Peter! Maybe a touch simple (undoubtedly from a winemaker’s perspective [cheers.gif]), but it’s an excellent way to get the point across.

RT

17

This thread got me thinking what do I have on hand for OR Pinot and what should I be targeting for consumption and purchasing:

750 1500 3000 Total
1990 1 1
1992 5 5
1994 2 2
1998 2 2 4
1999 6 1 7
2000 4 4
2002 1 1
2003 2 1 3
2004 1 1
2005 11 5 16
2006 17 4 21
2007 37 4 41
2008 178 21 1 200
2009 41 2 43
2010 23 23
2012 25 25
Total 356 40 1 397

18

That’s quite the large stash, especially of 2008s! Clearly you need to buy what you like, but I see no 11’s as a glaring hole and one that can be rectified given that 12’s will likely sell out before 11’s. If you’ve got the patience to hold those 2008s then I would be you’ll be happy with 11’s in a similar amount of time.

19

Interesting thread. We do have a lot of vintage variation in Oregon, but there is a lot of variation within the vintage as well.
2012 may be a California vintage for Peter, but for me it’s a just a small cluster vintage. Intensely flavored and structured with much more in common with 2008 than 2006. 2011 Matello Souris abv is 13.0%, while the 2012 Souris is 13.2%. The highest abv Pinot Noir I produced in 2012, Bishop Creek at 13.8%, is only 1.2% higher than the lowest abv red wine I made in 2011, the coolest vintage I have experienced. I feel like my wines have experienced much less drastic variation between vintages as the age of the vines I work with has pushed north of 20 years.

That said, I think 06, 07, and oddly, 08 are vintages where my wines are drinking well now. 04, 05, 09, 10, and 11 are still improving.
12 is just releasing and shows beautiful fruit that is fun to drink, but also plenty of structure.
03 depends upon the wine…03 Souris is lovely, 03 Hommage tastes like a mediocre Amarone…

20

Marcus, there’s no question that vineyard sites and management make a big difference within vintages. The California vintages seem to be those where ripeness could “take off” if not for regular vigilance (and available labor). This opposed to the Burg vintages where nail-biting and alka-seltzer rule the day with daily prayers (sacrifices?) in hopes of just a little more ripening.

Your wines tend to run on the cooler side of average, just where you (and definitely I) prefer them. [cheers.gif]

RT