Twelve Blind Pinot Noirs (From Washington) See How They Taste

Some friends at Wine & Beer of Washington State recently hosted a blind tasting of Washington Pinot Noirs, inviting an assortment of wine bloggers and twitterati. Many of us dubious, given that “Washington” and “Pinot Noir” aren’t often found in the same sentence. Bean Fairbanks and the Wine & Beer of Washington State crew had put together a line up of twelve Washington Pinots and one "ringer" from Oregon. With the foil wrapped bottles lined up in front of us, we went to work.

While there was some scoffing and smug remarks about the ability of Washington to produce a worthy Pinot, these were serious Northwest wine drinkers. All kidding aside, The Washington Wine Report's Sean Sullivan and myself had both previously had the opportunity to experience the Kyra Pinot, and we both found it to our liking. So while no one is ready to demand that Oregon's Willamette Valley fork over their title as America's Best Pinot Producer, (yeah, California, I said it) we knew that there was potential out there for this varietal in Washington. In addition to the Kyra Wines Pinot, word on the street (and in the newspapers) was that very good things were happening with the Pinot Noir from James Mantone down in the Columbia Gorge at Syncline Wine Cellars.

Below I submit my quick thoughts from the evening. Some of them are a bit rough, but this was how these wines tasted to me on this particular evening.

Wine #1: Pinot is not really supposed to have tannins like this. Lots of wood?

Wine #2: Not much palate on this wine. There's not much going on. Anyone home?

Wine #3: Whoa, oaky dokey. This wine is quite harsh. Tastes like it might be oxidized or a port style wine that's been open a long time.

Wine #4: Now that's a Pinot, finally. Cherries and cranberries on the palate.

Wine #5: Very good. Might be the Kyra. Baked cherries, concentrated fruit, restrained use of oak but some toasted almond elements.

Wine #6: This has got to be the Oregon Pinot, best one of the bunch. No oak to speak of, beautiful Pinot Noir. More please.

Wine #7: This wine has a lot of green elements, not so much oak to speak of; a relief. I'm getting sour cherries.

Wine #8: Sheesh. This wine, what is the deal? Tastes like strawberry daiquiri mix, and unripe rhubarb.

Wine #9: Fairly concentrated, judicious use of oak, a pretty solid example of Pinot Noir.

Wine # 10: Hmm...Bo Derek has nothing to worry about. Way too much oak on this wine, no hope at tasting the fruit. Cherry Halls comes to mind.

Wine #11: A bit of an earthy and musty nose, aromatic wine. Flawed? Brettanomyces?

Wine #12: A rosé. Fairly good acidity with grapefruit and other citrus notes in the wine.

So the verdict? My favorite wine of the night was easily the Syncline Pinot or #6. You know, the one I said had to be from Oregon. This Pinot, produced in the Columbia Gorge from the Celilo and Underwood Mountain vineyards, was the consensus winner from every guest. The restraint on the oak and the old world approach that James Mantone uses with all of his wines really lets the fruit and terroir speak for itself. This approach, which is often referred to in this country as Burgundian, is also typically Oregonian - at least, in what I feel are Oregon's finest examples.

Second place? Kyra Wines 2008 Pinot. Not much of a surprise. Actually, I was thrilled that I guessed this wine correctly. That rarely happens for me in blind tastings. It’s a bit more heavily oaked than what I prefer from Oregon, but it's not overly done. The fruit is certainly present, the concentration is good, and Kyra does a good job of blending multiple vineyards. The Kyra 2007, which was also in the lineup this evening, didn't fair as well. This was the vintage I'd had before, and I suspect that in this case this particular bottle may have been a bit off.

Third place? This was my biggest surprise of the evening, except perhaps for the fact that the Oregon Pinot faired so poorly. Third place went to the Challenger Ridge 2006. While it didn't approach the other two it was a solid Pinot Noir. I was particularly impressed given this one came from the Puget Sound AVA, which has some unique weather challenges to wine growing. Similar to the Syncline this wine allowed the fruit to come out and really backed down on the oak. Similar to the Kyra there was a vast difference in opinion between vintages from the Challenger Ridge, the 2005 was not very impressive at all.

At the end of the evening, as we prepared for a beautiful dinner, the conclusion of the group - besides that the food looked amazing - was that Washington can indeed produce Pinot Noir. However, there isn't yet a consistency in quality like what you'll find in our neighbor to the south. That might come, and it might not. In the case of Syncline, making wine from a cool climate like the western end of the Columbia Gorge may be the ideal situation, but Kyra and Challenger Ridge certainly prove that the wine can come from all over the state. Stop asking questions and give some of it a try.

The Columbia Gorge AVA is beautiful and it might be magic

One of the perks of writing for the world famous Oregon Wine Blog is that sometimes people invite you to things. I recently attended a media trip organized by the good people at Maryhill Winery and Duo Public Relations. A few members of the print, radio and internet media were invited down for two days of exploration of both Maryhill and the greater Columbia Gorge AVA, unaware that they would unleash magic upon us.

I've been to Ithaca, NY, before and it's nice. “It’s gorges,” right? - that's the joke. Compared to the Columbia River Gorge, though, it's not so special. Unfortunately, the Columbia River Gorge is gorge, and not gorges, so that whole funny t-shirt thing doesn't really work.

The Columbia Gorge AVA is one of the Northwest's newest, designated in 2004. It's a shared AVA to boot; straddling both Washington and Oregon. I personally think sharing is good, though some folks might call that socialism. The Gorge AVA is unique on a number of levels, not the least of which is it's scenic beauty, which is unparalleled. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of pretty places in the Yakima and Willamette Valleys, but the sheer breathtaking beauty of the Gorge is hard to equal. The visual drama that plays out between the mighty Columbia River and the sheer cliffs and rolling hills that flank it make it a visual delight. Add to that the gorgeous Mt Hood and Mt. Adams and you've got one of earth's most splendid places, and not surprisingly America's first Natural Scenic Area. What most people don't know, but what I certainly figured out on this trip, is that the Columbia Gorge AVA must be a magical land.

“Magic is fake,” you scoff? I beg to differ. See, I've seen movies about magic, like the one with all the hobbits, the really long one, and the one about that kid, Hank Porterhouse, or whatever his name was. All of these movies take place in a beautiful, ominous looking place. The Gorge has that. Magical places have strange creatures; the gorge has zebras, which aren't necessarily strange on their own, but in Washington? That's weird. Volcanoes, great ominous mountains like the ones in the movies with all the hobbits, are also found in the gorge. The most magical thing though, the real magic I discovered on the trip, was what’s going on with the wine down there.


In the gorge, when it comes to wine, down is up and back is forth. What do I mean, you ask? The most amazing Pinot Noir in the gorge is coming from, wait for it... Washington. The Celilo and Underwood Mountain vineyards on the north side of the Columbia River are home to some of the highest elevation vineyards in the state. James Mantone at Syncline takes grapes from these vineyards and makes a Pinot Noir that is old world in style, like much of the wine being made at Syncline. It's elegant, beautiful, and allows the fruit to really show itself. It's the kind of Pinot that I love, but that's where the magic comes in, you see, ‘cause it’s from Washington.

Also on the Washington side of the Gorge is Maryhill Winery, a winery making 80,000 cases of wine a year; huge by Washington standards. Maryhill is most definitely the crown jewel of the Gorge when it comes to size and views. Craig and Vicki Leuthold are running this giant destination winery like a small family operation. Craig and Vicki's hands on approach and the family atmosphere they have created belies a winery making a great deal of quality wine, the pricing of which makes it a QPR bargain. Plus? They have concerts.

Craig and Vicki live upstairs and their dog Potter walks around greeting guests and barking at the wind. I don't know about you but I've been to a winery that makes tens of thousands of cases a wine of year; they have a concert thing going on there too. You know how often I've met the owners, or heard that they were living in an apartment upstairs? About as many times as I've met their family pet roaming the grounds, which is to say, never. Unless you count those peacocks.

There's more magic to be found on the Oregon side of the river, because they're growing Zinfandel. I know you thought they only grew Pinot in Oregon, but see, that’s the magic again. The Pines 1852 estate vineyards have zinfandel vines that are more than 100 years old. That's the kind of stuff you hear about from California, but not in Oregon. In addition to the beautiful zinfandel The Pines is making from these old vines, Maryhill is also making zinfandel. This is a grape that is often elusive in Washington and obviously Oregon, but you know what I'm going to say by now...superb growing conditions. Ha, gotcha! (Interestingly The Pines estate vineyard is mostly in the Columbia Gorge AVA but the AVA's boundary actually cuts right through the estate property.)

A visit to the Gorge can certainly be a magical experience. The views are once in a lifetime, the wines defy expectation and the people - from the Leutholds, or the Wright family who operate The Pines - certainly make you feel at home. The opportunity to chat with James at Syncline is worth the trip alone. But beyond that, there are a couple towns in the gorge worth a visit, including The Dalles, where we stayed. The Dalles is located quite close to Maryhill and has a few nice lodging and dining options. We stayed at The Dalles Inn, and ate at one of the most unassuming restaurants I've ever been in, The HiWay House. From the outside, The HiWay House doesn’t look like much. But inside? Damn, the food was amazing, and it boasted white tablecloths and the whole nine yards. I had a macadamia nut encrusted halibut that I was still talking about three days later. While I'm not a beef guy, the word on the street was that the prime rib was dangerously good. Walking into a place that looks sketchy from the outside and ending up with a meal that's sheer delight? Magic. Again.

I'll be chronicling my visit in separate posts on Maryhill Winery, The Pines and Syncline, but I urge you to check out the Gorge for yourself. As a year round destination it has something to offer outdoors enthusiasts from rafting to mountaineering, wine tasting, or just enjoying the hip shops and galleries of Hood River. Even if you're the laziest of people the views alone will make your trip worth while. Get down there.

The Columbia River Gorge Visitor's Association

Columbia Gorge Wine Region

Visit Hood River

The Perfect Saturday Destination - Avalon Wine

If you're reading this when it posts, it's Saturday morning and hopefully you are lounging around in pajamas, sipping a nice cup of coffee, while pondering what the day holds for you. If you are performing said activities in the greater Corvallis region, downtown needs to be your destination, oh around 11:00 AM. Why, you ask? Well let me tell you. It involves food and wine, the focal point of my existence.

Downtown Corvallis on Saturdays is the "bees knees" for greater than or equal to two reasons. First, the Farmer's Market opened last weekend for the season. The market is a fabulous opportunity to stroll, browse, carouse, see the colorful people, buy the colorful produce, and just have a great time. It closes at 1:00 PM. Head there at 11:00 AM, spend an hour, and then...

Wander to Avalon Wine, located at 201 SW 2nd Street. You see, the great thing about Avalon on Saturday is the fact that they have free wine tasting. Every Saturday. Always free. Avalon strikes a great balance between bringing in distributors who will sample a variety of wineries and local winemakers who will pour their wine and hearts out to you at the same time. Today, Avalon will be hosting Denise from Triage Wines, a local distributor specializing in fine value wines. She'll be pouring offerings from Syncline, McKinley Springs, and some french offerings.

Avalon has long been the local wine shop of choice in Corvallis for The Oregon Wine Blog, they always have a great selection of local and hard to get wines and a reasonable price. Great staff, too. We've got some exciting partnership initiatives in the works with Avalon in the near future.

So, convinced yet? Come on, get up off your butt and head downtown. I certainly would...if I weren't in the Yakima Valley for Spring Barrel Tasting at this very moment. Magic, you ask? No...just the magic of scheduling posts.

Cheers!

Le Fête de Syrah - Edgefield's Grand Celebration

At Edgefield's Celebration of Syrah last weekend, Pacific Northwest Syrah was king for a day. Actually, it was king for an entire weekend. Not the kind of king you see on those crazy Burger King commercials, either. We're talking a legitimate king, all royal like King Tut and stuff. I digress. Rick and I receive passes for the 9th Annual Celebration, an event orchastrated by the geniuses at McMenamins and hosted by their flagship Edgefield Winery.  Luckily, we were able to "squeeze" the event into our "packed" wine drinking schedule and bright and early Saturday morning we hit the road to Troutdale to Syrah it up.

If you haven't been to Edgefield, it truly is a magical place and was the perfect environment for this type of event.  An old poor farm, McMenamins has turned Edgefield into a destination resort it the mouth of the Columbia Gorge, not far from many of the Gorge wineries.  Hotel rooms?  They got 'em.  Golf?  Yep.  Fine dining restaurant?  Check.  Spa?  Purr.  A winery, distillery, brewery, and pub?  Glug glug glug.  A guy could stay there for a month and never leave the property.  They also host a summer concert series at a gorgeous setting.  Oh, did I mention that you can purchase beer and wine and wander around the entire 74-acre property?

The first event of the Celebration, which we were not able to attend, was a Gourmet Viognier Reception and Syrah Dinner. The dinner included a private reception featuring the winemaker's Viogniers followed by a multicourse dinner prepared by Edgefield's Black Rabbit Restaurant and paired with our guest winemakers' Syrahs. We heard it was phenomenal.

We joined the party for Syrah Barrel Sampling and BBQ Lunch. This was a relatively intimate event, hosted in a unique and historic ballroom in Edgefield's main building. Approximately 150 attendees crowded around 15 wine barrels throughout the room and "chewed the fat" with winemakers while tasting barrel samples of Syrah. Paired with a beef brisket lunch, chewing the fat was both a literal and figurative description. Some highlights of this barrel tasting include:

• 2008 Syncline McKinley Springs Syrah: Using fruit out of Horse Heaven Hills, this was probably my favorite of the barrel tastes.
• 2009 Spindrift Syrah: From the Seven Hills Vineyard, this was a delicious wine and even better conversation. We had been to Spindrift a few times but hadn't met Tabitha and Matt until this event. We look forward to future collaborations.
• 1998 McCrea Syrah: So clearly 1998 wasn't a barrel taste, but McCrea decided to buck the norm and bring their oldest syrah. Yum.

After a 2-hour break in which we shot pool on what had to be the largest pool table in the world (seriously, this thing was 12-feet long), we headed to the final event for the Celebration: Grand Syrah Tasting and Benefit Silent Auction.

The grand tasting was organized in more of a trade show format, with approximately 40 wineries pouring in Blackberry Hall and the adjoining circus tent. The crowd was larger than barrel tasting and the appetizers were quickly devoured, but we elbowed our way through and bellied up to some of our favorite wineries and some new ones. After another great stop to see our friends at Spindrift, we discovered the following treasures:

• Penner-Ash: Pouring a syrah with a blend of Columbia Valley and Rogue Valley fruit, the staff was nice and the wine delicious.
• Cana's Feast: Pouring a 2006 and 2007 Syrah out of Horse Heaven Hills, Cana's wine knocks it out of the park. Behind the bottle we found Patrick Taylor, the winemaker and a compatriot in our vision of bringing wine to a younger crowd.

Among my favorite components of the Celebration was the variety of audiences the three events catered to. Whether you were young, older, wine novice or an expert, one or all of these events were for you. A great setting, awesome wine, and amazing conversations. Edgefield's Celebration of Syrah. What more could we ask for?

Maybe a crown and a scepter...