Believe the Hype...Jon Martinez and Maison Bleue Winery

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know about Maison Bleue wines before four or five months ago. I learned about them when I did a post on some of the amazing white wines Kana Winery has been making. A reader sent me an email to tell me that if I didn't know the Roussanne that Maison Bleue was making, I didn't know diddly. I hate to admit this, but it would seem that at the time, I didn't know diddly. But I'm a quick learner.

I contacted Jon and asked about buying his Roussanne; they were all sold out in Seattle and I couldn't get my hands on one. Jon did me one better and sent me samples of six wines, opening up a can of elegant Rhone tradition whoopass on my ignorant palate. The wines Jon sent me included two bottles of Syrah, two bottles of Grenache and one bottle each of Viognier and Roussane. Believe me when I tell you that Maison Bleue is making some of the best Rhone style wines at their price point in the state of Washington, and maybe some of the best such wines regardless of price. All of the wines Jon sent me were 2008s. Given that, I can only imagine how Jon's earlier releases are drinking right now.

Jon's wine and his philosophy show a deeply respectful nod to tradition while also showcasing the excellent terroir of Washington. His mission is "True dedication to purity of fruit and distinction of site." That results in single-AVA and mostly single-vineyard varietals from sites within the Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, and Snipes Mountain AVAs. Jon is using acclaimed vineyards Alder Ridge, Boushey and Olsen Estates, to name a few.

All of this commitment to tradition would lead you to the conclusion that Jon's wine education came from a legendary wine experience in the old world. You'd be close. Jon got his start in Kansas, as a dentist. So it's pretty much the story you're used to.

The two Syrahs, the Liberte ($39) from Boushey Vineyards and La Roque ($25) from Alder Ridge and Wallula Vineyards, were two very different expressions of 2008 Washington Syrah. The Boushey fruit brought the characteristic beauty of Washington Syrah, while the Horse Heaven Hills Syrah was a bolder, spicier exemplar of what is traditionally a hot site, even in a cool year. Jon's Syrahs are more refined than you will often find, and I was very impressed with what he did with this HHH fruit. These are the first of 2008 Syrah that I've had the pleasure to drink and I was really impressed where these wines were in such a short time.

The Grenaches were a real treat. Jon sent the 2008 La Montagnette ($25) from Alder Ridge and the Le Midi ($29) from Boushey Vineyards. Both of these wines were blended with a tiny bit of Syrah for color, which also adds to the structure of the wine. These were two of the most deep garnet and beautiful wines I've laid eyes on. The balance on the wines and the acidity made them incredible with food.

The whites were both amazing wines, the La Vallee du Soleil ($25) Roussanne from Olsen Vineyard and the Notre Vie ($20) Viognier. The Viognier is one of the best I've had, and at $20, it's phenomenally priced. It's got brighter fruit notes, which are typical of the varietal, and hails from a vineyard I've never heard of: Art Den Hoed Vineyard. The Roussanne, which is what prompted me to contact Jon, was really special. The Olsen vineyard fruit recommitted me to my opinion that Roussanne is the quintessential white wine for red wine drinkers. The Roussanne had more savory notes, as opposed to some of the bright fruit you get from other white varietals and the complexity was all there.

Jon set out to "make ultra premium wines from designated vineyards and appellations across Washington." He's certainly accomplished that goal. Jon has done some magic, though, in keeping his wines priced in the $20-$30 range. That's a real treat because while it may not be your budget for an everyday wine, Maison Bleue wines will give you a wine experience that is easily worth two to three times the price, proving that not all wine experiences need come with a hefty price tag.

Vino Collabos...Northwest Wine Collaborations

From the Urban Dictionary: collabo : slang for collaboration
image from www.themusicninja.com
Winemaking is a collaborative work. In the Northwest I've met so many winemakers who rely other winemakers for their help, advice, barrels, yeast, etc. Winemakers and wineries in general are very supportive of one another and it's pretty uncommon to hear one winemaker badmouth another. That's not to say it doesn't happen or that winemaking is Shangri La, but the industry is largely a cooperative one with a lot of collaboration.

The sharing of barrels, borrowing of extra bottles and consultations on wine making is par for the course. I want to take a step beyond that and talk specifically about intentional or unusual Northwest wine collaborations. And over the next however long it takes me, I'll be featuring some collaborations that are highly effective, original or interesting. These collaborations may have been planned every step of the way, or look more like a happy accident.

Collaborative efforts in winemaking are often done out of necessity, or serendipity. Gifford Hirlinger's collaboration with Napa California's Lewelling Vineyards is a product of necessity. The Grand Reve project and Long Shadows are examples of collaboration done to produce a particular kind of wine, or to marry an esteemed winemaker or skilled craftsmen to the perfect fruit or terroir, or both. Some collaborations, like Long Shadows and Col Solare, pair old world tradition with the world class fruit and terroir of Washington.

Recently Washington has become home to some celebrity collabos, with actors and athletes partnering with winemakers to come up with something that speaks to their passion about wines. Doubleback and Pursued by Bear wines are made by Washington natives Drew Bledsoe and Kyle McLaughlin with the help of some Washington winemaking heavy hitters. Having pursued careers in sports and Dune, they have returned to their roots, and have planted vines.

"Collabos," as the kids like to call them, allow talented artists, craftspeople, rappers, etc to come together and put their gifts together in a way that benefit an audience. We'll explore how those collaborations benefit wine, and ultimately the wine drinker. Stay tuned.

Anderson Family Vineyard; Patience is a Virtue

My recent Taste Washington experience taught me that while I may know a bit about the wineries here in the Northwest, there are so many wineries I've never heard of and that I still have a lot to learn.
When I looked for a Willamette Valley winery that I was unfamiliar with, I was excited to read about Anderson Family Vineyards.

I called Cliff Anderson and told him that Gwynne and I would be traveling down to Newberg, Oregon to stay at the new destination resort The Allison Inn & Spa. Cliff was eager to talk and even on the phone I could tell this was going to be a great visit. He was very excited about what he and his wife were doing with the vineyards. Anderson Family was just on the other side of the valley from the Inn's location and was a perfect fit for us based on our schedule.

Anderson Family Vineyards is in a beautiful setting atop a pretty steep hill. The view from the Anderson Valley facility was spectacular - a nearly 360º view out over the valley, looking at Chehalem Mountain. From their property, we could take in all of the valley as well as the Dundee Hills. Cliff and Allison invited us in to their tasting room, which also held steel tanks with the 2008 Pinot nearly ready to be bottled. Allison poured us some 2009 Pinot Gris, and the Andersons started to give us the rundown of the operation.

Cliff started making wine in high school, and they both got into wine simply because they enjoyed growing things as a hobby. They planted their first vineyard in 1978, with the 108 Chardonnay clone out of California, a practice common to early Willamette Valley viticulture. In their first go-round, the Andersons grew nearly everything from Cabernet to Pinot, from Gewurtztraminer to Syrah, all in Oregon. Time, trial and error, and the collaboration of the other area viticulturists helped them determine what grows best in the Willamette Valley.

After a two and a half year search for land that was not only suitable, but had a view equivalent to the one they would be leaving, the site the Andersons chose is not only beautiful, it's effective. They planted twenty acres on one of the steepest vineyards in the state of Oregon; the grade in some places is 40%. They largely planted Pinot Noir with a good bit of Chardonnay worked in there. The Andersons sell much of their fruit to renowned Oregon winemakers Bergstrom and Boedecker to name a few.

This brings us back to that glass of Pinot Gris we started with, which was an accident, in the most literal sense. When the Andersons lost a few rows of Chardonnay vines, they needed some vines to fill in the holes, and picked up some young plantings. Three years later, what they had thought to be Chardonney vines turned out to be Pinot Gris.

The 2006 Chardonnay really surprised me. It was really incredible. When I go to Oregon, I look forward to digging into Pinot Noir, and that's what I expect to stand out at each place. At Anderson Family Vineyard, this Chardonnay stood out for me. The Chardonnay is fermented partially in the barrel and partially in steel tanks and the oak worked very well with the spice and herbal notes. It was complex and very smooth.

After the Chardonnay, we moved on to their Pinot Noir. Anderson Family grows a variety of Pinot Noir clones, including 115, 667, 777, Wadenswil and Pommard. Their Pinot is a combination of all of these grapes. Though the 2006 Pinot is, of course, a fine example of this darling vintage, Cliff was really excited about his 2007, a vintage he feels has not gotten its due. While the 2007 was largely panned by critics, the winemakers call it a favorite. Cliff suspects the 2007s were reviewed before they were ready and they're just now coming into their own. We also got a shot at the 2008 Pinot which was hanging out in a steel tank getting ready to go into the bottle. The 2008 was young, but you could already get a sense that this wine is going to be impressive.


As Cliff and Allison took us through the barrel room, we listened to the 2009 Pinot going through secondary fermentation and the Chardonnay bubbling through primary fermentation. Cliff explained the secret behind the success of Anderson Family's excellent wines is patience: "We're not in a hurry."

Cliff and Allison are fortunate to be in a position where they aren't rushing the next vintage out to market. Most of their estate fruit is sold to other well regarded Willamette Valley vintners. When they select fruit for their own label, they're looking to reflect the patience they've shown with their vineyard, as well as with the wine making process. They keep barrels for a long time, and they keep the wine in the barrel as long as they can. "We've been slow and deliberate about our entire process, vintage to vintage and with this entire operation." The Andersons keep everything small and they made 1500 cases of wine in 2009.

Anderson Family Vineyards is a reflection of the unique terroir and their incredible dedication to their fruit. They have been painstakingly deliberate about their site, clone selection, and the process that their wine goes through. Not only is a patience a virtue, in this case it makes an excellent Pinot Noir in the Dundee Hills, and hands down one of the best Chardonnays I've ever had.

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!