Wall Street Journal October 24, 2008
... Three years ago, in our last broad blind tasting of Oregon Pinot, John found that the wines had indeed become more complex and interesting, while Dottie continued to enjoy their pure fruit and sense of place. At that time, though, we cautioned that many good Oregon Pinots were very hard to find and that most were pricey. Since then, there have been a few good developments: Oregon Pinots have become more widely available and more are priced at $20 or less, at least partly as a result of a particularly abundant crop in 2006. In fact, Oregon crushed more than twice as much Pinot Noir in 2007 as in 2004. We were eager to know: How is quality holding up?
We conducted a large blind tasting to find out. We bought more than 50 off store shelves. We set a limit of $60 -- not $50 because there were so many between $50 and $60. We focused on the 2006 vintage because those are the most widely available, but we picked up some 2005 wines as well. While many of these wines were well-known old friends, from Adelsheim and Argyle to WillaKenzie, our sample also included some small-production wines, because the average Oregon winery produces fewer than 5,500 total cases. We also included names that are highly regarded, such as Domaine Drouhin and Beaux Frères, but have never been among our personal favorites.
We tasted the wine in blind flights over several nights. In honor of the tasting, we cooked a special meal each night that seemed right for the wine: duck one night, for instance, stuffed roasted chicken another, and lamb another. We tasted the wines before dinner and then retasted the best with the food.
We are delighted to report that Oregon Pinot continues its upward trajectory. The difference in the wines over the years is remarkable. We found again and again in this tasting that the wines have developed a confidence and depth that beautifully complement their lovely fruit. The wines have not only a purity of fruit but a purity of vision that is very attractive. Like Burgundy itself, these are wines that speak softly to the more romantic parts of our being.
As you know, we've been big supporters of California Pinot Noir for many years. Long before "Sideways," we argued that it was the most consistent American red wine on shelves, both above and below $20. In our most recent tasting of California Pinot, however, we raised some warning flags. We felt that too many California Pinots were on the verge of becoming heavy and too obviously "made," as though, in a post-"Sideways" world, the winemaker wanted to be sure he or she was the star instead of the fruit itself. Too many of the Pinots, as a result, seemed ponderous, possibly over-oaked and maybe even a little sweet -- all in all, not the elegant and haunting Pinots we want and expect.
Oregon's offerings have so far avoided this trap. In our tasting, the fruit was allowed, again and again, to speak for itself. Sure, we used descriptive words like raspberries, tobacco, earth, chocolate and even funk (which is a good thing, in limited amounts, in Pinot). But the more important words we used over and over were integrity, honest, true. The winemakers allowed the vineyards themselves, the fruit itself, the terroir itself, to star. This is what makes great Pinot what it is -- an expression of place. When we tasted these wines, we imagined the vintners standing among the vines crushing a grape between their fingers, smiling broadly and deciding that the best thing they could do is not screw it up. This made the wines, on the whole, both tasty and relaxed, as though no one was trying too hard (though we know, of course, what really goes into this).
All of this reminded us of Oregon Pinot Noir pioneer David Lett, the owner and winemaker of Eyrie Vineyards, who died two weeks ago. Mr. Lett began making Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley in 1970 and he well understood the requirements of Pinot Noir grapes. "The most important thing is to get them harvested at the right time, then keep your mitts off them, because human intervention often messes it up," he told us in 2004.
The index will tell you what our favorites tasted like and about how much they cost. We're delighted that two of our favorites in this tasting cost about $20, though our best of tasting, Domaine Serene, cost more than $50. The winery says it made 7,500 cases of the 2005 that were distributed nationwide. The 2006 will be released next year...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122479781453564359.html