Oregon Pinot Noir 2008

Today's New York Times is reporting about a vintage that has already received plenty of accolades: The 2008 pinot noirs from Oregon's Willamette Valley. I've noted here before that I firmly believe these wines are among the best examples in the world of this notoriously finicky grape variety. And the region has had more than its share of standout vintages recently. But this one, it seems, is striking a particularly passionate chord.

These 2008's are, in general, "consistently top-notch. They were balanced and well-structured by virtue of their lively acidity," wrote Eric Asimov in today's column. "They were full of delicious red-fruit flavors without being syrupy, over the top or, to use the dreaded phrase of wine marketers, 'fruit forward.' They offered the rare combination of fruitiness and restraint. Most of them will be versatile with food. They are 'nonsteroidal pinot noirs,' as [tasting-panel member] Joshua [Nadel] put it."

Click here for the entire article. And then, in the coming year, look to stock up on these wines that represent such fantastic value considering the pleasure they deliver.

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Forefront Pinot Noir 2008

The nose here is beguiling, its high-toned notes of black cherry, sous bois, mushroom, and spice heading in the direction of Burgundy but kept firmly rooted on this side of the ocean by its effusive hints of cola. All of this is beautifully balanced, and on the palate, lovely fruit comes soaring through. Cream soda, sweet spiced cherries, juicy, concentrated berry fruit, and a hint of milk chocolate and caramel lead to a finish that turns more earthy yet still stays refreshing. This is a muscular wine that never loses its sense of elegance, and reminds me, in certain regards, of a sort of New World Gevry-Chambertin. Rarely is Willamette Pinot this well-crafted, and this expressive, so affordable.

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Fire and Pinot

Decanter.com is reporting that “investigators probing a huge wildfire that began at a vineyard owned by Constellation Wines believe a firework used to scare birds may have started the blaze.” It’s wildfire season in California, and, as always, the news is peppered almost daily with tales of acre upon ruined acre dotting the landscape. And, also as always, it is affecting the local wine industry, as well.

The story continued: “Nearly 6,500 acres…of grassland in an area northeast of Soledad were destroyed in the blaze, which started on 27 August and was finally put out on Monday evening.” More details will be posted here as they emerge.

Also this week, The New York Times ran a wine column and tasting-panel report on the Pinot Noirs of Oregon and, contrary to what usually appears in the press, it wasn’t all that exuberant.

“I will say,” wrote Eric Asimov, “that this was one of our more difficult tastings. While we liked many of the wines, very few grabbed and held our attention.

The wines that seemed most balanced and freshest lacked complexity, while those with more going on in the glass occasionally seemed clumsy or unfocused. The difficulty in finding wines that put it all together kept our scores relatively low."

He goes on to describe the differences between the vintages in general (2006 and 2007) and the wines tasted for the article in particular, but his conclusion is not as positive as I would have expected. I’d be interested to hear about readers’ personal experiences with Oregon Pinot Noir in the comments section here. Personally, I’m a big believer in them, and wines at all price points, from Torii Mor to Bergstrom to Antica Terra have given me as much—and often more—wine-drinking pleasure as anything else in recent years.

And speaking of great Oregon Pinot, click here for an excellent interview on Grape Radio with rising star Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra and cult Syrah Lillian. Her story is a fascinating one, and speaks not only to her own history, but also to the future of American winemaking.

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Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir

After tasting the Sauvignon Blancs, I also had the opportunity to taste three of their Pinot Noirs. Interestingly enough, Fiddlehead produces a number of bottlings from both their Santa Rita Hills estate vineyard, Fiddlestix, as well as fruit from specific custom-farmed blocks in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

The Fiddlehead Oldsville Reserve 2006, while still the slightest bit hot, possessed an excellent balance between ripe dark cherries, flowers, licorice, and an earthier funkiness that was just intriguing. There was an addictive glycerin texture to the mid-palate, too, that will make it awfully difficult to lay a couple of bottles of this one down and not pillage them immediately. But some time in the cellar will definitely reward patience, and I expect that, once it sheds some of its youthful exuberance, this wine will evolve into one heck of a bottle of Willamette Pinot.

Heading south to California, the two wines produced from Fiddlehead’s estate vineyard were equally delicious yet in totally different ways. The Fiddlestix “Seven Twenty Eight” 2005 was, simply, darn good. It earthy nose led to a palate bursting with rich cherries, ripe berries, minerals, morels, violets and lavender. The combination of youthful power and dangerously easy gulpability was a result of both its beautifully integrated tannins and exquisitely balanced acidity in addition to the deep well of flavors it revealed with every sip. The finish—a long, graceful interplay of blackberries and black raspberries—was yet one more grace note in this stellar wine that should continue to evolve for another 3 – 7 years.

The barrel selection for the Fiddlestix “Lollapalooza” 2005, on the other hand—only 180 cases were produced, as opposed to 2,200 of the “Seven Twenty Eight”—resulted in a wine that was more elegant but just as deeply flavored. Pretty aromas of flowers and lavender wafted up from the glass, and well-concentrated dark berries left their imprint on the palate. This is a young wine that still needs time to absorb its oak and come into its own. Once it gets there, though, I expect it to be a standout—a rich, perfumed, ever-so-subtly spicy testament to the potential of this great vineyard. It’s fantastic now, but a couple of years should really give it a chance to shine even more brightly.

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