What Do You Prefer in Oregon Pinot Noir: Double or Triple Digit?

Oregon experienced the greatest increase in direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of all wine-producing regions in the U.S. in 2017 with a 31 percent gain according to an annual report by Wines & Vines magazine and Sovos. Oregon’s DTC wine shipments have increased 214 percent since 2012, with more than half of that volume due to Pinot Noir. Much of this increase is said to be due to tasting room sales.

The Wines & Vines report also noted that the average price per bottle increased in Oregon by 2.8% to $39.16 in 2017. I looked at the average price per bottle of all Oregon Pinot Noirs I reviewed from the 2005 to 2014 vintages. My data show an average bottle price increase from $40 in 2005 to $48 in 2014, a gain of 20%. Along with the rise in average bottle price, there was an increase in the number of bottles of Oregon Pinot Noir I reviewed from the 2005 through 2014 vintages priced at $70 and above of approximately 33%.

The growth rate by price point of Oregon wines exceeds all other wine producing regions of the world as shown by the 52 week change ending December 2, 2017:

It was only a few years ago that it was rare to find Oregon Pinot Noirs priced above $70 and extremely rare to find Oregon Pinot Noirs priced at triple digits. My data indicate that the acceleration in pricing of top-end Oregon Pinot Noir emerged with the 2012 vintage and has escalated further to date. Here is a list of some high double digit and triple digit Oregon Pinot Noirs in the marketplace:

2016 Antica Terra Botanica (and Ceras) Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $90
2015 Shea Wine Cellars Homer Shea Vineyard Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir $92
2015 Beaux Frères Beaux Frères Vineyard Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir $95
2014 Domaine Serene Two Barns Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $95
2014 Domaine Serene Jerusalem Hill Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir $95
2014 White Rose Estate Anderson Family Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $95
2015 Elk Cove Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $96
2014 ROCO Private Stash Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir $97
2014 Domaine Serene Winery Hill Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $100
2015 Sequitor Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir $100
2014 Nicolas-Jay Bishop Creek Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir $100
2014 Evening Land La Source Seven Springs Estate Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir $102
2015 Big Table Farm Earth Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir $105
2015 Ponzi Abetina (and Aurora) Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir $105
2014 White Rose Winemaker’s Cuvée Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $105
2015 Beaux Frères Upper Terrace Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir $110

2014 Double Zero VGR Pinot Noir $119
2016 Chapter 24 Warden Hill (and Hopewell Hills) Pinot Noir $120
2014 Adelsheim Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir $125
2014 Adelsheim Winderlea Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $125
2014 Domaine Serene Aspect Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $125
2014 Domaine Serene Mark Bradford Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $125
2015 Penner-Ash Pas De Nom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $125
2014 White Rose Estate White Rose Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $125

2015 Guillen Family Wines Yuliana Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $150
2014 Antica Terra Antikythera Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir $155
2016 Chapter 24 Highland (and Stone Creek) Pinot Noir $180
2014 Domaine Serene Grace Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $195
2012 Adelsheim Vintage 35 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $195

Fortunately, there are still many outstanding Oregon Pinot Noirs including those reviewed in this issue that are well within the budgets of most pinotphiles. Let’s hope that the prediction of wine writer Charles Olken does not come true: “What happens when and if the predilection for Pinot gets even more widespread than it is? I can tell you. We will become Burgundy and our Pinots will come with price tags not dissimilar to those nowdiscouragingly costly beauties from across the pond.” If triple digit pricing becomes more the norm for premium Oregon Pinot Noir, the prophetic words of Bruce Schoenfeld in 2012 will be viewed cynically when revisited: “Nobody is getting rich making wine in Oregon.”

A simple wine truth should be kept in mind when equating price with quality. As Matt Kramer noted recently, “Price tells you almost nothing about quality. Forces such as land and grape costs, fashion and hype determine the cost of a wine as much as anything else. There’s just too much wiggle room for price and quality to align in an accurate way.”

Regardless of double or triple digit pricing, all Pinot Noir roads lead to Oregon these days.

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Embraceable (and Affordable) New Pinot Noir Releases from Oregon

“I think if you asked most people what’s the next best place outside of Burgundy
that makes Pinot Noir, hopefully, it’s the Willamette Valley.”

Steve Doerner, winemaker at Cristom Vineyards

When you scan the scores of the Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs to follow, you may think they are inflated. It is important to realize that these reviewed wines are a highly selective group, taken from some of the most respected producers in Oregon. I warn you that once you have tried some of these Pinot Noir wines, you will be hopelessly hooked and you will eagerly seek them out.

Most of the wines are from the 2015 vintage. Overall, this was a relatively hot and dry year with an early harvest in mid-September. Spring was early and warm, summer was also quite warm with some later July and early August heat spikes. It is not unusual to see ABVs in the 14.0% to 14.5% range in this vintage, a range quite common in California, but unconventional in Oregon.

Anam Cara Cellars, Chehalem Mountains

Nick and Sheila Nicholas started their winery modestly in 2001 when they established their 36-acre vineyard in Sherwood in the Chehalem Mountains on the site of an old walnut and plum orchard. The vineyard rises from 350 to 650 feet elevation and is set in a windy corridor between the towns of Sherwood and Newberg. There are three distinct soil types: Jory, Loess and Laurelwood. Their site has proven its excellence and the wines have been highly lauded over the years. In 2015, the couple downsized their operation and sold all but 6 acres of their vineyard to Ken and Celia Austin of Rain Dance Vineyards. Grapes have also been sold to other Willamette Valley wineries including Adelsheim and Et Fille.

A tasting room is located in downtown Newberg on Main Street and open Thursday-Sunday. For more information, visit www.anamcaracellars.com. Photo shows Nick and Sheila and their daughter Heather at the occasion of the tasting of a vertical of Heather’s Pinot Noir a couple of years back.

De Ponte Cellars, Dayton, OR

Like Anam Cara, this family owned winery was started in 2001. Owners Scott and Rae Baldwin are California transplants who were nut farmers in California. They hired Parisian-born Isabelle Dutarte as the initial winemaker. She moved permanently to the Yamhill Valley five years later, and has remained at De Ponte (“Duh Pawnt”) ever since.

In 2007, the Baldwins bought 80 acres with an existing 6-acre Pinot Noir vineyard located just over the western edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Here they farm Pinot Noir for their Lonesome Rock Ranch bottling (another 2 acres were added in 2010) and produce grass-fed beef (Lonesome Rock Cattle Company) from a herd of steers that roam on the property.

The winery has a tasting room at the winery in the Dundee Hills and a second tasting room in Carlton inside the historic fire station building that dates to 1943. Visit www.depontecellars.com.

I have never seen their outstanding wines reviewed in the mainstream wine literature and apparently it is their want not to send wines out for review. For several vintages now I have purchased the wines to review as I feel my readers should be educated about these special wines.

The De Ponte Pinot Noirs reviewed below are in the typical style for this winery: elegant, balanced and silky in the mouth. In the warm 2015 vintage, there is riper fruit and more fruit concentration.

DION Vineyard, Cornelius, OR

The DION Vineyard is unique in that it has been farmed by three generations dating back to 1973. 60 acres of primarily Pinot Noir Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are planted in Cornelius, Oregon, in the North end of the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Some of the vines, rooted in Laurelwood soil, are nearly 40 years old. The vineyard is dry-farmed.

The winery provides premium wine grapes to wineries throughout Oregon as well as producing small quantities of wine under their own label, crafted by husband and wife winemakers Kevin Dion Johnson (photo below) and Beth Klingner. Production is very limited at 800 to 1000 cases annually and is sold through a tasting room in Cornelius open seasonally. The wines are reasonably priced considering the quality. Visit www.dionvineyards.com.

The very limited Dijon clone 115 wines are only produced in years that have a larger amount of high quality 115 that is the anchor of the Winemaker’s Reserve, and believe that it will stand on it’s own. Rather than create a Reserve wine heavy on clone 115, two barrels are selected to create the West 115 bottling. The wines are aged 12 months in French oak barrels 50% new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Beth was kind enough to send me three vintages of these wines to taste. I only had a tech sheet on the 2014 vintage wine. Tasting these wines offers a unique opportunity to experience vintage differences.

Evesham Wood Vineyard & Winery, Haden Fig, Salem, OR

This is one of Oregon’s most iconic and cherished wineries. The wines are consistently excellent year in and year out and sensibly priced too boot.

The winery was started by Russell Raney in 1986 after frustrating efforts to find special domestic Pinot Noir during the early 1980s.. He named the winery Evesham Wood after the Vale of Evesham in the Cotswold Hills of England because the site bore a resemblance to that part of the English countryside. He planted the 13-acre estate vineyard, named Le Puits Sec (“The Dry Well”) in 1989 and championed dry farming and organic viticulture from the beginning. Ramey was heavily influenced by Burgundian winemaking techniques and two of his distant mentors were Henri Jayer and Michelle Niellon. Raney’s admiration for the French was shown by the French-influenced names he used for his wine.

The first Evesham Wood Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were released from the 1986 vintage, using grapes primarily from Temperance Hill and Seven springs vineyards, both of which would turn out to be stars among Oregon vineyards.

In 2010, Russell and Mary Raney sold the Evesham Wood label and estate vineyard to Erin (photo below) and Jordan Nuccio who were producing wine under the Haden Fig label. After 24 years, the Raneys wanted to retire and spend more time in their home in France. Erin had started at Evesham Wood in 2007 and his familiarity with Raney’s vision has led to no change in the character and quality of the Evesham Wood wines.

Le Puits Sec is planted to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner.

The fact that Nuccio crafts wines under two labels at the same winery may lead to confusion so here is the explanation. The Evesham Wood wines are made in the same way that Russell Raney used to and the Haden Fig wines allow Nuccio to experiment with his own methods of making wine. Christopher Lindemann, Sommelier and Director of Sales at Evesham Wood provided this metaphor: “Haden Fig drinks like a ballet dancer in that you barely see the feet touch the stage, while Evesham Wood drinks like modern dance in that gestures are fully grounded and sprout from the earth.”

Evesham Wood Pinot Noir includes fully de-stemmed grapes while Haden Fig may have some stem inclusion (<10%-15%) depending on vintage and site. Evesham Wood ferments are inoculated with the same yeast that Raney isolated from a 1986 Domaine Henri Jayer Echezeaux in 1989, while Haden Fig Pinot Noir is fermented using native yeasts. Both labels undergo about a 21-day ferment with no temperature control other than opening the doors of the winery. Wines for both labels are punched down twice daily with the Evesham Wood wines receiving added pump overs through the first five days (until the ferment gets too frothy).

Both Evesham Wood and Haden Fig wines include free run juice with some press wine obtained by slow and gentle pressing. Elevage is currently the same for both with neutral wood predominating. Willamette Valley bottlings are aged for 11 months, Eola-Amity Hills, La Grive Bleue and Haden Fig single-vineyard bottlings for 18 months, Evesham Wood single-vineyard bottlings are aged for about 20 months and Cuvée J for about 22 months. Both labels are bottled without fining or filtering using the winery’s own bottling line.

The Evesham Wood labels feature the Pacific Dogwood flower, an emblem of spring in the Willamette Valley. The Haden Fig labels feature a painting of a Northern Saw-whet owl, a natural predator for small rodents in the vineyard and a symbol for sustainable agriculture. The name, Haden Fig, is curious to say the least. “Haden” came to them when Nuccio and his spouse were trying to name their first baby boy. Nuccio says, “I am not sure if we had stumbled upon the name of our winery or the name of our son, but it stuck in both cases. As for the “Fig” component, Nuccio says this might have been a subconscious homage to Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn. “It just sounded right, and it has become the name of a dream realized.”

The Evesham Wood and Haden Fig wines have always been very reasonably priced. Visitors to the winery in Salem are welcome Friday through Sunday or by appointment. The wines are sold on the website at www.eveshamwood.com.

I find both the Evesham Wood and Haden Fig wines to have a noticeable savory component with non-fruited forested, earth, and savory herb characters, typically associated with “Burgundian” Pinot Noir. These characters are combined with great fruit purity, juiciness and balance. I found the Evesham Wood wines in this vintage to be outrageously good and can be enjoyed both now and in time after cellaring.

Flâneur Wines, Yamhill-Carlton

Flâneur is class operation and newer producer, launched in 2013 by owner Marty Doerschlag, and offering about 3,000 cases annually of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and sparkling wine. The 40-acre estate vineyard is dry-farmed and organically cultivated. Doerschlag bought a 7-acre vineyard planted in 2003 in the Ribbon Ridge AVA and named it Flânerie Vineyard, and acquired 40 acres of an abandoned cherry and prune orchard in the Chehalem Mountains that became a 33-acre estate vineyard (planted in 2014), christening it La Belle Promenade. This dry-farmed vineyard is at a high elevation (700-800 feet elevation) with volcanic Jory and Nekia soils.

The name, Flâneur, is best described as one who observes their surroundings and takes time to appreciate the amazing details of life.

The inaugural winemaker was Kelly Kidneigh who was replaced in February 2016 by Grant Coulter who was formerly at Beaux Frères. Coulter cared for and blended the 2014 and 2015 vintage wines, with 2016 being the first vintage vine to bottle. A tasting room is located at the winery in the town of Carlton. Doerschlag bought a grain elevator in Carlton from Ken Wright and converted it into a tasting venue and event space. A second tasting option is by appointment at the Blue Barn at La Belle Promenade Vineyard.

Flâneur wines are available online and through a mailing list at www.flaneurwines.com.

LUMOS Wine Company, Philomath, OR

The backbone of LUMOS Wine Company, founded in 2000 by Dai Crisp and spouse PK McCoy-Crisp, is the Temperance Hill Vineyard located on the crown of the Eola-Amity Hills. First planted mostly to Pinot Noir in 1981 by original owner Edward Koo, the Temperance Hill Vineyard is one of Willamette Valley’s most iconic vineyards. Today, the average vine age is 37 years.

The 97-acre Temperance Hill Vineyard, at 6020 Bethel Heights Road NW in Salem, sits at 660-860 feet elevation on the remnants of an ancient volcano, making it a cool, late ripening site. It is exposed to the maritime winds through the Van Duzer Corridor creating large daily temperature swings that result in good flavor development and bright acidity. Plantings are divided into 22 blocks include primarily Pinot Noir and small amounts of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. There are a variety of soil types, but primarily Jory, Nekia, and Ritner. The vineyard is adjacent Bethel Heights Vineyard.

Crisp was educated in my neighborhood at University of California at Irvine, majoring in theater arts and continued his studies at Oregon State University where his interest in viticulture arose. He began growing grapes professionally at Wren Vineyard (1985 to present) and at Croft Vineyard (1989-1998) and since 1999 has been managing the Temperance Hill Vineyard. Farming at Temperance Hill Vineyard is fully certified by Sustainability in Practice, Salmon Safe and USDA Organic. Wren Vineyard, originally planted by Crisp in 1985 to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, is Certified Organic and Salmon Safe. Crisp also farms Logsden Ridge (Rudolfo) Vineyard, located just north of Corvallis and planted to Pinot Gris.

Temperance Hill Vineyard currently supplies fruit to 22 wineries including Antica Terra, Bergstrom, Brooks, Chapter 24, Elk Cove Vineyards, Evesham Wood, Lange Estate, Lavinea, Nicolas-Jay, St. Innocent Winery, Vincent Wine Co. and Walter Scott.

Crisp not only farms over 120 acres of vineyards, he also makes the wine along with Julia Cattrall for LUMOS Wine Company. The philosophy that drives his viticulture also influences his winemaking. Only natural processing techniques are utilized in the winemaking and no animal by-products are used so the wines qualify as vegan. LUMOS was the first Food Alliance Certified Winery making wine only from Food Alliance Certified vineyards in Oregon.

LUMOS Pinot Noir wines reviewed here are very special in the 2015 vintage and represent unusually high quality at relatively reasonably prices. In fact, I would claim that these wines represent some of the greatest values in the Oregon Pinot Noir marketplace today. With consistent accolades, the wines should be increasingly difficult to obtain. All 2015 Pinot Noirs were released in October 2017. The Wren Vineyard Chardonnay, released in April 2017, is a perfect example of the current resurgence of Oregon Chardonnay.

For more information on Temperance Hill Vineyard, visit www.temperancehillvineyard.com. LUMOS wines are available on the website at www.lumoswine.com. A tasting room is located on the Crisp family farm in Wren, Oregon, 16 miles west of Corvallis. A cabin left standing on the property from a dude ranch that occupied the site in the 1940s was converted into a small tasting room. One of the dude ranch’s original guest cabins adjacent the vineyard is available for overnight rental. The wines are processed in McMinnville.

The back label of the following wines states, “Bottled During Oregon Eclipse 8/21/17.”

Saffron Fields Vineyard, Gaston, OR

Dr. Angela Summers and Sanjeev Lahoti acquired a former grass seed farm on Laughlin Road in Yamhill near WillaKenzie Estate, Lénne Estate and Deux Verts Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. They developed the property, planting the first 12 acres of Pommard clone Pinot Noir in 2007, and added 12 more acres in 2009. Today, there are 32 acres of Pinot Noir including Pommard, Wädenswil, and Dijon 115, 667, 777 and “828” clones, and 3 acres of Chardonnay. The vineyard is dry farmed using sustainable practices and is LIVE certified.

The winemaker is noted Oregon veteran Tony Rynders. Stylistically, the 2015 Pinot Noirs reviewed here are bold and extracted with noticeable oak overlay, standing out among the 2015 wines in this issue for their fruit concentration.

A stylish tasting room housing a contemporary art collection, a Japanese-styled garden, orchard, vegetable garden and sculpture garden have been added to the property. The tasting room is open daily. Visit www.saffronfields.com.

Additional Wines Received for Review Shortly Before Publication

Broadley Vineyards, Monroe, OR

The Broadley family has been crafting wines since 1986. The first phase of the estate vineyard was planted in 1981. Craig and Claudia are the founders of the winery, and their son, Morgan, and his spouse Jessica, are the second generation continuing with the family’s passion for wine.

The 33-acre estate vineyard is managed using sustainable farming practices including using sheep to mow the vineyard’s ground cover and weeds when appropriate. Organic material is used to promote healthy growth of the vines.

The winery also sources Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from a number of prestigious vineyards in other Willamette Valley appellations that also practice meticulous farming methods.

Uniquely, Broadley Pinot Noir is vinified in wooden fermenters giving the wines a rich and deep complexity. Whole clusters are also used in appropriate vintages that add structure, nuance and character to the finished wines.

The 2016 Pinot Noirs reviewed here reveal the character of the vintage. There is less extraction than in the 2014 and 2015 vintages, lower alcohol, pleasing brightness and more approach ability.

For more information, visit www.broadleyvineyards.com.

More Wines in Wide Retail Distribution

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Oregon Pinot Briefs

Rajat Parr Talks Oregon Chardonnay Rajat recently said, “When you go up against four decades of marketing for Oregon Pinot Noir, it’s challenging to get people to think about Oregon Chardonnay at all, much less world-class Chardonnay. I’m more convinced than ever that the rocky volcanic hillsides of the Eola-Amity Hills is among the most compelling places in the New World to grow and vinify Chardonnay.” The 6th Annual Oregon Chardonnay Celebration will be held at The Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, Oregon, on February 24, 2018. Tickets are available at www.oregonchardonnaycelebration.org.

Medal Winners at 25th SIP McMinnville Wine & Food Classic The 25th anniversary event of the SIP McMinnville Wine & Food Classic will be held March 9-11, 2018. The Wine Competition was held on January 20, 2018 and 118 wines from 35 wineries were judged by an esteemed panel of judges. Gold Medal winners included 2014 Cardwell Hill Cellars Dijon Blocks Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and 2014 Hawkins Cellars Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir. Silver Medals went to 2014 Cardwell Hill Cellars Monet Blocks Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2014 Melrose Vineyards Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 2014 Yamhill Valley Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir, 2015 Cubanismo Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir, 2015 David Hill Old Vine Pinot Noir, 2015 K&M Beacon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2015 Yamhill Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir.

Craft Wine Association Launched This newly formed Oregon-based non-profit certifies craft wineries nationally. Founded by Carole Lawson, the association’s mission is to connect craft wine producers with craft lovers through partnerships, education and outreach. Wine drinkers can seek out the Certified Craft Wine seal at grocery markets and retailers where wine is sold. The consumer is assured that the wine they choose is produced in lots of 5,000 cases or fewer, is made from grapes that come from an identifiable vineyard, and that its production was winemaker led from start to finish. They will know that the wine is an authentic, handmade craft wine. The Craft Wine Association website, www.craftwine.org, has a searchable online directory with links to each winery’s point of purchase. The Association also shares members’ stories with a community of consumers interested in small-production wines. Memberships begin at $495 per year.

Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction The Willamette Valley Wineries Association has unveiled the official lineup of 80 auction lots of one-of-a-kind Pinot Noir wines from the 2016 vintage that will be offered at the third annual Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction on April 7 at the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, OR. This event is held exclusively for members of the wine trade. Each lot is from the 2016 vintage and is offered in quantities of five, ten and twenty cases and will be available in the market only by resale to their customers. Three collaborative Chardonnay lots have been added this year. The full description of all lots are available online at www.willamettewines.auction/wineries. Prince Hill will be making its debut at the 2018 auction. Founded by icons Dick Erath and Laurent Montalieu, the lot will offer five cases from the Prince Hill Vineyard where Erath made his first single-vineyard Pinot Noir nearly 30 years ago. The wine is made from Clone 95 (117).

Co-Owner Bill Stoller Acquires Full Control of Chehalem Winery Stoller has purchased co-owner Harry Peterson-Nedry’s share of equity in the winery business after 24 years of partnership. Peterson-Nedry will now concentrate on managing his 48-acre vineyard in Ribbon Ridge and craft wines for RR Winery. Although Stoller also owns Stoller Family Estate, the two brands are independent with their own history and future.

Winery Owner Elizabeth “Liz” Chambers Dies Recently featured in the Oregon Wine Press, Liz Chambers passed away of natural causes on a trip. Chambers was the oldest daughter of the late businesswoman and philanthropist Carolyn Chambers who interested Liz in the wine business. Carolyn owned Silvan Ridge Winery and made her daughter the general manager in 1993. Liz became the sole owner in 2012. In 2014, Liz launched Elizabeth Chambers Cellar, a winery specializing in Pinot Noir located in downtown McMinnville.

Latest Willamette Valley Winery Amalie Robert Estate Degree Day Comparison The chart shows that 2014 and 2015 vintages were the warmest since 2003. 2016 was more moderate yet still warm while 2017 returned to a warmer season.

Oregon’s 2016 Vintage Pinot Noirs are Classics The 2016 vintage was warm, yet not as hot as 2014, 2015 and 2017, and this has led to a classic Oregon vintage. There was simply no pressure from the weather. The wines have less ripeness and extraction, better acidity, less tannins and more elegance than the hotter vintages. The 2016 wines are just now entering the marketplace and appear to be quite engaging even at this early stage.

Flavors of Carlton Hosted by Ken Wright Cellars, this event on May 6, 2018, features silent and live auctions and Dinner in the Big Tent at Ken Wright Cellars in Carlton featuring offerings from 10 regionally-renowned chefs with wine pairings from 20 of Oregon’s wine producers. A benefit for Yamhill Carlton Together Cares that supports local youth and community programs. Purchase tickets online at www.yctogethercares.com.

Grape Day Research Meeting The Oregon Wine Research Institute presents the 2017 Grape Day Research Meeting on Thursday, April 6, 2018, at the LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus. Topics include Management of Trunk Disease, Grapevine Viruses, and Fungicide Resistance. Register at www.owri.oregonstate.edu.

Oregon Medal Winners at 2018 San Francisco Wine Chronicle Wine Competition This is the largest wine competition of American wines. 6,960 entries from 35 states were rated by 67 judges. A majority of the wines come from California, but there were several Oregon wines that scored medals. The wines are judged over several price range categories. See the full results at www.winejudging.com.

Pinot Noir $15.00 to $19.99: 2016 Duck Pond Cellars Oregon Pinot Noir ($19) Gold Medal, 2016 Duck Pond Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($19) Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $20.00 to $23.99: 2015 Pike Road Wines Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($20) Double Gold Medal, 2016 Oak Knoll Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($20) Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $28-$31.99: 2015 Del Rio vineyards Rogue Valley Pinot Noir ($28) Double Gold Medal, 2015 King Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($28) double Gold Medal, 2016 Brigadoon The Other Side Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30) Gold Medal, and 2015 Chehalem Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30) Gold Medal. ,p> Pinot Noir $32.00-$35.99: 2016 BKB Wines Makena Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir ($35) Double Gold Medal, 2014 Ruby Chehalem Mountains Laurelwood Blend ($35.99) Double Gold Medal, 2016 Deer Creek Vineyards Oregon Pinot Noir ($35) Gold Medal, 2015 Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir ($32) Gold Medal, and 2015 Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir ($34) Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $35.00-$39.99: 2015 Alloro Vineyard Estate Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir ($38) Double Gold Medal, 2015 Dancin Vineyards Coda Southern Oregon Pinot Noir ($37) Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $40.00-$43.99: 2015 Henry Estate Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir ($40), Double Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $48.00-$54.99: 2015 Belle Fiore Rogue Valley Pinot Noir ($49) Double Gold Medal, 2014 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir ($45) Double Gold Medal.

Pinot Noir $65.00 and Over: 2015 Argyle Spirithouse Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($75) Double Gold Medal, 2015 Alloro Vineyard Estate Justina Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir ($85) Gold Medal.

Oregon Winery Participants in the 2018 IPNC Aberrant Cellars, Adelsheim Vineyard, Alloro Vineyard, Analemma Wines, Anne Amie, Belle Pente, Bergstrom Wines, Brittan Vineyards, Broadley Vineyards, Coelho Winery, Colene Clemens, Dominio IV, Duck Pond Cellars, ET Fille Wines, The Eyrie Vineyards, Illahe Vineyards, Kelley Fox Wines, Lavinea, Lemelson Vineyards, LUMOS Wines, Patricia Green Cellars, Penner- Ash Wine Cellars, Ponzi Vineyards, Raptor Ridge Winery, ROCO Winery, RR Wines, Soter Vineyards, Spindrift Cellars, Torii Mor Winery, Tyee Wine Cellars, Walter Scott Wines, Willakenzie Estate, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Youngberg Hill and Yamhill Valley Vineyards. The 2018 International Pinot Noir CElebration (IPNC) will be held July 27-28, 2018 at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Tickets are $1,295 for a full weekend and $125 for the Passport to Pinot Tasting on July 29. Some tickets are made available to the public for the July 28 Salmon Bake. Visit www.ipnc.org for full information and to acquire tickets.

2016 Oregon Vineyard & Winery Census Report The Southern Oregon University SOURCE Research Center released its 2016 Oregon Vineyard & Winery Census Report in late August. The total number of vineyards in Oregon was reported as 1,056 with the largest number, 719 in the Willamette Valley. Planted acreage was 30,435 in Oregon, with 21,793 in the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir accounted for 64 percent of planted acreage and 57 percent of the 79,782 tons of production. Bonded wineries include 725 total with 554 in the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir production was 45,851 tons, a 9.6 percent decrease from the high yielding 2015 vintage, even as harvested acreage rose by 14.4 percent from 2015. A 14 percent increase in national sales contributed to a 10 percent increase in case sales in 2016 to nearly 3.4 million.

50th Anniversary of First Pinot Noir Bottling in Oregon 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of Richard Sommer’s reputed first commercial bottling of Oregon Pinot Noir under the Hillcrest Vineyard label in the Umpqua Valley. This occasion is not definite, as Sommers first planted vines in 1961, and my past research indicated that it was not clear that Pinot Noir was first planted initially or subsequently since he also planted vines in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1968. Also, Sommers probably bottled Pinot Noir (? experimentally) as early as 1963 or 1964. Maureen Flanagan Battistella, writing in the Oregon Wine Press, states that Sommers brought cuttings from Louis Martini’s Stanley Ranch in 1959 and subsequently transplanted them at Hillcrest. She states that the original plantings in 1961 included about 340 vines of Pinot Noir. Hillcrest Vineyard was bonded in 1963 and is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating estate winery. Since 2003, the winery has been owned by Dyson and Susan DeMara. A 2017 vintage commemorative bottling of 1968 old vine HillCrest Vineyard Pinot Noir will be released in 2019.

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The Legacy of Steamboat

California’s pioneering Pinot Noir winemaker, Merry Edwards, has said that the formation of the Pinot Noir Technical Symposium at Steamboat Inn in Idleyld, Oregon, was the most important factor in improving Pinot Noir in America.

This symposium was germinated in 1979 by a chef, a sommelier and a wine salesman from Oregon and a winemaker from California who thought a gathering of Oregon and California Pinot Noir producers would lead to better Pinot Noir. The first symposium was held at Steamboat Inn in 1980 with the goal of Oregonian vintners sharing their knowledge in a convivial and collegial fashion with California vintners. It soon included vintners from Burgundy, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Canada.

After fours without a permanent home for the event, Steamboat Inn was chosen and this fly-fishing retreat along the Umpqua River became the host site ever since. The symposium precedes the International Pinot Noir Celebration that is held annually in McMinnville, Oregon in July. Attendees do some fishing, but it was the blind tastings of unfinished Pinot Noir wines, the discussions that resulted and the camaraderie over dinner and evenings together that led to the Pinot Noir renaissance in America. Many of the current advances in vineyard management, clonal selection, and winemaking were advanced at Steamboat, resulting in a landmark contribution to the remarkable success with Pinot Noir in California and Oregon.

No consumers and only very select media (held to confidentiality) were allowed to attend so that press coverage was nonexistent, and the results of the work at the symposium went largely unnoticed except to Pinot Noir producers. Oregonian vintners such as David Adelsheim and Myron Redford as well as California winemaker Michael Richmond played an active role in organizing and directing the goals of the event.

Linfield College’s Oregon Wine History Archive offers a 2015 document (“Steamboat Conference History) written by Oregon wine salesman Stephen Cary who was one of the founders of the event: digitalcommons.linfield.edu/owha_cary_docs/1/.