Psst! it’s a secret!
The Oregon wine industry’s biggest asset may be its diminutive size. More than any other state, we’re a place where production is small. So small, in fact, that you may not have heard of any of the following producers (well, save for the second one, but you’ll see why we included it). So allow us to introduce you to …
2005 Crystal Lake Rogue Valley Survivor’s Syrah ($20): There’s a story behind this creepy label. Former “Friday the 13th” star Adrienne King becomes the hospitality manager at southern Oregon’s Valley View Winery, and a second label is born to celebrate her horror-film past; the label art shows a scream-inducing scene. But this complex syrah is no mere novelty wine. The supple and smooth full-bodied red has raspberry jam and pear undertones, along with hints of pepper and nuts, making it a good pair for dishes with robust flavors, like roasted turkey or pasta with spicy red sauce. —Grant Butler
2009 Ponzi Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($15): Wait a minute … what’s so secret about this wine? It’s difficult to consider any offering from this Willamette Valley wine-pioneering family a sleeper — the Ponzis have been making pinot gris since 1978 — but sometimes we forget to appreciate those gems that are right under our noses. And Ponzi is one of the few producers to truly master this ubiquitous (in Oregon, at least) varietal. A long harvest, with “hang time” extending well into October, produced a 2010 offering full of bright citrus and floral scents and a refreshing acidity that makes the wine snap on the palate. —Dana Tims
2008 Seven Bridges Columbia Valley Malbec ($24): Don’t have time to drive out to wine country? Don’t fret. The urban winery Seven Bridges, which sources most of its fruit from Washington state, opens its new tasting room Memorial Day weekend at 2303 N. Harding Ave. in the lower Russell Street corridor (near Gotham Tavern, Mint and the MAX line). Don’t miss this earthy, silky, spicy red; the winery’s first release, it’s extremely approachable thanks to 16 months of barrel age. With its accents of crushed bitter herbs, it comes across as more refined than the malbecs of Cahors and Argentina; it’s a clean and complex wine made for matching with food. Sourced from the stunning Kolibri Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills, this wine makes a compelling argument that Washington should be growing more malbec. —Katherine Cole
2010 Walter Scott Willamette Valley Deux Blancs ($15): What happens when a local wine-marketing wunderkind and one of Portland’s most popular sommeliers join forces? They move in together and form a wine company. Walter Scott is the result of such an encounter, with Evening Land Vineyards marketer Ken Pahlow and sommelier and wine educator Erica Landon at the helm. Together they craft some of the most exquisite (and unknown) wines the Willamette Valley has seen in some time. Their Deux Blancs — a combination of pinot blanc and pinot gris — is made for summertime sipping, with racy acidity and flavors of tangy green apple and juicy white peaches. Pack it in your beach tote for summer cookouts in the sand. —Tracy Howard
Outrageously inexpensive
Due to fickle weather conditions and small-scale production, our state isn’t known as a font of bargain-basement wines. But some bottles deliver more bang for the buck than their peers. Here are some of our faves.
2008 Behemoth Columbia Valley Red Wine ($14): Brooks assistant winemaker Matt Berson always has something interesting up his sleeve, like his thoughtfully formulated love squalor wines. Behemoth, the newest label from his own Portland Wine Co., is a blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and syrah sourced from Ancient Lakes, a region (and soon to be an American Viticultural Area) of north-central Washington known for warm daytime temperatures and cool nighttime breezes from the Cascade Range. With notes of black currants, blackberries, gravel, black pepper and just a wink of roasted goat (!), it’s a no-brainer for pairing with burgers, steaks and charred portobellos. —Katherine Cole
2009 J. Christopher “Zoot Allures” Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($10.50): One of my favorite Oregon winemakers produces one of the state’s best bargains with his second-label pinot gris. This medium-bodied white has hints of citrus rind and pear, and a dry finish that makes it an ideal match for barbecued fare with a smoky and sweet sauce, or food with some heat, like Thai curries. —Grant Butler
2009 King’s Ridge Oregon Pinot Noir ($15): Produced in a nondescript warehouse in Tualatin’s industrial district, this regal red proves no one has to be wealthy to enjoy a richly made Oregon pinot noir. The bouquet offers sprays of raspberries, currants and spice. The wine feels silky on the palate, revealing balance and structure that should hold up over time. Nice by itself and even better with lightly sautéed scallops or chicken. —Dana Tims
2009 Vincent Wine Co. Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir ($25): Is a $25 wine a steal? Well, finding a high-quality pinot noir that’s crafted with the care and dedication behind this bottle from Vincent Wine Co. is. The first vintage release from Vincent Fritzsche (who makes all of his wine at the Portland Wine Project in industrial Northwest), this pinot is lean and agile on the palate, with summery notes of ripe Rainier cherries and savory herbs plucked fresh from the garden. With fewer than 200 cases produced, this bottle won’t be around forever, but for now you can find it around town at most New Seasons Markets. —Tracy Howard
I’ll spend a little more for …
In case you haven’t heard the news, the perennially modest journalism profession is a direct career path to the poorhouse nowadays. Still, we wine-loving scribes save our pennies for special bottles like these.
2008 Andrew Rich Vintner “Cuvée B” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30): Andrew Rich has made a career of eschewing the trend toward single-vineyard offerings and shows once again with his 2008 Cuvée B that he’s truly onto something. This wine brims with spicy scents of red fruits and an earthy minerality. Dark garnet in color, it reveals a healthy balance of acids and tannins and pairs perfectly with pasta and or pork and beef. Should age nicely for six years or more. There are plenty of inexpensive second-label pinots this year, but this “B” cuvée is worth spending a little more for. —Dana Tims
2009 The Grand Dalles “Leroy’s Finest” Columbia Valley Riesling ($30): This new label’s reds are as dramatic and impressive as its windblown, sun-soaked vineyard in the golden hills above The Dalles … but at $60 a bottle, I can’t quite afford them. The riesling, however, is just within reach (and as we went to press, we heard that some stores are discounting these wines to $24 for the riesling and $48 for the reds). It’s a bone-dry, Alsatian-style bottling with a rich mouthfeel counterbalanced by a clean citrus finish. Over Memorial Day weekend, husband-wife owners Scott Elder and Stephanie LaMonica will pour their wines in an old service station on Country Club Road in Hood River, amping up the cool factor of the gorge wine scene. –Katherine Cole
NV R. Stuart Co. “Rosé d’Or” Oregon Brut Rosé ($35): Bubbles are undeniably delicious any time of year, but there’s something about this particular rosy-hued sparkler that begs for summery celebrations. Crafted mostly from pinot noir grapes organically farmed in a single Willamette Valley vineyard, this bottle of bubbles is made in the traditional Champagne method. This style of production means extra work for the winemaker, but added deliciousness for you, and the Rosé d’Or proves its bright, bubbly chops with lively notes of dried apricots, lemon zest and fresh herbs. —Tracy Howard
2008 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($25): A bright nose of dark cherries and cane berries opens up to a spicy splash of cinnamon and pepper on the palate. These layers of complexity complete a wine that strikes a beautiful balance between acids and tannins. It’s very drinkable on its own but would also make an inspired match for summertime backyard fare, like mustard-crusted grilled salmon or grilled squash. This much-better-than-basic pinot is definitely worth a few dollars more. —Grant Butler
On the (slightly) sweeter side
One of the biggest misconceptions about wine is that sweeter does not equal better. Au contraire. Whether they’re dinner wines made in an off-dry style or bottles intended to be brought out for dessert, the sweeter selections can be more nimble with food than their dry counterparts. And this time of year, as more fresh fruit starts to grace the dinner table, we like to keep plenty of chilled off-dry wines on hand.
2009 David Hill Willamette Valley Riesling ($16): For many years, David Hill was nothing more than a pretty face: a picturesque property with a gracefully proportioned 19th century farmhouse. But it’s also home to the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley, planted in 1965. Since he took over winemaking in 2005, Jason Bull has been coaxing the fruit from this historic vineyard into flavorful bottlings. This riesling is a table wine with just a smidge of sweetness; it should be enjoyed with dinner or fresh fruit. With ripe peaches on the nose, juicy nectarine and green apple on the palate, a refreshing spritzy texture and a lime-and-white-pepper-accented finish, it’s ultimately refreshing. —Katherine Cole
2009 Lemelson Vineyards “Tikka’s Run” Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($19): I’m not a fan of traditionally sweet wines, which is why I love this barely off-dry pinot gris from Lemelson Vineyards in Carlton. It’s bottled with just a trace amount of residual sugar, resulting in a white wine rich with flavors of tangy pineapple, lemon curd and just a hint of vanilla. Its delicate sweetness cuts right through the heat of spicy Asian dishes and marinated skewers right off the grill. —Tracy Howard
2009 Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Almost Dry Riesling ($14): No one will mistake Montinore’s Almost Dry Riesling for a dessert wine, but a nose of lime and tangerine give way to just a hint of pleasing residual sugar when sipped. The elegant finish leaves the palate with lingering notes of grapefruit and lilac. Its relatively light body and reduced alcohol content make it a perfect picnic companion; it keeps up nicely with gorgonzola cheese and a selection of Italian olives. —Dana Tims
2009 Silvan Ridge Oregon Early Muscat ($14): Inspired by Italian moscato d’Asti, this semi-sparkling muscat from the Eugene winery Silvan Ridge has just enough effervescence to make the pear, citrus and honeydew melon flavors dance across the palate. It works with fruity desserts, such as a pear tart or strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, but there’s enough complexity — and a low-enough alcohol level, of just 6.5 percent — to serve it at Sunday brunch. —Grant Butler
Article source: http://www.oregonlive.com/wine/index.ssf/2011/05/double-truck_wine_picks.html
