The second stop of the first day of my adventure through the Oregon wine country along the Applegate Wine Trail was at Troon Vineyard. Surrounded by steep tree covered hills the winery and vineyard is absolutely beautiful.
The winery was founded by Dick
Troon who served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and
studied civil engineering at the University of California. He worked on
infrastructure at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral and Disneyland. In
1961 Troon moved to the Rogue Valley to take up farming. In 1972 he purchased
the 32 acres of land selecting the Kubli Bench, a microclimate in the Applegate
Valley of Southern Oregon. The warm days and cool nights, along with the
excellent soil conditions, provide ideal conditions for growing premium wine
grapes. The vineyard site receives the maximum daily exposure to sunlight and is
located at the perfect elevation for his favorite varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon
and Zinfandel. This established Troon as one of the pioneers of the Rogue
Valley’s modern wine industry being the first to plant Zinfandel in Southern
Oregon. He also served as a mentor for others and brought in instructors to
teach wine-grape growing and other winery skills. Troon Winery emerged in 1993
when the operation began bottling its own wine after selling to others for
nearly two decades.
In 2003, two
decades after being founded, Troon moved to a nearby house and sold the winery to
Chris Martin and his father Larry who took the expanding production to the next
level. Additional vineyards were planted from 2004 to 2011 bringing the
vineyard planting to close to 40 acres with over 20 different varietals. They
then purchased two adjoining properties to bringing the estate to 100 acres.
In 2005 construction
of the new winery was completed which features a French villa style architecture featuring copper
gutters, Spanish tile roofs, extensive cedar work, hand-scraped hickory floors,
and a full commercial kitchen utilized when hosting special events and parties.
Behind the tasting room are a bocce ball court and a comfortable patio with a
water fountain where visitors can enjoy the wine while overlooking the
vineyards.
While visiting I
sampled the following wines:
My first wine was
the 2011 “The River Guide” Dry Riesling. On the nose it has aromas of light green
apples, pears and lemon-lime notes. On the palate it delivers crisp green
apples, very sharp and vibrant acidity with a hint of minerality. This is an
excellent summer wine as it was very refreshing with a medium(+) length finish
and it is moderately priced at $16 a bottle.
The second sample
was the 2011 Vermentino, Applegate Valley. I can’t recall ever tasting a new
world Vermentino as I have never seen one in California. So I was excited to
try this wine. On the nose I picked up subtle stone fruits, nectarine,
tangerine, and hint of lemon zest. On the palate it is slightly tart, with medium
(+) acidity, and a medium length finish. This wine sells for $18 a bottle and I
took one home.
The third pour
was the 2011 “Jeanie in the Bottle” Rosé
made from a blend of Bordeaux varietal red grapes (they didn't say which ones). On the nose I picked up hints of strawberry and watermelon
and on the palate it is seemingly off dry with a medium finish. This wine is
moderately priced at $14 a bottle.
The fourth wine was
the 2010 Druid Fluid Red. This wine was an “accidental” invention, the result
of a stuck fermentation that customers came to love so they continued to
produce this wine. It is a medium intensity ruby wine with fruity hints of
raspberry, cranberries, and a hint of spice. On the palate it is very soft, off
dry with medium (-) tannins, no heat with only 12.5 alcohol and a medium length
finish. If you know someone who doesn’t like red wines because of the tannin,
this would make a great introduction to something other than white or sweet wines.
This wine sells for $18.50 a bottle.
The fifth sample
was the 2008 Syrah. This wine is garnet in color with pronounced aromas (given enough time to breath) of blackberries,
blueberries, a hint of pepper, and a touch of black licorice. On the palate it
has supple medium intensity tannins and a medium length finish. A nice wine for
$19.95 a bottle.
The sixth wine was
the 2009 Old Vine Meritage, a blend of predominantly Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from 35 year-old vines along with small a
amount of Malbec and Petit Verdot.
On the nose I picked up black currants, black cherry, a hint of chocolate, and
a touch of mint. On the palate the wine is fruit forward, with supple medium
tannins, medium intensity tannins, followed by a medium length finish. A nice
wine that sells for $32 a bottle.
The seventh pour
was the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose I picked up black fruits,
red currants, a hint of eucalyptus, and a touch of anise. On the palate the
wine is youthful, fresh, vibrant and full bodied with medium intensity tannins,
medium (+) acidity, medium (+) length finish. This wine sells for $35 a bottle.
The final wine
was the 2009 Cabernet Franc Ltd. Reserve 1. This wine has pronounced aromas of black
fruits, old leather, pipe tobacco, a hint of anise, just a touch of fruit
sweetness followed by medium tannins and acidity. This was my favorite wine in
the line-up. Although I primarily came to Oregon to find great bottles of Pinot
Noir to take home, I couldn’t pass this one up at $35 a bottle.
To see more pictures of Troon Vineyard, check out Erik
Wait’s Wine Country Photography at:
To visit or for more information:
Troon Vineyard
1475 Kubli Road
Grants Pass, Oregon
Phone: 1-541- 846-9900
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