Vista Hills Vineyard – A Tree House Winery in Dayton, Oregon

After visiting Domaine Drouhin I headed to the top of the Dundee Hills to visit Vista Hills Vineyard. They are a neighbor of Domaine Serene which I had visited the previous day Visiting all three of these wineries is a Pinot Noir lover's delight for they not only produce supreme Pinots but they do so in very distinctly different styles. Domaine Drouhin, for obvious reasons, has the strongest French influences. Domaine Serene seems very French and yet with definite Oregonian influences. Vista Hills Vineyards produces very bold, kick-ass, intense and rich Oregonian Pinots that will pair well with either a delicate salmon or barbequed steaks. Yet they are not Syrah-like and still maintain their grape varietal characteristics. If you are a Pinot lover like I am, I highly recommend visiting all three of these wineries!

Vista Hills Vineyard and Winery is a family owned business founded by John and Nancy McClintock. It started as a small vineyard in 1995 and today it consists of 45 acres of Pinot Noir and 8 acres of Pinot Gris planted on the 65 acre estate. The vineyard rests atop a hill, providing ample sun exposure on varying slopes, which descend predominantly to the southwest. The grape vines are planted in densities varying from 1,200 to 2,200 vines per acre. The Dundee Hills American Viticulture Area (AVA) is one of the most highly regarded appellations in the Willamette Valley. Blessed with volcanic Jory soils, the rolling slopes of the Dundee Hills range from 300' to 1,000' above sea level. Vista Hills’ elevations range from 500' to 800', ideally situated to maximize the intensity and complexity of the picky Pinot Noir grape. The vineyard is LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) Certified and Salmon Safe.

In November 2007 the unique 6,000 square foot Tree House Tasting Room opened which extends out from the side of the hill into the Douglas Fir and White Oak treetops overlooking the vineyards below. 

While visiting the tree house and enjoying the views I sampled the following wines:

My first pour was 2011 Tree House Pinot Gris. The nose of this wine is very aromatic with a pronounced bouquet of floral and tropical notes followed by orange peel, honeydew melon and pineapple. It was served a tad bit too warm and it seemed a bit tart on the palate, but it was rather crisp with medium (+) acidity and it had a prolonged finish. This wine sells for $18 a bottle.

The second pour was the 2009 Tree House Pinot Noir. On the nose this wine exudes smoked bacon, mocha and coffee which then transitions into dark black cherries, cola and a hint of pepper and spice. There is a certain quality to this wine that is in your face, “KABLAM!” This may seem a bit overwhelming to some Pinot Lovers who are looking for a wine with subtlety and finesse. This wine sells for $28 a bottle and I bought two of them but opened one with dinner later that night and paired it with a Filet Mignon – AWESOME!

The third pour was the 2009 Marylhurst Pinot Noir. On the nose this wine displays Dr. Pepper, dark cherries, a hint of smoke and spice. On the palate it has excellent structure and backbone with medium tannins and well balanced acidity. This wine sells for $36 a bottle and I brought two of them home.

The fourth wine was the 2009 Rollins Pinot Noir. On the nose I picked up cola, hints of smoke, black cherries and a hint of anise and spice. This wine is similar in profile to the previous Pinot but with more balanced and harmony and all of its attributes are well integrated. This wine sells for $44 a bottle.

The fifth pour was 2009 Tusculum Pinot Noir. This wine seems like a more mature and well balanced version of the Tree House Pinot Noir with notes of cola, smoke, black cherries and spice. It is similar in aromas and flavor but the profile is more well-balanced, restrained and well integrated. This wine sells for $44 and I brought two of them home.

My final wine of the line-up was the 2009 Skyraider Pinot Noir. Another fabulous wine with notes of blackberries, cola, cassis and spice with more pronounced fruit characteristics than the previous wines which were earthier. This wine sells for $60 a bottle.

To see more pictures of Vista Hills Vineyards, check out Erik Wait’s Wine Country Photography at:

http://erikwait.blogspot.com/2013/04/vista-hills-vineyard-dayton-oregon.html  

To visit or for more information:

Vista Hills Vineyard

6475 NE Hilltop Lane  

Dayton, Oregon 97114

Phone: 1-503-864-3200

http://www.vistahillsvineyard.com/

Domaine Serene – The Dundee Hills of Dayton, Oregon

After visiting Willamette Valley Vineyard on the fourth day of my trip I headed west across the valley to Dayton where I made my second and final stop of the day at Domaine Serene. They are located in a community of wineries in the Dundee Hills. Perched above the valley floor visitors can taste fabulous wines and get a breath taking view of the valley below. 

The winery was founded in 1989 by Ken and Grace Evenstad who named it after their daughter, Serene Evenstad Warren. Initially the estate consisted of 42 acres on a west-facing slope that had been cleared of the trees by loggers. The cleared land then became the Estate vineyards named Mark Bradford, Fleur de Lis and Etoile all of which were planted to Pinot Noir. 

They now own 462 acres of land in Yamhill County with 150 acres of the land planted to vine, 95% of which is Pinot Noir with the remaining planted to Chardonnay and Syrah. This includes the Evenstad Estate Vineyard that totals 142 acres named Mark Bradford, Fleur de Lis and Etoile all of which were planted to Pinot Noir. It also includes 41 adjoining acres with east facing slopes named Grace, Clos du Soleil and Gold Eagle Vineyards, as well as south-facing slope of 59 acres planted to Pinot Noir and 4.5 acres to Dijon clone Chardonnay named Côte Sud Vineyard. They also own 90 acres on Jerusalem Hill, 55 of these east-facing slope acres are planted solely to Pinot Noir. They also have a second label called Rockblock that features Rhone varietals made with sourced fruit harvested from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley appellation of Northeastern Oregon.

The architecture of the winery and tasting room is absolutely beautiful. It is a 50,000 square foot Tuscan-style building with yellow clay walls, a red-tiled roof and 20-foot ceilings. The facility is a multi-level gravity-flow winery with five levels that contain four fermentation rooms, four barrel cellars, a sorting line, corking operation, tasting room and restaurant. 

The ambiance of the tasting room is beautiful. Visitors can stand at the tasting counter lounge or lounge in a comfortable sitting area near the fireplace. But, weather permitting, the most scenic place to sample the wine is on the patio where you can enjoy the fantastic vistas of the vineyards and valley below.

While visiting I sampled the following wines:

My first pour was the 2009 “Etoile Vineyard” Chardonnay. This wine exudes delicate aromas of butterscotch, caramel, pears and golden delicious apples. On the palate it is creamy without being heavy weighted and it has refreshing crisp acidity and a really prolonged finish. An absolutely fabulous wine and one of the best Chards I have had in a long time. However, at $49 a bottle I know of other comparable California Chards in the $30-$35 range.

The second sample was the 2009 “Yamhill Cuvee” Pinot Noir. This wine is fruit forward with fresh aromas of cherries, strawberries, and cherry-vanilla. On the palate it has medium acidity and a lengthy finish. This wine is very California-like and in a blind taste test I would have guessed it was from Carneros in the Napa Valley. It is a very nice wine but it isn’t what I am looking for in Oregon. This wine sells for $45 a bottle.

The third pour was the 2008 “Evanstad Reserve” Pinot Noir. This wine is deeper ruby and garnet in color and it has fruit and earthy aromas of black cherries, cola and forest floor. On the palate it has well balanced acidity (medium +), medium tannins and a lengthy finish. This is an absolutely phenomenal wine but at $65 a bottle it isn’t competitive with many other similar Oregon Pinots that I tasted elsewhere.

The final wine was the NV (Non-Vintage) Rockblock “SoNo” Syrah. On the nose this wine is jammy with pronounced aromas of blackberry jam, cocoa, and oak. On the palate it is silky smooth with a hint of sweetness and a medium length finish that suddenly comes to a dead stop. The nose of the wine is better than on the palate. It is way too soft, lacking structure and backbone and at $35 a bottle I’d definitely say, “Pass.” 

 

To see more pictures of the Domaine Serene, check out Erik Wait’s Wine Country Photography at:

http://erikwait.blogspot.com/2013/05/domaine-serene-dayton-oregon.html

To visit or for more information:

Domaine Serene

6555 N.E. Hilltop Lane

Dayton, Oregon 97114

Phone: 1-503-864-4600

http://www.domaineserene.com/