Grand Finale of the 2012 Summer Oregon Tour - Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg, Oregon

 

After visiting Domaine Drouhin and Vista Hills in the Dundee Hills I headed over to visit the final winery of my 2012 summer tour through the Oregon wine country. Adelsheim Vineyard was founded 40 years ago by David and Ginny Adelsheim in 1972. They began with 15 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling in the Chehalem Mountains. Six years later in 1978 they had their first commercial release of 300 cases of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from the estate vineyard along with Semillon and Merlot. All of which was made in their cramped basement winery with a simple crusher, wine press and 20 Burgundy barrels. 

As Adelsheim Vineyard continued to grow, they needed a new production facility so in 1982, four years after their inaugural release, they built their 6,000 square foot winery adjacent to the Adelsheim’s home. Later a 19 acre vineyard across the street from the original vineyard was leased. Then in 1989 a 52 acre site, now named Calkins Lane Vineyard, was purchased and became the home of the current winery. 

In 1994 Jack and Lynn Loacker became co-owners Adelsheim Vineyard and began planting a 120-acre site on Ribbon Ridge, the source of much of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes since 1998. 

In 1997, a new 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art winery with underground barrel storage was built at Calkins Lane Vineyard. This 40,000 case capacity facility entails a two-level, gravity-flow fermentation room which allows for gentle grape movement and four underground barrel caves utilize pre-cast concrete arches and temperature-controlled floors to provide optimal temperature and humidity for slow, cool aging of their Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. 

In 2001 David Paige took the reins from David Adelsheim to become the head winemaker, bringing with him twelve years experience in working with Pinot Noir. In 2008 the production continued to expand so an extensive addition to the winery on Calkins Lane was added which enabled them to bring in more fruit, use two sorting tables, and add additional fermentation space to handle the increased harvest demands. 

In the fall of 2006 Viticulturist Chad Vargas, who has BS and MS degrees in Crop Science and Plant Pathology, joined the Adelsheim Vineyard team. Under his leadership Adelsheim’s estate vineyards became certified under the LIVE program (Low Input Viticulture and Enology).

 

In April 2009 Adelsheim Vineyard opened their new tasting room was opened which includes an extended tasting bar and immediate access to the back patio where visitors can leisurely enjoy their samples of wine while viewing the vineyards on the surrounding hills. 

Adelsheim now farms 190 acres on eleven vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley with a total production of 42,000 cases of wine annually. Beginning in 2011, Adelsheim began to release a “Best of Vintage” Pinot Noir. The inaugural release was from the 29th harvest and was given the name, “Vintage 29.” It was crafted from 3½ barrels of Pinot Noir ($140 a bottle). Vintage 31 and Vintage 32 are also available from the winery. 

While visiting I sampled the following wines: 

My first pour was 2010 Caitlin’s Reserve Chardonnay. On the nose I picked up sharp tart apples, orange peel, dried pineapple and a hint of white flowers. On the palate it is crisp with medium (+) acidity and it has a prolonged finish. Overall a really nice non-oaky style Chardonnay that is Chablis-like, minus the minerality. But, this wine is not priced competitively at $45 a bottle. I know of many similar California Chards in the $30 range. 

The second wine was the 2009 Elizabeth’s Bluff Reserve Pinot Noir. On the nose this wine is very fruit forward with aromas of vibrant fresh cherries, faint hints of cola, black cherries, anise and spice. On the palate the wine has lively with medium (+) acidity and a prolonged finish that reminds of me of California Russian River Pinots. A beautiful wine but it does not have the “I’m from Oregon” signature that I am looking for in a Pinot. This wine sells for $55 a bottle, but comparable Russian River Pinots go for about $35-$45. 

The third pour was the 2009 Boulder Bluff Pinot Noir. On the nose it has dark plums, hints of anise and cola and a layer of forest floor. On the palate it is silky and complex, with good backbone and structure, it is well balanced and it has a medium (+) length finish. It is a very fine wine but not competitively priced at $68 a bottle. 

The fourth pour was the 2009 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir. The grapes for this are sourced from an expansive site located in the Eola Hills and they supply grapes to other wineries including Belle Vallée, Chehalem, Elk Cove, Evesham Wood, J.K. Carriere, Mystic, Panther Creek, R. Stuart and Co., and St. Innocent. On the nose I picked up bright cherries, licorice with a distinct black cherry cola finish. It is young, powerful, well structured and tannic (medium +) and has potential for ageing. A really nice Pinot but at $68 a bottle I’d head back to the Dundee Hill’s and buy another at Domaine Drouhin or Vista Hills. 

My final wine of the line-up was the 2009 Bryan Creek Pinot Noir. On the nose I picked up root beer, cola, Bing cherries and a hint of earth. On the palate it has medium (+) acidity, medium tannins and is supple and silky in the mid palate transition followed by a medium (+) length finish. This was the only Pinot in the line-up that I thought had the distinctive Oregon characteristics I desired. But it sells for $75 a bottle! 

Overall, Adelsheim Vineyard is a beautiful place, they produce very fine wines and their service was excellent. But the price of their wines when compared to their Oregon peers is not competitive. 

 To visit or for more information: 

Adelsheim Vineyard 

16800 NE Calkins Lane 

Newberg, Oregon 97132 

Telephone: 1-503-538-3652 

 http://www.adelsheim.com/

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 Drouhin Oregon – A Taste of France in Dayton, Oregon

On the fifth and final day of my adventure through the Oregon wine country I returned to the community of wineries in the Dundee Hills. My first stop was at Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO), a French owned winery that produces great Pinot Noir from the best of the New and Old Worlds – Burgundy and Oregon. 

Domaine Drouhin is a daughter-winery of Maison Joseph Drouhin, a French wine producer based in Burgundy that was founded in 1880. The estate owns vineyards in Chablis, the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise, as well as in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Drouhin is also one of the major négociants of Burgundy, and produces wines made from purchased grapes grown in different parts of Burgundy. Today both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin Oregon are owned and operated by the great grandchildren of Joseph Drouhin.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO), a gravity-fed winery, is in the Red Hills of Dundee AVA. It was built in 1988 for $10,000,000 by Maison Joseph Drouhin and it is the first four-level gravity-flow winery built in Oregon. 

At the very heart of their 225-acre estate are the 85 acres of high density vineyards; 70 planted with Pinot Noir and 13.5 acres with Chardonnay. They also source grapes from other growers grown on the Hill’s Red Jory Clay, as well as on the Willakenzie soils of the flatter areas. Another 50 acres of the Drouhin property remain to be planted and are destined for more Pinot Noir. These vineyards share a nearly identical climate, latitude, and aspect with their counterparts in France.

The fourth generation of Drouhins now works in Beaune and Oregon:  Frédéric is General Manager of Maison Joseph Drouhin (www.drouhin.com), Philippe manages the estates in Burgundy and Oregon, Laurent is a regional commercial director, and since its first vintage in 1988 Véronique Drouhin has continued the family tradition as the head winemaker of both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin Oregon. Véronique travels frequently between her home on the estate in Oregon and her home in Beaune. She and her husband have three young children, for whom the wines Arthur, Laurène and Louise are named. The fifth generation of Drouhins is still quite young, but there is no doubt that Joseph Drouhin’s great-great grandchildren will one day take their place in the family business.

Visiting Domaine Drouhin Oregon is a truly unique wine tasting experience. When you taste one of their Pinots from Oregon and another from Burgundy you are receiving a very unique and special wine education – the opportunity to experience the differences and similarities of the terroir of an old and new world wine made by the same winemaker. They produces three Pinot Noirs which have Burgundian counterparts: the first is the Willamette Valley Cuvée (Village level), the second is the Cuvée Laurène (Premier Cru level), named after Veronique’s first daughter, and the third Cuvée Louise (Grand Cru level), named after Véronique’s youngest daughter.

While visiting I sampled the following wines:

My first pour was the 2010 Arthur Chardonnay. On the nose I picked up aromas of freshly cut apples, citrus and lemon zest with a subtle underlying floral component. On the palate the wine is tart and tangy with pronounced (medium ++) acidity and a lengthy finish. It seems a bit austere to me, definitely not your California-style Chard. This wine sells for $30 a bottle.

The second sample was a French Chardonnay, the 2008 Chablis Premier-Cru. This wine is a blend of various Premier Cru parcels from the Joseph Drouhin Domaine in Chablis (Roncières, Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre, Moireins). They are located on either side of the Serein River, harvested and vinified separately, then assembled. On the nose I picked up dried pineapple, ginger, lemon meringue, a faint hint of butter, toasted nuts, some green vegetal notes and orange peel with a hint of wet stone on the tail end.  On the palate this wine is similar to the previous one but with more complexity and it is silkier in texture with a longer finish. This wine sells for $32 a bottle and if I were in the market to buy a Chardonnay I’d pay the extra $2 and buy this one.

The third sample was the 2011 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Edition Rosé. Made in the saignée method, this wine is salmon pink in color and displays fresh aromas of pink grapefruit, sour cherries and melon. On the palate the wine is dry and somewhat tart, very crisp and vibrant with a very long (medium +) length finish. This wine sells for $20 a bottle.

The fourth pour was the 2010 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley. This wines exudes floral aromas of dried roses followed by black cherries, vibrant cherries, a hint of cedar and spice. On the palate it has medium acidity and a medium (+) length. This wine could easily be mistaken for a California Russian River Pinot Noir. A really nice wine but it wasn’t what I was looking for in Oregon. This wine sells for $40 a bottle.

The fifth wine was the 2009 Joseph Drouhin Santenay (Pinot Noir), Grand Vins De Bourgogne AOC. Santenay is a charming village, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, below the Mont de Sène. On the nose this wine displays what you expect to find in a Burgundian Pinot – black fruit, black cherries, pomegranate followed by earth, mushrooms and a hint of barnyard. The tannins are soft and the acidity is vibrant (medium +) and it has a prolonged finish. This wine sells for $27 a bottle and I brought two of them home to do a Burgundy/Oregon wine side-by-side comparison with friends.

The sixth and final pour was 2008 Laurène Cuvee Pinot Noir. Named after Véronique Drouhin's elder daughter, Laurène this is DDO’s flagship wine, and is produced entirely from Pinot Noir grown the estate in the Dundee Hills. The wine is absolutely superb and is the treasure that Pinot hunters are looking for in Oregon. The wine exudes black cherries, spice, smoke and bacon and a fresh earthiness that can’t be found in California. On the palate it is rich and sensuous with supple tannins, vibrant acidity (medium +) and a prolonged finish. This wine is a bit pricy at $65 a bottle but I had to bring at least one home to share with friends.

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

http://erikwait.blogspot.com/2013/03/domaine-drouhin-oregon-dayton-oregon.html  

To visit or for more information:

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

6750 Breyman Orchards Rd.

Dayton, Oregon 97114

Phone:  1-503-864-2700

http://www.domainedrouhin.com

For details on their French wines:

http://www.drouhin.com/en/#/Exception

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/

Benton Lane Winery – On the Sunnymount Ranch in Monroe, Oregon

The second stop of the third day of my adventure through the Oregon wine country was at Benton Lane Winery in the southern Willamette Valley, near the village of Monroe. The site was originally an old sheep ranch called “Sunnymount Ranch” 

Located on the west side of the valley with hillsides sloping east by southeast, it has a perfect orientation for planting Pinot Noir. Because they are east of some of the highest peaks in the coastal range they receive what climatologists refer to as the “rain shadow”. In effect, these high peaks part the marine cloud layer that flows in from the Pacific Ocean, creating a unique microclimate that receives more sunlight than the surrounding area, hence the name Sunnymount. These unique conditions provide the potential for earlier ripening of grapes which improves the ability to complete the harvest before the normal arrival of fall rains. In addition, the soils in this vineyard are deep, well drained, Bellpine and Jory clay-loam soils, which are ideal for grape cultivation. 

In 1988 Steve and Carol Girard purchased the Sunnymount Ranch and began planting Pinot Noir the following year. The name Benton-Lane is derived from the fact that the vineyard straddles the border between Benton and Lane counties. Since then the vineyard has grown to 138 acres predominantly planted to Pinot Noir with 7 distinct clones on a wide variety of rootstocks carefully matched to the planting location.

In 1992 Benton-Lane produced their first vintage was which was custom produced at another local winery. This custom production process continued until 1997 when the winery facility was constructed.

Until 2003 Benton-Lane exclusively produced Pinot Noir but then they began producing limited quantities of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from small 1 and 2 acre experimental plantings of each in the Benton-Lane vineyard. These wines were then sold exclusively in the tasting room. In 2004, the winery began full-scale commercial production of Pinot Gris from grapes purchased from carefully selected Willamette Valley growers.

From time to time the winery has also produced a Rosé made from 100% estate grown Pinot Noir.  Then in 2009 the winery produced its first Chardonnay that is also only available at the winery.

While visiting I sampled the following wines:

My first wine was the 2011 Pinot Gris. This wine has medium intense aromas of honey crisp apples, melon, peaches, and lime. On the palate the wine is crisp with refreshing acidity. This wine sells for $24 a bottle.

The second pour was the 2010 Pinot Blanc. Almost Chardonnay-like, this wine exudes aromas of apples, caramel and a very distinct hazelnut character that lingers on the finish followed by toasted marshmallows on the return. It reminds of a barrel fermented Chardonnay and yet it is lighter in body and does not have the heavy oak or butter. I really liked this wine and brought two home for $18 per bottle.

The third wine was the 2009 Chardonnay. This wine displays golden raisins, hints of stone and tropical fruits followed by faint notes of butter and toasted nuts. On the palate it is medium bodied with additional notes of crème brûlée, it is silky and yet has sufficient crispness as well. This wine is competitively priced at $28 a bottle.

The fourth wine was the 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé. This wine has subtle aromas of strawberries, rose water, and spice. On the palate it is dry, medium bodied, crisp and tangy with a hint of spice on the finish. A competitively price wine at $15 a bottle.

The fifth pour was the 2009 Pinot Noir Estate. This wine has layered aromas of Bing cherries, blackberries, with underlying notes of strawberries. On the palate is lively with medium (+) acidity, soft with medium (-) tannins, and is light bodied. It doesn’t have the earthiness I have come to expect from Oregon Pinots and so it seems like a $35 Russian River Pinot Noir and yet it sells for only $26 a bottle.

The final tasting was the 2009 First Class Pinot Noir. This wine is a major step up from the previous Pinot in boldness, intensity, complexity and the “wow” factor. On the nose this wine displays pronounced aromas of blackberries, cola and a subtle floral component followed by a waft of spice, tobacco and herbs. On the palate it is really well balanced with medium tannins and abundant acidity (medium +) followed by a lengthy (medium +) finish. An absolutely fabulous wine for $48 a bottle, I brought one home.

To visit or for more information:

Benton Lane Winery

23924 Territorial Highway

Monroe, Oregon 97456

Phone: 1-541- 847-5792

http://www.benton-lane.com/

King Estate Winery – A Pinot Noir Heaven in Eugene, Oregon

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On the second day of my trip to Oregon I left the Applegate Valley and headed further north on I-5 to the southern end of the Willamette Valley. I then headed southwest of Eugene Oregon to the community of Loraine. My one and only stop that day was at King Estate Winery where I toured the facility and tasted some absolutely spectacular wines. 

--> The King Estate Winery was founded by Ed King, Jr. and his son, Ed King III. The family winery has been producing wine for over two decades southwest of Eugene, Oregon. They are dedicated to certified organic and sustainable farming methods and they specialize in producing Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir as well as a small amount of Chardonnay.

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King Estate is the largest production winery in Oregon and is one of the most beautiful as well. The hill top winery has stunning views of the valley below as it is perched on top of a hill overlooking 1,033 acres which includes 470 acres of organic vineyards as well as 30 acres of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The architecture of the winery and restaurant is designed in a French style but some of aspects of it remind me of the Spanish California Missions as well. King Estate provides a fascinating tour of their facilities in which you’ll walk amongst their towering stainless steel tanks and smell the “angel’s portion” of wine in the barrel room.

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While visiting I did a tour of the winery and then sampled the following wines:

The first wine was the 2011 Acrobat Pinot Gris. This wine has aromas of granny smith apples and lemons, on the palate it is somewhat tart with a hint of minerality with crisp and refreshing medium (+) acidity followed by a lingering medium (+) length finish. This wine is an excellent value at $12 a bottle.

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The second wine was the 2011 Signature Pinot Gris. This wine is similar to the Acrobat Pinot Gris in fruit profile, crispness and acidity but it is not as austere or tart and it has a rounder mouth feel with a very long finish. It is an excellent wine for only $17 a bottle.

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I then tasted a number of Rosés side by side:

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The first was the 2011 Luminous Pinot Gris Rosé.  This wine is light pink in color with aromas of watermelon and rose water followed on the palate with refreshing medium (+) acidity, and a lengthy finish that has a hint of spice. A beautiful wine for $21 a bottle

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The second was the 2011 Acrobat Rosé of Pinot Noir which is very similar to the previous wine but displays additional hints of strawberries and cranberries. Surprisingly this wine sells for only $15 a bottle.

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The third was the 2011 Signature Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, a Rosé wine that is slightly darker than the previous two wines, salmon pink, is more fruit forward on the nose and on the palate is seemingly off-dry, less tart and additional aromas of watermelon candy and cotton candy (without the intense sugary sweetness). Of the three Rosés this one was my favorite, it sells for $18 a bottle. 

I then sampled side by side two Pinot Noirs from the Acrobat line:

The first was the 2008 Acrobat Pinot Noir. This wine displays a classic Pinot Noir fruit profile of black cherries, subtle earthy notes followed by cola. On the palate it has medium intensity, bright acidity and a medium length finish. This wine is an absolute steal at only $20 a bottle. This is a classic vintage for Oregon Pinot Noir and you will NOT find a California Pinot with this profile in this price range. I brought three of them home.

The second as the 2010 Acrobat Pinot Noir. This wine is similar to the ’08 but with additional hints of smoke and crispy bacon. A great wine for only $20, I brought six of them home.

Following the Acrobat line, I tasted the 2007, 2009 and 2010 from the Signature series side by side. They each sell for $29 a bottle. Generally, the profile of these wines is similar to the Acrobat series except they have greater intensity of aromas, flavors and a longer finish and the 2010 has great aromas of bacon fat. So you’re paying $9 for the extra “Wow!” factor and it is well worth it! I have never found a Pinot in California of this quality at this price range. I bought three of the 2010 vintage.

My final side by side tasting was three Pinot Noirs that were the crème de la crème! These wines are a major step up in quality and price from the previous wines and are sourced from a single block of the vineyard.

The first was the 2009 Domaine Pinot Noir Block 4A. This wine was somewhat subdued at first on the nose, but given some time in the glass and a lot of swirling this is a very complex and multilayered wine that needs time in the glass to fully open. On the nose and palate it has layers of root beer, raspberry, sour cherry, and plums and the acidity, tannin and body of this palate is extremely well balanced and the flavors come together harmoniously. This wine is a bit pricey at $60 a bottle.

The second wine in the final side by side comparison was the 2009 Domaine Pinot Noir Block 4AC. This wine has subtle nuances that distinguish it from the previous, the key differences are more strawberry notes, more acidity, a slightly creamier nose and it is slightly more pronounced and focused on the mid palate. A superb wine, I brought one home for $60 a bottle.

My final wine was the 2010 Pfeiffer Pinot Noir. The grapes for this wine are sourced from Pfeiffer Vineyard (which I visited the following day). The profile of this wine is radically different from the previous, it is more earthy, almost stinky, with notes of barnyard, tar, burnt rubber tire, followed by black cherries, spice, cola, and a lot more smoke. To many, this wine may seem more Burgundian. It has medium acidity and a medium (+) length. This wine sells for $55 a bottle.

I was very impressed with the beauty, quality, value and the hospitality of King Estate Winery. The only thing I didn’t do was sample the menu in the restaurant, but I’ll be sure to do that on my next trip. So, if you are ever visiting the area, King Estate Winery is a “must visit”!

 

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

http://erikwait.blogspot.com/2013/03/king-estate-winery-eugene-oregon.html

To visit or for more information:

King Estate Winery

80854 Territorial Highway 

Eugene, Oregon 97405

Phone: 1-541-942-9874

http://www.kingestate.com/