Wine Press Northwest Summer 2020 by Wine Press Northwest

PINOT NOIR JUDGING RESULTS - CHEF SHARES RECIPES, PAIRINGS

SUMMER 2020

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EUGENE, SOUTH WILLAMETTE

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IN THIS ISSUE SUMMER 2020 | VOL. 22, NO. 2

Southern Willamette Valley Travel Guide - page 16

Division Wine Co. - page 10

Sigillo Cellars - page 12

COVER STORY

THE WINE KNOWS BY ANDY PERDUE

SWIRL, SNIFF & SIP BY KEN ROBERTSON

ELLEN ON WINE BY ELLEN LANDIS

DIVISION WINE CO.

SIGILLO CELLARS

TUALATIN VALLEY AVAS APPROVED

NORTHWEST PINOT NOIRS RATED

MATCH MAKERS

A wine lover’s guide to the southern Willamette Valley.

Mariner great teams up with renowned winemaker.

Ancient Lakes, Wahluke Slope making their mark.

McMinnville competition recognizes top wines.

A profile of the founders of Portland’s Southeast Wine Collective.

Washington winery finds success on both sides of the Cascades.

Official designation approved for two wine regions

Battle Creek Cellars winemaker makes an impression

Bothell restaurant features curbside program, shares recipes and pairings.

CORRECTIONS:

Match Makers - page 34

ON THE COVER Cover photo of King Estate in Eugene, Ore., by Richard Duval. 4

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Clearwater Canyon Cellars in Lewiston, Idaho, our pick for 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year, produced their first vintage in 2004. A photo caption in our spring edition had the incorrect year. Mike Haberman is a viticulturist in Clearwater Canyon’s Umiker Estate Vineyard. A photo caption in our spring edition listed the wrong vineyard. Colter’s Creek Vineyards & Winery, our pick for 2020 Idaho Winery of the Year, is owned by Mike Pearson and his wife Melissa Sanborn and is located in the Lewis-Clark Valley American Viticultural Area. Pearson’s last name and the AVA were incorrectly stated in our spring edition.

Wine Press Northwest is for those with an interest in wine — from the novice to the veteran. We focus on Washington, Oregon and Idaho’s talented winemakers and the wineries, vintners and restaurants that showcase Northwest wines. We are dedicated to all who savor the fruits of their labor. General Manager Jerry Hug jhug@tricityherald.com Editor Gregg McConnell editor@winepressnw.com Columnists Ellen Landis Andy Perdue Ken Robertson Contributors Tamara Belgard Eric Degerman Dan Radil Contributing photographers Bob Brawdy Richard Duval In memoriam: Bob Woehler Advertising sales Aaron Rindeikis arindeikis@mcclatchy.com To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $20 U.S. per year for four issues per year. Mail check or money order to the address below, subscribe securely online at winepressnw.com or call customer service at 800-538-5619. Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week e-mail newsletter at winepressnw.com Address 333 W. Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2020 Wine Press Northwest A Tri-City Herald publication

Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

COLUMN | the wine knows

ACE WINEMAKER PALENCIA, MARINERS GREAT EDGAR MARTINEZ TEAM UP

pring without baseball is wrong on so many levels. I understand why it has to be this way, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. You see, I was raised on baseball. It was practically a religion around my house. My dad, Ed Perdue, was the sports editor of the daily newspaper in Washington’s Kitsap County. He loved baseball, especially the Detroit Tigers. He was my coach when I played on Pee Wee and Babe Ruth baseball teams growing up. I have several fond memories of baseball. To start, we went to a Seattle Pilots game in 1969, their only season in Seattle before they were moved to Milwaukee. A lawsuit over the Pilots’ departure led to the Mariners coming to Seattle in 1977. My folks took me to the Opening Day game – along with more than 57,000 fans in the new Kingdome — but it was a loss to the California Angels. Pitching for the Mariners was Diego Segui, who had pitched for the Pilots. It turned out that Pilots pitcher Jim Bouton wrote a controversial book titled Ball Four, which chronicled the team’s exploits. In 1970, it was the first of the "tell-all'' sports books that became so popular. My dad did not want me to read Ball Four, perhaps because he didn't want his little boy to know the unsavory side of some professional athletes. I finally read it this winter while I was in the hospital recovering from a stroke. Once I set aside the childhood guilt of breaking Dad’s rule, I learned some interesting Northwest sports history. Baseball dominated our summer evenings. It was easy to take the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, then walk to the Kingdome (with a stop at Ivar's for fish and chips) to catch the Mariners. When we didn’t go to the game, Dad listened on the radio — even keeping the box scores. His favorite Mariners included Ruppert Jones, Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez, with whom he shared a first name. My dad passed away more than a dec6

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ade before Martinez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. This is an unusual honor for a designated hitter and well-deserved for Martinez. Soon after his acceptance speech in CooperBy Andy Perdue stown, N.Y., Martinez got in touch with Victor Palencia, owner/winemaker of Palencia Wine Co., in the Tri-Cities. They had met in 2012 at a children’s hospital fundraiser and built a connection, but last year they began to talk in earnest about collaborating and developing a wine to commemorate his induction. It feels like a home run! One of my favorite baseball players teaming with one of my favorite winemakers. This dynamic duo have a pitch-and-a-hit with a 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon in a commemorative magnum bottle for the Hall of Fame election. The Edgar Martinez Special Selection is part of Palencia’s El Viñador Reserve program. It retails at $180 per 1.5liter bottle, but wine club members get a discount for pre-orders. “This wine was designed to celebrate baseball, our Washington wine region and our families,” Martinez said in the May 14 announcement. Martinez and Palencia worked together to blend and cellar this limited release. Palencia says they are planning on a series of Cab-based blends to pay homage to other Martinez career milestones, including Martinez’s double into the Kingdome’s leftfield corner that drove in Griffey and defeated the Yankees in their 1995 playoff series — arguably the most important play in Mariners history. Baseball games don’t typically lead us to think of wine. Instead we think about beer and hot dogs. But times have changed. In a typical Mariners season, I’d be dreaming

about which of the T-Mobile Park gourmet food choices to pair with Palencia’s wines. And especially for Martinez, I’d make an exception for a glass of Cab instead of a Northwest craft beer. Martinez, who Edgar Martinez teamed up with renowned was inducted into winemaker Victor the World Sports Palencia to craft this 2016 Humanitarian Cabernet Sauvignon in a Hall of Fame in commemorative magnum 2007, is known bottle. for his generous support of the Seattle Children’s Hospital through the Auction of Washington Wines — another traditional summer event pivoting into a virtual gala due to the curveball of COVID-19. Baseball more than any sport is about tradition and balance, paying tribute to the past and building for the future with practice, patience and precision. Those traits apply to how Martinez played baseball and how Palencia makes wine. In 2019, Palencia was Wine Press Northwest’s Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year. Baseball and wine. It turns out they do go together. So join me in raising a glass to salute Martinez’s career, only instead of saying “Cheers!”, let’s chant “Edddddgaaaaarrr! Edddddgaaaaarrr!”

ANDY PERDUE is a third-generation Washington state newspaper journalist. He is the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine, has authored one book about wines and contributed to several others. A survivor of stage 4 cancer and several strokes, he lives in the heart of Washington wine country with his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Niranjana.

COLUMN | swirl, sniff & sip

ANCIENT LAKES, WAHLUKE SLOPE MAKING THEIR MARK

sk an average wine drinker from outside the Northwest about Washington’s best places to grow wine grapes, and chances are you’ll get one of three answers: Walla Walla. Red Mountain. Huh? Washington? Today’s topic is none of the above. It’s a primer on two American Viticultural Areas that are helping define the future of Washington wine: Wahluke Slope and Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley. Each is making its mark, but a look back 40 years into Washington wine history shows it was a rugged start. For the Wahluke Slope, that history begins in 1982 when a major German winery with an international reputation — Franz Langguth — opened near Mattawa. Alas, hardly anybody came. Washington wines made in a rather dry Germanic style just weren’t big sellers. By 1987, Langguth departed and its operations were folded into Snoqualmie, which later became part of Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. A decade later, three Columbia Basin farmers, who also grew apples and potatoes, began planting grapes on the Wahluke Slope and the nearby Ancient Lakes area. It’s fair to say a cup of coffee was the catalyst when friends Butch Milbrandt of Mattawa and the late Jack Jones of Quincy sat down to chat and Jones invited Milbrandt to join him on a visit to Ste. Michelle’s Columbia Crest Winery in Paterson. “At the end of the day, I had a contract for 80 acres of grapes — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay,” Milbrandt recalls. He began planting northwest of Mattawa in 1996-97, starting with whites, a venture that led to Butch and his brother Jerry growing about 3,800 acres of wine grapes in the Wahluke Slope and Ancient Lakes AVAs. “Jerry and I decided we wanted to be large enough to have some measure of control,” Butch recalls. Jerry started planting white wine grapes in 1998 in the now-famous Evergreen Vineyard, starting with 452 acres overlooking the Columbia River near George, growing to about 1,200 acres two decades later, mostly Riesling and Chardonnay. Now, it’s likely best-known for

Riesling, thanks to Ste. Michelle using Evergreen grapes as the backbone for its Eroica Riesling program. Jones also began planting vineyards in 1997. They now supply the Jones of Washington label, launched in 2001, By Ken Robertson and he also linked up with Dick Shaw, who grows grapes on Red Mountain and the adjacent Horn Rapids area, to form J&S Crushing in Mattawa. Jones followed up by planting Trinidad Vineyards in 1999 in what’s now the Ancient Lakes AVA. Wahluke Slope was recognized officially as an AVA in 2006, followed by Ancient Lakes in 2012. In the decades since, Wahluke Slope has built a reputation for rich, full-bodied red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Its south-facing slopes along the Columbia River, after being scoured practically bare of soil by the Missoula floods 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, have acquired sandy loam soils, underlain by basalt and a layer of gravelly caliche (calcium carbonate). The AVA’s 80,490 acres now include about 10,000 acres of grapes, or 15% of the state total. “The Wahluke Slope has a bit of an advantage that doesn’t get talked about,” said Kendall Mix, who makes wines for both Milbrandt brothers and met them while working for Ste. Michelle, starting in 1993. “It has some of the warmest sites in the state that approach Red Mountain.” The Ancient Lakes AVA, with 169,153 acres, is twice as large as Wahluke Slope, but grows only about a fifth as many grapes, just over 1,600 acres. Its grapes are known for producing surprisingly aromatic wines with crisp acidity and minerality, partly because of the caliche under its wind-blown loess silt and sandy soils. Mix, who’s also worked with Evergreen grapes, calls it “a pretty special place for whites — especially Riesling and Chardonnay.” The awards won by wines made from grapes from the two AVAs offer abundant proof of

their quality. Since Mix began making wines for Butch’s Milbrandt and Ryan Patrick labels, his red wines have won a flock of gold medals at state and regional competitions and gained national notice. His work for Jerry’s custom crush operation, the Wahluke Wine Co., is in high demand. As for the Jones family, their longtime winemaker Victor Palencia has consistently won awards for reds, whites and rosés made for Jones and for Palencia’s own Palencia Wine Co. and Monarcha Winery labels. WINE WORDS: AGRAFFE, MUSELET, PLACOMUSOPHILIE Once again, it’s time to delve into the abundant array of foreign words borrowed from the French. Agraffe (sometimes agrafe), though officially French, is likely of Germanic origin. It’s the wire cage or basket that encloses the top of a sparkling wine bottle and holds the cork in place despite the 70 to 90 psi of the carbonation inside the bottle. You’re at least as likely to encounter muselet as agraffe when you’re brushing up on your wine geek speak, and more likely to encounter agraffe in the world of music. It’s also the name for the parts of a grand piano that serve as guides at the turning pin end of a piano string and are turned into the tuning pin block. The chief assistant to the agraffe/muselet is a metal cap, or helmet, which ensures the pressure can’t spread apart the wires of the agraffe and push the cork through top of the cage and literally pop the cork. As for placomusophilie, it’s the term for folks who collect the helmets from the bottles of Champagne they’ve drunk and put them into display cases. Yes, just when you thought you had heard of everything. You might think such matters trivial, but about two dozen people are killed annually by flying Champagne corks — which can be ejected at speeds up to 55 mph — most commonly at weddings. That makes the humble agraffe and its helmet potential lifesavers.

KEN ROBERTSON, the retired editor of the Tri-City Herald, has been sipping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976. Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

COLUMN | ellen on wine

MCMINNVILLE CLASSIC RECOGNIZES TOP WINES he McMinnville Wine and Food Classic, a charity-driven event in its 27th year, typically brings together 75 of Oregon’s impressive wineries, chefs, bakers, artists, musicians and wine professionals for ticket holders to engage with and enjoy. Sadly, this year’s event, scheduled March 13-15, was cancelled for the first time in its history by the coronavirus pandemic. Proceeds of the event are the single largest source of contributions to the St. James School in McMinnville, established more than a century ago in 1906. The Catholic-based school, open to children of all religions, educates students from preschool through grade five. Upon hearing of the cancellation, my reaction was to hope ticket purchasers would not seek refunds, but allow their contributions to benefit the school, which helps prepare Oregon’s future leaders. I contributed, and hope many others will also support this historic institution in a challenging year. On a brighter note, the official kickoff to the Classic, which is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, the McMinnville Wine Competition, took place in January as planned. It was my pleasure to judge at this Oregon-focused competition. Spearheading it were Rolland Toevs, wine competition manager, and Carl Giavanti, public relations and media relations consultant. The two, along with a competent team of dedicated volunteers, were on task and purely delightful to associate with, wearing their passion and their hearts on their sleeves. This judging, one of two highly visible wine competitions focused on wines exclusively from Oregon, takes place in McMinnville. The other, the Oregon Wine Experience (OWE), is held near Ashland. Both discover and reward impressive, top-quality Oregon wines. Among the excellent wines at the 2020 McMinnville Classic competition were these winners, securing gold or higher awards: August Cellars 2018 Gamay Noir; Willamette Valley ($25): The 2020 Best of Show top prize was bestowed upon this daz-

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zling, immaculately balanced Gamay Noir. Alluring violet scents precede well-defined flavors of raspberry, Damson plum, cranberry/currant relish, gaminess and minerality. A distinctive wine to please a host of palates. By Ellen Landis www.augustcellars.com Willamette Valley Vineyards 2016 Brut; Willamette Valley ($55): This sur lie-aged sparkling wine (Best Sparkling award) was crafted in the traditional method. Expressive yeasty notes on the nose carry through the bright palate of Granny Smith apples, lemon zest, grapefruit and brioche. Lively with a long, elegant finish. www.wvv.com Awen Winecraft 2018 Grenache Blanc; Rogue Valley ($30): This Best of Show White Wine offers up an engaging floral aroma and refreshing entry. Pippin apples, Greengage plums, and a lemon twist join a thread of minerality and invigorating acidity exciting the palate. Vibrant and crisp, with divine balance and persistent length. www.awenwinecraft.com Phelps Creek Vineyards 2016 Lynette Chardonnay; Columbia Gorge ($38): Taking Best Chardonnay honors, this richly textured prize delivers orchard fruit aromas. Macintosh apples, apricots, a squeeze of orange and subtle herbs fill the mouth. French oak barrel aging adds caramel and vanilla accents. Bright and deeply flavored through the extended finish. www.phelpscreekvineyards.com Bluebird Hill Cellars 2018 Pinot Gris; Willamette Valley ($22): A good swirl of this zesty Pinot Gris unveils its lovely citrus aromatic. Coating the palate are layers of Meyer lemon, starfruit and Cortland apples with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Perfect balancing acidity carries it to a rewarding finale. www.bluebirdhillcellars.com Cória Estate Wines 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley ($24): Topping the Rosé awards was this snappy fruit-driven dry

Rosé. Aromas and flavors of juicy red cherries, Twizzlers strawberry licorice twists and tart cranberries with hints of mandarin orange and spice. Crisp, vibrant and refreshing. www.coriaestates.com Alloro Vineyards 2017 Riservata Pinot Noir; Chehalem Mountains ($50): The enticing floral aroma wows the senses. Sunripened Bing cherries, allspice, forest floor, loganberries and underlying savory oak join lively acidity, refined tannins and a silky texture. Sophisticated and extraordinary with an everlasting finish. www.allorovineyard.com Eliana Wines 2015 Cabernet Franc; Rogue Valley ($42): From this boutique winery comes an aromatic, finely balanced Cab Franc. Floral scents lead to rich flavors of black raspberry, chocolate-covered blueberries, savory spice and graphite traversing the palate. Firm, approachable tannins provide a fine backbone. www.elianawines.com Cardwell Hills Cellars 2015 Estate Monet Block Pinot Noir; Willamette Valley ($45): Awarded Best Pinot Noir of the competition is this rich, sophisticated gem. Bing cherries, black raspberry preserves, anise and savory spice interlink with oak nuances and crisp acidity. Elegant and pure, and the flavors linger beyond the lip-smacking close. www.cardwellhillwine.com The event appreciates volunteers and donations. I invite you to get involved. and help young future leaders at St. James School develop the skills and acumen required to become responsible, respectable citizens. You can begin by visiting the Classic website at www.macclassic.org. The school is grateful for your support, which could make a life-changing difference for its students.

ELLEN LANDIS is a wine journalist, Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), Certified Wine Specialist (Society of Wine Educators), wine educator and professional wine judge. She judges numerous national and international wine competitions annually. Reach Ellen at ellen@ellenonwine.com.

Summer 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ Wine Press Northwest

FEATURE | division wine co.

OLD WORLD CITY SLICKERS AT DIVISION WINE CO. By Tamara Belgard PORTLAND, ORE. — As is often the case, the start of a winery began with a sip. Thomas Monroe, co-owner of Portland’s Division Winemaking Co., says he and business partner Kate Norris were initially inspired to create a winery in Oregon in the mid-2000s after tasting the dynamic yet restrained New-World-meets-old-winemaking-style of the Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. The two were living in California at the time and about to head to the Midwest for business school. Business school ultimately led to winemaking school in France during the Great Recession, but all the while, Oregon and the amazing wines of producers such as Belle Pente, Evesham Wood, Domaine Drouhin and others really stuck with them. They also had a chance to visit the area and connecting with the Portland community and family wineries really made an impression on them. “The climate of this state — not only in terms of weather, but also in terms of the spirit of those that live here — inspired us to make the move to Oregon and start thinking about growing a winery after our studies were complete,” Monroe said. While working and studying in France, they were exposed to a wide variety of wines, many of which were made with less wellknown varieties in the U.S., such as Gamay and Chenin Blanc. They also discovered what winemaking and growing techniques resonated with them and realized they wanted to try to add to the composition of the Oregon winemaking industry. And in 2010, Division Winemaking Co. was born. Their evolution has generally followed their interests and instincts about wines as they’ve realized what they felt they could add to the wine conversation. And though they have rightfully come into their own as winemakers, according to Norris, “We continue to evolve each vintage with new ideas and both small and more significant changes to winemaking and growing approaches as we gain experience and understanding of all aspects of our industry.” 10

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JOSH CHANG Photo Courtesy of Division Wine Co.

Kate Norris at the SE Wine Collective sorting and destemming Gamay picked that morning in the Willamette Valley. Their innovation must he headed in the right direction, for Division Winemaking has received countless accolades and attention from press across the U.S. and beyond. In fact, Division Wine Co. was Wine Press Northwest’s 2015 Oregon Winery to Watch. But why did they choose Portland? While it’s a bit farther from the vines than many of those places in France, they simply felt that their winery should be in the community they live in, adore and want to support. “Frankly, the term ‘urban winery’ wasn’t really something we were aiming for back in 2012 when we built out the winery,” Monroe said. “We felt very connected to our community and had come from France where many of the wineries were in the villages and towns that surrounded the vineyards, not actually in the vineyards, which is more common in the U.S.” It was also a lot less expensive to repurpose an existing building within the city rather than to start fresh, building a facility in the Willamette Valley. Monroe added, “And in 2011, when we started this process, the economy, and our small brand, were still very dicey!”

Division Wine Co. has become well known for being one of the first wineries of Oregon to really focus on Gamay, which now makes up more than half of all its wine. “We knew from the start that Gamay had an important role to play in Oregon, and the Willamette Valley specifically,” Norris said. “We co-founded the I Love Gamay Festival, which has a focus on Oregon Gamay producers, each year (done virtually this year, so far), and we hope this festival and the collective efforts of local Gamay makers, growers, and lovers has helped put Oregon on the Gamay map.” In addition to their now five or six Gamay bottlings yearly, they have also received recognition for their Chenin Blanc, and their Loire-inspired red blend called Béton, which is now their largest production wine. Monroe and Norris have put a lot of effort into building the reputation of their Gamay program, as well as the Béton and several of their other wines, including Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, plus the Oregon standards — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When asked which wines are their favorite to produce, Monroe explains, “They all offer

FEATURE | division wine co.

JOSH CHANG Photo Courtesy of Division Wine Co.

Division’s Wine Club release for spring 2020. include: 2018 Division Wine Co. "Crémant de Portland" Sparkling Wine (Chenin Blanc and a touch of Gamay), 2019 Division-Villages "La Frontiere" Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon, 2018 Division Chardonnay "Trois" Johan Vineyard, Van Duzer, 2017 Division Pinot Noir "Trois" Temperance Hill Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, 2019 Division-Villages "Béton" (Cabernet Franc based blend), Oregon, 2017 Nightshade Nebbiolo, Columbia Valley, 2018 Division Pinot Noir "Cent" Cassin Vineyard, Yamhil-Carlton (no added sulfur) and the 2019 Division-Villages "l'Avoiron" Gamay Rosé.

their own challenges and rewards, we would probably stop making them if they became a bore, but wines like the Béton and the Pinot Noir “Un” cuvée are the most complex to produce; they have many layers to balance and blend — and for both these we are trying to make an excellent wine at a modest price.” Norris said, “The most thought-provoking wines, and the ones that scratch the intellectual curiosity, are our yearly experiments; some work out amazingly, some not so much.” That said, their favorites change by vintage because there’s always a few wines that seem to jump to a new level or evolve in an unexpected way. Monroe noted, “The 2018 Chardonnay ‘Trois’ Johan Vineyard made a significant step up and has been really exciting for us, from the cellar into bottle. Kate’s 2017 Gamine Syrah from Mae’s Vineyard in the Applegate is really unique too for its near-perfect harmony with the wildfires that influenced the region that year, which seemed to not affect her wine adversely and perhaps only added to the complexity and intrigue of this wine.” Instead of owning vineyards, Division Wine Co. partners with a variety of well farmed, terroir-expressive vineyards across the Pacific Northwest, most of which are either biodynamic or organic. One benefit of these partnerships is that Norris and Monroe get to work with the grape varieties they worked with in France as well as others they have an interest in. Norris said, for example, they realized some of those varieties weren’t planted yet in

the Willamette Valley or it wasn’t really the right place for them to grow. “Take our Chenin Blanc vineyard in the Yakima Valley,” she said. “We really had no interest or foresight to work with Chenin in Washington, but we could not find any near us in Oregon. After our first harvest with the fruit from a nearly 50-year-old block of ownrooted Chenin in 2013, we were so impressed with the results, we just kept doing it. That vineyard has become a part of our fabric.” The same is true for Herb Quady’s vineyard in Oregon’s Applegate Valley. Monroe describes those granitic soils as very special and says they make really exciting wines, so it’s worth it to manage the distance. That said, they’ve realized that managing so many vineyards in so many places is difficult, so they’re trying to streamline it some. “Our future will likely see more focusing of vineyard sites as we’ve begun this year to plant vines on leased lands in the Willamette Valley,” Monroe said. “Ownership would be very nice too but hasn’t been financially workable for us yet. If you know anyone who wants to buy us a vineyard, have them give us a call!” For now, Division Winemaking will remain in Southeast Portland. In 2019, they made about 7,500 cases in what has become known as the Southeast Wine Collective. Monroe and Norris formed the Collective in 2012 when they realized they could not yet financially support an entire winery. “We were just too small and inexperienced,” he said, “and we had several friends

JOSH CHANG Photo Courtesy of Division Wine Co.

Club Gamay release this spring, which includes the 2019 Division-Villages “l’Avoiron” Gamay Rosé, Columbia Valley, 2019 Division-Villages “Les Petits Fers” Gamay, Oregon and the 2018 Division “Renardiére” Gamay, Redford Wetle Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills.

looking for space too, so serendipity took over and the SE Wine Collective was born.” Located in the vibrant Division-Clinton neighborhood of SE Portland, the Collective has become a part of the emerging hub for Portland’s food and drink culture. Norris and Monroe founded the Collective as a multifaceted urban winery designed to bring together like-minded winemakers who are sustainably growing their businesses by establishing a venue for commercial custom crush wine production. Now home to seven wine labels, the Collective ultimately represents a new generation of winemakers looking to create unique styles of wine, with a purpose and a story. The 5,000-square-foot urban winery space also features Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant where executive chef and food personality Althea Potter prepares her rustic and seasonal menu served alongside Division Winemaking Co.’s and the resident’s artisanal wines.

TAMARA BELGARD is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore. She is a regular contributor to www.satiatepdx.com and several northwest publications. Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

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FEATURE | sigillo cellars

SIGILLO CELLARS SUCCESS FOUND IN SENSE OF COMMUNITY By Dan Radil SNOQUALMIE, WASH. — One of the ironic peculiarities emerging from the Coronavirus pandemic is this: In spite of stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions and social distancing standards designed to keep us apart, the need for building a sense of community has never been stronger. At Sigillo Cellars, it didn’t take a healthcare crisis to trigger the support of those connected to this relatively new winery. Community has always been the foundation to its success, built on a team of family, friends and dedicated wine enthusiasts who span both sides of the Cascades. BUILDING THE BUSINESS Like many smaller, Pacific Northwest wineries, Sigillo Cellars started as a familybased operation that produced wine essentially as a “for fun” enterprise. Issaquah resident Ryan Seal, one of the founding partners, recalls his dad, Mike Seal, and Sigillo’s original winemaker, Steve Bailey, began making wine out of Bailey’s garage in 2005. After about four years, Ryan recalls asking Bailey, “You’re getting pretty good at this. Would you like to start a winery? He said, ‘No, but if you do, I’ll work for you.’ So I put together a business plan, talked to my dad and a childhood best friend (Scott Hussey), and said let’s go into the wine business — with no dollars. We’ll just make wine and figure it out,” he laughs. Building the winery wasn’t quite as haphazard as Ryan makes it sound. “I had had a coffee company for about 11 years and worked in healthcare for about 20 years, so I had a decent understanding of small business,” he said. “I didn’t know how to market wine, but I went after it with the same approach I had with my coffee business; do it good, treat people right, and they’ll treat you right.” Sigillo Cellars’ first commercial production began in Bothell in 2010. They subleased space from another winery in Woodinville in 2011 before moving to a building owned by a 12

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Photo Courtesy of Sigillo Cellars

The team at Sigillo Cellars (from left): Mike Seal, Candy Collins, Christie and Scott Hussey, Ryan Seal

friend in the town of Snoqualmie. “We had never planned to stay out in Snoqualmie,” Ryan said. “It’s a sleepy little town, and it’s not really where the wine scene is; that’s in Woodinville.” But with budgetfriendly lease rates, the smaller town made more economic sense. “We moved everything out there and opened our doors in July of 2012. Our first tasting room was in the corner of our production area.” Foot traffic and word-of-mouth from the local community helped send the winery on its way, and Ryan estimates they were able to grow production by about 40 percent each year. They quickly outgrew the original space and have since moved into their current location, the renovated Sunset Theater building in Snoqualmie’s historic district. EASTWARD EXPANSION The choice of Chelan as Sigillo’s second location, interestingly enough, was tied to the relocation of Vicki Curnutt, who had been Sigillo’s tasting room manager in Snoqualmie since day one. “Vicki wanted to move east and I didn’t want to lose her,’ ” Ryan said. “My parents owned a house on Lake Chelan, and I’d been

going over there since the mid-1980s and always loved it. But my biggest fear (about opening a winery there) was the seasonality issue,” referring to Chelan’s distinction as primarily a summertime resort and recreation area. Once again, it was the availability of a building — this time the all-brick Lakeside School, originally constructed in 1922 — that helped nudge the Sigillo team into making the leap of faith to expand there. Ryan had driven by the vacant facility many times, and it was his connection to the building’s owner through another winemaker that set the plan in motion. “I fell in love with the building,” Ryan said, “because it keeps with the historic vibe of what we are.” The winery celebrated its grand opening in July of 2019, and Ryan is “100 percent pleased” with the Chelan-area expansion. “I love the community and always have,” he said. Curnutt, who now lives in nearby Entiat, agrees. “There’s camaraderie amongst all the wineries,” she said, also noting, “Chelan is a very laid-back community and we’ve made lots of new friends, which is easy to do in a small town.”

FEATURE | sigillo cellars THE EVOLUTION Today, Sigillo Cellars’ formula for success is based on what might best be defined as “winemaking by committee.” Mike Seal heads up the winemaking team, with support from his wife, Candy Collins, and, as of late, Ryan has played a more active role in the winemaking as well. The three also call on an outside consultant when needed. Sigillo’s ownership is rounded out by Hussey and his wife Christie, who serves as director of marketing and manages the winery’s event planning and social media outlets. Ryan categorizes Sigillo Cellars’ wines as striking a nice balance between fruit-forward, New World drinkability and Old World ageability. He also points out the winery’s wide range of current releases — “Maybe too many,” he jokes — with price points to fit any budget. Carmènére, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo are some of his personal favorites, and the winery’s four-varietal, Bordeaux-blend, “Confluence,” is one of the top-selling consumer choices. “Our tag line has always been, ‘Don’t taste wine, experience it,’” he said. “That’s truly

been my approach. I don’t think good wine has to be expensive, and I’ve fought hard to make good, affordable wine.” He also likes to focus on what he calls “the sights, the sounds, and the smells of the tasting room. It’s that experience that people remember.” “We serve food, and after five o’clock we’re more of a wine bar (at our Snoqualmie location), and we do live music on Friday and Saturday night. And Chelan will be the same. We’re in the process of building it out, and we’ll have a full commercial kitchen and a rooftop deck.” He also pictures a casual dining environment with tapas-style options and a rotating menu that emphasizes “keeping it fresh and keeping it local.” ONGOING COMMUNITY SUPPORT Sigillo boasts an impressive 1,500-member wine club, and Ryan anticipates an increase in production from the current level of 6,000 cases to 10,000 cases annually. Plans are also underway for the release of a second label — Rowan Tree, named after his son, Rowan — that will feature two red blends. He envisions the label with a line of wines similar to that of

SIGILLO CELLARS Snoqualmie tasting room 8086 Railroad Avenue Snoqualmie, WA 98065 (425) 292-0754 Chelan tasting room 2037 W. Woodin Avenue Chelan, WA 98816 (509) 888-5713 Email: info@sigillocellars.com www.sigillocellars.com

Saviah Cellars’ The Jack and Dusted Valley Vintners’ Boomtown.

DAN RADIL is a freelance wine writer based in Bellingham, Wash. He produces a wine blog, danthewineguy.com.

Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

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FEATURE | new tualatin avas

OREGON’S TUALATIN VALLEY IS NOW HOME TO TWO NEW AVAS BEAVERTON, ORE. — Oregon’s Tualatin Valley is now home to two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): Tualatin Hills and Laurelwood District. Located in the northwestern corner of the famed Willamette Valley wine region, the Tualatin Valley is home to more than 31 estate wineries and tasting rooms. Signature grapes such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are among the dozens of varietals in the region, along with Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. “The Tualatin Hills represents a special place in the Tualatin Valley, defined by its soil and climate,” said Alfredo Apolloni, owner and winemaker for Apolloni Vineyards, who petitioned for the creation of the Tualatin Hills AVA, alongside Rudolf Marchesi of Montinore Estate and Mike Kuenz of David Hill Vineyard & Winery. “This northernmost 15-mile slice of the Willamette Valley is sheltered to the west by some of the highest peaks of the Oregon Coast Range and shielded to the south by the large mass of the Chehalem Mountains.” The 144,000-acre Tualatin Hills AVA aligns with the watershed of the Tualatin River and encompasses part of the Tualatin Valley. The area is north of the Chehalem Mountains AVA and boasts Laurelwood soil. However, unlike its neighboring Laurelwood District AVA, the Tualatin Hills has slightly higher temperatures. Wineries in the new Tualatin Hills AVA include Apolloni Vineyards, David Hill Vineyard & Winery and Montinore Estate, in addition to Patton Valley Vineyard, Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Tualatin Estate tasting room, Plum Hill Vineyards and Helvetia Vineyards and Winery. The 33,600-acre Laurelwood District AVA covers the northern slopes of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, including Cornelius, Scholls and Sherwood. With iron-rich Missoula Flood loess soil contributing to the unique flavor of the wines, wineries from the Laurelwood District AVA include Ponzi Vineyards and Dion Vineyard, as well as A Blooming Hill Vineyard, Alloro Vineyard, Blakeslee Vineyard Estate, Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Elk Cove Vineyards, Freja Cellars, Hawks View 14

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SCOTT SPIKER Photo Courtesy of Washington County Visitors Association

Alloro Vineyard in Sherwood, Ore., is one of 15 wineries included in the new Laurelwood District AVA. Alloro sources its wines exclusively from its 110-acre, single-vineyard estate.

Winery, Raptor Ridge Winery and Ruby Vineyard & Winery. “Our hope is this new AVA will better define this part of the Willamette Valley that is unique due to its geology and — therefore — its wines,” said Luisa Ponzi, owner and second generation winemaker for Ponzi Vineyards, who petitioned for the creation of the Laurelwood District AVA alongside co-owner and president Anna Maria Ponzi and the Johnson family of Dion Vineyard. “As consumers are eager to know about the products they purchase, this designation will allow us to tell the story of this special place and why our wines differ from others in the valley.” An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. Using an AVA designation on a wine label allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers identify wines they may purchase.

Photo Courtesy of Washington County Visitors Association

Laurine and Alfredo Apolloni, owners of Apolloni Vineyards, along with Rudolf Marchesi, president of Montinore Estate and Mike Kuenz general manage of David Hill Vineyard and Winery were the petitioners for the creation of the Tualatin Hills American Viticultural Area.

For more information on Tualatin Valley wineries, visit: tualatinvalley.org.

FEATURE | new tualatin avas

TUALATIN HILLS WINERIES A

Apolloni Vineyards

David Hill Vineyards and Winery

Helvetia Winery

Tualatin Estate Vineyard

Risdall Ranch Winery

Montinore Estate

Plum Hill Vineyards

Patton Valley Vineyard

Garden Vineyards

Provincial Vineyards

Elk Cove Vineyards

Purple Cow Vineyards*

Lujon Wine Cellars *

*Located outside AVA boundaries

Photo Courtesy of Washington County Visitors Association

David Hill Vineyards and Winery in Forest Grove, Ore., is in the new Tualatin Hills AVA, which shares the same soil type as the Laurelwood District AVA but features slightly higher temperatures.

LAURELWOOD DISTRICT WINERIES A

A Blooming Hill Vineyard & Winery

Alloro Vineyard

Ardiri Vineyards

Blakeslee Vineyard Estate

Blizzard Vineyards

Cooper Mountain Vineyards

Dion Vineyards

Freja Cellars

Gresser Vineyard

Hawks View Winery

Ponzi Vineyards

Raptor Ridge Winery

Ruby Vineyard & Winery

Six Peaks Winery

Elk Cove Vineyards

Summer 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ Wine Press Northwest

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COVER | southern willamette valley

EUGENE, SOUTH WILLAMETTE BLOSSOM AS

WINE COUNTRY DESTINATION

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King Estate, northwest of Eugene in Lorane, is one of the Northwest’s true wine destinations, combining a noble story and beautiful property with a food and wine experience that in some ways is unmatched. Visit kingestate.com for current hours of operation.

Story by Eric Degerman | Photography by Richard Duval

EUGENE, ORE. — For decades, Eugene has been viewed as the southern end of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. However, the federal government did not recognize it as an official wine growing region until 2016, when the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area was expanded to the south. It meant that important plantings such as King Estate and Iris Vineyards could now use “Willamette Valley” on the label of their estate wines as an important marketing tool. “Now we can add that our estate wines are from the Willamette Valley AVA,” declared President/CEO Ed King. 16

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Until then, King Estate was restricted to using “Oregon” for bottles that included fruit produced off its own estate beyond 15 percent. And in a roundabout way, that restriction helped King Estate build the “Oregon Pinot Noir” brand because of the widespread distribution of its affordable work, becoming an ambassador for the state not unlike that of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington. The AVA effort by the King family officially began in 2013, and the petition to the The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau received support from many leaders in the Oregon wine industry. While the region’s fame has grown with

the rise of the University of Oregon, some view the culture as “Portlandia South.” From a touring perspective, the fact that Eugenearea wineries are within an hour’s drive from the Eola-Amity Hills is an attractive feature to get wine lovers to travel from Portland to the other end of the Willamette Valley. In a beautiful and majestic way, the South Willamette Valley has an advantage over many other wine country regions in the Pacific Northwest — the presence of a landmark winery in King Estate. It’s an iconic property that’s a testament not only to the state of Oregon but also to the King family’s enduring belief in the wine

COVER | southern willamette valley industry. They built their empire by developing King Radio, one of the world’s historic avionic companies. Since 1991, King Estate has become a 350,000-case winery, but its mission of stewardship remains the same. The same year it became part of the Willamette Valley AVA, its 1,100-acre was certified Biodynamic® by Demeter USA. This year marks the first full year in which King Estate enacted its “living wage” policy of $15 per hour for each of its 150 employees. That’s $4.75 per hour beyond the state’s minimum wage and more than double the federal minimum wage. “We believe people should be able to earn a livable wage, and we saw that it was within our control to do something about it,” King said. “We hope that others will join us to help raise the living standard for everyone.” In 2018, they sold their Acrobat Winery brand to Foley Family Wines in what industry experts described as the largest brand transaction in the history of the Oregon wine industry. New Zealand winemaker Ray Walsh helped put King Estate on the map. Fortunately, he fell in love with the South Willamette. He launched Capitello Wines in downtown Eugene and has a number of clients. However, there are other families with histories and connections to the Oregon wine industry that run even deeper than the Kings. Silvan Ridge outside of Eugene now is being operated by the third generation of the Chambers family. And one of the reasons for the South Willamette Valley’s recent increased acclaim is attributable to investments by proprietors Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye, a pair of Eugene natives, and the winemaking of Aaron Lieberman, who together have made Iris Vineyards a true destination. The University of Oregon graduates made their living in the hospitality management field, and they also offer a special vineyard venue overlooking the Lorane Valley. In fact, their 870-acre property, which includes Chalice Vineyard, shares a fence line with King Estate. Boyles remembers helping his grandfather in Roseburg make sweet wine from table grapes. It was a long road from then to 2018, when Iris Vineyards earned gold medals at the New Orleans International Wine Awards. The Boyles changed the name of their winery from Iris Hill to Iris Vineyards in 2006, but perhaps their most crucial move was hiring Lieberman in 2008. His résumé

RICHARD DUVAL

Iris Vineyards in the Lorane Valley south of Eugene ranks as one of Oregon’s most impressive wine programs and offers visitors equally impressive views. To check hours of operation, visit irisvineyards.com. includes Amity Vineyards, De Ponte Cellars and Owen Roe, and the 2018 New Orleans International Wine Awards proved to be a showcase for Lieberman’s talent. Look for the South Willamette Valley to be further defined. Dieter Boehm of High Pass Winery and the Prairie Mountain Wineries

group have petitioned the federal government for the establishment of the Lower Long Tom AVA. It was accepted for review on Jan. 5, 2018 and would include 10 wineries and more than 500 acres of vineyards. As with seemingly every wine region, a number of wineries — large and small — have Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

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COVER | southern willamette valley chosen not to become members of the surrounding winery association. Fortunately, the South Willamette Wineries Association is spearheaded by Jessica Thomas, a University of Oregon graduate with a background in fashion, design and merchandising and the general manager for Sweet Cheeks Winery. It’s no coincidence that Sweet Cheeks was among the first in the state to be ready to re-open, welcoming guests back on May 18. URBAN WINERIES Capitello Wines are made by Ray Walsh. King Estate brought him over from New Zealand to lead their winemaking team for its first decade. Walsh, trained by Kim Crawford and Villa Maria, continues to make wines in both hemispheres. He and his wife, Jennifer, operate a Eugene wine bar on Charnelton Street, where they pour and discuss their contrasting styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir as well as Rogue Valley Syrah and a fascinating dessert Muscat. Civic Winery & Wines along 11th Avenue in Eugene features an amphora within its logo, and winemaker Andrew Bandy-Smith shows a level of dedication to earthen vessels that’s quite rare. His time with acclaimed Soter Vineyards and as an assistant for Drew Voit (formerly at Domaine Serene) prompted Civic Winery owner Craig Weicker to hire him. Their adventure includes a Rhone-inspired blend from Cowhorn Vineyard, a Dolcetto, an “orange” Pinot Gris, a pét-nat and a rosé of Dolcetto. Eugene Wine Cellars blazed a trail as an urban winery on Madison Street in the Whiteaker neighborhood in 1999, and vineyard manager Bruce Biehl launched his family’s b2 brand in 2004. The focus remains on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. J. Scott Cellars is the expanding project in Eugene of Jonathan Scott Oberlander. He came to the industry knowing how to sell wine before he learned how to make it, earning a master's degree at University of California-Davis before getting in on the ground floor of Fresno State’s student winery program. He’s been in the Willamette Valley since 2003, when he began making wine for Silvan Ridge. In 2013, J. Scott Cellars created an urban winery and recently opened a satellite tasting room in the Fifth Street Market. His program is among the most varied in the valley, featuring the traditional Burgundy varieties while also sourcing Grenache, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and traditional Port varieties from Southern Oregon, Ca18

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RICHARD DUVAL

Winemaker Marcus Hall of RainSong Vineyard pours wine at an Oregon Wine Board event last year. RainSong, located in Cheshire, is a little more than a half-hour drive from Eugeue and is open on a limited schedule. Check rainsongvineyard.com for hours. bernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley and Albariño from Washington state. Noble Estate Vineyard & Winery operates three tasting rooms — at the vineyard on Gimpl Hill Road south of Eugene, the bikefriendly Commercial Street spot and on the Oregon Coast in Newport. In addition to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, there are aromatic whites Muscat and Riesling among owner/ winemaker Mark Jurasevich’s 20 offerings from Salmon-Safe vines. Oregon Wine LAB is Mark Nicholl’s popular winery and lounge on Lincoln Street in Eugene. He’s done well with his own William Rose wine project, which includes a diverse portfolio beyond his work with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to include Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, plus Primitivo from the Applegate Valley and Syrah from Washington’s Yakima Valley. Territorial Vineyards & Wine Co., helped establish a template for success on the Eugene urban winery landscape, and awards have followed for the 5,000 cases from grapes grown by Alan Mitchell and made by Ray Walsh. Their success is keyed to their two estate vineyards — Bellpine and Equinox. Bellpine is a warmer site focused on Pinot Noir and featuring one of the rare Jackson clones, attributed to work in California’s Amador County. Equinox is a cooler site featuring Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay

and Riesling. PRAIRIE MOUNTAIN Antiquum Farm in Junction City has received international acclaim for Stephen Hagen’s natural approach to viticulture, which includes horses to plow the rows and sheep for weed control. He also takes a natural approach to his production of small-lot Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, which are grown at 800 feet elevation, rather lofty for the Willamette Valley. Hagen and his wife are proud of their family farm and winery, but tasting room visits are by appointment only. Bennett Vineyards & Wine Co. offers two distinctly different experiences with the estate vineyard in Cheshire and an urban tasting room at the Fifth Street Market. Gene and Lisa arrived from San Diego, purchased 85 acres along Bear Creek and put in vines. There’s also a guest cottage available for a getaway. They feature a vertical of Pommard clone Pinot Noir as well as Malbec, Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe joined the growing list of Oregon wineries sold to famous California companies in 2018 when the Girards sold the winery to the Huneeus family of Quintessa in Napa. Thirty years before, Steve and Carol Girard purchased the 1,860-acre Sunnymount Ranch, which cross-

COVER | southern willamette valley

RICHARD DUVAL

The historic red barn, bult in 1900, that houses Saginaw Vineyard in Cottage Grove, It’s just off Interstate 5 a few minutes south of Eugene and is easy to spot from the freeway. Co-owner Karen Byler greets guests, coordinates events and holds the position of chief wine taster for her winemaking husband and co-owner, Scott Byler. ed both Benton and Lane counties. The ranch now features 142 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, and bottles produced by winemaker Michael Hammond with the distinctive postage stamp label are sold throughout the U.S., Asia and China. The Girards also were the first winery in the state to devote their bottles to screw cap enclosures. Bluebird Hill Cellars in Monroe attracted more interest from us in 2019 after two of

their Pinot Noir bottlings from the 2016 vintage were awarded Double Platinum at the “Best of the Best” year-end judging of gold medal wines. That was just the third commercial vintage for Neil and Sue Shay. While their focus is on Pinot Noir with four examples from the 2017 vintage, there’s also a vineyard-designated Syrah, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and rosé of Pinot Noir. Neil is a professor of food science at Oregon State University. Sue oversees Bluebird Hill Farm B&B

and the winery business. Brigadoon Wine Co., in Junction City is one of the few multi-generation wineries in the South Willamette with Matt Shown making the wines he helps tend with his father, Chris, and Sheree, who spent four decades as an English teacher in the area. Together, they farm their 66 acres organically, producing award-winning expressions of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Broadley Vineyards in Monroe is a second-generation producer whose first vintage was 1986 from vines established in 1981. They farm 33 acres while also sourcing from acclaimed North Willamette Valley sites such as Temperance Hill and Zenith for some of their Pinot Noir. Five Fourteen Vineyards in Junction City begins with a reference to the first date that Tom and Marie Kokkeler went on, which was May 14, 2003. Their portfolio of estate wines revolves around Alsace — Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling — and they’ve wisely hired Drew Voit to craft those 600 cases for them. The plantings of the 30-acre site date to 1998 as Shadow Mountain Vineyards, but the Kokkelers look back to Memorial Day Weekend 2018 for the opening of their tasting room. High Pass Winery in Junction City is tucked up against tall timber and ranks among the oldest plantings in the region, dating to 1984. The five vineyards across 62 acres produce Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, but the plantings of German native Dieter Boehm include Gewürztraminer and lesser known varieties Bacchus, Comtessa, Gutedel, Huxelrebe, Scheurebe, Siegfried and Silvaner. Pfeiffer Winery in Junction City dates to 1983, making it one of the oldest in the South Willamette. Robin Pfeiffer, a Spanish teacher in Eugene, talked his father into planting wine grapes rather than raising sheep on the 70 acres. Sixty acres are grown for King Estate. The rest produce about 1,200 cases for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Muscat. He and his wife, Danuta, who is an author, play host to winemaker dinners in their home for groups of a dozen or more. RainSong Vineyard in Cheshire features 8 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier that were planted by owner Mike Fix in 1985. With those three Burgundy varieties planted, sparkling wine is a focus. And it's now a two-generation estate winery with his daughters recently taking over the 1,500-case production. Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

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COVER | southern willamette valley Walnut Ridge Winery in Junction City is the 30-acre estate project of Wendy Golish and Jim McGavin whose work with coolclimate varieties farmed Salmon-Safe fits in deliciously with the rest of the South Willamette. WEST OF EUGENE LaVelle Vineyards in Elmira is the vision of Doug LaVelle, who spent much of his business career in Texas before purchasing Forgeron Vineyard, which was bonded in 1977. It was rebranded in 1994. His son, Matthew, began working at the winery full-time in 2006. They produce Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and a beautiful rosé of Gamay along with a Cab from Washington and Tempranillo from the Umpqua Valley. Their estate tasting room is west of Fern Ridge Lake, and wines also are sold at SweetWaters on the River in the Valley River Inn near the I-105 Bridge. Sarver Winery south of Veneta is the realized Oregon wine industry dream of Chris and Erin Sarver, who own Lake Superior Brewing Co., in Michigan. They purchased 35 acres of Alsatian varieties — Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer — which were planted in the late 1980s and early 1990s as Elhanan Vineyard. David Hook assists Chris with the winemaking. SOUTH OF EUGENE Abbelone Vineyard, established in 2002 just 10 minutes south of Eugene, produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Syran and a rosé. Surgeon/winemaker Kris Ferry, who named the project as a tribute to his mother, also tends the 5-acre vineyard. The wines are presented at his beautiful chateau. Chateau Lorane in Lorane began selling its first commercial wines in 1992, a year after King Estate opened its doors less than 3 miles to the north. However, Linde Kester, a retired electrical engineer, offers his guests a chance to taste wines from varieties rarely seen in Oregon, Baco Noir, Huxelrebe, Maréchal Foch, Léon Millot and Melon de Bourgogne. His skill as a winemaker is reflected in his five career Platinum Awards from Wine Press Northwest with more traditional varieties such as Carménère, Mourvèdre and Pinotage from Quail Run Vineyard near Medford. Iris Vineyards along the Territorial Highway in the Lorane Valley ranks as one of Oregon’s most impressive and unheralded programs. Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye grew up around Eugene and graduated from 20

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The wine shop in Civic Winery, downtown Eugene, celebrates Civic Wines and other natural wines made by small growers and producers who focus on organic and biodynamic farming, gentle extractions with indigenous yeast, minimal intervention and low sulfur. the University of Oregon. They explored wine country in Europe in the early years of their marriage and purchased 870 acres of forest near King Estate. In fact, they share a fence line with the King family. Their Chalice Vineyard, established in 1996, spans 43 sweeping acres featuring Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. They began as Iris Hill Winery in 2001. Four years later, winemaker Aaron Lieberman arrived and has earned international acclaim for Iris Vineyards, adding a sparkling wine program along the way to a 15,000-case brand. King Estate Winery northwest of Eugene understandably bills itself as “Kings of Pinot.” The King family has helped put Oregon on the map with its history of success both in the bottle and in the marketplace. Brent Stone’s work with the wine program has been special as their vineyard-designate and sparkling wine programs have expanded while allowing for exploration into the Walla Walla Valley and Washington with red Bordeaux varieties as part of the North By Northwest brand. There’s also their light-hearted yet delicious Pinot Envy bottling with Sigmund Freud on the label. Meanwhile, the Kings remain more committed to being stewards of the land. It’s one of the Northwest’s true wine destinations, combining a noble story and beautiful property with a food-and-wine experience that in

some ways is unmatched. Silvan Ridge Winery in Eugene proudly promotes its history as Oregon’s 77th bonded winery, which it earned in 1979 as Hinman Vineyards. Theirs is a remarkable story as a three-generation project, beginning when Eugene media mogul Carolyn Silva Chambers purchased the winery from Doyle Hinman in 1993. Carolyn’s granddaughter, Julia Stiltner, owns the project, along with husband, Andrew, and they’ve wisely retained Juan Pablo Valot as their winemaker. In addition to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and perennial favorite semisparkling Early Muscat, Valot — a native of Argentina — takes special pride in his Malbec and “Super Rioja” blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Elizabeth’s Red is a tribute to Julia’s mother, who died unexpectedly in 2018. The Stiltners still own and operate Elizabeth Chambers Cellar in McMinnville. Sweet Cheeks Winery & Vineyard on Briggs Hill Road is less than a mile from Silvan Ridge, and its history began to take root in 1978 when Dan Smith planted vines. He grew Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling for others, but it wasn’t until 2005 when he opened an estate tasting room. The first employee he hired for the winery — assistant winemaker Leo Gabica — took over the 2,000-case program in 2013. The follow-

COVER | southern willamette valley Market. The Obie Hospitality property features include valet parking, wine on arrival and a day spa. It enjoys a close relationship with Marché Restaurant and is a mile from Autzen Stadium. The Chicago-based Graduate Hotel group recently took over the 12-story Hilton property and transformed it into one of its own next to the Hult Center.

RICHARD DUVAL

Civic Winery, in the heart of downtown Eugene, specializes in amphora fermentation. Here winery owner Craig Weicker explains how winemaker Andrew Bandy-Smith uses the amphoras in the winemaking process. For more information, visit civicwinery.com ing for their wines prompted Smith to open a satellite tasting room in the Fifth Street Public Market, which is managed by Julia Crowley, a longtime media figure in the Oregon wine industry. NEAR INTERSTATE 5 Hayworth Estate Wines in Coburg is the vision of Russ Hayworth, a fifth-generation grass seed farmer whose interest in wine stems from Gamay Noir and includes Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Among the attractions is a 100-yard football field, complete with hash marks and a 50-yard line, they call Hayworth Field.

Saginaw Vineyard in Cottage Grove is another estate winery with vines well into their third decade of life since they were planted by winemaker Scott Byler. In addition to the Burgundy grapes, there’s an eclectic assortment of Riesling, Cab, Syrah, Maréchal Foch and estate berry wines, including a fortified Marionberry wine and Pepper Jelly wine. The red barn is easily seen from Interstate 5 just south of the Gettings Creek Rest Area. LODGING The Inn at the 5th is a boutique, AAA Four Diamond hotel adjacent to the Fifth Street

RESTAURANTS In the wake of the pandemic, it’s impossible to know which dining options will survive not only the extended closure but also the historic economic downturn and at least short-term restrictions that have come with social distancing. Leaders of the South Willamette Wineries Association would like to see more traction for the Eugene Wine and Dine Week, which traditionally kicks off in May to start Oregon Wine Month. King Estate’s culinary program and dining room will continue to thrive and deserve to be considered for both lunch and dinner. Historically, the following earned a reputation for their culinary work that fits in with a South Willamette Valley wine journey. For ambiance, there’s Marché and Novo Latin Kitchen. Those with a culinary program that’s viewed as a nice fit for South Willamette Valley wine tourists include Excelsior Inn Ristorante Italiano, Grit Kitchen, North Fork, Oregon Electric Station and Rye. Steak lovers should look into George and Violets in Springfield. Want something out of the box? Bar Purlieu. For drinks and small plates, there’s Izakaya Meiji. And attracting beer lovers is Ninkasi Better Living Room. On game day, there’s Track Town Pizza, which is an institution. For those into Bloody Marys, it’s Sixth Street Grill on weekends. On campus, it’s Glenwood or Studio One. A common recommendation for morning and afternoon is Provisions in the Market District. Brails is also popular in South Eugene. These options are among the most recommended: Beergarten, Bill and Tims BBQ , Cafe 440 by Oakway/Coburg Road and Tacovore. WINE MERCHANTS Sundance Wine Cellars near Amazon Park boasts a shop with more than 500 Oregon Pinot Noirs. It is owned by Gavin McComas of nearby Sundance Natural Foods. Others to recommend include Authentic, Bo’s Wine Depot and Broadway Wine Merchants. Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

COVER | southern willamette valley There’s also the “Official Simpsons Mural” — designed by Portland native Matt Groening and “painted” by Marge — installed on the side of the Emerald Art Center in Springfield. And the region also is famous as home to more than a dozen covered bridges within a 30-minute radius of Eugene, and Elkton, which is on the way to the ocean, is less than an hour away and features the Northwest’s highest concentration of wineries per capita.

RICHARD DUVAL

Downtown Eugene features a number of wineries and tasting rooms, including Sweet Cheeks on 5th, a tasting room for Sweet Cheeks Winery and Vineyard. The estate is about a half an hour southwest of the city. COFFEE Beyond the chains, there are a number of unique Eugene coffee shops and roasters. They include Coffee Plant Roasters, Equiano Coffee, Full City Coffee Roasters, Merakai Coffee & Co., Provisions by the Marché Restaurant Group, Tailored Coffee Roasters, Vero Espresso, Wandering Goat Coffee Co., the Washburne Cafe in Springfield. TREATS Three years ago, Food & Wine magazine named Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland among the best in the U.S. Voodoo’s empire now spans nine stores in five states, which includes its Eugene shop on Broadway. Order the Voodoo Dozen, and you’ll get a Bacon Maple Bar. Among the other local popular providers of treats is Coconut Bliss, Cosmos Creations, Euphoria Chocolate Company, Hideaway Bakery, Noisette Pastry Kitchen, Provision’s Market Hall, and Sweet Life Patisserie. For those gluten-intolerant, there is Elegant Elephant in the Market District. Creswell Bakery also is recommended. EUGENE ALE TRAIL Some of the West Coast’s top breweries are found in the Eugene-Springfield area, led by Ninkasi Brewing Co., but supporters of 22

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Coldfire and Oakshire would promote those producers, too. Hop Valley features a beautiful patio. Alesong near King Estate is a rising star, thanks to creative brewer Matt Van Wyk. Steelhead Brewery is near the Bennett Vineyards urban tasting room. OTHER ACTIVITIES It has long been known as Track Town USA, but Eugene also claims to be the mountain biking capital of the Northwest. A simple but easily enjoyed way to get a sense for the area is a walk around the University of Oregon campus, and there are many walking paths and hiking trails in the region. Spencer Butte is a popular trip. The myriad outdoor options include rafting, skiing/snowsports and rock climbing. There’s also a trip to the Cascades Raptor Center, which King Estate supports. During the school year, some of the top student/athletes in the country represent the University of Oregon. During the summer, there are the Eugene Emeralds, members of Minor League Baseball’s Northwest League and an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Downtown Eugene is home to the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. On campus, there’s the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

SPECIAL WEEKENDS/EVENTS The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field have been rescheduled for June 18–27, 2021, for historic Hayward Field. And now the 2022 World Athletics Championships are scheduled for Eugene. In the winter, there’s the Oregon Truffle Festival, a phenomenal pairing for a wine country visit. Check in with some of the early urban wineries to see about the status of the Urban Wine Circuit, which helps guide wine lovers to tasting rooms around the Whiteaker and Westside neighborhoods. Last July, the Oregon Country Fair celebrated its 50th anniversary. TRAVEL AND TOURING In 2019, the Eugene airport began offering direct connections to San Diego and Chicago. Alaska Airlines flies out of Eugene and is proud of its Wines Fly Free program. Since the South Willamette is wine country, travelers departing from Eugene can check a case of wine for free. Ask one of your wineries for a proper shipping box. Reduce the stress by working with a touring company. Among the recommendations are Cork and Barrel Wine Tours, My Party Buss, Oregon Tour Experts and Sunshine Limo Services & Wine Tours. There’s also the interactive Pacific Pub Cycle, not unlike those found in Boise and Vancouver. This features 14 seats, and the circuit begins and ends at Eugene Wine Cellars. BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY Travel Lane County offers outstanding resources to map out every chapter of a trip to the South Willamette Valley. Go to EugeneCascadesCoast.org, or visit the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Visitor Information & Adventure Center in Springfield.

ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greathorthwestwine.com.

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

Sarah Cabot, winemaker for Battle Creek Cellars, earned eight “Outstanding!” ratings at Wine Press Northwest’s blind panel tasting of 137 Northwest Pinot Noir wines.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRECEPT WINE

SARAH CABOT, BATTLE CREEK CELLARS WAGE REMARKABLE CAMPAIGN WITH PINOT NOIR FOR PRECEPT WINE By Eric Degerman

his publication’s history spans 22 vintages and four decades, but Wine Press Northwest never has seen a winemaker make more of a delicious impression with a panel than Sarah Cabot of Battle Creek Cellars in Dundee, Ore.

This spring, our socially distanced study of Pinot Noir produced in the Northwest generated 137 entries across several vintages. Cabot, who grew up in Seattle, earned eight “Outstanding!” ratings — our equivalent of a gold medal — in a showing that included

vineyard-designated wines from three distinct sites and snapshots of three growing seasons. And because Cabot works for Precept Wine, the largest privately owned wine company in the Pacific Northwest, and produces about 105,000 cases of Pinot Noir each year, Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

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consumers can get their hands on some of these exquisite examples via the new Battle Creek Cellars tasting room in Portland’s trendy Pearl District. “Sometimes, I feel that we get shafted by others because my parent company is big,” Cabot said. “There’s a sense among some people that if your production is really big, then you are a sellout and your (expletive) is mediocre.” Atop the field was the Anam Cara Cellars 2016 Nicholas Vineyard Mark X Pinot Noir, a $75 bottle by Nick and Sheila Nicholas in the Chehalem Mountains near Newberg. The Nicholases rank among the industry’s most beloved ambassadors, and they farm the blocks for their reserve bottling at 1.5 tons per acre. Named for their son Mark, the Roman numerals denote that wine’s place in the series. “The only ‘rule’ we have for our Mark Pinot Noirs is that they represent the boldest expression of the vineyard, yet still showcase the site's signature elegance and earthiness,” Sheila says. “We blend to our largest percentage of new oak (30% to 50% new French) in any of the Pinots and from barrels designated as reserve candidates.” In a fascinating twist, consulting for Anam Cara is Michael Collier, director of winemaking at 12th & Maple Wine Co. Cabot 24

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teams up with 12th & Maple’s Zach Campbell at the custom-crush facility in Dundee for her Battle Creek Cellars wines. “Zach deserves so much more credit than he ever gets,” Cabot said. “I’ve never trusted anyone in this industry as much as I trust him.” Cabot, a maverick who plays in the Portland Australian Football League and is running back for the Oregon Ravens in the Women’s National Football Conference, used the 2016 vintage to score gold medals with single-source Pinot Noirs from Battle Creek, Roe and Yamhela vineyards. “The ’16 vintage was 9.5 on a scale of 10, and up until 2018, was the best vintage I ever had,” Cabot said. “The ’16s are lights out. It was a really small crop, perfect weather, a leisurely harvest — which is very rare here — and the wine had beautiful concentration. Beautiful concentration. Sugars crept up pretty quickly at the very end, and the wines required very little amelioration. “The crop was about 30% under what was projected, but what we got was great, and it was my first vintage being sober, so it’s a very meaningful vintage for me,” Cabot added. “I had been nervous about it, but I was sharp and decisive and wasn’t second-guessing myself.” She keeps a coffee mug handy to spit into

during wine evaluations and feels her palate has become sharper since she made the change. A student/athlete at Roosevelt High in Seattle, Cabot received a degree in jazz composition from the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston. She worked in restaurants in Boston and Seattle where she “sold a lot of Oregon Pinot Noir” prior to studying winemaking at South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy. She’s enjoyed the opportunity to engage customers once again — this time as a winemaker pouring at her Portland tasting room. “I’ll pop in there and sit with my computer or be behind the counter,” Cabot said. “I love the people we have working there for us and interacting with the consumers and getting their feedback is great.” In addition to collaborations with grocers and restaurants, Cabot recently joined forces with Walla Walla-based Nocking Point and actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis on the 2018 Quarantine Pinot Noir ($25). Sales of that Willamette Valley project go toward COVID-19 response efforts, and the marketing might supplied by the celebrity husband/wife team led to more than half of Quarantine Pinot Noir production being sold in the first 24 hours of the unveiling. Perhaps no Oregon winery is better known

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

beyond the Willamette Valley than King Estate, and winemaker Brent Stone — with a degree from Washington State University — impressed judges with four “Outstanding!” examples of Pinot Noir. Three of those were examples of the 2016 vintage, including the showy Domaine Pinot Noir, a product of 100% estate-certified Biodynamic fruit. On the other side of Dundee from 12th & Maple came a combined four “Outstanding!” ratings for Dobbes Family Estate and Wine By Joe, two brands founded by “Hollywood” Joe Dobbes. The showings included the youthful and plentiful 2018 Grand Assemblage Pinot Noir and consumer-friendly Wine By Joe 2016 Pinot Noir, a screw-capped wine that retails for $19. Panther Creek Cellars, the label made famous by Ken Wright and now a sister project of Dobbes Family Estate, also produced a trio of gold medals, thanks to the winemaking by Tony Rynders. A longtime friend of Wright, Rynders also came through with one of the judging’s most nicely priced entries — the 2018 Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir ($25). Meanwhile, the string of recent success continues for Mark Ryan McNeilly as the Walla Walla producer showed his versatility in this tasting. Last year, his Mark Ryan brand placed No.

45 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List with its 2016 The Dissident, a Cabernet Sauvignonbased blend. Megan Anne Cellars, named for McNeilly’s wife, is their Pinot Noir project in Carlton, Ore., with Willamette Valley winemaker Isabelle Meunier of Evening Land fame and now Lavinea. The combination generated “Outstanding!” ratings for three Pinot Noirs from the 2018 vintage. McNeilly was named as the Honorary Vintner for the 2020 Auction of Washington Wines. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: One of the recent and welcomed trends in the industry — reduced level of oak influence — was apparent in this tasting. The wines were fruit-driven, ranging from dark blue to dark red. And there were not many references to “Old World” or “Burgundy” by the judges, in part because the string of warm vintages tends to result in fewer examples of Pinot Noir that are lighter-styled with nuances of earthiness, saddle leather, truffle and/or herbal qualities. Very few turned out to be “brett bombs,” wines laced with the strain of yeast called brettanomyces, which in Greek translates to “British fungus” and leads to notes of barnyard or horse blanket. It’s worth noting that very few of the Pinot Noir entries were unfiltered. Judges continued to remark about the

delicious presentation of color and flavors in the Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, in particular. It goes to reinforce the belief that Pinot Noir from Oregon should be viewed for its uniqueness rather than compared with Burgundy. While there have been issues in recent years with smoke taint from forest fires, wines entered into this tasting did not indicate there were many pockets with problems. Avoiding those qualities certainly factored into the high percentage of quality wines submitted as 82% received a rating of “Excellent” or higher. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from bringing in judges from the Willamette Valley. As a result, the panel was made up of experts from the Columbia Valley who often sample big reds for work and/or pleasure. Perhaps it was the product of three warm vintages, but in many cases these examples of Pinot Noir reflected a bigger style, which likely struck a chord with these judges. The Pinot Noir featured black fruits from the 2016 vintage and more red fruit — including watermelon — for the 2017 wines. So are many of the tasting’s top-scoring wines examples of Pinot Noir that appeal to Washington red wine drinkers? Perhaps. We encourage you to taste for yourself. It also served as our first judging staged Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

using social distancing protocols and conducted during the course of two days at the home of Jerry Hug, the magazine’s publisher, in Kennewick, Wash. The panel was made up of Kristine Bono, general manager of Tertulia Cellars of Walla Walla, Wash., which also operates a tasting room in Dundee, Ore.; Richard Larsen, retired research winemaker, Washington State University, Richland, Wash.; Gregg McConnell, managing editor, Wine Press Northwest; Ken Robertson, columnist, Wine Press Northwest; and Gordy Venneri, co-founder of Walla Walla Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash.

WINE RATINGS All rated wines are tasted blind then placed in the following categories:

Outstanding These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.

Excellent Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities.

Recommended

UNANIMOUSLY OUTSTANDING! Anam Cara Cellars 2016 Nicholas Vineyard Mark X Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains • $75 Sheila and Nick Nicholas near Newberg, Ore., have been among the Oregon wine industry’s most popular figures for years, in part because of their remarkable work with cool-climate varieties, which includes Riesling. This first-time field blend of clones Pommard, Dijon 114, 115 and Wädenswil (10%) is a remarkable reflection of the vineyard they created out of brambleberry thick26

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Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics. Prices are suggested retail.

ets. (They sold a majority of their vineyard in 2015 to the owners of Rain Dance Vineyards.) Its rich, youthful color offers fantastic aromas of dusty blueberry, black cherry, sage and delicate toast from a French oak program with 30% of the barrels being new. (In most years, the Mark is closer to 50% new wood.) Inside comes a stream of plum and cherry juice, making for an easy drink and tasty

blueberry-skin tannins that offer just enough structure for a medium finish that hints at cherry cheesecake. This reserve wine is named for son, Mark, and the Roman numeral X reflects the 10th year of its production. (125 cases, 13.5% alc.) Zimri Cellars 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $25 Fresno State grad Jason Bull took historic David Hill Vineyards & Winery to new heights while launching his own brand along Zimri Drive in the foothills of the Chehalem Mountains. These five barrels spent two years in French oak, not one of them new, a program that adds a whiff of cinnamon toast behind cranberry, red currants and grapefruit oil. Boysenberry drives the delicious and appealing structure of cassis and cocoa with undertones of savory mushroom, vanilla and lavender. (124 cases, 13.8% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2017 Yamhela Vineyard Pinot Noir, YamhillCarlton • $64 If her wine-savvy friends can pick out that this Pinot Noir was grown in the YamhillCarlton American Viticultural Area, then Sarah Cabot feels as though she’s done her job as a winemaker to showcase Yamhela Vineyard. Dried currant and cherry aromas are joined by forest floor, dusty herbs and chai spices. Bright red fruit flows across the palate as raspberry, Montmorency cherry and

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

plum-skin tannins combine for a nicely balanced structure that’s capped by a baked gingersnap cookie for an enjoyable Pinot Noir that really opens up in the glass. (1,084 cases, 13.5% alc.)

OUTSTANDING! Archery Summit 2016 Arcus Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills • $125 Sometimes in life you do get what you pay for, and Archery Summit’s showcasing of prized Arcus Vineyard from a buzz-worthy vintage ranks among the best in the Pacific Northwest. One of the oldest sites in the Dundee Hills, this vineyard was first planted in 1973 — two decades before the late Gary Andrus launched the winery. It’s now 40 acres, making it the largest of the winery’s five vineyards. This stellar example reflects the winemaking transition from Chris Mazepink to Ian Burch, who took over the cellar in 2018. There’s an early sense of the Dundee Hills with high-toned red fruit, joined by sweet herbs, light toast and black pepper. It turns a touch darker on the nicely balanced palate as blackberry jam and plum skins lead out with blueberry, making it one of the most age-worthy in our tasting. (913 cases, 13.8% alc.) Valley View Winery 2016 Anna Maria Pinot Noir, Southern Oregon • $22

This winery ranks as one of Oregon’s most historic with its connection to 19th century photographer/winemaker Peter Britt. And while the Wisnovsky family designates Anna Maria as its reserve tier, this Pinot Noir ranks among the most nicely priced of the tasting. John Guerrero’s winemaking style reflects the ripeness that can be attained in the Applegate Valley as it is layered with fruit while showing a touch of brickish color. Aromas of Thanksgiving cranberry sauce with orange zest pick up some black cherry along the way. Inside, it’s a spoonful of cherry cobbler with baking spices in between red currant and blueberry with cocoa, coffee and peach. (315 cases, 13.4% alc.) Alexana Winery 2017 Revana Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills • $60 A fascination for Burgundy inspired Dr. Madaiah Revana to invest in Oregon’s Dundee Hills in 2005. The Texas cardiologist named his Northwest project for his daughter, Alexandra, and the hiring of Bryan Weil in 2012 to take over the winemaking for Lynn Penner-Ash continues to pay off. Aromas of blueberry, loganberry, ginger spice cookie and truffle lead to layers of sweet blueberry and cherry pie that are backed by well-managed tannins and pink grapefruit oil for a finish that’s silky and decadent yet cellar-worthy. (1,614 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Argyle Winery 2017 Master Series Nuthouse Pinot Noir, EolaAmity Hills • $55 Minnesota product Nate Klostermann focuses on Lone Star Vineyard, a tip of the hat to founding winemaker and Texas native Rollin Soles, for this Pinot Noir project that’s named for the winery’s previous life as a hazelnut warehouse. Baking spice is viewed as a hallmark of the Eola-Amity Hills by Argyle, and allspice and clove lead the discussion of this wine that brings a red juicy nose. Ripe flavors of Marionberry and Bing cherry make for a pleasant drink that’s framed in the finish by juicy flavors of Craisin and cherry pie. (1,789 cases, 14.1% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2016 Battle Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $64 The namesake vineyard in Turner, Ore., for Precept’s Battle Creek Cellars brand got its start in 1998, and the 110 acres sandwiched between Interstate 5 and Battle Creek Road are 100% devoted to Pinot Noir. It’s a blue-fruited approach that’s quite delicate with touches of black currant and black cherry that pick up nutmeg and cola prior to a finish of cranberry-blueberry cocktail. There’s plenty of fruit and just enough tannin structure to create an enduring finish that’s age worthy. (385 cases, 14.4% alc.) King Estate Winery 2016 Domaine Pinot Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

Noir, Willamette Valley • $70 No family has done more to promote Pinot Gris across the country than the Kings, but this serves as a reminder of how brilliant King Estate’s Pinot Noir program is. Brent Stone, a product of Washington State University, earned four “Outstanding!” ratings within our tasting, and this work with 100% Biodynamic fruit led the way. It came across as one of the most reminiscent of an Old World style, and it is rather polite in its structure. There’s a dustiness to the nose of cherry jam, strawberry fields and a pinch of fresh tobacco. The 18 months in a program of 30% new French oak barrels are presented nicely, not getting in the way of the strawberry and fleshy cherry profile that’s compelling and builds appreciation. Plum skins make for a medium-long finish that’s fruitier, more delicious and foodfriendly with each pass. Fortunately, Stone doubled his production of this wine over the 2015 vintage. (1,621 cases, 14.1% alc.) Sineann 2016 Pinot Noir, Oregon • $30 Winemaker/cyclist Peter Rosback works with sites in three growing regions — Wy’East in the Columbia Gorge, Zenith in the EolaAmity Hills and Yates Conwill in YamhillCarlton — for this marvelous Pinot Noir that’s big and rich. The nose of cherry jam on light toast, vanilla and cola transition to full and long flavors of dark cherry and blackberry. A 28

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midpalate of pomegranate and plum skin leads off with sensations of toast, tar and strawberry. It glides across the tongue as easily as you can say shuh-NAY-uhn. (400 cases, 13.8% alc.) Utopia Wines 2016 The Utopia Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge • $48 As president of the Ribbon Ridge Winegrowers Association, Utopia owner/winemaker Daniel Warnshuis is encouraging everyone in his tiny AVA to farm Biodynamically. The showing of this Pinot Noir, a collection of the 12 clones he’s planted across his 20-year-old estate, should serve as a great promotional tool. Aromas of dried strawberry, pink raspberry and orange oil are realized on the palate, backed by silky tannins that trail into a sweet and round finish of Craisins. (1,335 cases, 13.8% alc.) Dowsett Family Winery 2016 Becklin Vineyards Pinot Noir, Oregon • $34 While he’s been living and working in Walla Walla for nearly 25 years, Chris Dowsett grew up in the Willamette Valley wine industry and studied horticulture at Oregon State University. Here, the Buty winemaker works with Pommard clone Pinot Noir from his sister’s 12-acre vineyard, which was planted in 2000 along the Mt. Hood Territory Wine Trail on Pete’s Mountain near the Willamette River. As one would expect from

Pommard, it’s a big and rich expression of Pinot Noir featuring soft oak notes and dark fruit tones of cherry compote, blackberry and chocolate-covered blueberries. The structure is long, lush and rewarding. (130 cases, 14.5% alc.) J Wrigley Vineyards 2017 Estate Single Clone 828 Pinot Noir, McMinnville • $74 There’s a fair bit of fun mystery surrounding this clone native to Côte d’Or, and one version within the Willamette Valley is that the founder of Archery Summit, the late Gary Andrus, used a trench coat to smuggle cuttings into the U.S. Its success and popularity has prompted others to embrace 828, and John Wrigley provides more delicious evidence of its merits. This offers an abundance of complexity, starting with a nose of black cherry, orange oil and pipe tobacco that plays out with mouthwatering flavors of cranberry, cherry cream and a silky sweet finish of vanilla bean. (100 cases, 13.3% alc.) Pike Road Wines 2018 Xander Taryn Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains • $35 When the Campbell family of Elk Cove fame launched their Pike Road project, they got in on the ground floor at this young vineyard on Laurelwood soil, which is not far from Elk Cove’s Five Mountain Vineyards. The matriarch of the vineyard project — Don-

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

na Knight — named her planting after her two oldest children, and Pike Road winemaker Heather Perkin has turned this into a stunning effort that earned a double gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Fun aromas of blueberry and Cherry Fruit Stripe Gum are matched on the palate where the purity of Dijon clone 667 and 777 fruit picks up fresh boysenberry. There’s brightness without any distraction of tannin, and a long finish of black cherry puts a bow on the package. (91 cases, 14% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $38 All three of the vineyards that are under the purview of winemaker Sarah Cabot — Battle Creek, Roe and Yamhela — are on the table for this medley that’s beautifully fruity and backed by sweet baking spices. The perfumy nose presents dark red notes of strawberry, cherry vanilla and Craisin with a pinch of violet and muscovado sugar. As a drink, it stays dark, as huckleberry and black currant are joined by boysenberry preserves and pomegranate, setting the stage for a finish of black cherry and red currant. (1,978 cases, 12.8% alc.) Chelan Estate 2013 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Lake Chelan • $25 One of the first Pinot Noirs tasted in our exercise made quite an impression, and Bob

Broderick’s planting on the south shore of Lake Chelan served as an early example of this region’s versatility, thanks in large part to the influence of the third-deepest lake in the U.S. There’s some early and understandable bottle bouquet, but the nose rapidly casts off complexity with hints of dried cassis, cinnamon toast, sage and dill. The blend of clones 113, 115 and Carneros-influenced clone 13 shows beautiful cherry, herbal and savory tones on a palate that’s filled with finesse. It screams out for a savory dish or a bowl of mushroom bisque. (325 cases, 14.2% alc.) Dobbes Family Estate 2018 Grand As semblage Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $30 Oregon State grad Andy McVay used this vintage to celebrate his 10th anniversary of working with founder Joe Dobbes, and six sites in the Willamette Valley factor into this blend that captures the youthful promise that many winemakers see from their 2018s. Ten months in a program of 23% new French oak helps explain the lovely clove note in the nose that otherwise features black cherry, dark plum and pomegranate. There’s more red fruit on the palate, reminiscent of cherry and cranberry cocktail, which is backed by cola and vanilla. (2,500 cases, 13.5% alc.) Elk Cove Vineyards 2018 Mount Richmond Estate Pinot Noir,

YamhillCarlton • $60 The Campbell family came through with two of Outstanding! examples of Pinot Noir in this tasting, both of them single-vineyard snapshots. At 180 acres, Mount Richmond is the largest of the Elk Cove estate vineyards, and it was established with Pommard cuttings from Roosevelt Vineyard just below the crush pad at the Forest Grove winery. Bing cherry, moist earth, fresh dill and Douglas fir tip tea leads to flavors of Marionberry pie, plum jam and black pepper. There is a nice grip to the Craisin skin tannins, which lead out with pomegranate juice for a cellar-worthy structure. (991 cases, 13.5% alc.) King Estate Winery 2016 Pfeiffer Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $54 Last year, this vineyard turned 35 years old, and Pfeiffer goes down in history as the first vineyard the King family contracted with back in 1992. Robin Pfeiffer and his wife, Danuta, farm 70 acres, and still sell more than 80% of their grapes to King Estate winemaker Brent Stone and his team. This opens with aromas of blueberry punch, orange oil, brownie mix and coffee. There’s refined juiciness immediately on the palate, which makes this easy to get into as blueberry preserves include a crunch of the seed. It’s superbly layered and offers a tremendous structure with black cherry, plum and more coffee Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir in the finish. (501 cases, 13.5% alc.) Left Coast Cellars 2017 Estate Cali's Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $24 Last fall, the 2016 edition of Cali’s Cuvée was awarded a Double Platinum during Wine Press Northwest’s year-end “Best of the Best” judging, and when the votes were tallied, it ended up as the top-scoring Pinot Noir of the Platinum. That performance factored into Wine Press Northwest’s decision to name Left Coast Estate as the 2020 Oregon Winery of the Year. Here, the nose of strawberry/ watermelon, blueberry, dried herbs and baking spice shifts toward flavors of raspberry, cherry and more blueberry, a combination that carries across the long and broad palate. Food-friendly pomegranate acidity provides great vibrancy. Longtime winemaker Joe Wright nearly doubled production of his flagship Pinot Noir from 2016 to 2017, and now his latest Cali’s is on the radar for the 21st Platinum Judging this fall. (14,757 cases, 13.5% alc.) Megan Anne Cellars 2018 Black Love Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $60 Mark Ryan McNeilly and his wife, Megan Anne, show their devotion to The Afghan Whigs by naming their reserve release of Pinot Noir after one of the alt-rock band’s early albums. For this vintage, just the third in the history of their collaboration with Carlton, Ore., winemaker Isabelle Meunier, it’s a blend of the best barrels from Justice and Nysa vineyards. (Read below, and you’ll notice that each vineyard also produced a gold medal in this tasting.) The nose portends the bright and silky layers of black cherry, plum and pomegranate that bring along hints of chocolate, toast and herbs. It’s super juicy, providing a finish that goes on and on with notes of black pepper, black olive and fig. (225 cases, 14.5% alc.) Mt. Hood Winery 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge • $38 This showing for the Bickford family by their Hood River winemaker Rich Cushman is no surprise, considering they’ve been awarded Platinums for their work with Pinot Noir. Cushman’s light touch with new French oak over 12 months creates a youthful and fresh style that leans toward sweet blue fruit, joined by cocoa-covered pomegranate and cherry pipe tobacco. There’s vibrancy from stem to stern, picking up watermelon and cherry notes along the way. (468 cases, 13.4% alc.) Vino la Monarcha 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley • $20 A few producers entered a rosé they made from Pinot Noir. Victor Palencia — Wine 30

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Press Northwest’s 2019 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year — came through with an Outstanding! for his, burnishing his reputation as one of the region’s premier providers of pink wine. Charming aromas of dried strawberry, pink grapefruit and orange oil come to life on the consumer-friendly palate that hints at a blush style, yet it’s balanced by ample blood orange acidity. It’s interesting to note that the 2017 rosé under this entry-level brand earned a Platinum in back-to-back years. (250 cases, 12% alc.) Wine By Joe 2016 Pinot Noir, Oregon • $19 It was during the economic decline following the 9/11 attacks when Joe Dobbes launched his second label — Wine By Joe — to help get Oregon Pinot Noir into more hands at an affordable price. Rather than declassified juice, his disciples now can pull from Seabreeze Vineyard, a 214-acre estate site in the Van Duzer Corridor. And it’s rare to find a Pinot Noir that’s as easy to get into as at this price. Black cherry jam, blueberry, baking spice and freshly sliced mushroom help describe the aromas. There’s more cherry jam and pink strawberry on the palate as raspberry and red currant add succulence ahead of a finishing lick of lavender and Simpkin Blackcurrant Travel Sweets. (19,229 cases, 13.5% alc.) Youngberg Hill 2017 Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $35 While the label reads “Willamette Valley,” it could read “McMinnville” because owner/

grower/winemaker Wayne Bailey pulled from his estate Bailey Block and nearby Yamhill Valley Vineyards — Wine Press Northwest’s 2019 Oregon Winery of the Year. The blend of Dijon clones 777, 115 and 667 is approachable and youthful while complex in its blend of cherry, Marionberry and President plum. A pinch of ground cloves, tobacco and Baker’s chocolate make for a rich and full mouthfeel that blossoms in the finish. (660 cases, 13.1% alc.) Alloro Vineyard 2017 Estate Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains • $40 Owner/grower David Nemarnik farms 78 acres in the peaceful hills just west of bustling Sherwood, Ore., and his collection of clones are woven together beautifully by Tom Fitzpatrick, who took over the winemaking in 2010. Pommard and Dijon 777 form the foundation of this four-clone blend, which proved to be among the most beautifully delicate in our tasting. Its garnet color hints at a bowl of raspberries and red currant, which are presented in a supple structure that’s long and savory with sage and white pepper. (1,700 cases, 14.2% alc.) ArborBrook Vineyards 2016 Estate 777 Block Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains • $55 The Hansens began to transform this nut orchard into a world-class vineyard in 2001, and they devoted those first 5 acres to Dijon clone 777, so the roots of this special bottling are closing in on 20 years of age. In the skilled hands of Laurent Montalieu, this is a

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir delightful and varietally correct expression of Pinot Noir from a site that’s just a few hundred yards from the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Expressive barrel notes from a 50% new French oak program cast out a charming nose of black cherry, nutmeg, allspice, cola and sweet bell pepper. It’s loaded with ripe blue fruit flavors, and its quaffable structure picks up complexity with leathery notes in the finish. (400 cases, 13.6% alc.) Argyle Winery 2017 Artisan Series Re serve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $40 This vintage signals the 30th anniversary of Argyle, founded by Texan native Rollin Soles who handed the winery’s reins to his protege, Nate Klostermann, in 2013. All three of their key vineyards come into play — nearby Knudsen in the Dundee Hills and the estate Lone Star and Spirit Hill sites in the Eola-Amity Hills. The 16-month program of 25% new French oak provides some toast to the mouth-watering nose of Marionberry, cherry pie and black pepper, which make their way to the creamy palate. It’s superbly juicy and balanced as the cherry and oak tones combine for a gorgeous finish. (7,395 cases, 14.2% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2017 Battle Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $64 Her “little valedictorian” is how Sarah Cabot describes the results that Battle Creek Vineyard yields for her. The fresh and spicy nose of cherry, ginger, cinnamon and pink peppercorns turns into candied flavors of cherry Twizzlers and dried blueberries. Peppy red currant acidity is joined on the midpalate by forest floor and vanilla undertones as the raspberry finish produces a lighter, age-worthy style that also lends itself to food. (523 cases, 12.5% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2016 Yamhela Vineyard Pinot Noir, YamhillCarlton • $64 It’s a high-brow neighborhood that Yamhela plays in with Shea Vineyard and WillaKenzie Estates nearby, and the 2016 vintage signals Sarah Cabot’s third vintage of steering the Willamette Valley cellar for Seattle-based Precept. The 105-acre vineyard that Cabot has likened to Audrey Hepburn says hello with aromatics of cherry cola, pink grapefruit and white pepper. On the palate, it’s fruitdriven with boysenberry, cranberry and Bing cherry flavors in a solid structure capped by sage, pepper and pomegranate juice. (824 cases, 13.7% alc.) Bayernmoor Cellars 2017 Bayernmoor Vineyard Pinot Noir, Puget Sound • $39 Patent attorney Larry Harris purchased

PINOT NOIR BY THE NUMBERS Here’s a look at the numbers behind the wines tasted for this article.

Total wines judged: 137 Percentage of “Outstanding” wines: 34 Percentage of “Excellent” wines: 48 Percentage of “Recommended” wines: 12 Average price: $44 Median price: $42 Average price of “Outstanding!” wines: $48 Median price of “Outstanding! wines: $42 Average alcohol: 13.74% Average alcohol of “Outstanding! wines: 13.73% Total cases represented: 169,673 Average case production: 1,238 Average case production of an “Outstanding!” wine: 1,928 American Viticultural Areas represented: 17 Wines by AVA: Willamette Valley (48), Chehalem Mountains (12), Dundee Hills (11), Eola-Amity Hills (11), Yamhill-Carlton (9), Oregon (8), McMinnville (6), Puget Sound (6), Ribbon Ridge (6), Lake Chelan (5), Umpqua Valley (4), Washington State (3), Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (2), Columbia Gorge (2), Southern Oregon (2), Columbia Valley (1), Rogue Valley (1).

100 acres of forest east of Everett, Wash., and decided which 6 acres would be best suited for viticulture. His decision to establish it with Dijon clone 777 Pinot Noir has proved to be a delicious move, thanks in large part to the work of his winemaker, Brian Carter. This project signals a step beyond the norm for Carter, a master blender of big Washington reds, but his talent and degree from Oregon State University help explain his success with this rather delicate expression of Pinot Noir. Rose petal, saffron, sage and blood orange aromas lead to classic and fruity Pinot Noir flavors of strawberry and raspberry. Secondary notes of moist earth, sage and Black Forest Cake set up the food-friendly finish of Rainier cherry and caramel. This estate effort has earned a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, so its showing this spring was no surprise. (287 cases, 12.5% alc.) Cherry Hill Winery 2017 Estate Pinot Noir, EolaAmity Hills • $40 Aircraft mechanic-turned-winemaker Ken Cook is well into his second decade with owners Mike and Jan Sweeney. The Purdue

University products purchased 90 acres of a former cherry orchard in 1998 across Highway 99 from Left Coast Estate. This is a Pinot Noir fan’s Pinot Noir. The blend of Pommard and Dijon clones flashes classic aromas of dusty strawberry, Montmorency cherry and garrigue that are realized as flavors. Layers of blueberry and pomegranate on the midpalate are joined by anise and tarragon prior to a squirt of red currant, which stretches out the finish. (909 cases, 13.8% alc.) Dobbes Family Estate 2017 EolaAmity Cuvée AVA Collection Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $37 This vintage marks the promotion of Andy McVay, a product of Oregon State University, to succeed founder Joe Dobbes as head winemaker. It’s a fruit-forward snapshot of this American Viticultural Area moderated by the afternoon coastal breezes through the Van Duzer Corridor. Strawberry, Craisin and cocoa powder aromas hint at the entry of dark and juicy red fruit as black cherry and currant bleed into a long finish of pomegranate that one judge described as “caressing.” (375 cases, 14.2% alc.) Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir

EXPLORE NORTHWEST PINOT NOIR IN 2021 This year’s International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, Ore., on the campus of Linfield College has been postponed until the weekend of July 23-25 in 2021. It is arguably the benchmark consumer event for the Pacific Northwest wine industry and deserves to be on the bucket list for anyone who appreciates Pinot Noir, regional cuisine and education. Go to ipnc.org.

King Estate Winery 2017 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $29 The largest certified Biodynamic vineyard in the U.S. makes up 50% of this flagship bottling, which serves as one of Oregon’s most important examples of Pinot Noir year after year. Aromas of Marionberry and dusty black currant pick up hints of mocha, clove and a whiff of Old World earthiness. Brent Stone and his team have created a full-bodied, delicate and layered Pinot Noir that leads out with a touch of pomegranate and minerality. Upon release, 375-milliliter bottles are available. (20,000 cases, 13.5% alc.) Lenné Estate 2017 South Slope Select Pinot Noir, YamhillCarlton • $55 Steven Lutz celebrates the 20th anniversary of his project in 2020, and here he blends two of his oldest blocks - Dijon clone 115 in 2001 and Pommard in 2003 - for this pretty Pinot Noir that accounts for about 15% of his total production. Loganberry, boysenberry and dried plum make for a juicy profile that’s finished with pomegranate, tea leaves and minerality. (250 cases, 14% alc.) Panther Creek Cellars 2016 Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir, EolaAmity Hills • $65 Ken Wright began to bring fame to Jack and Kathleen Carter’s vineyard in the late 1980s, and by the 1990 vintage, Wright allowed no one else to buy Carter Vineyard fruit. Twenty five years later, Wright owned Carter Vineyard. However, he’s granted his longtime friend — Tony Rynders — access to this vineyard. After all, Wright was the founding winemaker for Panther Creek. Dusty and dark cherry, pink peppercorns and light toast aromas transition into tasty flavors of red currant and pomegranate with black currant skins and a hint of herbaceousness. (75 cases, 14.1% alc.) Panther Creek Cellars 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $50 While the background of this reserve by Tony Rynders (pronounced RHINE-ders) is rather straightforward, there is a remarkable

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level of complexity. By Sept. 23, all the grapes were on the crush pad. After that, it was a 17-month, three-barrel blend of Lazy River Vineyard (67%) and Schindler (33%). And even though two of those French oak barrels were new, there’s still remarkable nuance to the nose. A whiff of Burgundy joins blueberry cobbler and elderberry aromas. On the palate, it’s big and textured as cherry cola, cranberry and baking spice flavors are joined by pomegranate for a mouthwatering finish. (75 cases, 14.1% alc.) Airlie Winery 2015 Dunn Forest Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $45 Here is a rarity in the Pacific Northwest — a woman-owned winery with a woman winemaker — and Elizabeth Clark has been producing some of Oregon’s most under-appreciated wines since 2005. Mary Olson’s vineyard is separated from Corvallis by McDonald-Dunn Forest, and it’s the only Dunn Forest vineyard-designated wine in the general portfolio for Airlie. There’s a long list of qualities to be discussed here, starting with black cherry and blueberry aromas that come with a fist-full of dried earth with mushroom. Those same blue fruits are joined by plumskin tannins, black cherry and a spice cabinet from the barrel program. It’s an enjoyable style with pleasing integration, capped by a trail of smoked anise and fennel. (100 cases, 13.2% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2017 Roe Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge • $64 This signals the third time in four vintages that Sarah Cabot has used Roe Vineyard to achieve an “Outstanding!” rating from one of our panels. The 74-acre site on Ribbon Ridge is just east of North Valley Road and adjacent to Eminent Domaine and Harry PetersonNedry’s Ridgecrest Vineyard. It’s produced a lighter, entrancing style with Marionberry, mocha and black cherry tones. Rich and silky flavors carry through with a finish of strawberry, lavender and vanilla, making for a

delicate but juicy example. (404 cases, 13.9% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2018 Unconditional Pinot Noir, Oregon • $18 One of the wines that Sarah Cabot takes the most pride in is her entry-level Unconditional, which has traditionally pulled significantly from Battle Creek Vineyard. This time, it’s 25% of the blend, trailing Waldo Hills Vineyard (30%) and Sunshine Mountain Vineyard (30%) while gaining help from Yamhill Valley Vineyards (10%) and Yamhela Vineyard (5%). Described as one of Oregon’s most idyllic vintages, there was no need for much oak, and just 10% of the barrel program was new wood. Dark purple fruit along the lines of blackberry and blueberry pick up cherries and dried herbs. Spot-on cranberrylike acidity and a sprinkle of white pepper combine for a clean and lovely farewell. For at least a few months, wines such as the Unconditional will be more important than ever. (1,988 cases, 13.5% alc.) Dobbes Family Estate 2017 Patricia's Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $50 In 2006, Joe Dobbes married Patricia, an attorney who grew up in Colombia, and this blend has traditionally been one of the best efforts from this Dundee, Ore., winery. It might also be its most Old World in style with elements of earthiness and forest floor, but there’s a wide assortment of accessible fruit, ranging from loganberry and blueberry to cherry juice. There’s chocolaty silkiness to the tannins, a reflection of the 10 months in 40% new French oak, and it finishes with a delicious blend of pomegranate and strawberry. One judge exclaimed, “This is what I’m looking for!” (375 cases, 14.2% alc.) King Estate Winery 2016 Stone's Throw 375 Clone of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $68 This vintage marked Brent Stone’s arrival as a winemaker at King Estate, and Stone’s Throw ranks among the best individual blocks on the property that now receives year-round vegetation control from a flock of sheep. Cherry jam, sweet red bell pepper and dusty lavender fill the nose that transcends into compelling flavors of cherry juice, blueberry and chocolate. A delicious tannin structure of cherry skins adds to the enjoyable mouthfeel that’s layered, long and lends itself to venison or lamb. (208 cases, 14.1% alc.) Megan Anne Cellars 2018 Justice Vineyard Pinot Noir, EolaAmity Hills • $45 Fans of famed Bethel Heights know this vineyard as the younger, sweeping plantings from 1999 by the Casteel and Dudley fam-

TASTING RESULTS | pinot noir ilies. They are grafted rootstock established in marine soils — a contrast to the original ownrooted, phylloxera-defiant vines in the volcanic material that surround the tasting room. The combination of Justice fruit in the hands of winemaker Isabelle Meunier makes for a rather voluptuous Pinot Noir with enticing aromas of blackberry, black cherry candy and cinnamon bark. It’s a dark and decadent drink that picks up plum and Chukar Cherry and keeps up a subtle beat of age-worthy acidity. Look for these wines in Woodinville and Walla Walla at the Mark Ryan tasting rooms. (120 cases, 14% alc.) Panther Creek Cellars 2018 Winemaker's Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $25 Tony Rynders creates single-vineyard wines from the likes of Carter, De Ponte, Kalita and Lazy River, and there are seven sites within this assemblage that is the flagship for Panther Creek. The nose of black cherry cola, elderberry and mocha are mirrored on the palate, which brings in Marionberry, sweet herbs and age-worthy tannins at the close. This June, Panther Creek toasted the second anniversary of its tasting room in Woodinville’s Hollywood District. (3,550 cases, 14.5% alc.) Battle Creek Cellars 2016 Roe Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge • $64 As the Omera Cellars winemaker, Sarah Cabot worked with Roe Vineyard starting in 2011, and the site is unique for a couple of reasons. It features the rare Chalone clone, a product of the oldest commercial vineyard in California’s Monterey County, and the vines naturally limit themselves to 3 tons per acre. For the 2016 vintage, that plays out in a sexy and perfumy nose with crushed raspberries, chai spice and rose hips. It’s dark and sultry on the palate with Marionberry, elderberry and blueberry flavors, superbly managed

tannins and capped by a finish of charming cherry pie filling. (199 cases, 14.3% alc.) David Hill Vineyards & Winery 2017 Estate Block 21 Black Jack Coury Clone Old Vine Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $55 The late Charles Coury established Pinot Noir along David Hill Road in 1966 — just a year after David Lett’s pioneering planting in the Dundee Hills. What’s now known as the “Coury Clone” is believed by some longtime Willamette Valley winemakers to be a cross of Pommard and Wädenswil, and Justin Van Zanten’s work offers a fascinating perspective. It’s a bit reminiscent of Châteauneuf-duPape with its tanned leather, slightly gamy and spicy blue fruit aspect. There’s some toast, too, from the 14 months in 30% new French oak. The plummy structure is quite smooth, bringing a bit of graphite ahead of the bright finish of Montmorency cherry. (188 cases, 14.3% alc.) Megan Anne Cellars 2018 Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills • $45 The client list of Michael Mega’s vineyard is dominated by cult producers of Oregon Pinot Noir, and young Megan Anne Cellars is on its way to join such company. Pommard is a popular clone at this 33-acre site, which counts Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit as neighbors, and there’s some hedonism produced by these strikingly red Jory soils. The dense nose of chai spice and dark purple fruit akin to plum and Marionberry leads to incredibly big and rich flavors framed by sandy tannins. Black currant and minerality are found on the midpalate, which is capped by clove and white pepper. (120 cases, 14.5% alc.)

ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at greatnorthwestwine.com.

Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

MATCH MAKERS

Russell Lowell, who grew up in Cuba and San Diego, became famous in Seattle as chef at Daniel's Broiler in Leschi and then as a caterer to the stars with Lowell-Hunt prior to opening Russell's Restaurant & Loft near Woodinville in 2004.

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MATCH MAKERS

RUSSELL LOWELL USES TAKEOUT, WOODINVILLE WINE TO RIDE OUT PANDEMIC Story by Eric Degerman | Photos by Richard Duval BOTHELL, WASH. — Around Woodinville Wine Country, when someone drops a reference to “Russell,” odds are they talking about the regionally famous chef rather than the superstar quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. Ironically, San Diego import Russell Lowell first became known around Seattle by his last name as the leading half of Lowell-Hunt Catering. “There are probably a 1,000 caterers in the area now, but back then there were only about 50,” Lowell said. During the past two decades, most of his energies have been focused on Russell’s Restaurant & Loft in the Monte Villa district across Interstate 405 from North Creek Forest near Woodinville. “We’re actually in Bothell by about 50 feet,” he said. For a time, he led three operations in three cities — the catering business based along Lake Union, a cafe in Woodinville and the striking white barn where his culinary mantra of “simple done well” has been a lure for Woodinville winemakers for 15 years. “I don’t think my relationship with the wine community could be any better,” Lowell said. “What’s happening around Woodinville keeps me rallying to be the best I can be.” He built his reputation in Seattle as chef at Daniel’s Broiler on Leschi for six years before making his mark around the city with LowellHunt, creating a culinary beehive along Lake Union. “It was 1994-1995, and we were ahead of the curve on catering and hit it as big as you could in Seattle — and it kept getting big,” Lowell said. “We had some of the greatest cooks and chefs in town on our team, but eventually you run out of steam, so I was looking for another catering kitchen to handle the volume on the Eastside when I saw this old Norwegian barn. And I had to have it.” He’s still enchanted by the barn built in 1927 that allowed him — at least before the

A rack of lamb and seared scallops are among the menu items available for curbside pick-up at Russell’s Restaurant and Loft in Bothell, Washington. Bottles of wine, selected by the chef to pair with these dishes, are also available.

pandemic — to seat 200 upstairs and 180 downstairs. “Oh my god, this is too cool,” he says. “Here I am, and it’s just as smoking hot as it’s ever been in 17 years.” These days, an hour-long conversation with Lowell sizzles with energy, entertainment, history and stories of success. He could be a social media darling if he chose to be. A wallflower he is not, and he doesn’t shy away from sharing his opinions or insights. He will jump at an opportunity to read a passage from his first book — In Search of Duende: Life Adventures of a Chef — which was published in 2014. It’s more autobiography than cookbook, and duende in Spanish refers to a strong presence, as in man of the house. It’s a language he speaks fluently because of the eight years his father was stationed in Cuba for the U.S. Navy.

Lowell comes from a family that when it wasn’t diving, fishing or surfing was farming and gardening. He’s a fascinating storyteller who looks back fondly on his teen years in SoCal, and he’s still tight with his best friend from high school — Chris Chelios, whose skill and grit turned him into a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. They both surfed, but after Lowell would come out of the Pacific Ocean he’d change out of his shorts and don an apron. One San Diego restaurateur catered to Lowell’s hobby by creating space for him to store his surfboard just off the kitchen. Not long after graduating high school, Lowell landed on the shores of the Puget Sound. “I actually moved to Seattle so I could go to the University of Washington and be a dentist,” Lowell said. “In San Diego, the men I’d sit up in the lineup with out in the ocean in Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

MATCH MAKERS

RUSSELL’S RESTAURANT & LOFT 3305 Monte Villa Parkway Bothell, WA 98021 425-892-8492 RussellLowell.com

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Russell Lowell to create a curbside dinner menu featuring discounted bottles from some of the Woodinville area's top producers and entrées such as Pan-Seared Rack of Lamb and New Bedford Sea Scallops for takeout at Russell's Restaurant & Loft in Bothell. the morning were all either doctors or dentists. They’d surf in the mornings and only work three days a week, which sounded pretty cool to me. Now, all the dentists and oral surgeons I know tell me, ‘I wish I could be a chef.’ ” And his circle of celebrity friends has grown to include other athletes who starred in Chicago with Chelios. Those connections also allowed him to forge a friendship with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. “Eddie is a surfer, and he started surfing in San Diego, so it’s likely that we’ve been in the water together and didn’t know it,” Lowell said. “His home break was my home break.” It’s no coincidence that another book by Lowell is ready to print and might already have published were it not for the pandemic. “I might just decide to publish it myself,” he said. And yet, Lowell — despite his personality and success — doesn’t burn under a spotlight. As a caterer in and around Seattle, he earned the trust of wealthy clients not only because of his delicious execution but also for maintaining privacy. There’s pride in having cooked for the King of Spain and what Lowell’s dubbed “a bunch of the Malibu glitterati.” He shares a number of those accounts within In Search of Duende, but there are 36

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many more tales that didn’t make it. Hence, the second book. Lowell spent years providing catering for some of the area’s elite businessmen, and one of the assignments he’s most proud of was a December 1999 party in Seattle for Nelson Mandela. It included a thoughtful request for the late David Lake’s historic 1979 Millennium Cabernet Sauvignon, a landmark wine for the Washington wine industry in that it was built to be delicious and enjoyed 20 years beyond its vintage. The famed Master of Wine and winemaker for Columbia Winery in Woodinville pulled from Otis and Red Willow vineyards in the Yakima Valley for the Millennium. “It seemed only fitting for someone who had spent more than 20 years in prison,” Lowell said. “David and I were good friends, and he was one of the people who introduced me to wine. So when I went looking for that wine to buy, of course, it was gone. Well, I told David, ‘I need two cases of the Millennium for that dinner.’ He took it out of his stuff. That was really cool, but then David was that kind of guy.” Along the way, Lowell has been a supporter of Page Cellars in more ways than one. “A lot of my clients live in Sun Valley, and one time I see Jim Page on the jet, so I ask

him if he’s a friend of the client who’s hired me,” Lowell recalls. “He tells me, ‘No, Russell, I’m the pilot. I’ve flown you a lot of times, you just haven’t seen me.’ ” Another producer Lowell said deserves more acclaim is Kevin Lantz, who releases only about 1,000 cases a year under his Lantz Cellars brand in Lake Stevens. “He’s under the radar, which I like,” Lowell said. “And there’s JM Cellars and Saviah Cellars, and you could go on and on.” If space was not a factor, the list at Russell’s Restaurant would essentially be endless. “In the early days, before the wine industry took over here, I was into all the big Bordeaux producers, and I would buy so much Gaja (from Italy),” he said. “My catering clients at the time could afford it, but when you live here and all these great wines start coming out, these are your buddies who live here and you take care of them. Now, my list is primarily Northwest, and there are so many I’d like to bring in, but you would be bankrupt.” Recently, he’s fostered a delicious relationship with Sound to Summit Brewing in Snohomish, creating Russell’s Kitchen at Sound to Summit and offering guests elevated brewpub fare. It also marked a shift in gears after operating Russell’s Garden Café and Wine Bar inside a Woodinville home and garden store. Those 15 years fed naturally into one of Lowell’s passions, which is gardening. “I had to learn about beer, other than knowing that it tastes great, so I asked around and learned Sound to Summit is one of the best, so I decided to partner with them,” Lowell said. “Who knows where this will take us, but prior to the pandemic, we were killing it.” While so many restaurants were caught up in the wake of the outbreak, Lowell quickly pivoted and again drew from his experience as a caterer. Russell’s Restaurant almost

MATCH MAKERS

NEW BEDFORD SEA SCALLOPS Serves 2

Ingredients 1 pound of size U10 count, which means under 10 to make one pound

Method Pat the scallops dry. In a sauté pan, heat a blend of canola and olive oil to medium-high heat Season the scallop lightly before placing in the pan Place scallop in pan seasoned-side down Do not shake the pan or try to move the scallop. It will release from the pan when ready to turn (1-2 minutes). Season the other side. Then turn and repeat, this time cooking only for one minute. Do not overcook. “My recommendation is medium-rare. If they are a little cool in the middle, who cares?” “At the restaurant we serve the scallops with beurre blanc and chive oil, the simpler the sauce the better!”

immediately began providing takeout/curbside cuisine. He credits his “special ops experts” — his son Ryan along with Matt Carruthers — for helping to ride out the storm. “I always save for a rainy day, so I knew we’d be OK, but still, you don’t want to lose your rainy day fund,” Lowell said. “But we started the provision boxes — which are custom-made with lamb racks, New Yorks and filet mignon — and business hasn’t run down. This is working really well, so we will survive. There is no question about that, and I’m not running around yelling at people. Instead, I’m in the garden, fishing, tying flies and working around the restaurant. We’re cleaning everywhere and doing more maintenance than ever.” In his desire to support the regional wine industry and his neighbors, Lowell and his son developed a list of wines offered at a discounted rate to go with Russell’s Curbside Service. The Domaine Ste. Michelle 2014 Luxe Sparkling Wine serves as a solid example. It retails for $24. On the Curbside Service wine list, it was offered at just $28. A sign of the list’s success was reflected in

the changing wine options, but guests seemingly can count on a steady supply from Boudreaux Cellars, led by affable and talented winemaker Rob Newsom in the outdoors community of Leavenworth. “Newsom is awesome,” Lowell said, an adjective he uses frequently. “Rob’s from down South in Louisiana and fishes like crazy like I do, so we really hit it off. He’s cool!” His decades-long relationship with Allen Shoup and winemaker Gilles Nicault made it natural to feature a number of Long Shadows Vintners’ bottlings on his wine list for the curbside service. For this Match Maker, Lowell worked with the Cymbal 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, a new project that Nicault directs within the Long Shadows constellation. “Oh, Gilles is one of my guys! We should have a TV show with Gilles featuring his outdoor sabering program,” says Lowell, who features Duck Nicault on the menu. “He’s unbelievably nuts, and there are stories. We love him, and he loves us.” Sea scallops, particularly those from New Bedford, Mass., rank as one of Lowell’s signature proteins. “New Bedfords are the sweetest scallop on

the planet,” he said. “When you cook them, they keep their shape and their size and the sugar in them caramelizes.” Seared to perfection by Lowell, the scallop strikes a perfect balance of fruit with Nicault’s Cymbal Sauvignon Blanc. At Russell’s, New Bedford scallops are served with a light butter sauce, and the Cymbal pings through. As for the red Match Maker wine, the call was made for a pairing with the Russell’s Code-Breaker Red Blend, an ongoing collaboration with winemaker Kevin Correll of nearby Barrage Cellars and named for one of the fly-fishing flies that Lowell ties. “That’s a super-rich and heavy wine,” Lowell said with a sense of pride. “It’s more on the tannic side and chocolaty — a Washington Bordeaux-style red with some Syrah. It is very popular here, and you need something big to stand up to it. Lamb is a huge seller here, and the Duck Nicault could rise above it and be great with it, too.”

ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at greatnorthwestwine.com. Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

MATCH MAKERS

BARRAGE CELLARS NV RUSSELL’S CODEBREAKER RED WINE, WASHINGTON • $56

RACK OF LAMB A

Ingredients 1 domestic rack of lamb

Method Season lamb with desired seasoning or Russell’s Original (season heavy). Preheat pan before adding oil on low, about 350 degrees. Season loin side down. Sear until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, but check with tongs. Next, place in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 20 minutes on lamb side. Monitor with a meat thermometer and pull the roast when the internal temperature reaches 125-130 for medium rare. Apply desired sauce or garnish (demi from Russell’s), traditional mint jelly or chimichurri. Pair with a robust red wine such as Syrah or other bold red wine!

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— 189 cases, 14.9% alc. For his own Barrage Cellars brand, winemaker Kevin Correll focuses on stand-alone, 100% varietal wines — bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc or Chardonnay — made by blending grapes from some of Washington’s most famous vineyards. A substantial exception was for his friend/chef Russell Lowell, and CodeBreaker is only available at Russell’s Restaurant & Loft in Bothell. The base is a blend of Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon (34%), Merlot (33%), Cabernet Franc (22%) — with a fleshy contribution of Red Willow Vineyard Syrah (11%). “I had no intention of using Syrah, but it creates a pretty nice well-rounded wine,” Correll said. “Syrah in a blend makes what some people now call ‘the Washington Bordeaux.’ ” Lowell has his choice of wineries in Woodinville Wine Country to collaborate with for a house red program at Russell’s, but Correll has been a regular supporter of Lowell since Barrage began in 2006 and made a successful pitch to Lowell’s son, Ryan. The restaurateurs named it for a homemade fly-fishing lure that’s a family favorite. “The barn is halfway between our house and the winery, so we go there once or twice a month for sure,” Correll said. Correll’s brand name points out how his winery began. The concept started in his garage, but his first barrel was made in a barn — hence, “Barrage.” Over time, he’s focused on such vineyards as Boushey and Red Willow in the Yakima Valley, Quintessence and Shaw on Red Mountain and Stoney Vine in The Rocks District of MiltonFreewater. Boushey and Red Willow are primary contributors to Code-Breaker. “The first wine I ever made was a Cabernet Franc from Boushey Vineyard, and I’ve had an affinity with the Yakima Valley ever since,” Correll said. His work, reputation and willingness to help others have made Barrage Cellars a regular contributor to the Auction of Washington Wines since 2007 — before he even opened a tasting room. Last year, he donated a lot for the Private Barrel Auction. The Correll-Lowell collaboration has led to a nice holiday promotion for Barrage Cellars. If a guest purchased a bottle at Barrage Cellars during the month of December and brought it to the restaurant, Russell’s waived the corkage fee for dinner service. The promotion suggested a tin of Russell’s Original Seasoning ($12), an ideal ingredient for surf (salmon) and turf (a New York strip), and pairing them both with the Code-Breaker. “My favorite dish at Russell’s is the filet (mignon), and CodeBreaker stands up to all those big grilled meats,” Correll said. During their third annual Valentine’s Day winemaker dinner at Russell’s however, Lowell opted to pair the Code-Breaker with Honey Spice Glazed Pork Belly with Arancini with Roasted

MATCH MAKERS

Tomato Sauce. “Yeah, the pork belly was delicious,” Correll added. Barrage Cellars, 19501 144th Ave. NE, Suite E-800, Woodinville, WA 98072, BarrageCellars.com, (425) 8029583.

LONG SHADOWS VINTNERS 2018 CYMBAL SAUVIGNON BLANC, COLUMBIA VALLEY • $35 — 372 cases, 14.2% alc. As Washington winemakers and consumers rightfully celebrate Cabernet Sauvignon as “King Cab,” it’s important to remember a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is an ideal option to have on hand for seafood. And while it’s not as though Gilles Nicault needed to add another wine to his wide-ranging portfolio that involves winemakers from all around the planet, the native of France’s Rhône Valley began to offer his interpretation of the white grape from Bordeaux with this wine from the 2018 vintage. It’s ironic that around the time Allen Shoup recruited Gilles to Long Shadows Vintners from historic Woodward Canyon, Rick Small just began to produce Sauvignon Blanc from Woodward Canyon Estate. “I was at Woodward Canyon until 2003, so I was involved in the early years of the Sauvignon Blanc at Woody, but I had not made it since!” Nicault said with a chuckle. At the launch of Long Shadows, the lone white wine in the portfolio was Poet’s Leap, the Riesling collaboration with famed German vintner Armin Diel. However, Shoup recently bought out Diel’s shares in Long Shadows, so Nicault consults only with Shoup and Long Shadows President Dane Narbaitz for any white wine under the Long Shadows or Nine Hats brands. Nicault was among the first in the Walla Walla Valley to work with concrete fermentation, and that approach plays a role in his expression with Sauvignon Blanc from Zephyr Ridge Vineyard, an important site in the dusty and minerally Horse Heaven Hills. Nicault also fermented individual lots in either stainless steel or oak barrels prior to blending all three into his end product

after six months. That allows for tropical notes of jasmine and exotic fruit with citrusy notes and flecks of minerality with grassiness to come together. The use of concrete and oak build the fleshiness of melon and pear for the midpalate, adding complexity while avoiding the “meow” of tomcat that can turn off some consumers. It finishes fresh, fruity and crisply. Cymbal becomes the fourth white variety in the cellar along Frenchtown Road, joining Chardonnay (Dance and Nine Hats)

as well as Pinot Gris (Nine Hats) and Riesling (Nine Hats). Enjoy the Cymbal with crab cakes, Orecchiette and Summer Squash, cheeses ranging from brie to blue, freshwater fish such as bass and trout, steamed mussels or panseared scallops. Long Shadows Vintners, 1604 Frenchtown Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 526-0905; and 14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road, #104, Woodinville, WA 98072, LongShadows.com, (425) 408-1608.

Summer 2020 • Wine Press Northwest

“Great wine is a gift of geography, soil, and sun playing a symphony in the vineyards.” - Dr. Bob Jankelson, Owner Tsillan Cellars

2020 WASHINGTON WINERY OF THE YEAR World Class Wine Estate GROWN and MADE in the Lake Chelan Valley AVA 2019 Seattle Wine Awards 9 Double Gold & 4 Gold.

2019 Wine Press NW Best of the Best 3 Double Platinum & 3 Platinum

Wine Press NW All Time Leaderboard: 23 All-Time Platinums. 2019 San Francisco International Wine Competition: 2017 Estate Malbec - Double Gold. 94 Points. 2017 Estate Reserve Syrah - Double Gold. 91 Points. 2017 Estate Sangiovese - Gold. 90 Points.

2019 Grand Harvest Challenge: 2017 Estate Malbec - Best of Class, Best Columbia Valley Wine, Double Gold and 97 Points. 2017 Estate Syrah - Gold. 94 Points. 2018 Estate Reserve Chardonnay - Gold. 91 Points.

TSILLAN CELLARS BRINGING WORLD CLASS WINE, FOOD AND HOSPITALITY TO THE LAKE CHELAN AVA 3875 US HWY 97A Chelan, WA 98816 | 509-682-9463 | www.tsillancellars.com