In support of the 2007 Pinot Noirs: January 2010

Once upon a time there was a very bored winemaker. His vineyards were predictable and his wines were much the same from year to year. But deep down, he longed to challenge his talents and live and work among others who felt the same way.

And so he came to the Willamette Valley, a region known for throwing climate curveballs in a state where meteorologists jumped to interpret data. Grape picking dates and times could no longer be scheduled weeks in advance and his best colleague was his vineyard manager. Finally, the winemaker could live for the thrill of interpreting each vintage into unique wines. 

As we know, our most popular grape, Pinot Noir, is highly sensitive to growing and harvest conditions and is nicknamed “finicky” for good reason. It takes intuition to coax the best Pinots out of every vintage.

In 2007, our winemaker had his work cut out. Three successive waves of rain barreled down during the harvest months of September and October. Pickers hurried to collect grapes during the days in between. Experienced winemaking, collaboration and vineyard management were critical.

In the annual race to forecast the outcome of the harvest, a handful of wine writers looked at the cool temperatures and wet skies, talked to stressed winemakers, and came out of the chute with early predictions of lackluster wines.

It’s been over two years since the memorable 2007 harvest, and every winemaker will admit it was a challenge. But in their hands much has happened to the wines as they evolved graciously in barrel and cellar, pleasantly surprising many of the early pessimists.

Open a bottle today and you’ll find that the elegant, lighter-style Oregon Pinots from the 2007 vintage are reminiscent of earlier times. These are the style of wines which put us on the world’s wine map in the first place, and don’t overwhelm with big fruit and alcohol. A chef’s dream!

Unfortunately, the negative comments—many made while the young wines were still in fermentation--have lived on. This may in part be due to a series of relatively warmer growing seasons which resulted in comparatively plusher wines, but there’s room at the table for both styles. We’re not making Coca Cola!

The 2007 Pinots are a nod to elegance and sophistication. They are certainly different from the 2006’s and will be from the wines that follow. That doesn’t mean they are inferior, so give the 2007’s a chance. - SN