Forest floored…Oregon Pinot Noir report, part 2

Dewey Kelly.jpgThe Portland Indie Wines Festival’s back room was a quick 40 feet over a linking cement path that required a walk OUTDOORS. It was actually nice to walk outside for a few moments before plunging into the second wave.
Impressions shared later that evening included the following big pictures: (1) vintage preference was for 2007 over 2006; and (2) Ribbon Ridge is the region to watch. The tBoW team’s vintage preference was unpopular especially among vintners. One winery told us a subscriber wanted to refuse the 2007 vintage and wait for 2008. The 2006 vintage is widely viewed as ripe and bombastic sporting higher alcohol levels and forward fruit. The 2007 vintage is lean and limp, “disappointing” by comparison. 2007 was cool and late to ripen. Murray the K notes vintners who waited for Indian Summer did best in 2007. (more…)

Dundee Hills 13 years later…

It has been 20 years since tBoW visited Portland and the Willamette Valley in 1993. We made two day trips into the Valley touring McMinnville and the Dundee Hills. Here is a map of the AVAs in the valley. Link here to the Willamette Valley Wineries website.
We visited about ten wineries including Domaine Drouhin, Rex Hill VIneyards, Torii Mor Winery, Brickhouse Vineyards, and Lange Winery. (more…)