Liner & Elsen Special Focus:

May 2005

2002: A BENCHMARK VINTAGE FOR OREGON PINOT NOIR

by Peter Gibson

Depending on whom you cite as the "father" of the modern era of Oregon wine - Richard Sommer at Hillcrest in Roseburg (1961) or David Lett of Eyrie in the Dundee Hills (1966) - we are currently flirting with our fortieth year as an established industry. As I look back over the twenty years that I've been a part of the Oregon wine movement, I never cease to be amazed at the progress that's occurred. We've witnessed truly magnificent advancements during our short history: from the early experiments of pioneers like David Lett and Myron Redford, to the great innovators like Ken Wright and Russ Raney who followed Lett's and Redford's lead, to the host of new quality-conscious wineries who are advancing the state-of-the-art with each new vintage.

What hasn't changed over time is the independent spirit of those who have adopted our land and worked our soils. With a few exceptions, Oregon wine has resisted the temptation of corporate giants and remained small and hands-on. One could point to the fickle Pinot Noir grape as the reason for this resistance, but I believe it has more to do with the energy and spirit that attracts newcomers to our hills and simultaneously repels those who favor the assembly line, economies-of-scale approach to wine making.

Thanks to Oregon's marginal climate we, like Burgundy, see our fair share of vintage variations. Some years, such as the trio of 1995 through 1997, we're plagued by rain and struggle to achieve adequate ripeness. Other years like 1992, 1994 and 2003, we suffer a heat wave that ripens the grapes quickly and fails to provide adequate acidity. And some years like 1999 and 2002, Mother Nature smiles on us and bestows us with the luxury of perfect ripeness, crisp acidity and an unrushed, dry harvest. Such vintages are rare and worth special note.

As the best selections from the 2002 vintage are now in the marketplace, it's a joy to experience the beauty and the balance of the wines. While I dislike stereotyping or making broad generalizations, I have found common themes in the 2002 Willamette Valley Pinots I've tasted over the past year and a half. The first theme is that of optimally ripe - not overripe - red and/or black fruits projected in a high-toned, highly aromatic nose. The second is a lush attack or fore-palate. The wines' inherent ripeness gives an immediate sense of lushness and silkiness, which then transitions to the third theme of balanced structure. The fruit expressions are balanced and framed by crisp, firm acidity and ripe, round tannins. These are the themes that mark the very finest vintages in any winegrowing region. In a marginal climate like the Willamette Valley, it is a rare alignment that bestows such good fortune. The 2002 Willamette Valley Pinots are poised to please both those who enjoy an immediately gratifying, fruit-forward style and those who prefer their wines to possess the balance and structure to support mid-term ageing. Those who choose to lay down the best, most balanced bottlings from this special vintage will indeed be repaid by added complexity, nuance and texture.

To introduce this column, we're very pleased to offer three superb wines from three small producers, all from the great 2002 vintage. The wines are exceptional examples of each winemaker's respective style, and offer complexity, depth and pleasure for very reasonable tariffs. The only downside is that, due to the small size of these wineries, quantities are unfortunately limited. We hope that you will explore one or all, as the set of three would make an exemplary introduction to handcrafted Oregon Pinot as seen through the lens of three very skilled and very dedicated craftsmen.

2002 Freja Cellars Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $13.50 / 144.50 case **

I recall vividly Willy Gianopulos' début Pinot from the 1998 vintage. Great Pinot Noir fruit was not as plentiful then as it is now, and prices for the better wines were far higher then than they are today. Willy fashioned a lacy, seductive beauty in 1998, priced it right, and we sold case after case of it at $19.99 until finally, sadly, Willy informed us that he was sold out.

This 2002 reminds me of that début wine. This is not an extracted, overblown monster. No, this is Pinot Noir in the delicate, diaphanous, transparent style. The color is a beautiful brick-garnet and the wine shines with red fruits like loganberries, raspberries and pie cherries. The palate is elegant, crisp and food friendly; the finish refreshing with a complex touch of earthiness. Everything about this wine is in balance and in harmony. If this were Burgundy, it would be Jacky Truchot. For $13.50, there's nothing on the market from our fair state or from our reference point across the pond that comes close. I love this wine now, but I can see it developing a touch of the sous bois over the next three to five years, so I suggest buying a case and enjoying it spread out over the coming five to seven years. The lesson here is to discover that balance, not extraction or color, is the key to ageability.

 

2002 Witness Tree Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $19.99 / 213.50 case **

Just northwest of Salem in the Eola Hills, Steven Westby and Bryce Bagnall have been quietly fashioning some of Oregon's sexiest and best value Pinots for over a decade. The winery's name refers to an historic oak tree on the property, which initially served as a surveyor's landmark when the original claim was registered in 1854. Witness Tree insists on using only fruit grown on its estate to ensure quality from soil to bottle. Westby's insistence on low yields, perfectly ripe fruit, and minimal handling in the winery makes their entire lineup from their Estate Pinot through their reserve bottlings, the superb yet painfully limited Benchmark, Vintage Select and Claim N o . 51, all shine with the care of dedicated craftsmanship.

Composed entirely of estate grown fruit, Witness Tree's '02 Estate Pinot balances the power of the vintage with the elegance of a deft, gentle hand. Dark garnet in color, the wine's perfume absolutely explodes from the glass. Swirl the wine and its aromas fill the room. Deep fruit notes of blackberries mingle in the bouquet with barrel notes of toffee and smoke. Lushly textured on the attack, fine-grained tannins and brisk acidity serve to frame the effusive, sappy fruit on the back end. The wine finishes with added notes of minerals, earth, vanilla and freshly roasted coffee beans. While I'm confident that this wine will age, I like it now for its brightness, approachability and unbridled drinkability. A great $20 Pinot.

2002 J. K. Carriere Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley -
$31.99 /342.00 case **

I met Jim Prosser - he of the well-coiffed bed head - in 1999 over dinner at the Ponzi café with Véronique Drouhin and my harvest mates that year at Domaine Drouhin. Jim approached our table with a swagger that would've made James Cagney blush. This gentleman exuded a confidence rarely encountered in self-effacing Oregon vignerons . Initially I was put off, but little did I know that he had worked for Véronique previously and had also done stages in New Zealand, Australia and at Domaine George Roumier in Burgundy. That year he was working for Doug Tunnell at Brick House while also making his début wine for his J.K. Carriere label. This man works hard, his experience is impeccable, and his confidence well earned.

We sold Jim's inaugural 1999 Pinot by the caseload before he got the big press. On one of his many deliveries - he delivered his own wine in those days - he asked us with amazement what we were doing to sell so much of his wine. We answered simply that we liked it. Fortunately his auspicious début was no flash in the pan; Jim's dedication has not waned and his wines continue to be among the elite each and every vintage.

With the 2002 J.K. Carriere we have Oregon Pinot in the style of Clos Vougeot, deep, dark and mysterious. Black fruits like boysenberries and black cherries intermingle with high-toned red fruits like red currants. As with a good Clos Vougeot, there's structure, poise, reserve and austerity behind and in support of the wine's fruit expression. Neither the fruit nor the structure overwhelms the other, but rather seem to work together to achieve a sense of both power and harmony.

The core of the wine contains a mineral component akin to lead pencil that adds complexity to the bright, sappy fruit. I also find the faintest hint of stems on the back-palate, à la Dujac, which brings even further dimension to the wine. The finish is long, elegant and firm with a reprise of the lead pencil minerality. While one can certainly enjoy this wine in its youth, I advise cellar time of five to ten years. Jim ferments with wild yeasts and does not inoculate to induce malolactic fermentation, but rather allows it to occur naturally. I believe that these choices will work to the wine's benefit and give added complexity to the wine as it ages in the cellar.

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Peter Gibson has spent twenty years as an avid wine taster and enthusiast, during which he has written, taught and consulted about wine, traveled extensively to European and American wine regions, and devoted time to winemaking at Domaine Drouhin Oregon and at home in Portland, Oregon.

©2006 by Peter Gibson/Gibson Consulting. Any portion may be used provided the author is credited.

** Please contact L&E for current pricing and availability.