WTN: The Grand Crew compares OR and CA pinot

[Jenise]

The topic was Oregon an California pinots. The wines were served blind--rebagged on site to prevent their owners from being able to identify their own bottles, served randomly, and unveiled before moving on to the next wine. I ended up coming home with Warren's amusingly sparse and cryptic notes, so I'll include them.

But first, a few whites for openers:

2006 Elvenglade Pinot Blanc, Yamhill, Oregon: bright with lemony acidity and green apples. Doesn't show like a warmer-than-average vintage wine.

2005 Ambullneo "Big Paw" chardonnay, Santa Maria, CA: Crisp mineral nose, rich. Some thought "chablis-like" but others found it maderized.

#1: Cherry and herb nose, celery, some tannins, restrained, Euro style, good acid, pretty fruit, younger rather than older, and tight. Everyone guessed Oregon. 2004 Domaine Drouhin "Laurene". Warren: "slightly green."

#2: Lovely nose. "Beauty, older," said Warren. Sweet initial attack, iron minerality, forest floor, mushrooms, thyme, clearly older. Half the group guessed it a California Russian River. Wrong, it's another DDO Laurene, this time the 1992. My wine.

#3: Candied red fruit suggests California, big tannins. A lot of potential here but it's too young. 2004 Copain Hacienda Secoya, Anderson Valley.

#4: Oh my, here's the big O. Red fruit, rich mouthfeel, cinnamon and clove spice, juniper berry, plums, bright MSG finish. Another flawless wine. Everyone guesses Oregon. And it's yet another DDO Laurene, this time the 1999 from Marc's cellar. Many WOTN votes here, including mine and Warren's.

#5: Briney initial nose of raw clams, rhubarb, cherries, tomato skin, thyme, and it adds up to something a lot more interesting and attractive than those words suggest. Everyone loved it. Warren wrote one word: "boisterous". Also Marc's, it's the 2005 Lutea from the Russian River.

#6: Very spicey, caramel, berry, "rhonish", Euro style, has a low oak kind of purity. It's quite good but an outlier with that gamey, southern Frenchiness about it. Mike astutely declared it was neither Oregon nor California, and wondered aloud if anyone brought a South African pinot. Good detective work, because it's the 2003 Blue Mountain Stripe label, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, that I brought, curious to see how this wine would fare against the best of the west.

#7: Big sweet fruit, extracted, POM pomegranate-blueberry juice (a current penchant), and there's a varnish note. Much gasping at the unveiling: it's the 2003 Marcassin "Marcassin". A giant falls.

#8: I am confused. I have notes for a wine #8 that are very similar to my notes on #6, the Blue Mountain. Warren's notes indicate that there was no wine #8, but that we progressed from the Marcassin directly to the Dehlinger. Marc?

#9: Very complete, goes on and on, sweet fruit, caramelly, herbs, mostly red fruit with a streak of blackberry. Flawless. 02 Dehlinger "Octagon". A favorite of most, and Warren's #2.

#10: Sensuous nose, sweet entry, harmonious, integrated, spicey, cherries, rose petals and a bit of ripe yellow peach, obviously Californian. Sensuous, evolved, at peak. I'm very happy it's one of mine: the 2000 Copain Hacienda Secoya. Chaz's WOTN, my #2 wine. Warren: "Beauty".

#11: Heavy bottle. Focussed, never ending finish, a very concentrated wine with blackberry, black cherry sage and cola flavors, it's the 2005 Emeritus, Sonoma Coast. Warren: "Another beauty."

#12: Cherries, artichoke, tomato and lots of spice. Tastes like a Santa Barbara/Maria wine from a good vintage, but it's the 2004 Dobbes "Griffin Vineyard" from Oregon. Excellent.

#13: Delicious, bright, plenty of acid, character and balance. Not at it's best, but very sound, especially at 13 years old and from a vintage that few mastered: 1995 Secret House, Oregon.

#14: Another wine that's probably past it's best moments, but still proud and hanging in there. Soft black fruit with tomato juice and a little green herb. Upon unveiling, we all toast: it's the 1994 Mondavi Reserve .

A great night. And kudos to Du Jour Bistro, the food was superb.

Thanks for the write up. Wow the DDOs sure did show well. So did the Copains. Wells Guthrie has made a major shift in style ... but I am sure he would be pleased to hear the 2000 was enjoyed.

Jason

[Jenise]

Thanks for the write up. Wow the DDOs sure did show well. So did the Copains. Wells Guthrie has made a major shift in style ... but I am sure he would be pleased to hear the 2000 was enjoyed.

Jason

Cool thing is that this group is relatively new, this is only our third meetup. Most of us really have no idea what's in each other's cellars, and we're just getting to know each other's palates. A pile of wines could, therefore, contain just about anything and the semi-duplications were a total surprise. So did how little most of us appreciated the Marcassin. It was my last place wine.

Sorry, I'm way behind with notes, but here is what I wrote down. Lots of different expressions of New World Pinot Noir, and fun seeing everyone again.

2006 Elvenglade Pinot Blanc Willamette Valley OR clean with crisp acids, no sign of wood or malolactic. Pear and melon fruit with a nice finish. I liked this and it would be a fine summer sipper or to go with fish. 13% abv, $17 retail.

2005 Ambullneo Vineyards Big Paw Chardonnay Santa Maria CA light gold in color, minerally nose with the beginning of oxidation, the fruit is tart, green apples. This reminded me of a ripe year Chablis. A little oak noticeable in the mouthfeel. No butter. Long finish. I liked this, a style of Chard that doesn't emphasize the fruit, or go over the top with new wood or malolactic. 13.8%. I wouldn't age these any longer, though.

2006 Cartilage and Brown Pinot Noir Mike threw this in as a starter, unblinded. I think it was Napa fruit, but the appellation was listed as California. Cola and plum fruit, ripe, easy to drink without much structure. Perfect if you're looking for a fruit forward example of a Cali Pinot. 13.5%, $14 full retail. Ready to go now.

The rest of the wines are in order served, and are all Pinot Noir, served blind.

#1 2004 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Willamette Valley OR ripe but restrained cherry berry fruit with an attractive green streak, Jenise mentions celery which fits. A little vanilla oak pokes out. Lively acids and a fine grained tannic finish. Young but with good potential. 14.1%. John mentioned this was $68 which is a deal breaker for me.

#2 1992 Dom Drouhin Laurene dark ruby with amber edge. Beautiful mature nose with dusty earth, dried mushrooms and dried leaves. Sour strawberry and horehound candy flavors, that drop off pretty quickly in the mouth. Most of the structure is resolved. While this is a year or two past its prime, it was a delight to taste for the tertiary flavors. A joy for me, and for those with a soft spot for older wines. Thanks Jenise.

#3 2004 Copain Hacienda Secoya Anderson Valley CA Dark purple color, very ripe blue fruit, big tannins, finishes with some heat. Obviously too young, but I didn't like this one very much. 14.3%

#4 1999 Dom Drouhin Laurene I laughed when I saw the first two of these revealed, as I knew there was a third bottle in the line up. This has a beautiful nose of minted strawberries, herbs, and blackberry leaf. I love the green streak in this. As it opens some brown baking spices are there also. The oak has integrated here really well. In the mouth the wine is focused and well defined, with good acidity and just the right amount of tannins to match with a course of duck breast and morels. Good timing to have this wine with the dish! Excellent and was my vote for WOTN, and one of the better Oregon Pinot Noir I've tried. 13% $35 5 years ago.

This is the third bottle of this I've tried and the best one by a lot. It seems to be at peak. I read an interview with Veronique Drouhin who was asked what was the best drinking window for the Laurene. She replied it should be enjoyable at any point in its life. For me 8-10 years seems to be a sweet spot.

#5 2005 Lutea Russian RIver Valley CA ruby red color, somewhat cloudy. Interesting nose of rhubarb, strawberry, and tomato skin. Lovely crisp acidic structure, and some fine tannins also. Very pure red fruit in the mouth, macerated raspberry and strawberry. Much better with food than sipping alone. This wine was very alive and I liked it a lot. Unfined and unfiltered. Aged in 100% French oak of which 25% is new. A wine maker to keep an eye out for. 13.9%

#6 2003 Blue Mountain Reserve, Okanagan Valley British Columbia Mike called this a ringer on first sniff, but thought S Africa. Very unique nose, with black pepper, leather, spice and Band aid. I thought maybe a syrah from the Rhone. In the mouth, the wine moved back to Piont Noir and the New World, with a red fruit almost syrup quality and a slight cola finish. Interesting wine. 13%

#7 2003 Marcassin Sonoma Coast Ripe blueberry fruit. Also some complexity from volatile flavors of latex and newspaper print and baby powder. Sweet, jammy fruit. Noticeable heat. Very little acidity. About the polar opposite of what I like in Pinot Noir. 14.2%

#8 2002 Dehlinger Octagon Russian River Valley complex and interesting nose with some green herbs, red and black fruit. Very expressive. With air some maple syrup and toast show up. Decent acidity, fine grained tannins, and a little heat here at the finish.14.8%

#9 2000 Copain Hacienda Secoya Anderson Valley musty, restrained red fruit, saline minerals, very silky palate with resolving structure. A number of tasters had this as one of their top two wines of the night. As I smelled it, there was something that reminded me of a pickle barrel, which detracted a bit for me. 14.2%

#10 2005 Emeritus William Wesley Sonoma Coast grapey and primary with blue black fruit. Some vanilla toast. Very young, with refined tannins. 14.3%

#11 2004 Dobbes Family Estate Griffins Cuvee Willamette Valley dark plums, a little candied, some dusty earth. Little structure. I guessed CA here and was wrong. Not my favorite style. 13.7%

#12 1995 Secret House Vineyard OR Old funky nose, with volatile iodine, leather and mushroom. Sweetish fruit with resolved structure. Past peak, very interesting to try. 12.8%

#13 1994 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Raunchy burnt smoke nose, high acidity. I think this was a damaged bottle.

Thanks,
Marc