Focus on Oregon Pinot Noir

Even at their best, the 2007 pinots are wines of questionable cellar-worthiness. They will appeal to wine-lovers who prize elegance, tangy red fruits and spiciness, and in most cases they are the polar opposites of the fleshy, rich and densely packed 2006s. “The best 2007s are excellent expressions of pinot’s elegance and precision,” said Patton Valley’s Jerry Murray. “They’ll remind people that Oregon can produce wines with real finesse.” While tasting through the 2007s from the Willamette Valley, I was reminded of the 1993 vintage, whose wines also mostly showed a lean, ungenerous side for their first few years in the bottle. Most of the 1993s never gained sweetness or flesh, but the best examples, which are graceful and focused, continue to surprise patient—or forgetful—collectors who pull those wines from their cellars today. Jim Anderson of Patricia Green Cellars compares the 2007s to 2001 “for their beautiful scents” and notes that the wines “are much more demure and absolutely lower in alcohol than wines from the previous five vintages.” He also notes that some will surprise with their power when they knit together. The fact that weight and richness don’t ensure cellar-worthiness isn’t news, especially for pinot noir, but a significant percentage of 2007s are flat-out tart. Only the most optimistic, or delusional, tasters are going to lay money on most 2007s gaining depth and sweet fruit with age.