Oregon: Beyond Pinot Noir

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | JANUARY 4, 2017

Those who follow Oregon’s wines can be forgiven for
missing out on the State’s non-Pinot Noir bottles, such is Pinot’s dominance of
the market. In sheer dollar terms, in 2015 Pinot Noir was responsible for $1.1
billion in sales while all of the other varieties combined accounted for just
$55 million. But that doesn’t mean that Oregon’s wine producers are throwing in
the towel on anything that’s not Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Far
from it. In fact, the quality of wines made from “outlier” varieties has
never been better, as my recent visits to the area and tastings in New York
have confirmed. Given the moderate, ocean-influenced climate that influences Oregon’s
wine-growing regions, it isn’t surprising that grape varieties from historically
cool European wine regions have found a comfortable home in the Beaver State.

Outside of the Willamette Valley, the Rogue Valley in
southern Oregon may have the best potential to catch the wine-buying public’s
attention. But that comes with a caveat, namely that what looks to be the most
exciting variety there is Syrah, a grape that has had a difficult time catching
fire in the wider American market for years now. That’s not hard to understand,
in my opinion, because Syrah in its most classic produces savory wines, with
fruit often playing a secondary role to herb, spice and even game character—in
other words, just about the antithesis of the silky red fruit character that
makes Pinot Noir so viscerally appealing.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1483474213973-The+Eyrie+Vineyard+in+early+August+copy.JPG"> Some of Oregon's best Chardonnays emerge from the rolling Dundee Hills AVA 

Chardonnay in Oregon

Owing to the wide range of methods used to produce Oregon
Chardonnay, I believe that it’s far more difficult to define a “typical” style
for the variety here than for Pinot Noir. While the vast majority of Pinots are
aged in small French oak casks of varying age, Chardonnay is made and raised in
stainless steel, concrete, wood and even clay vessels, and in some cases all of
those vessels are used to make a single bottling. Individual producers often
make Chardonnays in a variety of guises—say a stainless steel non-malolactic
version and a full-blown, barrel-fermented, full-malo rendition, and sometimes
something in between those two stylistic extremes.

The best Oregon Chardonnays, unsurprisingly, display
distinct Burgundian character and these wines are made in a fashion similar to
their Old World role models. Also unsurprisingly, most of the best examples are
being made by winemakers who are from Burgundy, were trained and educated in the region, or at the very least have spent and continue to spend time there. While
only a handful of Oregon’s Chardonnays can compete with the best of California
to this point, the top examples are indeed among the very best Chardonnays I’ve
had from the New World and, in fact, are as good as many highly regarded white
Burgundies. Among the best examples of Oregon Chardonnay, and there are a
number of them, I highly recommended those from Bergström, Lavinea Single Vineyard Wines, Arterberry-Maresh, Walter
Scott, Ponzi, Stoller, Eyrie, Amalie Robert, Big Table Farm, Domaine Serene
and Domaine Drouhin. I also quite
like the often off-beat, Old World versions made by Johan Vineyards and Brick
House.

Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris is a distant second to Pinot Noir in terms of
total acreage under vine in Oregon (13%, vs. 62%) but for the time being is
holding steady. It might be surprising to some that this variety was planted in
the Willamette Valley at the same time as the first Pinot Noir vines were—in
1966 by David Lett at Eyrie in the Dundee Hills—so its history here is rich.
While a few producers are pushing the envelope with Pinot Gris by producing
skin-contact “orange” wines or full-blown, barrel-fermented renditions,
sometimes with a touch of residual sugar in the style of some well-known Alsace
producers like Zind-Humbrecht, most examples of Oregon Pinot Gris are made in a
graceful, energetic style. Unfortunately, overcropping and early harvesting have,
over the years, resulted in too many dilute wines that may be brisk and
refreshing but lack the concentration and complexity to hold an experienced
wine lover’s attention for long, if at all.

The finest versions of Pinot Gris, however, can be among
Oregon’s very best white wines. Those original vines that were planted at Eyrie
still produce a truly outstanding wine but the production is pitifully low.
Made with care and attention to detail, rather than simply for commerce, Pinot
Gris has the potential to be a star in Oregon, but until a critical mass of
producers takes the serious path the variety’s image will be dictated by the reasonably
well made but just as often anonymous bottlings that currently dominate the
category and public perception. Among the most consistently outstanding Pinot
Gris bottlings I would count Eyrie,
Chehalem and Cristom, and all of
those wines age gracefully, if one is so inclined.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1483474040021-Photo+Chehalem+Mountains+copy.jpg"> The Chehalem Mountains AVA is the source for some of Oregon's most distinctive white wines 

Riesling

This variety is proving to be a real success story in
Oregon, from a qualitative if not quantitative standpoint. With only 724 acres
under vine, Riesling’s overall quality level in the state is quite high, with
many more hits than misses. In fact, I would argue that Oregon can give New
York’s Finger Lakes region a run for its money in elegant, vibrant Riesling,
but unfortunately these wines can be hard to find thanks to a highly loyal
client base in the home state.

Generally speaking, the best Oregon Rieslings are grown
in the Willamette Valley and, to my palate, the most impressive ones are the
dry, minerally versions such as those made by Brooks, Chehalem and Trisaetum,
three producers who are deadly serious about the variety and who have steadily
been building serious fan bases among sommeliers at top restaurants across the
United States.

Oregon’s Riesling producers are a tight-knit group and they
have put an admirable amount of time and effort into getting the word out on
their wines. They regularly host seminars on the variety, usually with the
attendance of international producers of the variety, and, based on my own
conversations with the participants at such events, their wines invariably make
a positive impression. Riesling fans who appreciate the variety in a nervy,
vibrant style really owe it to themselves to explore this category.

Pinot Blanc&nbsp; 

Often planted along with Pinot Gris in Oregon, as has
long been the case in Alsace—and, long ago, in Burgundy as well—Pinot Blanc can
be a confusing shape-shifter, not unlike Pinot Gris. Depending on the producer,
it can be a lean, racy, citrus fruit-driven wine if raised in stainless steel
or neutral oak or a lush, exotic style if fermented in barrel and aged in
oak—or just about anything in between. A few&nbsp;old Pinot Blanc vines can
still be found in the Willamette Valley, notably in the Freedom Hill vineyard,
whose fruit is the source for St.
Innocent’s often outstanding and relatively obtainable rendition
(production is about 1,000 cases per vintage). However, the variety is in
decline, acreage-wise, probably because the wines don’t hold the cachet of
Pinot Gris for most consumers, much less the star power of Pinot Noir. In
addition to St. Innocent I would seek out Eyrie’s
version of Pinot Blanc, which is a consistently outstanding wine.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1483474001024-L1010871+copy.JPG">Half-century old Pinot Gris vines, the oldest in Oregon, at The Eyrie Vineyard 

Gewürztraminer

This is another variety that is on the decline in Oregon,
with plantings down from 237 acres in 2014 to 213 in 2015. Gewürztraminer can
be a real love-it-or-hate-it variety given its naturally exotic, even
flamboyantly aromatic character, which encompasses the full fruit basket, florist
shop and spice rack. That’s the style that most Oregon versions of the wine
have expressed over the years but I much prefer the more graceful iterations
made by Anam Cara (their
late-harvest bottling is also a knockout) and Ovum, although production of those wines is small.

Viognier&nbsp;

As the number of Oregon Viognier bottlings has increased
(even though plantings actually dropped from 257 acres in 2014 to 241 in 2015),
so too has the overall quality of the wines. In the past, too many bottlings
were dull and tired, with early drinking mandatory. Many others were the polar
opposites of these flat wines, showing shrill, high-acid character due to
underripe or overcropped fruit, while still others were subjected to brutal oak
treatment that masked varietal aromatic character, which is what Viognier is
really all about.

Virtually all Oregon Viognier is planted in the Rogue
Valley, in the southern part of the state, and with rare exception these wines
are produced with a light hand to better showcase the variety’s exotic perfume.
They rarely veer in a vulgar direction, a fault that many Eurocentric wine
lovers believe—and not without some justification—plagues most New World
bottlings of this variety. When oak does come into play it’s almost invariably
in the form of neutral barrels that allow for some oxygen interaction without
introducing any obvious wood character, which is definitely to the good. Unlike
the best examples of Condrieu, though, it’s the rare example of Oregon Viognier
that rewards cellaring. My advice for drinking these wines, with the possible
exception of Cristom’s bottling, which actually comes from their estate
vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills, is the sooner the better, while the fruit and
perfume are still vibrant. Cowhorn
Vineyard &amp; Garden is a star producer of the variety, as are Cristom and, in many vintages, Penner-Ash. Quady North is an up-and-comer whose Viognier is worth searching
out as well.

Sauvignon Blanc

With a whopping 114 acres now planted in Oregon,
Sauvignon Blanc is one of the more obscure varieties here that’s actually on
the upswing (only 73 acres were recorded in 2014). The best-known site for the
grape is undoubtedly the Croft Vineyard, located in the southeast sector of the
Willamette Valley. Andrew Rich does
an especially good job with Sauvignon Blanc and his rendition has long been a
reference point for Sauvignon in Oregon for many people, this critic included.
The vast majority of the State’s Sauvignon Blancs are made in stainless steel
tanks in a racy, Loire-inspired style—unlike in California, which has made a
name for itself by referencing Bordeaux, with barrel fermentation and blending
with Semillon often yielding outstanding results. Given the success of so many
Sancerre producers who have Sauvignon Blanc planted side-by-side with Pinot
Noir, it makes perfect sense that a similar symbiosis could occur in the
Willamette Valley, but for now that’s still in the realm of fantasy, at least
on a large enough scale to be noticed outside the relatively small world of wine
fanatics. Patricia Green Cellars
does an excellent job with Sauvignon Blanc and the wines deliver great value as
well.

Other White Varieties&nbsp;

Wines made from Grüner Veltliner, Grenache Blanc, Melon
de Bourgogne, Muscat, Müller-Thurgau, Marsanne, Roussanne, Auxerrois, Malvasia
Bianca, Vermentino and Chasselas make appearances in this article, and in some
instances they are excellent. In most cases, however, these wines are mostly of
academic interest only given the minuscule quantities that are produced.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1483474111849-Mid-summer+in+the+Eola-Amity+Hills+copy.JPG"> Mid-summer in the Eola-Amity Hills

Syrah

I have become increasingly enthused by Oregon’s
performance with Syrah, especially because so many of the wines are being made
with a strong nod to the northern Rhône. Whole-cluster fermentations are mostly
the rule here, and many of these wines show the cool, spicy, floral character
that distinguishes some of the Rhône Valley’s best examples of the variety,
especially those from Côte-Rôtie. As I mentioned earlier, the Rogue Valley is
producing most of the best examples of Syrah, and a number of the Willamette
Valley’s best Pinot Noir producers have been buying fruit from the Rogue Valley
in recent years as they expand their own winemaking repertoire, often with
noteworthy success.

Wine lovers who appreciate the elegant Syrahs of
California’s cooler regions are strongly advised to hunt down and try some of Oregon’s
versions, as they bear a strong resemblance to their southern neighbors’
bottlings and prices are generally fair. I’d definitely be on the lookout for
Syrahs from Cowhorn Vineyard &amp;
Garden, Cristom, Gargantua and Quady
North, all of which are personality-filled wines that will please even the
most die-hard Rhône fanatic.

Gamay

Oregon’s first Gamay, which arrived via California, was planted
(actually grafted onto Gewürztraminer vines) in 1987 by Amity Vineyard’s
founder and owner, Myron Redford, on a two-acre parcel of the Seven Springs
vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in the Willamette Valley. As in Burgundy,
Gamay plays second fiddle to Pinot Noir and simply doesn’t get a lot of love,
or even attention, from producers here. But those who take the variety
seriously tend to do a very good job with it, as evidenced by the numerous
successful bottlings that I’ve tasted over the years from, especially, Brick House, Belle Pente, Bow &amp; Arrow
and Chehalem. All told, there are
only about 30 known acres of Gamay planted in Oregon/ For comparison’s sake,
Chénas, the smallest cru in Beaujolais, covers just over 700 acres. So, yes, Oregon Gamays are rare.

Working with Gamay in the Willamette Valley is definitely
a (costly) labor of love as Pinot Noir planted on the same sites commands far
higher prices and benefits from a large, thirsty market. So, looking ahead, I
don’t expect many new plantings of the variety. That’s a shame because the
wines can be delicious, and in many cases they can stand up proudly next to
many serious cru Beaujolais bottlings for aromatic complexity, depth of flavor,
vivacity and balance. But they don’t come cheap (and the land where they grow
it in Oregon isn’t getting any less expensive) and they obviously aren’t easy
to find, but for adventurous wine lovers they’re definitely worth a look.

Red Bordeaux Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon is currently planted to 630 acres,
Merlot to 461 and Cabernet Franc to another 162 in Oregon. Almost all of these
vines, along with parcels of Malbec and even smaller bits of Petit Verdot, are
located in the eastern part of the State, in the Columbia Valley, which Oregon
shares with Washington. While I have encountered a handful of stellar
Bordeaux-style Oregon reds in recent years, their number pales in comparison to
those of Washington, which has steadily been staking its claim as a highly
dependable source for world-class renditions of these varieties, either as
varietal bottlings or as blends, à la Bordeaux itself. Soléna Estate has been doing a solid job in the category over the
years and the wines are definitely worth looking for.&nbsp;

Pinot Meunier&nbsp;

Amalie Robert, one of Oregon’s premier Pinot Noir
producers, make a wonderful example of Pinot Meunier from their own vines but
production is limited to around four barrels per vintage, making it a literal drop
in the State’s wine bucket. Pinot Meunier is planted here and there throughout
the Willamette Valley and while I cannot determine exactly how many acres are
planted in total, I do know that it’s less than 80, because any grape whose
acreage falls below that number is lumped into the “other varieties” category
in the State’s grape census. And the vast majority of that tiny quantity of
wine winds up in sparkling wine blends. So for now at least, Pinot Meunier’s
potential is still unrealized.&nbsp;

Tempranillo

Compared to the other outlier varieties planted in
Oregon, Tempranillo isn’t doing so badly, with 414 acres planted in 2015, up
from 344 in 2014. I wish I could report that Tempranillo is showing great
promise here but, as is the case with the variety pretty much everywhere
outside of Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro in Spain, along with the Douro Valley
in Portugal, it mostly comes off as pretty anonymous. This most Iberian of
grapes just doesn’t play well away from its home base, which I also think is
generally the case with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese when they stray too far from
their Italian roots.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1483474322431-L1010919+copy.JPG"> Summer sunrise over the Maresh Vineyard in the Dundee Hills, home to some of Oregon's oldest Chardonnay vines 

Other Red Varieties

Grenache, Tannat, Blaufränkisch, Mourvèdre, Primitivo and
Trousseau also make cameo appearances in Oregon, and in this article. But, much
like the handful of still-obscure white varieties mentioned above, these red
wines are made in tiny quantities and are difficult to find outside the State.
There’s even some Zinfandel scattered about, although I rarely come across the
wines. I have found many of these “other” red varieties to be outstanding and
worthy of tracking down, on their own merits as well as for the chance to get a
glimpse of Oregon’s potential for a wine life beyond Pinot Noir.&nbsp;

Please note that the vast majority of wines reviewed in
this article are from the Willamette Valley and from the warm 2014 and 2015
vintages, years that tended to produce forward, fruit-driven wines. For more in-depth
information on these two vintages, please refer to my recently published
article on Oregon Pinot Noir.

You Might Also
Enjoy

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/oregon-pinot-noir-the-exceptional-2014s-and-often-surprising-2013s-dec-2016">Oregon
Pinot Noir: The Exceptional 2014s and Often Surprising 2013s</a>, Josh
Raynolds, December 2016

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/oregon-pinot-noir-the-2013s-and-2012-late-releases-oct-2015">Oregon
Pinot Noir: The 2013s &amp; 2012 Late Releases</a>, Josh Raynolds, October 2015

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/oregon-pinot-noir-update-jul-2014">Oregon
Pinot Noir Update</a>, Josh Raynolds, July 2014

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