Oregon Pushes the Quality Needle for Pinot
BY JOSH RAYNOLDS |
Recent vintages have mostly been an embarrassment of riches for Oregon’s winegrowers—in quantity as well as quality. One could also add that “richness” applies to the style of wines made in 2015, 2014 and 2012 as well. The ‘15 vintage, the main focus of this year’s report, is already commanding intense demand in the market and what ‘14s are still out there, including many of the late releases covered here, are also hot commodities.
The Dundee Hills at dawn
Ripeness: Its Advocates and Detractors
This being Pinot, there’s always some existential shade to be cast by a subset of the grape’s enthusiasts, depending on the style of the vintage. Pinot vintages seem to be viewed by many of the variety's fans in strictly binary fashion. Those who favor ripeness and richness in their wines will likely love Oregon’s '15s and '14s. But partisans of leaner (some would say meaner), more taut (some would say hard), “classic” (some would say rainy and cold) years—more like 2013 and 2011—will probably be unimpressed or even turned off by ’15 and ‘14. Along with the 2012s (another vintage that resembles ’15 and ’14 in many respects), their thinking goes, the wines are too often too much of a good thing, showing too much ripeness, too little acidity, a lack of definition, excess weight and dark—or even cooked—fruit character. To be sure, a number of ‘15s and ‘14s, especially ‘14s, veer dangerously in that direction and away from the brighter Pinot Noir aromatic and flavor spectrum. However, viewing the vintages from an overall perspective, I’m hard-pressed to call either vintage (and 2012, for that matter) anything short of exceptional, especially for those who prize the exuberant fruitiness for which Oregon Pinots are known.
How Did The 2015s Stay So Fresh?
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The 2015 vintage for Oregon Pinot Noir is an all-around winner in terms of quality and quantity. The 2015 Pinots, the main focus of this year’s report, are already commanding intense demand in the market and what ‘14s are still out there, including many of the late releases covered here, are also hot commodities.
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Producers in this Article
- Adelsheim Vineyards
- Alchemist
- Alexana
- Alloro Vineyard
- Amalie Robert Estate
- Anam Cara Cellars
- Andrew Rich
- Angela Estate
- Anne Amie Vineyards
- Antica Terra
- Antiquum Farm
- Apolloni Vineyards
- Archery Summit Winery
- Argyle Winery
- Arterberry Maresh
- Asilda
- Aubichon Cellars
- Authentique
- Averaen Wines
- Ayoub Wines
- Ayres
- Battle Creek Cellars
- Beacon Hill Winery & Vineyard
- Beaux Frères
- Belle Pente
- Bergström
- Bethel Heights Vineyard
- Biggio Hamina
- Big Table Farm
- Black Magnolia
- Boedecker Cellars
- Bow & Arrow
- Brick House Wine Company
- Brigadoon Wine Co.
- Brittan Vineyards
- Broadley Vineyards
- Brooks Wines
- Burner Wines
- Burton Bittman
- Caballus Cellars
- Cameron Winery
- Carlton Hill Vineyard
- Cedar + Salmon
- Chapter 24 Vineyards
- Chehalem
- Claygate Estate
- Cloudline Cellars
- Coattails Wine
- Coelho Winery
- Coeur de Terre Vineyard
- Colene Clemens Vineyards
- Cristom Vineyards
- Crowley Wines
- Day Wines
- de Lancellotti Family Vineyards
- Denison Cellars
- Dion Vineyard
- Division Winemaking Company
- Domaine Divio
- Domaine Drouhin Oregon
- Domaine Serene
- Drouhin Oregon RoseRock
- Durant Vineyards
- EIEIO & Co.
- Élevée Winegrowers
- Elizabeth Chambers Cellar
- Elk Cove Vineyards
- Elouan
- Elton
- Eminent Domaine
- Erath Winery
- Et Fille
- Evesham Wood Vineyard
- Fairsing Vineyard
- Fausse Piste
- Flâneur Wines
- Foris Vineyards Winery
- Fossil & Fawn
- Franchere Wine Company
- Francis Tannahill
- Franny Beck
- Fullerton Wines
- Ghost Hill Cellars
- Goodfellow Family Cellars
- Gran Moraine
- Granville Wine Co.
- Grochau Cellars
- Gypsy Dancer
- Haden Fig
- Harper Voit
- Helioterra
- Holden Wine Company
- Holloran Vineyard Wines
- Hundred Suns
- Idealist Wines
- Illahe
- J. Christopher
- J.K. Carriere Wines
- Joleté Wines
- Kelley Fox Wines
- King Estate
- La Crema
- Lange Winery
- L'Angolo Estate
- La Randonnée
- Lavinea
- Le Cadeau
- Left Coast Cellars
- Lemelson
- Lingua Franca
- Longplay
- Love & Squalor
- Luke Jefferson Vineyards
- Luminous Hills
- Machine Breaker
- Maison L'Envoye
- Marshall Davis
- Martin Woods
- Maysara Winery
- McKinlay
- Mellen Meyer
- Merriman Wines
- Moffett
- Montebruno
- Montinore Estate
- Namasté Vineyards
- Nicolas Jay
- North Valley Vineyards
- Omero Cellars
- Origin
- Owen Roe
- Pappas Wine Co.
- Patricia Green Cellars
- Patton Valley Vineyard
- Penner-Ash
- Planet Oregon
- Ponzi Vineyards
- Portland Wine Project
- Privé Vineyard
- Project M
- Quintet
- Rain Dance
- Ransom Wine Company
- Raptor Ridge Winery
- Ratio:Wines
- Red Electric
- Résonance
- Rex Hill
- Roco Winery
- Saffron Fields Vineyard
- Schöne Tal Cellars
- Sequitur
- Seven of Hearts
- Shea Wine Cellars
- Shiba Wichern
- Siduri
- Sineann
- Sokol Blosser
- Soléna Estate
- Sonría Wines
- Soter Vineyards
- Stangeland Vineyards
- Stephen Goff Wines
- St. Innocent
- Stoller Family Estate
- Styring Vineyards
- Swick Wines
- Terue Wines
- Teutonic Wine Company
- The Eyrie Vineyards
- The Four Graces
- Timothy Malone Wines
- Toil Oregon
- Trathen Hall Wines
- Trisaetum
- Tumwater Vineyard
- Twill Cellars
- Tyee Wine Cellars
- Van Duzer Vineyards
- Vidon Vineyard
- Vincent Wine Company
- Violin
- Vista Hills Vineyard & Winery
- Walter Scott Wines
- Walt Wines
- White Rose Estate
- WildAire Cellars
- WillaKenzie Estate
- Willamette Valley Vineyards
- Winderlea Vineyard & Winery
- Winter's Hill Estate
- Yamhill Valley Vineyards
- Zena Crown Vineyard
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