In support of the 2007 Pinot Noirs: December 2010

Once there was a very bored winemaker. His vineyards were predictable and his wines were much the same from year to year. Deep down, he longed to challenge his talents and live and work among others who felt the same way.

And so he came to the Willamette Valley, a region known for climate curveballs in a state where meteorologists jump to interpret data. Picking dates and times could no longer be scheduled weeks in advance and his vineyard manager became his best friend. Finally, the winemaker could live for the thrill of interpreting each vintage into unique wines. 

As we know, our most popular grape, Pinot Noir, is highly sensitive to growing and harvest conditions and nicknamed “finicky” for good reason. It takes intuition and talent to coax the best Pinots out of every vintage.

In 2007, our winemaker had his work cut out. Successive waves of rain barreled down during harvest. Pickers hurried to collect grapes during the days in between. Experienced winemaking, collaboration and vineyard management were critical.

In the annual race to forecast the outcome of the harvest, a handful of writers looked at the cool temperatures and wet skies, talked to stressed winemakers, and quickly predicted lackluster wines.

It’s been over three years since the memorable 2007 harvest, and every winemaker will admit it was a challenge. But in their hands much has happened to the wines as they evolved graciously in barrel and cellar, surprising the early pessimists.

Open a bottle today and you’ll find that the elegant, lighter-style Oregon Pinots from the 2007 vintage are reminiscent of earlier times. These are the style of wines which put us on the world’s wine map in the first place, and don’t overwhelm with big fruit and alcohol. A chef’s dream!

Unfortunately, negative comments—many made while the young wines were still in fermentation--have lived on. This may in part be due to a series of relatively warmer growing seasons which resulted in plusher wines, but there’s room at the table for both styles.

The 2007 Pinots are a nod to elegance and sophistication. They are certainly different from the 2006’s and the wines that follow. That doesn’t mean they are inferior, so give the 2007’s a chance. - SN