It's Been a Long, Long Time

Today: 2007 Oregon Pinots Noir...at least, it seems like there're 2,007 of them.

Wait, no, I mean the year 2007, y'know, that wimpy, weenie vintage that everyone in the world hates. Except of course, Oregon wine makers. For them, it's simply a misunderstood year. 'So, we had a little cold and rain right down there at the end, y'know, like harvesting into late October. And then, so what if we only got to maybe 21.5 brix, come on, that's close enough. What's a bric or so among friends? Besides, one person's wimpy and weenie Pinot is another's subtle, delicate wine.'

Well, along with Judy Collins, I can see both sides now. 'National' wine writers (the only two left standing after the current newspaper/magazine meltdown), are far too used to 'big' muscle wines (I'm talking to you, California!), and no way are they buying into this 'subtle and delicate' business. Sure, they wet their pants with joy over Oregon in years like '03 and '04, but 'light' vintages like '07, Oregon becomes a punching bag.

On the other side, '07 really is -sorry- a wimpy year.

I recently was present for a tasting of 18 Oregon Pinots from that vintage, and while there were some pretty ones, and the occasional deep and intense wine, by and large the lightness of the vintage only empahsized singularity, a lack of complexity -i.e. simplicity.

But let's pick out some of the goodies; Evening Land, a newish Oregon winery (# 2,005, I believe), was among the most aromatic, with good plum and Bing cherry flavors. A nice straight-forward Pinot, and only, if I read this right about $87 a bottle.

The Dominio IV was the big, fat luscious crowd pleaser. I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. Too much new oak, but, you could argue the acidity and slight herbal notes balance it out. In any case, if those last two national wine writers ever get ahold of this, they might gush. And at $32 -a steal!

Ken Wright Carter Vineyard was also quite rich (and we all know why -har, har), with pretty, straight-ahead cherry flavors, more on the Smith's Cough Drop side. But tasty. And at only $60, hey, who needs cough drops.

Finally, my favorite, and it almost always is; Cristom, Marjorie Vineyard. While a nod to the vintage, with a lean, tight structure, this one just oozes lovely Pinot Noir fruit. I don't know how Doerner does it, but keep it coming. I think we're still in the $40 range here.

Subtext: In a year like '07, where everyone knows even the best wines are going to be on the lighter, more simple side, wouldn't it be prudent to LOWER PRICES! Maybe then, someone would actually buy them. For example, Ken Wright's wines almost never make it to the grocery store shelf, and yet I can walk into Freddies today and buy Carter Vineyard. Shouldn't he slash prices?

No. The problem is, we're in a recession, duh. If Ken Wright drops his price to, say, the far more reasonable $45, next year (when we're definitely going to be out this recession -we are, aren't we?), all his newfound customers will demand his wines at $45. And what about all his clients who have already paid full price? Wo, talk about PO'd.

Some producers work around this cash flow problem not by dropping prices, but by funneling a large amount of their wines into a second, or even third label, selling at much cheaper prices. Par example, with every recession, Beaux Freres suddenly comes out with a $15 wine under some pseudonymous lable. O yeah, Mike still has his big guns at $65; but, man, gotta have cash flow.

So, you're not going to see much in the way of bargains.

And now, I know you're all dying to know how my own 2007 Pinots turned out (thanks for asking, you're so kind). Well, my Spudders Crest Estate wine is so wimpy -wait, elegant, subtle- I use it for bathing the dog. I harvested on October 10th, and got the required briccage of 21.5, added sugar, and still got a weenie wine. The dog likes it.

However, after that tasting of '07s, I went home and popped a bottle of our '07 Sunnyside Vineyard and y'know what? It was awesome. I should've put it in the tasting. I can't find my notes for that year, but I think Luci harvested around October 15, and yeah, we only got around 22 brix, but we got some great aromas, good stuffing, nice acidity. I'd put this right behind that Cristom, whose wine maker, Steve Doerner, is my guru.

Okay, one final note (it's been a long time!), the last wine in our tasting had the most bizarre aroma any one of us (more than a dozen) had ever sniffed. Usually we're kinda quiet when tasting, but everyone was practically shouting, "My god, that's not like any Pinot I ever smelled. What is that weird aroma?"

Well, in my notes, I'd written down 'jalapeno.' And even I didn't get my own wordplay until I said it out loud, "It's jalapinot!"