Oregon pinot vintage update?

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

The International Wine Cellar actually gave some decent reviews to many Oregon wineries on their 2007s. Perhaps not as high a scores or as glowing in nature as other vintages but solid reviews and scores. Just saying.

To be fair…so did Jay Miller for the Advocate.

[Todd_Hamina]

I like Dr. Jay.



Disclaimer: he still buys my stuff.

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

I like Dr. Jay.
Disclaimer: he still buys my stuff.

From most accounts he’s quite likeable…but I’d given up on OR Wine Critics before it became his beat. Critics can provide useful background and various interesting wine/vintage/vineyard/winemaker details, but train and trust your own palate.

RT

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

I like Dr. Jay.
Disclaimer: he still buys my stuff.

From most accounts he’s quite likeable…but I’d given up on OR Wine Critics before it became his beat. Critics can provide useful background and various interesting wine/vintage/vineyard/winemaker details, but train and trust your own palate.

RT

Which brings me back around to you, Ron, and Dennis writing a newsletter…

[Todd_Hamina]

I like Dr. Jay.
Disclaimer: he still buys my stuff.

From most accounts he’s quite likeable…but I’d given up on OR Wine Critics before it became his beat. Critics can provide useful background and various interesting wine/vintage/vineyard/winemaker details, but train and trust your own palate.

RT

IWC/Vinous does a good job. WA is dead. I am waiting to see what the WS new guy is like, but it appears new wood is good. So not much reason for me to submit there. Paul Gregutt is an asshat, so no WE. I did sit down with Doug Wilder from the Purely Domestic Wine Report, but haven’t seen any results. Finding folks who align with you, or vice versa, is a great way to go.

Did you ever drink that 09 I sent you?

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Todd, sorry I didn’t respond sooner. The answer is yes. Thank you for your generosity. I still have a bottle of your 2010 Amity Riesling to try.

Which, Marcus, brings me back to some of the dilemmas of a newsletter. Most Pinot drinkers prefer Meiomi. Many prefer new wood. Several years ago I was able to compare palate preferences with Josh Raynolds at a couple of IPNC tastings. He’s more open minded. My preferences are nuanced and more biased than I’d like to admit.

As a consumer, there’s very little need to candy coat impressions. It’s a selfish endeavor. When writing for a broader audience, subjective criticisms have ramifications. Winemakers need to earn a living. They develop a unique personal connection to their wines. It takes time and talent to write/publish anything more useful than the reviews and info already available. Tough work for a “numbskull with a keyboard”.

RT

[Michael_O_Brien]

I completely disagree with Wine Spectator’s vintage scores. The '07 and '11 are my favorite vintages. '07 was a crazy weather vintage but it finished cool and producers that sortedenough produced some excellent wine. '11 was another crazy year. I guess I just like wines from crazy weather years but it takes a good winemaker to make them. It was probably the latest harvest on record. I have a few '07s left and my recent experience tells me I need to drink them up. I think the '07 in particular and to a lesser extent the '11 vintages fooled a lot of people. Luckily some of the better producers still have these vintages in their libraries.

FIFY

…I love 07, 10, and a lot of 2011s as well, so please don’t take my correction as disrespectful. Just that we thinned and then still had to take the time to pick through the fruit cluster by cluster.

Marcus, I perceived not disrespect whatsoever. My disagreement is with the expectations set by WS and to some extent WE vintage charts. I was remiss in not mentioning the 2010 vintage as well. Too many people prejudge and shy away from great wine because the “experts” deem a vintage as a lesser one. That is not my experience with those vintages but my experience is uniquely mine. There is plenty of room for disagreement. “Palates may vary”

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

I completely disagree with Wine Spectator’s vintage scores. The '07 and '11 are my favorite vintages. '07 was a crazy weather vintage but it finished cool and producers that sortedenough produced some excellent wine. '11 was another crazy year. I guess I just like wines from crazy weather years but it takes a good winemaker to make them. It was probably the latest harvest on record. I have a few '07s left and my recent experience tells me I need to drink them up. I think the '07 in particular and to a lesser extent the '11 vintages fooled a lot of people. Luckily some of the better producers still have these vintages in their libraries.

FIFY

…I love 07, 10, and a lot of 2011s as well, so please don’t take my correction as disrespectful. Just that we thinned and then still had to take the time to pick through the fruit cluster by cluster.

Marcus, I perceived not disrespect whatsoever. My disagreement is with the expectations set by WS and to some extent WE vintage charts. I was remiss in not mentioning the 2010 vintage as well. Too many people prejudge and shy away from great wine because the “experts” deem a vintage as a lesser one. That is not my experience with those vintages but my experience is uniquely mine. There is plenty of room for disagreement. “Palates may vary”

I agree completely, and would add 2004 and 2005 reviews for the Willamette Valley. The WS commentary was to the tune of “challenging years, best to stick to known producers”.

[dsGriswold]

Thanks for that reply Richard, in an earlier life I might have entertained jumping into that snake pit. Now I have a challenge writing a comprehensive tasting note that compares favorably with one I wrote previously. It’s a definite challenge to bridge the needs of the consumer and the producer. I love reading all the comments people have. I’ll leave it to Alberty to report on the state of the local wine scene for now.

[Greg_Malcolm]

Which brings me back around to you, Ron, and Dennis writing a newsletter…

I enjoy tasting with Richard and Ron. Part of which is the interaction of giving them grief. I’ve never met Dennis. Sounds like I need to remedy that.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

Todd, sorry I didn’t respond sooner. The answer is yes. Thank you for your generosity. I still have a bottle of your 2010 Amity Riesling to try.

Which, Marcus, brings me back to some of the dilemmas of a newsletter. Most Pinot drinkers prefer Meiomi. Many prefer new wood. Several years ago I was able to compare palate preferences with Josh Raynolds at a couple of IPNC tastings. He’s more open minded. My preferences are nuanced and more biased than I’d like to admit.

As a consumer, there’s very little need to candy coat impressions. It’s a selfish endeavor. When writing for a broader audience, subjective criticisms have ramifications. Winemakers need to earn a living. They develop a unique personal connection to their wines. It takes time and talent to write/publish anything more useful than the reviews and info already available. Tough work for a “numbskull with a keyboard”.

RT

Rich,

I know the newsletter is wishful thinking. And to be fair, this board in many ways works well enough for me.

But your thoughtful and measured reply, doesn’t really make me wish any less. Both as a consumer and as someone who has to carve out a living doing this. I share your opinion of Mr. Raynolds, he does a remarkable job reviewing both the thick(Meiomi?) and thin(Goodfellow), and I appreciate that very much.

I think Dennis has the right of it though. I can barely slog through writing my own tasting notes anymore, and really do respect the creativity it takes to write so many of them(one of the things I admire very much about Schildknecht…florid though his prose may be.)

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

…one of the things I admire very much about Schildknecht…florid though his prose may be.

I’m also a Schildknecht fan. Sometimes his TNs bordered on prolix and discursive. He always appeared to give wines/producers a fair shake. Thoughtful and very informative reviews…which occasionally resulted in late and/or non-published reviews IIRC.

An under the radar guy who I’ve always liked and produces an enjoyable wine “newsletter”: Dr. Rusty Gaffney, The Prince of Pinot.

RT

[Travis_Fantz]

Richard
I forgot about the Prince. He has been around for a long time. He was always enjoyable to read.

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

I enjoy tasting with Richard and Ron. Part of which is the interaction of giving them grief. I’ve never met Dennis. Sounds like I need to remedy that.

Don’t push it…there’s still a “Greg Malcolm Rack” in the cellar and it’s not empty…yet.

RT

[GZar]

Great, thread. Any general thoughts as to slightly older vintages of OR pinot and how they are drinking? Specifically 2000-2006? Thanks

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

2000 and 2001 strike me as roughly equal in quality. I’ve probably had more 1999 than both combined…which was considered an outstanding vintage. Don’t tend to see much 2000 or 2001 around. I’m positively inclined towards both.
2002 - Warm and well hyped vintage. Kind of like 2008 without the steroids.
2003 = Franken-vintage
2004 = Warm to hot. Ripeness was largely out of my strike zone.
2005 = A lot of lovely wines, the best are elegant and drinking remarkably well now.
2006 = Back to hot, with some exceptions

RT

[Jim_Anderson]

2001s are still showing very well. They initially struck people as nice, balanced, fragrant but delicate wines that would be nice in the short term but not much of wines for the cellar. Vintage was heavy (by the standards of the day back then) with unusually large clusters. A scorching part of July led to some sunburn issues that had to be dealt with along the way. Very nice wines and recent tastings of some have shown wines in great places with lots of life in front of them. The 2017 vintage reminds me quite a bit in many ways of the 2001.

[John_Osburn]

Man, go out of town without checking for a few days and a great thread appears! Good stuff from all posters in this one.

On the latest question, I generally agree with Rich on those vintage assessments and of course producers and vineyards vary, as they always do. Every time I have opened a 2001 in the last 5 years it has made me very happy, almost regardless of producer. Thus I am quite pleased happy to see Jim analogize the 2017s to the 01s!

Have had good luck with 2000s and 1999s also. 2002s a have been a bit more variable but the ones ready to go are very impressive. 2003s nope, with a couple of exceptions (Belle Pente, Eyrie). 2004s have been a little uneven for me. Haven’t found too many 2005s at peak except for some entry WV bottlings (at least for my taste) although many are quite delicious. Had a stunning 2006 Belle Pente some months ago, others are mostly consumed already based on prior tasting observations.

[John_Osburn]

Wait, hold on. The new Wine Enthusiast Vintage Chart tells me the 02s and 01s are not just past peak, but in decline and may be undrinkable.

I stand corrected?

[Josh_Grossman]

Planning to open a 2003 Patricia Green Bonshaw tonight with duck and morels. I have a back-up ready to go.