"Were you swimming in Pinot Noir?" That's what a friend wanted to know when I came back from wine touring in Oregon.
Yes, Oregon is famous for Pinot Noir. No, I was not swimming in it, because I was in the south. The warmer climate there favors grapes such as Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo and Viognier. Some Pinot Noir is grown, but it is not the dominant varietal.
The place for Pinot is the Willamette Valley, which, like Napa in California, is the area most people identify with Oregon wine.
But this may change, because Southern Oregon is undergoing a wine boom. In 1996, there were fewer than 20 wineries in the south. Now there are 56. The short distance between Medford and Jacksonville alone can count 40 vineyards. In the Umpqua Valley, the number has tripled in the last five years.
How good are the wines? Very, very good.
Here are 10 that are well worth seeking out.
1. RoxyAnn Sky Hill 2006. This blend of Syrah (65%), Grenache (30 %) and Viognier (5%) went to the top of my list. I couldn't buy it even at RoxyAnn's tasting room. Only 74 cases were made, all of them allocated to wine club members. I was lucky to get even a taste. The aroma was spicy, the wine appealingly fruity. "Amazing," my notes say.
The good news is, the sales restriction has been lifted since I was there. Anyone can buy the little that is left of this wine, with a limit of three bottles. $35
2. RoxyAnn 2006 Claret. Fortunately, there was plenty of this to taste, and it was very good too. It's a blend of 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25%Cabernet Franc, grown on the estate and bottled there. $26.
A barrel sample of the 2007 Claret, due out in the summer of 2009, shows that it too will be excellent. There's a touch of Malbec in this wine, and a slightly different proportion of the other three grapes.
RoxyAnn Winery, 3285 Hillcrest Road, Medford, OR 97504. Tel: (541) 776-2315. http://www.roxyann.com.
3. Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2006 Syrah. Luscious, beautiful, jammy. A whole assortment of such words applies to this Syrah from owner/winemaker Steve Reustle.
The wine spent one year in oak, half of it American and half French. Only 360 cases were produced.
The 2006 Tempranillo Reserve is just as good. The Syrah is $32. The Tempranillo, sold to wine club members only, is $36.
There was a very pleasant non-reserve 2006 Tempranillo, but that, unfortunately, is sold out.
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, 960 Cal Henry Road, Roseburg, OR 97470. Tel: (541) 459-6060. http://www.reustlevineyards.com.
4. South Stage Cellars 2007 Viognier. Who said white wines don't age well? Dry, fruity and bright, with plenty of body and a wonderful bouquet, this one is expected to be even better in 10 to 15 years.
It's one of the first wines released under the South Stage Cellars label, established by Don and Traute Moore of Quail Run Vineyards in the Rogue Valley. You can taste it and many other area wines at the tasting room. $20.
South Stage Cellars, 125 S. 3rd Street, Jacksonville, OR 97530. Tel: (541) 899-9120. http://www.southstagecellars.com.
5. Flying Dutchman 2006 Cabernet Franc. The grapes for this wine were exposed to salt spray as they soaked in open-air fermenters on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean. The result of long, cool fermentation is a lovely, fresh young wine.
The grapes came from the Moores' Quail Run Vineyards, and Don Moore thinks that Cabernet Franc will become one of Southern Oregon's flagship wines. $36.
Flying Dutchman Winery, 915 First Street, Otter Rock, OR 97369. Tel: (541) 765-2553. http://www.dutchmanwinery.com.
6. Carpenter Hill Vineyard 2006 Petit Syrah. Full, fruity and intensely colored, this wine was produced from grapes grown on a 20-acre vineyard at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains. It spent 18 months in oak and went on to win a gold medal at the 2008 Rogue Valley World of Wine Festival, which is a showcase for Southern Oregon wines. Only 124 cases were made. $35.
Carpenter Hill Vineyard, 928 Carpenter Hill Road, Medford. OR 97501. Tel: (541) 535-2387. http://www.carpenterhillvineyard.com.
7. Pebblestone Cellars 2007 Viognier. Completely dry but fruity enough to make it seem sweet, this Rogue Valley wine shows how well Viognier does in Southern Oregon. Pebblestone's inaugural Viognier, it was fermented in stainless steel to maximize the fruit. Just 115 cases were made. $20.
Pebblestone Cellars, 1642 Camp Baker Road, Medford, OR 97501. Tel: (541) 512-1704. http://www.pebblestonecellars.com.
8. Trium 2005 Growers Cuvee. As the name Trium suggests, the grapes for this wine came from three vineyards in the Rogue Valley. The owners are three couples, Rebecca and Randy Gold of Gold Vineyard, Laura and Kurt Lostpeich of Pheasant Hill Vineyard, and Nancy Tappan and Vernon Hixson of Evans Creek and Venture Vineyards.
With Peter Rosback as winemaker they have partnered to produce an elegant Bordeaux style blend of 56% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. $29.
The tasting room at 7112 Rapp Lane, Talent, OR is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 5:30 p.m. from May through September. Tel: (541) 535-6093. http://www.triumwines.com.
9. Velo Rose 2007 - Gus Janeway (in the photo at the top) made this 100% Malbec Rose for his label, Velocity Cellars, while winemaker at RoxyAnn Winery.
A new winemaker, John Quinones, is taking over RoxyAnn, but Gus is still there, consulting while he concentrates on his own brand. This delicious rose has gorgeous deep color, great fruit and a great price, $15.
Velo Rose 2007 is available through the RoxyAnn tasting room, 3285 Hillcrest Road, Medford, OR. Tel: (541) 776-2315. http://www.velocitycellars.com.
10. Henry Estate 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir. Yes, there is Pinot Noir in Southern Oregon, and this is a very good one, because Pinot Noir is an important varietal at Henry Estate in the Umpqua Valley. where the climate is similar to Burgundy.
Founder Calvin Scott Henry III is world-renowned for his method of trellising grape vines, so a lot of expertise goes into these wines.
In the photo, his son, Calvin Scott Henry IV, the winemaker, stands by barrels of 2007 Syrah.
Henry Estate's 1994 Pinot Noir bested top-selling French burgundies in a competition some years ago. . I missed out on that but tasted a library sample of the 1998. The 2006 is very good too, and a bargain at $18.
Henry Estate Winery, 687 Hubbard Creek Road, Umpqua, OR 97486. Tel: (541) 459-5120. http://www.henryestate.com.
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