There are some 500 wineries in the Willamette Valley, many of them relatively young (the first Pinot Noir vines were planted there in 1965). Pinot Noir rules the scene there, accounting for about two thirds of planted acres. They’re deservedly well-known for it and the comparisons to Burgundy are not without merit.
Fashion feedback loops can be a drag when your product is a living thing; ask a Washington winegrower about this; they all grow Cabernet even though Syrah expresses itself more brilliantly in many cases. Ask a Merlot grower who had to deal with the ripple effect of Paul Giamatti’s performance in Sideways. Hey, ask a Labradoodle breeder for that matter. “Trending” can be a confining thing.
Enter the magic that is Oregon’s flat-out refusal to do what everyone else does. Yes, Pinot and Chardonnay express themselves very well there. But there is also the Oregon Maverick Factor in play, and varietals being experimented with range from river-lovers like Albarino, Gruner Veltliner and Lemberger to flexible shapeshifters like Riesling, Syrah and Gewurtztraminer-not to mention some decidedly quirky grapes like Teroldego, Melon de Bourgogne and Picpoul Noir. While the common comparison with Willamette is Burgundy, there’s a strong affinity for wines of northeastern Italy (besides Teroldego you’ll find Lagrein, Kerner, Sylvaner and Friulano). There are several sub-regions within the Willamette AVA, each with its own range of expressions, and pretty much all featuring great Pinot Noir. There’s something for basically every palate, budget, and occasion.
This list is not exhaustive, nor is it exclusive: It’s aimed at playing up the region’s diversity and suggesting things to try at a range of price points and for people with different palates and interests. In some cases, these wines are readily available everywhere. In others, if you get intrigued you’ll be doing some shopping online.
Willamette Valley wines are not usually bargain-basement bottles. They tend to command high prices. But you get terrific quality along with a statistical likelihood that the environment didn’t take one for the team¬-something like half of Oregon vineyards are certified sustainable, and the state claims 35% of the US’s biodynamic certified acres. So, if you care about the sustainability piece, and I would posit that you should, it’s a good place to focus your dollars.
Alloro Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains AVA
If you’re actually going to the Willamette Valley I need to note that this place is really picturesque, a working farm complete with cows, sheep, orchards, and onsite farm-to-table dining. If you’re just going there in a glass, meanwhile, try the pinot! They have several, some of which climb toward $100 but some of which do not. Their 2014 PN is luscious, with lavish texture and voluptuous flavors, largely cherry, chocolate, strawberry and caramel. It’s a romantic-evening kind of wine and at $35 it tastes more expensive than it is. They have a nice Chardonnay too.
Argyle Winery (Dundee Hills AVA)
Argyle makes some killer sparkling wines (quite a number of them, in fact) as well as a handful of still wines. Some of them are pricey. All of them are delicious. If you want a special occasion wine you can’t go far wrong with their Extended Tirage Brut. It’s just really, really good. Briochey yeast notes and roasted hazelnut and almond underpin layers of honey, Morello cherry, Japanese plum and candied citrus peel. Brisk acidity, definite creaminess in the mouth. Luxuriant and festive.
Brooks Winery (Eola-Amity Hills AVA)
Brooks is a winery that knows what it does well and focuses in on it. They make Riesling and Pinot Noir and a small array of aromatic whites. Within the Pinot Noir category there’s a highly diverse range of single-site bottlings ranging from around $25 to around $60. You could play with these, tasting them side by side and marveling at this grape’s insane site sensitivity for a long time. Or you could just drink it. The 2016 Sunny Mountain Pinot is a bit of an herb-bomb up front: fennel pollen and rosemary jump out of the glass followed by something darker that isn’t violet leaf but reminds me of it, and an almost bitter note that recalls walnut husks. What unfurls after that is confit cherries, cedar, tea and tobacco. Tannin structure is excellent. It’s a solid, sure-footed wine and will likely please both Pinot geeks and people who just want something in their glass.
Bryn Mawr Vineyards, Willamette Valley
“Petillant” refers to wine that’s lightly sparkling. In this case, Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Marechal Foch are harvested early for high acidity, fermented in oak, and then infused with carbonation after bottling at subzero temperatures. The result is bright pink, with a restrained character, understated but persistent bubbles, and a lovely savoriness. Strawberry and orange rind are prominent. The wine’s around $25. They also produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as a Dolcetto that’s a very fun “need something different” wine, very light-bodied, very elegant, and full of cedar and stone notes (it’ll make you think of rain falling in the woods). Woman-helmed, if that drives your wine-spending, and delicious, which should drive everyone’s.
Dobbes Family Estates, Dundee Hills AVA
Dobbes has a portfolio of estate-grown wines and a handful of wines with fruit sourced from other growers. Both are well-crafted and rock-solid. While they share the general Willamette romance with the Pinot, I’m going to call out two whites you might want to peel an eyeball for. Their 2016 Chardonnay is a very balanced one and an example of why Willamette Valley is seen by many as the “bridge” between California’s exuberant (or in your face) style and the austerity of the French style. Part oak barrel fermented, part steel tank/ Bright acidity, somewhat chalky finish. Soft but not squishy; honey and orange blossoms with pear and vanilla and traces of pastry. People who are tired of Chardonnay would do well to cultivate an interest in wines like Grenache Blanc, with its luxuriant flavors and easygoing body. This one is an apple and melon kind of thing with lots of herb and flower notes and aromas of apricot, white peach and orange zest. Dobbes wines range from around $15 to around $65.
