My favorites were the 2013 Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir which
opens expansively and expressively with lifted aromas of fresh blueberry, crushed mulberry, grenadine, and a hint of crushed stone. The 2015 Vireton Rose was exceptional too. Brilliant wa- termelon in color, it tantalizes with aromas of fresh cranberry and candied orange peel. For more information,
www.archerysummit. com.
Next up was Sokol Blosser Vineyard. 1970 was winding down
when founders, Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser pulled their ’68 VW Camper up to an abandoned prune orchard some 30 miles southwest of Portland. These moonstruck kids had little farming experience and just a basic knowledge of winemaking. What they did have, in abundance, was a passion for growing the Pinot Noir grape and creating world-class wine.
To thrive, the Pinot Noir grape needs a particular climate found in Burgundy, France and, coincidentally, where the 85-acre Sokol Blosser estate resides in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. Higher elevation, warmer nighttime temperatures and less low-elevation fog help protect the grapes in the iron-rich, fertile and well-drained red Jory soil of the Dundee Hills.
For Pinot Noir to become a world-class wine there must be a
greenery was planted that is a natural source of food for the gentle wildlife. In addition, they buy local and organic produce and flow- ers whenever possible. WildSpring is truly a magical place that you have to see to believe!
On our trip down to Port Orford, we got to experience some
of Oregon’s finest wineries that produce what some consider the world’s best Pinot Noir. We toured Vista Hills, Archery Summit, Sokol Blosser and JK Carnere.
Our first stop was Vista Hills which produces small-batch es- tate Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris high atop the storied Dundee Hills. The Dundee Hills AVA is situated in the northern stretch of Or- egon’s famous and fertile Willamette Valley. While total production is around 3,500 cases per year, many of the wines are produced in micro-batches of 100-200 cases. A variety of clones and varia- tions in vine age and exposure allow for a broad spectrum of flavor within a single varietal. The 2013 Pinot Gris and 2012 Pinot Gris Rose were delicious along with a beautiful 2010 Pinot Noir. For more information,
http://www.vistahillsvineyard.com/index.htm.
The next stop brought us to Archery Summit Vineyard. When
Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast award 7 of your wines at 90 points or higher, you know you’ve got amazing wine! Archery Summit pioneered the gravity-flow system of winemaking, elimi- nating the need for mechanical pumps used to transport must and wine among fermentors, tanks and barrels. The design utilizes five levels: grapes received at the crush pad on the top level travel downward, one floor at a time, to the fermentation hall, aging caves and bottling area. By using an elevator built into the cellar 60 feet below ground, barrels can be lifted for racking and blend- ing and filled without the use of pumps. This process prevents any stress on the wine that might impair its essence. With a grape as delicate as Pinot Noir, this is imperative.
level of care and commitment that goes beyond that of any other varietal. At Sokol Blosser that includes careful hand harvesting, fermentation in small lots and aging 16 months in French oak. They hand sort through every grape before it goes into a fermenter - for Pinot Noir, the grapes are de-stemmed without crushing, to preserve as many whole berries as possible. And they’re ecofriend- ly! In fact, in 2002 Sokol Blosser became the first US winery to receive LEED Certification.
My favorites were the 2013 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir which exhibited dark fruit flavors of cherry and blueberry with earthy and spicy characteristics. I also loved the 2012 Goosepen Block Pinot Noir which had notes of baked blueberry fruit, bramble, fresh blackberry and hints of cocoa with a ripe finish. For more informa- tion,
http://www.sokolblosser.com.
Lastly, we ended up at JK Carriere in Newberg, OR. The name J.K. Carriere is a contraction of Jim Prosser’s two grandfathers’ names. The wasp that features prominently on the label has, due to severe allergy, twice nearly killed him. In 1999, on the heels of cellar work for eight classic Pinot Noir producers and still working for two, Jim boot-strapped his operation and started making wine as J.K. Carriere Wines. For its first ten years the winery operated from a true 100-year-old barn, which allowed both the business and reputation to flourish. In November 2007, Jim purchased 40 acres of grape-growing land on the southeast flank of Parrett Mountain, in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. In 2009 the first vine- yard blocks were planted, a new winery building was completed, and J.K. Carriere settled into its new home in the hills.
My favorites: 2014 Provocateur Pinot Noir, translucent ruby
red in color, the wine has a nose of fresh strawberries and cherries with a drizzle of balsamic over browned butter cake. Also, some- thing you rarely see – a 2015 White Pinot Noir with a nose of lime flowers and melon. For more information,
http://jkcarriere.com.
Submitted by Dr. Diane Hayden. For more information, visit
www.wildspring.com.
www.EssentialLivingMaine.com 25
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