Winophilia

Having just finished a short tour of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, I have to report that I’ve been pretty impressed, not to mention pleasantly surprised,  by the high quality of many of the late-released 2007 pinot noirs.  This was a growing season that can virtually be described as two vintages:  the one that was made from grapes picked too early, as many growers panicked and moved up their harvest for fear of rain, and the one that was made by producers who waited things out and were able to harvest into mid-October.

Many of the ’07 pinots I tasted at this time last year showed dilution and an element of greenness that are likely the result of underripe fruit picked before an anticipated deluge at the end of September, which turned out to be a lot less dire than forecasted.  Most of these wines had to be fermented quickly and were bottled rapidly as well.  Unfortunately, many critics and consumers alike were quick to slam the vintage, but this rush to judgment appears to have been off-base.  A number of long-time Oregon winemakers have told me in recent days that they’ve learned from experience that they can pretty much count on an Indian summer, which helps to mitigate the effects of rains that arrive in early September.  And they aren’t especially surprised by those rains, either, as they occur more often than not.

According to Patty Green (Patricia Green Wine Cellars), “you’re never going to make excellent pinot if the grapes aren’t ripe, even if you try all the tricks in the book in the cellar.”  Green, who has now been making wine in Oregon for 25 years, noted that “this is a vintage where experience and confidence paid off,” a sentiment echoed by Russ Raney (Evesham Wood), who told me that he started harvesting at the very end of September.  “The 2007s are for real pinot lovers, ones who don’t think that this variety should be heavy or super-rich,” he said.  “But the best 2007s are absolutely not dilute, like the ones made from immature fruit.”

What I find most appealing about these wines is their lively fruit, which is mostly of the red berry sort, and their overall balance.  Those looking for richer, darker fruit character will be happier with the 2006s, and with the 2008s, which have just begun to enter the market.  More than a few producers told me that they’ve resigned themselves to watching their ’07s move slowly through the market.  But, noted Josh Bergstrom (Bergstrom Wines) “a lot of people who try the ’07s have come back to buy more, which has been pretty gratifying, and encouraging.  Vintage obsession in either direction is usually an oversimplification,” he added, “and ’07 is the perfect example of that.”