America's Answer to Burgundy's Côte d'Or?
Most New World wine enthusiasts are familiar with the celebrated 1976 blind tasting of French and Californian Cabernets and Chardonnays known as The Judgment of Paris. This event gave Napa Valley Cabernets and Chardonnays international recognition and paved the way for Napa Valley to become one of the world's most respected winegrowing regions, equal to Bordeaux.
Less well known was a similar event sponsored by French publishers Gault Millau three years later which pitted the best red Burgundies from two of the greatest vintages of the twentieth century (1959 and 1961) against various upstart Pinot Noirs from the New World. Included in the lineup was a 1975 Pinot Noir made by David Lett in the Red Hills of Dundee, Oregon. Lett's Pinot was made under his new label, The Eyrie Vineyards.
The Beginning of the Pinot Noir Industry in Oregon
In 1975 great Pinot Noir wasn't being produced anywhere in California. Or anywhere else in the New World. But in this blind tasting by competent judges, only one wine topped Lett's: the legendary 1959 Chambolle-Musigny by Robert Drouhin. The hugely acclaimed 1961 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze trailed Lett's Oregon Pinot Noir, falling into third place. Convinced of a fluke, Drouhin repeated the event a year later in Beaune using a different panel of judges. The results confirmed Lett's Eyrie Vineyards as capable of producing Pinot Noir on a par with the best in the world. This event signaled the beginning of a new wine industry in the hill country southeast of Portland, Oregon, devoted largely to Pinot Noir.
A drive from Portland to McMinnville on US99W will look strangely familiar to anyone who has toured Burgundy's Cote d'Or. Gentle hillsides planted with rows of Pinot Noir slope down to rustic valleys dotted with quaint little villages like Newburg, Dundee and Amity. Wineries here range from small family-run operations conducted in weathered old barns, such as Amity Vineyards, to state-of-the-art expansive facilities like Archery Summit.
Once a rural farmland, Yamhill County and the Red Hills are fast becoming a tourist destination. Just a few years ago one needed to call ahead to make appointment to visit most wineries in the region. Today public tasting rooms are springing up like flowers in Spring. And the hospitality industry has taken notice.
The Red Hills are dotted with outstanding B&Bs. Many operating farmhouses have built modern, comfortable guest facilities. It would be hard to find an accommodation anywhere in the region that tops the Lobenhaus B&B and Vineyard in nearby Carlton. Not only are the rooms lavishly decorated, but they all open unto porches or balconies with views of the vineyard and woodland stream. Breakfasts at the Lobenhaus would easily compare to those available (at considerable cost) at five-star hotels.
Some of Oregon's finest restaurants may be found here as well. Nick's Italian Café in McMinnville is a local hangout for winemakers, as is Tina's in Dundee. Near the tiny village of Carlton is the Winemakers Studio which features Wednesday evening banquets prepared by top local chefs and a wine list featuring local wines from nearby producers whose wonderful wines rarely leave the area.
Great Oregon Pinot Noir may seem expensive, typically offered around $40-85 a bottle. But that Chambertin that David Lett beat in that blind tasting would set you back around $300 in current release!
Terrific as these Oregon Pinot Noirs are, there is a downside. There just isn't enough of the stuff to go around. Most wineries sell much of their product directly from the winery, either in tasting rooms or winery Web sites. Larger wineries like Sokol Blosser or Archery Summit have distribution channels.
Panther Creek Cellars offers one of the best values we've found in high quality Oregon Pinot Noir. Their Pinots range in price from $25 to $40. Their single vineyard bottlings represent some of the finest examples of Pinot Noir to be found anywhere.
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