Please visit us in our tasting room in historic downtown Carlton!  Our flight includes our reserve-level wine which is available as futures (the 2010 Audrey Pinot Noir – only 100 cases made) and select Burgundies and Champagne from our import portfolio. $10 tasting fee refunded with 3 bottle purchase.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called the 2009 version of our Audrey, “Sexy, exotic, floral, satin-like texture, succulent flavors, exceptional length. Will evoke moans of ecstasy over the next 8-10 years. One of the stars of the vintage.” SOLD-OUT, but the equally stunning 2010 is available as FUTURES now!

Check out Portland Monthly Magazine’s round-up of “must-do’s” for favorite wine touring stops in this article.

We hope you’ll join us!

I’m back from Burgundy, tired and happy, and thrilled to have a lovely 2011 Oregon vintage in barrel and put to bed. From what was certainly the most stressful fall we’ve faced has come some really excellent wines. That which does not kill you makes you stronger, indeed! In the end, we just may have one of our better vintages ever. Lower alcohol, excellent acid and pH levels and complex flavors and aromas – it’s really everything we hope to happen, and this wacky year ended up giving it to us on a platter. It just goes to show that until you’ve got the fruit in the winery, you never really know…

Fall colors in the Dundee Hills

Without having added any new producers, we’ve got a lot of new wines coming next year in the Scott Paul portfolio. A number of our producers have added new parcels to their estates, either thru purchases or lease agreements. Interestingly, there are several of them that are making their debut with the 2010 vintage.

Alain & Sophie Confuron-Meunier at J-J Confuron purchased a 1.48-acre parcel of dead and neglected vines in the village of Comblanchien in 2005. They replanted the same year, and the vineyard known as “La Montagne” produced its first crop in 2010. It is part of the Côte de Nuits Villages appellation, and sits directly above the “Aux Faulques” vineyard that is a monopole of another of our producers, Jean-Marc Millot.

The young and dynamic superstar Benjamin Leroux has added a bunch of great sources to his arsenal, and in 2010 produced a staggering 32 different wines. New for Ben in 2010 are several whites from Meursault, Puligny & Chassagne at both the villages and 1er Cru level, a Volnay Mitans 1er, an amazing Clos Vougeot, a sweet parcel of Clos de la Roche, and a mind-blowing Chambolle-Musigny les Amoureuses. Only one barrel of the Amoureuses was produced, and it will be bottled entirely in magnums. Stand by for more info on what will clearly be one of the most sought-after wines of the vintage.

In the cuverie with Thiébault Huber

Volnay-based Thiébault Huber at Domaine Huber-Vedereau has added a new single-parcel bottling of Pommard Vaumauriens-Haut – a spectacular villages-level site that sits high atop the village and produces a very bright and refined expression of Pommard. It will be interesting to taste this alongside his regular Pommard and the Pommard Bertins 1er Cru – three very different terroirs that show distinctly different aspects of Pommard.

And at Thierry-Violot-Guillemard in Pommard, we’ll have to wait for the release of the 2011s for a wine I’ve been waiting for a long time. In 2006 Thierry replanted a section of his Beaune Clos des Mouches parcel, planting four ouvrées of Chardonnay. (That’s about enough to produce three-four barrels when the vines are fully mature. In 2011 he made only two barrels – only 50 cases total.) Clos de Mouches is a vineyard made famous by Burgundy’s Maison Joseph Drouhin – they own a little more than half of the __ acre site, and it was the first vineyard the Drouhins purchased, back in the early 1900s. It is one of those rare terroirs that is capable of producing excellent wines in both red and white. It is planted mostly to Pinot Noir, but I am not in the minority in thinking that the Chardonnay there is even more special. I am super excited to have some Clos des Mouches Blanc in our program. I tasted the 2011 in barrel yesterday. It has been worth the wait. (and will be worth the one more year we’ve yet to wait to finally have this in our hands!)

I’ll leave you for now with this thought on the two most recent Burgundy vintages from the introspective and thoughtful Monsieur Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny – “2009 is impressive. 2010 is exciting.”

Jacques-Frédéric "Freddy" Mugnier

Join us from 12-5 pm in our tasting room in Carlton.  Savvy wine consumers know that the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving is a party in its own right!  Beat the crowds and raise a glass to toast the festive holidays ahead.

There are two flights today.  One flight includes a lively 09 Bourgogne Rouge and then 3 of our Scott Paul Oregon Pinots — our 08 La Paulée, our 09 Dix and our 2010 Audrey!  $10 flight, refunded with purchase of 3 or more bottles.  Our 2008 Scott Paul “La Paulée” Pinot Noir is featured on the cover of the November issue of Food & Wine Magazine!! The magazine says, “Pinot Noir has become famous as the go-to Thanksgiving wine, and with good reason: Its balance of medium-bodied fruit and and bright acidity makes it easy to pair with the many different dishes on the holiday table. Look for the cherry-rich 2008 Scott Paul La Paulée Pinot Noir from Oregon.”  Come taste our “cover girl” and see why Food & Wine picked it as the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving table.

We’ll also be pouring a flight of the exciting grower Champagnes that we import!  These are terroir-driven, personality-rich, small-production, unique Champagnes…bearing no resemblance to the mass-produced Champagnes manufactured by the “big houses.”  And they are better values to boot!!  Whether for gifts, holiday parties and dinners, or for your own sippage while trimming the tree,  these bubblies are guaranteed to delight.  The Champagne flight is $20, refunded with purchase of 3 or more bottles of the featured wines.

We hope to see you!

Once again, Véronique Drouhin’s Paulée has produced the greatest wine day of the year, going above and beyond the already lofty expectations I have for this amazing event. 42 of the world’s top Burgundy lovers and collectors, eight of Burgundy’s top vignerons, and a couple hundred magnificent bottles – all in the magical setting of the cellars of the kings of France, with a seven-course 3-Star meal to boot. Or you could just call it “Friday Lunch in Beaune”.

There is a chapter in my forthcoming book devoted to this Paulée. Having begun in 2003, yesterday was the 8th edition, and was certainly one of the best yet. In attendance this year were Burgundy stars Jean-Nicolas Meo of Meo-Camuzet, Marie-André and Marie-Christine Mugneret of Georges Mugneret, Etienne Grivot, Jean-Luc Pepin of Domaine de Vogüé, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, François de Nicolai of Chandon de Briailles, Egon Mueller from Germany (somebody’s got to bring the stickies!), and of course Véronique Drouhin of Burgundy and Oregon fame.

Also on hand were the Burghound himself Allen Meadows, Mme. Dominique Loiseau of the 3-star restaurant empire, legendary California winemaker Craig Williams, and a few nice bottles of wine.

OMG, the wines. I can only tell you about the ones that made it into my glass, as there were maybe a hundred or so more that never made it my way. No matter where you were sitting or what wines came one’s way, it was simply spectacular. Here, in order, are the bottles I was able to sample over the course of our 6-hour lunch –

(Bottles that were especially outstanding are highlighted)

’82 Corton-Charlemagne – Latour
’04 Batard Montrachet – Gagnard
’06 Chassagne Caillerets – Colin-Morey
’92 Puligny Pucelles – Leflaive
’90 Meursault Goutte d’Or – Buisson-Charles
’99 Batard Montrachet – Ramonet
’86 Montrachet – Drouhin
’93 Batard Montrachet – Pierre Morey
’88 Meursault Charmes – Lafon
’95 Meursault Perrières – Roulot
’61 Puligny Combettes – Sauzet
’85 Puligny Demoiselles – Jadot
’66 Montrachet – Drouhin
’78 Clos des Mouches – Drouhin
’84 Montrachet – Ramonet
’82 Montrachet – Drouhin
’03 Chevaliers Montrachet – Colin-Deleger
’89 Puligny Pucelles – Leflaive
’85 Montrachet – Delegrange-Bachelet
’34 Chevaliers Montrachet – Clerget-Buffet
’04 Montée de Tonnere – Raveneau
’96 Batard Montrachet – Drouhin

And then a few red wines –

’91 Latricières-Chambertin – LeRoy
’91 Musigny – de Vogüé
’92 Cros Parantoux – Meo-Camuzet
’64 Amoureuses – Ropiteau
’64 Grands Echezeaux – LeRoy
’55 Corton Grancy – Latour
’96 V-R Brulées – Liger-Belair
’97 V-R Beaux-Monts – Grivot
’78 Corton – Bonneau du Martray
’78 Bonnes Mares – de Vogüé
’85 Richebourg – Gros Frère et Soeur
’97 Echezeaux – Grivot
’07 G-C Cazetiers – Bruno Clair
’85 Chambolle – de Vogüé
’01 V-R Malconsorts – Cathiard
’89 NSG Murgers – Meo-Camuzet
’78 Pommard Rugiens – de Montille
’66 Corton Grancy – Latour
’69 Combettes – Dujac
’73 Bonnes Mares – de Vogüé
’93 Chambertin – Rousseau
’85 Chambertin – Rousseau
’70 Musigny – de Vogüé
’06 La Romanée – Liger-Belair
’61 Musigny – Drouhin
’85 Richebourg – Gros Frère et Soeur (2nd btl)
’78 Clos Vougeot – Roumier
’49 Volnay – Ponelle
’79 Corton Bressandes – Chandon de Briailles
’46 Corton Grancy – Latour
’34 Clos Vougeot – Bichot
’89 Clos Vougeot – Drouhin
’99 Clos Vougeot – Mugneret
’80 Richebourg – DRC
’62 Musigny – Bouchard

And then a few stickies –

’88 Mueller Berenauslese (don’t remember appellation)
’71 Mueller Trockenberenauslese (ditto)
’62 Climens
’25 Rivesaults (producer unknown)

And there are probably a few more I forgot to write down. Amazingly, my handwriting was still legible as we got down to the end of the day – but I did notice that my tasting notes got shorter and shorter, until they were mostly one-word grunts by the end!

If I had to pick a wine of the day of would be the ’61 Drouhin Musigny, simply as complete and magnificent as a wine can be. The ’85 Rousseau Chambertin and the ’92 Cros Parantoux were also magical. In the end, I am truly humbled by these great bottles, and fully know that I am one of the most fortunate guys around. God, I love my job! Now, more coffee, s’il vous plait…

Craig Williams, Marie-André Mugneret, Jean-Nicolas Meo

… than most people drink in a year! 42 wines – before lunch. 3 with lunch. Another 25 after lunch. Now resting my liver prior to diner at Ma Cuisine that promises to include a bottle or six. Such is the life of the importer at work…

And what work it is. A total joy, especially with the lineup of 2010s on display today at Comte Armand, Benjamin Leroux and Domaine Buisson-Charles. The tastings today confirmed my impressions from yesterday – we have a major winner of a vintage in 2010. Crystal clarity, exceptional minerality, pin-point precision – across both colors and all the appellations I’ve tasted so far.

At Comte Armand in Pommard, Ben Leroux has crafted perhaps his best set of wines yet. The Volnay Fremiets and the various components of the Clos des Epeneaux were a revelation – perhaps the two most elegant wines ever to issue from this superstar domaine. Wow.

Benjamin Leroux

In Ben’s own cellars in Beaune, his lineup has now expanded to include a staggering 32 appellations, including stunning examples of Corton-Charlemagne, Batard Montrachet, Clos Vougeot, Bonnes Mares, Clos St. Denis, Clos de la Roche, and for the first time – Les Amoureuses. One precious barrel, to be bottled only in Magnums. (Ben’s daughter Alexa was born in 2010, so this was a special wine to commemorate her birth year. As it turns out, there will now be an Amoureuses every year from Leroux!) In a word – oh my…

Ben’s expanded range of top village and 1er Cru whites from Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne is really exciting – I can’t wait to bring you these wines next year. There is not a drop of juice in his immaculate cellar that is not beautifully made. Seamless, elegant wines all…

Lunch at Becky Wasserman’s office in Beaune is always a blast, with her husband Russell at the stove and good eats always on offer. Today it was a wonderful braised lamb with potatoes and carrots – just what was needed to restore and revitalize after an intense morning of tasting.

Patrick et Catherine Essa - Domaine Buisson-Charles

Then it was off to Meursault and Domaine Buisson-Charles, where Patrick Essa and I tasted through all of his 2011s and 2010s. Obviously way to early to know much about the ‘11s, though they seem very nice – but the 2010s are strong across the board. These are maybe the most terroir-transparent set of wines I’ve seen from the estate – each one is a textbook example of its site, with the richness of Meursault and the laser-beam precision of 2010 in full force. This is rockin’ good stuff.

On another note, I’m sorry to see that the Boulangerie in Volnay is for sale. Apparently Brigitte and Christophe have had enough of the crazy hours and are looking to get out. So far, no bakers have expressed interest. Local scuttlebut is that someone is talking about buying it and turning it into a bistro. If no new baker comes in, the Volnaysiens will have to go Pommard every morning for their baguettes and croissants. Sacré Bleu!

Dinner tonight is at Ma Cuisine with friends in from California and DC, and then to bed to rest up for tomorrow – my favorite day of the year, La Paulée. Over  a hundred amazing old Grand Crus from the greatest vintages and producers, a 3-star chef preparing our lunch – essentially heaven on earth. All in the name of science and research, of course, as I come to the end of the writing of my book on the fascinating history of the Paulée tradition. Pictures and notes to follow – this is gonna be a classic…

I am stone in love. In every sense of the word. With the 2010s of the Côte de Nuits, that is. Stone as in deeply, powerfully, passionately in love, and Stone as in the incredibly fresh, pure, intense limestone-iness that shines through these stunningly beautiful wines.

I have seen no reviews of the 2010s yet (Allen Meadows is here now doing his tastings for reviews and scores to be released in late January), but I must tell you now that this is, to me, the most exciting young Burgundy vintage I’ve tasted since I’ve been in the business.

Yes, that’s a big statement. No, these are not the 2005s, which are ultimately better wines. These are also not the fleshy, fruity, and broadly appealing 2009s. But if you love those things that make Burgundy special and unique, the 2010s will simply knock your socks off.

Granted I have only tasted so far at a handful of producers, and only those at the very top of their art. Frankly, I don’t care what the lesser producers did with their 2010s, but I sincerely hope they’re good. What I tasted today at Mugnier, de Vogüé and J-J Confuron was flat-out great.

Daughter Pirrie on the wall at Musigny, summer 2008

What makes these wines so special is an extraordinary sense of freshness and precision, and a crystalline minerality that is unparalleled in my experience. As François Millet said today at de Vogüé, often we speak of minerality in metaphorical terms, because it is so very hard to define or describe. But in these 2010 wines we not only get minerality of the metaphorical variety, there is pure, naked, ancient limestone in the texture and flavors of the wine that is undeniable.

It’s a vintage of truth and honesty. You can see everything in these wines, there is nothing hidden or obscured. The expression of terroir is even more distinct and clear than the 2008s, and these seem more “alive” than the ‘08s as well. I did not taste one 2010 today that was less than thrilling.

Absolute stand-outs among the greats were the Vosne-Romanée les Beaux-Monts and the Romanée-St. Vivant at Confuron, the Amoureuses , Bonnes Mares and Musigny at de Vogüé, and of course the Amoureuses, Bonnes Mares and Musigny at Mugnier. Have I mentioned that I love my job?

Which brings me to a brief dissertation on my love for Musigny. In my opinion, Musigny is THE single greatest red-wine terroir on planet earth (or at least of what we’ve found so far, as Monsieur Millet pointed out – he thinks we might have the equal in Oregon someday, btw!) I will certainly accept all arguments on behalf of Romanée-Conti or La Tâche, and understand that many will prefer one of those. They are all three in their own league, to be sure. As Freddy Mugnier said today – “I hear they make some nice wines down in Vosne-Romanée, too”, in reply to my musing that Musigny was my choice for the greatest.

In tasting the 2010 Musigny at de Vogüé, I was simply at a loss for words, in French or English, to try to verbalize what was going on. The wine was beyond any definition of complex or fascinating. Millet could see that I was grasping for words to express this, and he noted “The Musigny, there are some things going on that are like the dark side of the moon. Normal human beings, in the course of a life will never see it (unless they are astronauts), and therefore one can’t describe it, nor can one ever understand it. But yet it is there. The Musigny is like that.”

With that, I’m off to taste more of these gorgeous 2010s. Thoughts and impressions from Comte Armand, Benjamin Leroux and Buisson-Charles tomorrow…

Vinum the dog & the cat-with-no-name at Confuron

Arrived in Volnay. Shower, clean shirt. Off to Beaune for the usual arrival routine: A quick stop at Athenaeum to pick up any new Burgundy books published since last time (got the new Jacky Rigaux book on Henri Jayer and a new history of the Negociants by Christophe Lucand, and 2 copies of the 2012 Biodynamic Calendar), stop at Bouché for some chocolates, stop at Petit Casino for milk and Nutella, stop at the Boulangerie for a fresh baguette, stop at Hess for a thick slice of Comté and a whole Epoisses, perfectly aged and ready to slather on the baguette tonight.

Back to the Volnay house. Cadged a glass of Thiébault’s 2010 Meursault, and the remains of a lovely bottle of ’73 Pommard Rugiens to wash down the cheeses. Followed by a couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate. Ahhh, I’m back….

Now watching bad French game shows and forcing myself to stay awake, hoping to make it to see at least the first half of the France-Belgium soccer match at 8:50 tonight. Then will crash hard and hopefully sleep until the church bells rouse me at 7am. Tomorrow –  tastings at Confuron, de Vogüé and Mugnier, and then dinner at Ben & Libbi Leroux’s. Nothing like jumping right in…

The wild ride of vintage 2011 has come to an end, with the last fermentations finished now, and all will be pressed-off and in barrel in the next couple of days. Kudos to Kelley Fox and her crew on a job exceedingly well done. It was not an easy one – late, cold, and all the grapes hitting the fan at the same time. In the end, it’s been a brilliant vintage for us, one that ultimately may produce some of our favorite wines yet. Lower alcohol, excellent acidity, and bright, pure flavors – it’s everything we could ask for. The potential to produce wines like these are why we came to Oregon in the first place. We are glad we’re here.

That said, I’m on the move again – off in a couple of hours to Burgundy for my regular November visit – for the Hospices de Beaune auction, the Paulée, and to see all of our producers and check in on the 2010s in barrel. I worked a bit of the 2010 Burgundy vintage with Lafarge, Confuron, Huber-Verdereau and Buisson-Charles, so I’m especially excited to see how the wines are shaping up. The vintage as a whole has been drawing early raves. The downside is that yields were way down, so there will be 30-40% less wine than normal (with accompanying price increases, I would guess…)

At any rate, stay tuned – I’ll be posting regularly, with lots of pics as well, so come along for the ride. There is a lot of great old Burgundy in our future!

Our 6th annual La Paulée de Carlton is in the books, and it was a rockin’ good time, to say the least. My sincere thanks to everyone that joined us for our harvest celebration and communion with Bacchus. It was a lovely evening of well-choreographed controlled chaos – just they way I like it!

One of the beauties of the Paulée tradition is that each one takes on a personality of its own, based on who comes and what they bring. (I’ve never been to a bad one, btw.) Some of them just sing with a magical combination of camaraderie and wines, and we had that going full-steam on Saturday night.

Chef Paul Bachand of Recipe in Newberg laid out one delicious dish after another – and our own Kelly Karr did a masterful job orchestrating it all. It was a great pleasure to introduce Oregonian & Mix wine columnist and Voodoo Vintners author Katherine Cole as our guest of honor. Oh yeah, there were a few bottles of wine there as well.

Among my favorites:

2000 Meursault Genevrières – Hospices de Beaune (Mag)
1985 Eyrie Reserve
2006 DDO Laurène
2002 La Paulée – Scott Paul (Hadn’t opened one in a long time. Wow – à point!)
2000 Chambolle-Musigny – Roumier
2005 Chambolle-Musigny – de Vogüé
1994 DDO Laurène
2001 Panther Creek Nysa Vyd.
1999 NSG Les St. Georges – Chevillon
2001 Belle Pente Murto Vyd.
2002 Evesham Wood – Cuvée J
1996 Clos Vougeot – Hudelot-Noëllat
1971 Gevrey-Chambertin – Lichine
1996 Musigny – Mugnier

The Musigny was at a different level than everything else that night, as well it should be. Deep appreciation to everyone for sharing the dozens and dozens of great bottles that were going around the room – it was a grand Paulée indeed.

Speaking of grand Paulées, I’m off to Burgundy on Monday to get a good look at the 2010s in barrel, and of course to attend the Hospices de Beaune auction, the Paulée and all of the Trois Glorieuses festivities. I’ll be reporting back in exquisite detail, with copious photos, of course, so keep your eyes on the blog and our FB & Twitter pages for all the action as it happens.

I’ll also be doing the last round of research on the book I’m writing about the history of the Paulée, which I still hope to have finished by the end of the year and ready for release in fall 2012.

Here at the winery we’re at the stage where the aromas are just so intensely beautiful. Dozens of tanks all in full-throttle fermentation, delicious smells filling the entire neighborhood – it’s a beautiful thing…

Plan now to join us for Oregon’s foremost feast of Burgundian Bacchanalia – our 6th annual La Paulée de Carlton dinner. Held every year on the first Saturday of November, this year’s event will take place at the Oregon Olive Mill in the Dundee Hills.

A “Paulée” is an ancient Burgundian tradition, originating in the middle ages as an end-of-harvest feast for the grape pickers and winery crews on each estate. In the 1920s the modern “La Paulée de Meursault” was born, with 600 of the top Burgundian winemakers and their guests from around the world coming together in the cellars of the Chateau de Meursault to celebrate the vintage and share many dozens of treasured older bottles.

Celebrating at La Paulée de Meursault

In 2006 we initiated the tradition here in the Willamette Valley. A number of our winemaker friends and neighbors will be joining us, and we’d love to have you with us. In the tradition of the Paulée, all attending are asked to bring a couple of bottles of older Pinot or Burgundy to share with all over the course of the evening.

Our Guest of Honor this year is Oregonian/Mix wine editor Katherine Cole, author of  “Voodoo Vintners”, an exciting new book on Biodynamic winegrowing and winemaking here in Oregon, Our chef this year is Paul Bachand of Recipe in Newberg, one of wine country’s favorites and a dedicated Burgundian collector himself. Seats for this dinner are $125 each – call (503) 319-5827 or email Kelly Karr to book yours now – seating is limited.