Our 2011 Pinots…
I’m back from three weeks in Burgundy and Champagne, which were filled with way too much great food and wine morning noon and night. So what do I do upon returning? A seven-course wine dinner at Noisette in NW PDX, a wine-fueled hang at Bar Avignon in SE PDX, and then blending trials for our 2011 Pinots. I need to eat beans & rice and drink water for about a week! At least I’ve been sticking to my training schedule and running the mileage, but it seems a good cleanse is clearly in order…
One of seven yummy courses at Noisette
As for the 2011s – in a word, I love ‘em. A true cool-climate Pinot vintage. Alcohol levels 12.5-12.9%, a crystalline purity to the fruit, and the type of acidity that makes you want to keep coming back for another sip. (Very much like the 2010s in Burgundy, btw.)
There will be three different wines from 2011. Eight barrels made the cut for Audrey, all of which are from our Block 12 at Maresh Vyd. in the Dundee Hills. The bulk of the production will be the 2011 La Paulée, sourced from our blocks of Maresh, Nysa & Ribbon Ridge vineyards, and including the first fruit harvested from our new estate site, Azana Vyd. on Chehalem Mountain.
Blending the 2011s
The third cuvée will be called “The Long Run” – reflecting both the late October harvest in 2011 (4 weeks later than average) and referring to the running of my first full marathon two weeks before harvest that year. The Long Run is another eight-barrel selection, this one all from our rows of Nysa Vyd. in the Dundee Hills.
Each of the three has a distinct personality, but are all very true to the vintage – understated, nuanced, and focused on crisp red fruits at this point. It will be way interesting to see how these develop in bottle over the next 18-24 months before release. Young Pinot is a constantly moving target, and they will take many twists and turns from here before arriving at their destination. It makes one realize that we are really only just along for the ride – the wine always has the last word, regardless of our hopes or intentions…
