This being Oregon, there never seems to be a “normal” or “average” year for growing winegrapes. Every year brings something different, some new twist we haven’t seen before. And, while 2001 did ultimately turn out to be another very good vintage, it did spring a little surprise on us. A beautiful summer growing season was interrupted by a few days of rain right at the end of September just as we were poised to begin the harvest. The rains stopped on September 26, the grapes and the ground dried out, and harvest began on October 1. Then the weather warmed and we proceeded to bring in 85% of our total harvest (just over 200 tons out of our 240 ton total) in the next nine days. In fact, 2001 (much like the 2003 vintage) was one of Oregon’s most compressed harvests ever. All of our Pinot Noir was harvested between October 1 and October 9, with excellent sugar/acid balance and nicely developed flavors.

The grapes for this wine, our first ever Estate Cuveé Pinot Noir, came entirely from our own vineyards. The blend is 65% old vines, including about 40% from the original plantings 30 years ago in the Old Vineyard Block, about 15% from the Watershed Block, and the remaining 10% from our prized Twelve Row Block. The other 35% is from some of our more recently planted vines, blocks we call Peach Tree and Goosepen.

Even though it has been about nine months since bottling, this wine is still fairly tight and closed. Hints of black cherry and root beer and the distinctive earth, leather and truffle characters that define our Pinot Noirs are just beginning to show through. When you first open and pour it, expect it to be somewhat lean and “hollow” – missing a middle body. But as you swirl the glass and get some air into it, it will begin to fatten up and round out, and you can then see some of the underlying subtle aromas and flavors that will blossom in a few months. You may wish to try a little experiment that I like to do. Drink only about half the bottle the day you open it. Stick the cork back in and leave it sitting partial in a cool place (not the refrigerator, but not an overly warm room either). Try it again in a day or two and you should see that with exposure to air the wine has developed more flavor and aroma and has softened and rounded out.