Bottleology – Lange Estate Winery with Winemaker Jesse Lange

An old soul, a go-getter, a bull-by-the-horns kind of fellow, a hot shot, a hard worker, an athlete and a winemaker who makes Oregon Pinot Noir exactly how it should be made: perfect.

Jesse Lange is a man that deserves a hug, a handshake, a pat on the back and your applause.  This arranged gratitude that I encourage is due to the fact that his winery, Lange Estate in Dundee, sets the bar for Oregon Pinot Noir–ask just about anyone.  Jesse has dedicated his life in no small way to delivering us pinot-philes the chronic pleasures that these grapes possess. Out of pure respect, I’m here to offer you his story and a glimpse into his world and the making of this fine wine.

Home Sweet Home: Jesse is a second generation winegrower and winemaker at his family’s estate winery in the heart of Oregon wine country: the Dundee Hills. He’s been growing grapes with his family since 1987 on their 60 acres, reserved especially for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. LUCKY!

Neat Freak: Wine has some really neat aspects! Jesse was drawn to wine because he’s “always loved the way wine incorporates agriculture and science. And it’s such a compelling beverage.” He reflected on his first wine experience and said, “It was drinking a Pinot Noir straight from the basket press in our garage in Santa Barbara. Circa 1984.”

Bottleology – Dominio IV Winery with Patrick Reuter

The subconscious of the winemaking mind, aloud:

A fist full of dirt is not to be taken lightly in this world of wine; it is the essence of all that you help to harness.  A face full of sun today helps to mother and nurture your offspring of tomorrow, from seeds to grapes and juice to bottles.  The morning dew, an afternoon rain shower, the temperate night, the fog and the ocean, all rear the identities of your land and your fruit.  Your role, and that of your equipment, is to what? Ask yourself, “Do I play the role of the interpreter?” Or “Need I become the messenger?”  What’s the difference?  Here is a message from a winemaker in Oregon with a rather holistic approach, who’s well aware of his role:

Now and Then: Patrick Reuter is the winemaker and co-owner of Dominio IV Winery in Mosier, Oregon.  The winery began in 2002 and he has been working with fruit from Viognier, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo ever since. Patrick has learned about winemaking while working harvests in Chile, New Zealand, Napa, Burgundy, and of course Oregon.  He’s also a graduate from UC Davis where he studied “terroir” while his wife simultaneously studied viticulture.

Art Imitates Life: I had asked Patrick what he enjoyed most about winemaking. Here’s what he had to say:  “I love the full circle aspect and necessity to integrate into the process. It’s not so much about showing who you are through the wines, but rather losing the self through becoming a part of the wine.”  He added, “Sometimes the only reason to do something is to see its beauty in the end. When you are done, you walk away feeling better than if you had not done that something.”

“Sexy Syrah” at Salty’s on Alki, 4/22/10: A Judge’s Perspective

For the 10^th consecutive year “Sexy Syrah” has been hosted by David LeClaire of Seattle Uncorked.  The beneficiary of this fundraiser  was FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.  With the participation of Salty’s restaurant on Alki Beach, one amazing Seattle city view and fifty Washington wineries—the event was quick to sell out. If you missed it, it will be back next year. If you want to know the wines that stood out, read on.

Sadly for you this event is now over, however I’d like to offer you the names of the wines that I enjoyed most. To preface, I was invited to be a guest judge at this event; there was twenty of us.  We began tasting at 5pm and we had one hour before the event of 300, officially opened its doors. My mission was to taste roughly 80 wines throughout the evening, which included both Syrah blends; and single varietal Syrah bottlings.  I was to ultimately pick three wines for each category and give them medals of gold, silver and bronze.  This was a casual judging, in which we knew full well whose wine we were tasting, due to the fact that this was not a blind tasting.  This feature did however create its own challenges when rating the wines, because each winery had their own sales techniques. However for some wineries, there was little that could be done to alter my judgment—thank you spit bucket.  Here is a list of wines that I couldn’t help but swallow.

Syrah:

Bunnell Family Cellar – 2007 Boushey-McPherson  Syrah,  $43
Had it all going on, classic, complex, balanced

Gamache Vintners – 2005 Estate Syrah,  $28
Full throttle typicity, super meaty, glycerin,  great Syrah producer

Gilbert Cellars – 2007 Syrah,   $26
Biggest, most structured, young, nuanced

Kerloo Cellars – 2007 Les Collines Syrah,  $32
Not overdone, dark, winery to watch

Smasne Cellars – 2007 Block #3 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah, $35
Delicious, crowd pleaser, vanilla

Syrah Blends:

Bunnell Family Cellar- 2007 À Pic, $32
Good composition, balance, safe

Forgeron Cellars- Walldeaux Smithie, $16
Yum, juicy, thick, tasty, value

Rotie Cellars- 2008 Northern Blend, $35
Fantastic, firm acid, focused, fruit purity, cult wine in the making

Taste them, drink them, buy them, love them and read WINOMAGAZINE.COM on the regular.

Bottleology – Sleight of Hand Cellars with Trey Busch

One of the most complicated things to do in the wine business is to convey the intended message of a wine.  This task of describing a wine’s flavor profile, articulating that flavor into words, and delivering truthful content able to be translated by the reader clearly, is forever challenging.  There are no photos to explain the flavors. No maps or illustrations. Just words. Respectfully, my role is to do the wine justice–for better, or worse.

Now that’s just wine! Certainly a more delicate subject is the challenge of describing a human being and giving them the accolades they deserve.  As I ponder my attempt, I start by telling you that his name is Trey Busch, and his wine is called Archimage. I’m about to try and do them both some justice.

Classifieds: Trey Busch–wine maker and co-owner of Sleight of Hand Cellars in Walla Walla–quickly set the tone, “I am 40 years old, a Scorpio, and I like the color blue, the smell of fresh rain, and 70’s Heavy Metal….just kidding. Not really. Anyway, I own the winery with Sandy and Jerry Solomon, and we started it about 3 years ago.”

Record Label: I’m certain that Trey will be quick to tell you that he LOVES music. After all, his wine label, “Sleight of Hand,” is named after a song from his favorite band of all times: Pearl Jam.  He claims (and I won’t argue) that, “We have the best tasting room in Washington State! Where else can you walk in and choose your own music…on Vinyl of course! I think music is a great ice breaker, and it relaxes people. It makes them feel less intimidated about the tasting experience if they’re not used to wine tasting. We are very laid back and want people to enjoy themselves and have a good time, and of course we hope they like the wines.”

Bottleology – Winemaker Jamie Brown of Waters Winery

“Forgetaboutit is like if you agree with someone, you know, like Raquel Welch is one great piece of ass, forgetaboutit. But then, if you disagree, like a Lincoln is better than a Cadillac? Forgetaboutit! You know? But then, it’s also like if something’s the greatest thing in the world, like mingia those peppers, forgetaboutit. But it’s also like saying Go to hell! too. Like, you know, like “Hey Paulie, you got a one inch…?” And Paulie says, “Forgetaboutit!” Sometimes it just means forgetaboutit.”—Donnie Brasco

The Forgotten Hills in Walla Walla Washington, is an estate vineyard to Waters Winery, and it had me thinking  “Donnie Brasco.”  When I tasted the Syrah produced from this vineyard, I searched to find the boss who was making this stuff. Come to find out, he’s a friend of ours and he goes by the name Jamie Brown.

Stand-up guy: Jamie was exposed to handcrafted, boutique and international wines while working in restaurants, which gave him the ability to finance his enjoyment for playing music. He said, “At the same time, a wine movement was budding in my hometown of Walla Walla, so it only seemed natural to move home and pursue wine.” Jamie commented about wine and music’s unique relationship to one another and of the creative process found in both. For me, the relationship is as complimentary as spaghetti and meatballs—that’s amore!

Bottleology – White Heron Cellars with Cameron Fries

Grape vines have a unique ability to thrive in fairly harsh conditions.  Vineyards are often planted in dry climates to encourage their root systems to plunge deep into the ground in search of essential water and nutrients. It is this struggle and these stressed conditions that are essential in the production of high quality wine grapes, and which allows for greater individuality as a wine in the bottle.  While there is an element of “survival of the fittest” in the vineyard, this element can also be found throughout many aspects of the wine industry.

Cameron Fries, winemaker of White Heron Cellars and his wife Phyllis have met all the challenges of owning their own winery head on since their first vintage in 1986.  It’s the “sink or swim” scenario. It’s about the struggle and the daily demands of the business world that required this husband and wife team to dig deep throughout the growth of their winery from the ground up.  Here’s a bit of what Cameron experienced:

Bottleology – Woodinville Wine Cellars with Sean Boyd

During the month of September and through most of October, the grapes of Central Washington reach the end of their maturation process. These grapes are then politely plucked from the vine and taken away to serve a new, more noble, purpose: WINE! Usually under the cover of darkness, blanketed by cooler evening hours preserving freshness, this fruit is transported by truck to the many satellite wineries throughout the state. Awaiting these shipments at the wee hours of the morning, are the men and women who make up the Washington State wine industry. Ladies and gents, please take a bow, we love you!

For Sean Boyd, winemaker of Woodinville Wine Cellars, it was watching a truckload of Sauvignon Blanc grapes show up to the winery that has been one of the most memorable experiences for him as a winemaker—it was his “this is the job for me” moment.

More That Meets The Eye: Sean Boyd isn’t just another wine making descendent from California who moved to Washington State to start fresh.  Sean is very well traveled. He’s also made wine in four different countries, loves the wine from Washington State and believes in the potential of this wine region. He gained instant cool points when he told me that his father, Gerald Boyd, was the original editor of Wine Spectator.

Crafts-Man (ship): In the years leading up to making wine (professionally), Sean perfected his craft in many ways.  “I started in 1986 at Liquor Barns in California. I worked in wineries as a winemaking apprentice in four countries and spent many hours fine tuning techniques. I have worked harvest, sold wine at retail, and I have been making wine since I moved to Washington in 1998.  I love the hands-on experience, and working with people in restaurants and wine shops. I like the craftsmanship,” Sean said.

Bottleology – Desert Wind Winery with Greg Fries

Whether it’s a trip to your local grocer, a voyage through the back roads of the Northwest wine country, perhaps the magnetic draw into your favorite wine shop, or an in-depth read of your favorite WINO Magazine blog entry (Bottleology!), I can pretty much guarantee that you will cross paths with Greg Fries—or at least have a run-in with his value driven wines.

Greg Fries is a really nice guy, but FAR more importantly, Greg Fries is a winemaker. He’s worked very hard to get to where he is today, and he has spent many years managing and making wine for his very own Desert Wind Winery.  With the help of one very influential woman (Ms. Mother Nature—strictly business), some great vineyard sites in Eastern Washington and Oregon, a degree from UC Davis and a pilot’s license, Greg has been able to contribute to the world of wine in a big way.

[Purple] HAZE-lnuts: Commonly referred to as “filberts,” these nuts can be found all over Oregon. I refer to them as Greg’s family’s “gateway crop,” a crop that they ultimately replanted into vast g rapevine vineyards (vitis vinifera). When Greg was younger, his family farmed cotton and tomatoes in Californ ia. Growing up in that kind of environment most likely sparked his interest in agriculture and also played a key role in Greg’s decision to go to school for Agricultural business.

You See!: Going to school and getting an education CAN be fun! At UC Davis, Greg earned a degree in Fermentation Science. He took a beer brewing course, and as luck would have it, while he was there, his family started a winery!  It’s called Duck Pond Cellars. JEALOUS!!!

A New Perspective on the Retrospective of Northwest Wines—Your Back Stage Pass

The Retrospective of Northwest Wines is a competition held annually for the past twenty-three years at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle, Washington. The scores are in, and are being tallied as we speak—the wines were judged on January 5^th & 6^th from 12-2pm each day. In order for a winery to participate in this blind competition, two wine samples must be submitted per winery, and each winery must be prepared to have two cases available for purchase by Ray’s Boathouse if they win! The cases of the winning wines will be served at the awards dinner. All Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia wineries that produce wines made from the beloved grape were eligible to participate. This is really a great event for the wineries; because it’s free to enter, and it allows their wine an opportunity to stand out amongst a pack of 450+ entries.  Smelling, tasting, swirling and spitting these wines were a team of DEDICATED Sommeliers (yours truly), Wine Writers and local wine experts. Wine Director Richard Kelsey organized the tasting, along with his honed professional wine staff, all of whom showcased an absolute professionalism likely developed from the many years of working this event.

With that in mind, I’d like to share with you an inside look at the event from my perspective as one of the elected wine judges, and more specifically, what I found in the categories I tasted.  I’ll preface by telling you I make no official claims, I can ONLY to tell you which wines ultimately stood out to ME—whose names I learned AFTER turning in my score cards. There were also four judges per category, so my results alone will only contribute to the overall scoring of that particular category.

Bottleology – Quilceda Creek with Paul Golitzin

A reckoning in Washington wine has occurred and you may have missed it—but it’s not too late.  A number of variables have contributed to great wine production here in Washington, most specifically Quilceda Creek Winery and its uncompromising efforts in their mastering of Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines have the ability to change your life—they changed mine.  Here are a few words from the maker, Paul Golitzin, and my tasting notes from his new release.

Think Locally, Act Globally: A short forty minute drive from Seattle gets you to the front door of Quilceda Creek Winery.  Paul says he’s “trying to make a wine, consistently, that can compete on a global scale and be second to none.” He credits much of Washington State’s wine success to the growing conditions and lack of maritime influence. I’d just like to credit the thirsty Washington wine consumer who day-in and day-out continues to support Washington wines success by drinking them!

S.O.L.: For those of you aspiring to make wine at the level of Paul Golitzen, I have some sad news for you:  If you didn’t start your career path at the age of seven like him (he helped his father in the cellar), it may be too late. Paul credits many past life experiences to his wine advancements, and here are three main contributers: a trip to France at age fifteen began his passion for wine; support and guidance from great mentors–his Great Uncle, Andre Tchelistcheff, his son Dimitri, (who makes wine for Jarvis in CA) and his father; and a “holy grail” moment in the company of a 1989 Haut Brion.

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