QUESTION: Can you recommend some of your preferred Oregon wineries for Pinot Noir? We are planning a trip soon to the Willamette Valley and would like to visit some of the top notch wineries. Also, are their particular vintages to embrace and avoid?
ANSWER: There are two lists of wineries I would recommend, based on two different criteria. Generally, the wines I've recommended on the site from Oregon come from recommended wineries, so you can use the PinotNow recommendations as a guide for quality wineries.
However, when taking a trip to wine country, a secondary factor becomes important... the quality and visitability of the winery tasting rooms. Some of the best wineries in Oregon (and elsewhere) don't offer tasting, and others offer it only by appointment. Included in those groups would be: Evesham Wood, Westrey, Beaux Freres, Lemmelson, McKinlay, Shea Wine Cellars, Brick House, Coeur de Terre, etc. You have to arrange tasting appointments with all of these wineries.
But the best tasting room, that has regular tasting hours, is by far Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. The Penner-Ash tasting room sits atop a large hill at the end of a steep winding drive in the Ribbon Ridge district of the Willamette Valley. It has gorgeous views of the Ribbon Ridge and nearby Dundee Hills AVAs as well as the surrounding countryside. The tasting room itself is a beautifully designed glass, granite, and wood-beam structure that provides glimpses into the below-ground winery workings and barrel storage. In addition to the beauty of the spot, they make damn good wine.
Other great tasting rooms with regular hours and good wine include Argyle, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, Bethel Heights, and Cristom.
Another spectacular tasting room is the one at Van Duzer Vineyards; however, I have yet to try a Van Duzer Pinot Noir that I like. So I can only recommend the tasting room, not the wine.
As far as vintages in Oregon go, it does, as always, depend on your taste. Generally in the past decade the vintages that have received the most acclaim are 2002, 2006, and there is a lot of buzz about 2008.
2007 was a particularly "challenging" (aka "bad") vintage, due to heavy, early rains that forced an early harvest. So the '07 Oregon Pinots can be hit and miss... often miss. If you happen upon a good '07 it will invariably reveal masterful winemaking, given that to produce quality Pinot the winemakers had to overcome huge obstacles... so perhaps the good '07s are to be revered even more than the good '06s? Even if good, the '07s will be thinner and lighter than other vintages. So if that's not your style, beware.
If you can find an Oregon Pinot from 1999, drink it. You're in for a treat.
Enjoy!