Cellar Notes

By Condé Cox

Last August, Oregonian wine writer Katherine Cole sang the praises of pinot noir from Burgundy, France. “Wines like these feel like a refreshing slap to the face,” she wrote. “They quiver with an electric energy that shocks the lips, waking up the palate to the possibilities of pinot.” Cole went on to conclude that “our local wineries are capable of observing all of these rules; many just choose not to.”

Though wines from Burgundy are the world’s benchmark for pinot noir, Cole was wrong in her assertion that Oregon winemakers haven’t caught up with their French counterparts. Brisk acidity and an acute focus on minerality are also the hallmarks of modern Oregon pinot noir—especially the 2007 and 2008 vintages.

As our vines have aged and our winemakers have honed their skills, Oregon has narrowed the gap with Burgundy. In fact, I’ll wager that, in a blind tasting between comparably priced Burgundy wines and the following Oregon gems, even my fellow wine critics couldn’t tell which ones come from our side of the Atlantic and which ones come from across the pond.

Kelley Fox Wines 2007 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir $50 Made from 33-year-old self-rooted vines, this wine exemplifies perfect pinot noir: delicately floral yet focused on berry flavors that seem to linger on the palate for hours.

Belle Pente 2007 Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir $25 Layers of lingering complexity emanate from the penumbras of this lovely berry-scented wine. It’s every bit as tasty as the 2007 Burgundies that sell for twice the price.

Scott Paul 2008 Audrey Pinot Noir $65 This wine’s intensely concentrated ripe loganberry and black cherry flavors will become even more alluring and complex after maturing for five years in the cellar.