2008 Crowley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
I will save my commentary about the 2008 vintage in Oregon. I believe it is now common knowledge that 2008 will be talked about as historic, awesome, and vintage of the century. The later might be premature, but I think it is easy to see the direction the vintage is going.
Last year at my anniversary party one of the winemakers that was pouring was Tyson Crowley, introducing his current and new releases of Crowley wines. Even though his wines were well received, I think it would be fair to say that the most talked about wine at the party was a wine that had been sold out for months. This wine was his Chardonnay. Even as I write this I don’t know if I should spend the time to introduce a wine that is so limited. Both wines are outstanding and hopefully you will find them the same. For those who do not know Tyson Crowley, he started in the wine industry in 1995 and spent many years learning the trade from established wineries, most notably Cameron. This is his third release.
2008 Crowley Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
When I was talking to Tyson about his latest release of Pinot Noir the word that kept coming up to describe his Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was dynamic. If this is paving the way for the rest of his 2008 releases, you should become very excited and anxious to order. First, I have had this wine on two different occasions. Half a bottle from pulling the cork over about an hour, the second time was after the wine was open for about five hours. The majority is made up of 40% Johnson Vineyard, while the last 60% is split between Gherts (only Tyson and John from Cameron get this fruit) and Tukwila. No new oak was used in making this wine. Roughly 350 cases made.
Tasting Note: At first glance the wine shows cherries, a tight spiciness, and brief floral notes. Over time it showed Lavender (I am told from the Gherts Vineyard), a spicy orange rind quality and the cherry fruit develops into rich boysenberry, with a slight earthy/mushroom quality starting to emerge. On the nose you can sense the balance of the acidity that everyone loved from 2007, but there is a core of tannins that keep it together while not showing an overtly fruity profile. This is obvious when it first hits your mouth and the finish reinforces why the 2008s are so great. When I asked Tyson about the finish, he thinks that this is created by the Tukwila Vineyard and the 20 year old Pommard Clone making up 30% of the wine. A pure joy that is good now through 6-8 years.
Retail $24 Case $240
2008 Crowley Chardonnay Willamette Valley
This year there are 100 cases of Crowley Chardonnay. Though only his third release the wine will not last long. To meet demand, Tyson has had to allocate this wine to retailers and restaurants. It is a blend of two vineyards, Maresh (old vines in Dundee) and Walnut Ridge (outside of Salem). The wine aged 15 months in barrel, 25% being new (1 of the 4 barrels).
Tasting Note: This is best served between 55-62 degrees, to serve it refrigerator cold would do it a disservice. You will hear some people talk about this wine drawing comparisons to Puligny Montrachet and Meaursault, but all I will say is that this is a great example of high quality Oregon Chardonnay at a great price. The mineral notes jump from the glass while also showing lemon citrus notes and white flowers. The wine shows the full and lush side of Chardonnay, without oaky notes. There is an equilibrium of acidity and fullness that pulls together a golden green apple, lush mango and opulent ripe fruit characteristics; giving way to a mouth filling experience of balance and richness.
Retail $22 Case $220
Tasting notes were written while listening to Bob Dylan’s Hurricane.
If you by any chance you have purchased wines from me prior to January 16th 2010, I no longer have your email or contact information. The computer that stored your email, shipping addresses, and/or phone number was stolen. Please be advised that NO credit card information was stored on the computer. Please repond to my last email or send me an email at info@garrisonsfinewines.com so that I have your information to send you information the next time Thomas, Matello, Cameron, Cedric Bouchard, Vouette et Sorbee, Jerome Prevost, Cayuse, Beaux Freres, Evesham Wood, Betz, Quilceda Creek, is released.
2007 Crowley Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard
Bottle: $20
Case Price Special: $200 ($16.66/btl)
Last year the 2006 Crowley Chardonnay was a hit. Now Tyson Crowley is releasing his 2nd Chardonnay. After my first sip, I knew it was a winner. This wine is 100% Maresh Vineyard planted in the early 1980s. There were five barrels (125 cases) with only one being new. The Chardonnay shows a mineral-infused medium body wine with a highlighting citrus note, one of lemon zest or lemon curd found on a ricotta cheese cake. Very fresh and approachable, it will just get better and better through the summer and near future.
2005 Chateau Rollat
Rollat Cabernet Sauvignon
Original Price: $40 (Some places in the country have it listed for close to $50)
Special Bottle Price: $29
Wine Advocate 90+: “The 2005 Rollat Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new French oak. Purple-colored, it exhibits aromas of cedar, pencil lead, spice box, black cherry, and black currant. Made in an elegant, seamless style, the wine has excellent grip, fine depth, and a lingering, fruit-filled finish. Allow 2-3 years in the cellar and drink it from 2012 to 2020.” Chateau Rollat has hired as a consulting winemaker the famous Christian LeSommer. He is the consulting manager at Domaines de Barons Rothschild. Christian was also general manager and wine master at Chateau d’yqeum and Chateau Latour for ten years.
$42 a bottle or a 6-pack for $240 with free ground shipping.
I don’t know if officially I can call this a NW Syrah, but the wine is worth mentioning here. In short, Big Table Farm has a farm in Gaston and makes wine in the nearby town of Amity. Though they do produce an Oregon Pinot Noir, this syrah is a produced from one of my favorite Syrah vineyards in California. The vineyard is White Hawk located in Santa Barbara. The grapes are picked and transported to the Willamette Valley in a refrigerated truck. The wine was made by creating two lots; one completely destemmed and the other being 75% whole cluster. The spent just over 20 months in barrel. The wine shows intense dark fruits, black pepper, and great balance with it’s acidity. A great spring wine to have with grilled lamb or bbq steak. Priced at $42 a bottle or 6-packs for $240 with free ground shipping. 175 Cases made.
One should also note the detail that went into making the label for these wines. The label art was drawn by Clare. The labels are made by using a letterpress printer, made sheet by sheet, and then cut by hand (http://www.texturaprinting.com/) Because of this, all bottles are wrapped in tissue to protect the artwork.
Everyone should note that Big Table Farm is an acutally farm. They raise pigs, cows, and chickens. They have a goal of creating a sustainable farm that integrates all aspects of farm life including the making of wines. Check out Clare’s Blog at http://www.oregonfarm.blogspot.com/
Corvidae is a new wine project of Owen Roe. After a recent purchase of additional acreage in Yakima Valley, a new line of wines have been developed. Though, there are three wines from Corvidae being released, I have chosen to focus on the syrah. The wine is made of 96% Syrah and 4% Grenache, the vineyard sources are Erickson and Six Prong Vineyard.
The wine is dark and inky, while showing a great texture. The wine has layers of dark fruit, while maintaining a syrah spice and toasty notes. A great wine to enjoy by the case and have at every spring/summer BBQ.
Bottle: $12.75
Special Case: $124 ($10.33 a bottle)
Starting with the 2003 vintage Guardian Cellars was launched with only 2 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon. The next year two other wines were added. One being the 2004 Gun Metal that was a stample of Mark Ryan’s own wines. The same level of quality continues in this new project, with the 2005 vintage being named #25 on the Top 100 Wines of the Northwest published by Paul Gregutt of the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine and Wine Enthusiast. Both this wine, the 2005 Guardian Cellars Gun Metal, and the 2006 Guardian Cellars Syrah are being offered from Garrison’s Fine Wines for the first time.
2005 Gun Metal, 70% new French Oak, 20 Months in barrel, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, & 9% Cabernet Franc, $34
Winemaker’s Note: Our 2005 Gun Metal is a fruit bomb of black cherry, marionberry and plum. A hefty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine pairs well with food (our personal favorite pairings include: steak, guacamole, pizza, Doritos…) and is delicious on its own. The nose on our 2005 Gun Metal is redolent of ripe black cherry, licorice, vanilla and mocha.
2006 Syrah, 60% new French Oak, 15 months in barrel, 2% co-fermented Viognier, $29.50
Winemaker’s Note: The nose has hints of spice and meaty aromas mingling with the blackberry. The palette is full of blueberry and bramble fruits with a touch of spice on the finish. The tannins are firm and will allow some aging with this wine.
Even though Delille Cellars is known for their Cabernet and Bordeaux blends. They have a sister label called Doyenne. A great new release from them is the 2006 Metier Rouge. At a recent Washington tasting this wine stole the show. Though it has not yet been reviewed by the critics, it surely will not be available once any score is documented. This wine is very limited, only four cases came to the state.
This is there attempt at making a Chateauneuf du Pape blend, coming in at 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah.
Below you will find the winery’s notes.
“This wine, our version of a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-styled blend, has dark-hued red fruits, herbes de provence, blackberry leaf, and peppercorns on its perfumed nose. The palate is balanced, juicy, and rather hedonistic, like a fresh black raspberry pie. Fleshy and delicious, this is a great wine for a great meal, but would be equally at home at a picnic with roasted chicken and rosemary potatoes.”
2006 Waters Interlude $27When I first tried this wine, I would not have guessed that it was a majority Merlot. I loved the darkness that this wine showed initially, along with being very balanced and having a long finish. The wine is made up of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc; which is then from nine different vineyards. Year in and year out the blend will change, but I do definitely enjoy the 2006 more than the 2005. Waters Winery Winemaking Notes:“The aromatics and flavors in this wine are nearly identical (a byproduct of natural balance) – cherries, currants and pomegranate are combined with herbal notes of anise, black licorice and dusty earth. The fruit lingers for several minutes inside an especially long finish. While it’s made to be approachable upon release, there are so many layers in this wine that we can’t help but think it will evolve beautifully over many years.”
This is the first release from the brand new winery Biggio Hamina Cellars. Todd Hamina, the winemaker, is not new to wine-making. He spent about four years at Patton Valley and the last two at Mayasara, ending his term there with the 2006 Pinot Noir. This Pinot Blanc is the first of a series of wines to be released this year. While I have been hesitant to add new white wines to the store during winter, I could not help myself after trying this wine. This is a nice, dry and crisp Pinot Blanc that will just get better over the next 8 months in bottle. Please do not serve it too cold, I have found this to get better as it warmed from the refrigerator cold. Cost: $16 (Limited to about 200 cases and should be sold out before spring)
