Exploring Variety in Oregon Wine

Before the Covid-19 pandemic descended upon us, I had planned to visit the Willamette Valley wine region of Oregon in 2020 in order to explore the wineries in that region. But alas, that didn’t happen. So, when I had an opportunity to join a virtual masterclass and tasting called Unexplored Oregon I leapt at the opportunity.

Although California gets most of the attention in terms of wine production in the US, Oregon is the region I’m most excited about these days. Why? Because I’m a bit of a wine nerd and I love what I see happening there.

Many of the wineries are fairly small, with 70% of Oregon wineries producing less than 5,000 cases of wine annually. That means Oregon has a good amount of small production wines, each with unique character.

Most of the vineyards in Oregon are organic and many of them are biodynamic. In fact, 52% of the certified biodynamic vineyards in the US are located in Oregon. The predominant approach to winemaking in Oregon is non-intervention. In other words, produce wines as naturally as possible rather than manipulating them in the lab. What’s not to love about that?

There’s also no shortage of variety in Oregon wine, which may be surprising to some people. They have amazing cool climate regions with a maritime influence, such as the Willamette Valley. They also have warm, high elevation vineyards in areas like Southern Oregon and Walla Walla, which is often associated with Washington State but does cross the border into Oregon. The soils are even more varied, with everything from volcanic to granite to silt, clay, loam, sandstone, basalt and the list goes on. All of these variables provide a wide range of possibilities when it comes to wine.

While you may know of Oregon for their Pinot Noir, there’s plenty of variety in grape varieties too. All of those different climates and soils lead wine producers to experiment with different grape varieties, suited to the unique conditions of each region and sub-region, each climate and micro-climate, each vineyard and plots within those vineyards. Discovering some of the varieties being produced in Oregon was one thing that interested me about the Unexplored Oregon tasting.

Exploring Oregon Wine

The tasting was done blind through the Master the World platform prior to the masterclass. I’ve written about Master the World previously and highly recommend checking it out if you’re interested in improving your wine tasting knowledge and abilities. The Unexplored Oregon masterclass was lead by Master of Wine, Bree Stock.

A quick disclaimer before I get into the details about the wines from this tasting: All of the wines featured in this tasting are priced above my typical $25 max price for what I feature on this site. That said, some of the producers listed below offer other wines below that price point and there are literally hundreds of other producers in Oregon to explore. These wines were provided to me as a media sample for this tasting.

I typically seek out unique, high quality wines but I’m also a cheapskate, always looking for a deal. While you can certainly find some pricey wines in Oregon, there are plenty of good deals to be found too and the quality-to-price ratio (QPR) tends to be pretty darn good in Oregon. The average price for a bottle of Oregon wine in 2019 was $16.41, which is quite reasonable.

Really what I’m trying to highlight in this article is the variety of what can be found in Oregon. Therefore, don’t be scared off by the prices of these specific wines but be inspired to find other, similar Oregon wines at a lower price point if these are too steep for your budget. This is more about the exploration than these specific wines.

Walter Scott, Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay, 2018

Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 13%
Retail price: $65.00

This wine truly showcases what’s possible from Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay. This region is only 45 miles from the coast, resulting in a strong maritime influence and cool nighttime temperatures. The soil, which is comprised of volcanic and rocks, also has a strong influence on this wine. And talk about small production, the vineyard for this Chardonnay is only 1.7 acres, situated with due southeast exposure for good sunlight throughout the day.

It’s well made too. It’s fairly low alcohol level, at only 13%. Although the wine was fermented and aged in 500 and 350-liter oak barrels for 12 months, the oak character is restrained in the wine. It’s a beautiful wine.

• Aromas: Meyer lemon, nectarine, orange blossom, pineapple and bay leaf.
• Flavors: Nectarine, lemon, pear and salty minerals.
• Acidity: Stellar.
• Mouthfeel: Lean and tart.
• Finish: Long with lingering citrus and saline flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 94

David Hill Vineyards & Winery, Winemakers Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2019

Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2019
Alcohol: 13.1%
Retail price: $50.00

Pinot Noir is the most planted grape in Oregon, accounting for over 50% of the planted acreage. This one is from the Tualatin Hills AVA in the Willamette Valley, which was just granted AVA status in 2020. This is a region where warm winds come from inland Oregon in the mornings until about 2PM every day, when the winds shift westward, bringing cool Pacific air. The diurnal shift is often around 35° F, which helps the grapes develop amazing acidity.

It is a very aromatic wine, with vibrant raspberry and rose fragrances. There’s also a graphite characteristic to the aromas, which comes from the soil in this vineyard and is something that Master Sommeliers look for to identify the origin. That’s an example of the unique qualities you can get from small production, single vineyard wines and the type of thing I love to experience.

• Aromas: Red raspberry, rose, black cherry, thyme, cured meat and graphite.
• Flavors: Red and black raspberry, black cherry, mushroom.
• Acidity: Stellar.
• Mouthfeel: Lean and tart with medium body.
• Finish: Long with lingering tart berry flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 93

Analemma, Mosier Hills Estate Grenache, 2018

Varieties: 100% Grenache
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 13.5%
Retail price: $42.00

This Grenache comes from the Columbia Gorge AVA, which straddles the Columbia River and includes territory in both Oregon and Washington. If you look at the topography of the region, you’ll see that there are a lot of mountains around here but the Columbia Gorge is one of the few gaps in those mountains, which results in wind funneling through the region. That results in cool Pacific winds flowing through here throughout the summer months. But that’s not the full story for this region. The conditions are diverse for vineyards in this AVA with significant differences in elevation, soil type and rain volumes across the region. The climate is transitional in this region, from cool and wet in the western regions of the AVA to dry and warmer in the eastern part.

The Analemma Mosier Hills vineyard is located in a transitional part of that west to east range and as such, they’ve taken inspiration from similar transitional wine regions in the world with their selection of grape varieties. One of the regions that inspired their choices is Galicia in northwestern Spain, hence they have a number of Spanish varieties, like this Grenache.

The winemaking process for this wine is one that catches my fancy. It was fermented in open top stainless steel tanks, with 35% whole cluster, which allows the stems to contribute to the tannins and structure in the wine. It was aged for 15 months in concrete egg and neutral oak.

The result is an amazingly aromatic wine, offering perfumed violet, lavender and fresh red berry aromatics. It’s very elegant and fresh tasting.

• Aromas: Violet, lavender, red raspberry, strawberry and dark leafy greens.
• Flavors: Fresh red raspberry, strawberry, dried herbs and mushroom.
• Acidity: Very good.
• Mouthfeel: Very smooth.
• Finish: Medium-long with ripe berry and herb flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 91

HillCrest Vineyard Malbec, 2013

Varieties: 100% Malbec
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol: 13.9%
Retail price: $49.00

HillCrest in the Umpqua Valley, at the northern part of Southern Oregon, is the origin of this Malbec. HillCrest is the oldest post-prohibition winery in Oregon and the vines for this Malbec are 65 years old. Would you even have guessed that Malbec is produced in Oregon?

The Umpqua Valley is yet another maritime-influenced region and another region with a lot of diversity, particularly when it comes to soil types and grape types. There are 82 different wine grape varieties being grown in the Umpqua Valley. This is also where the greatest diurnal shift in America can be found.

This wine is produced with an old world approach. You might have noticed the vintage here is 2013, but you might be surprised to learn that five of those years were ageing done pre-bottling. The wine was left on the skins for an extended maceration, pressed, aged in 10 wooden barrels, two of which were previously used, then it’s aged for two years in tank before bottling.

The wine has an really nice balance of rich fruit and earthy, herbal characteristics. It’s very elegant.

• Aromas: Licorice, dried cherry, blackberry, tobacco, smoke and coffee.
• Flavors: Blackberry, dried cherry, boysenberry, coffee, and mushroom.
• Acidity: Medium.
• Mouthfeel: Rich and smooth.
• Finish: Medium length with dried berry, tea and mineral flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 90

Valcan Cellars, Syrah, 2015

Varieties: 100% Syrah
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 14.3%
Retail price: $30.00

This wine comes from the Rogue Valley AVA, which is the southernmost wine region in Oregon, just north of the border to California. Yet again, there’s a good amount of variety even within this AVA with warmer temperatures to the east and cooler temperatures to the west. Soil types also vary throughout the AVA.

The vineyard where the grapes for this Syrah were grown is in the north, central part of the Rogue Valley. The soils are mostly clay and have higher potassium levels than some other parts of the Rogue Valley, which helps balance out the acidity — which tends to be high in this region.

The wine has an really nice balance of rich fruit and earthy, herbal characteristics. It’s very elegant.

• Aromas: Blackberry, cherry, black pepper, rose, tobacco, forest floor and cured meat.
• Flavors: Blackberry, cherry, black olive, cola, prune and sun-dried tomato.
• Acidity: Medium plus.
• Mouthfeel: Astringent with tannins.
• Finish: Long with lingering dried berry and spice flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 91

Rasa Vineyards, Veritas Sequitur Syrah, 2016

Varieties: 100% Syrah
Vintage: 2016
Alcohol: 14.4%
Retail price: $115.00

The last wine is another Syrah, this one from the Walla Walla AVA. This is an interesting AVA because most of the vineyards are in Oregon, but most of the wine production facilities are in Washington, which complicates designations.

The vineyard for this wine is in a fascinating area called the Rocks District. It’s named based on the basalt cobblestone rock bed that covers the region and it might be the only AVA in the world with only one soil type. The boundaries were mapped out by a geologist based on this soil. If you’re familiar with the “galets roules” of Chateaunuef-du-Pape, this is similar — although the rock bed there is an average of 3′-4′ deep while the rock bed in the Rocks District is an average of 70′ deep!

This rock bed results in soil that drains quickly, which puts the vines under a stress that intensifies the aromatics and flavors in the grapes.

The winemaking is 100% whole cluster and 100% natural fermentation. The wine was punched down by hand 3 times daily during macerations and fermentation. It spent 30 months in new French oak.

It’s an absolutely amazing wine. For $115 per bottle, it better be. It’s very aromatic with rich blackberry and black plum fruit, white pepper, tomato leaf and leather spices. The structure is outstanding.

• Aromas: Blackberry, black plum, white pepper, tomato leaf and leather.
• Flavors: Blackberry, black plum, black cherry, black olive, chocolate and soy sauce.
• Acidity: Medium plus.
• Mouthfeel: Astringent with silky tannins.
• Finish: Long with lingering dark fruit, leather and mineral flavors.
• Cheap Wine Ratings score: 95

Should you want to watch the full virtual masterclass about Oregon wine regions and these wines specifically, you can do so here: