King Estate Winery
To say we were surprised by what we found when we visited King Estate Winery at the southern end of the Willamette Valley would be a massive understatement. We suppose the name itself should have been a dead giveaway but as we drove from downtown Eugene via roads that took us through largely rural farmland, we were almost stopped in our tracks when we turned the last corner to see an enormous chateau sitting atop a hill surrounded by hundreds of acres of vines.
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In 2004, Rex Pickett wrote Sideways, a novel telling the tale of two friends, Miles and Jack, that go on a road trip together through Santa Barbara’s wine country prior to Jack’s pending marriage. Six years later, the hotly anticipated sequel “Vertical: Passion & the Pinot” was released. Just last year it was re-edited, illustrations were added, and the book re-released by Loose Gravel Press.
The DDO vineyards on a cool March day.
History is, of course, an important subject and shapes much of the present in so many endeavours. But in the wine world, we have learned, history plays an even more important role than in most fields. Perhaps that is because making fine wine is more art than science. The art of making wine has history very much at its foundations: it is passed down from generation to generation, very often within the same family. Such is the case of Burgundy’s Drouhin family, who first began in the wine business 137 years ago in Beaune when Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded. It did not take long for this domaine to prosper and successive generations of Drouhins took it from strength to strength. Today Maison Joseph Drouhin is a Burgundy powerhouse; a domaine that it has grown to become a significant business in the area and one that also holds some of the best vineyard lands and produces some of Burgundy’s top wines.
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2006 Bergstrom Vineyard Pinot Noir
Dark red in colour and showing some slight age on the rim. Wonderful floral aromatics combined with black cherry and cranberry on the nose. The palate also revealed dark fruits and kirsch along secondary notes of baking spice and earth. A lovely velvety mouthfeel, with an equally lovely long finish, this wine is in perfect balance and drinking at its peak. A wonderful example of why Oregon Pinot Noir is among the world’s best.
Excellent
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2006 Amalie Robert Amalie’s Cuvée Pinot Noir
Absolutely delicious. Fully mature at ten years old but not yet fading. Wonderfully complex with notes of red cherry, cranberry, earth, pepper and vanilla. Medium in body, this wine is soft and smooth but with just enough structure to keep it well in balance. A beautiful example of why Oregon Pinot Noir has such a great reputation.
Excellent +
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