Ceci n'est pas un Pinot

Magritte's famous La Trahison des Images or Treachery of Images

The Willamette Valley of Oregon has crafted a global reputation for its Pinot Noir. A wine and a style launched out of Oregon's mist covered valley in the 1970s. Pinot Noirs with elegance and refinement, yet a freshness of fruit which has always been the signature of Oregon Pinot Noir. There is certainly no region in America that is more identified with one grape variety the way Oregon is with Pinot.

The region though is diversifying. As the wineries now number more than five hundred; tasting rooms have had to wrestle with the fact that some people (lunatics if you ask me) don't drink red wine, and so the region started first with Pinot Gris, but have come to land on a few white varieties, and their Chardonnay is showing the world class pedigree that the Pinot Noir has come to be known for. There is Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Blanc as well.

Winemakers have also pushed beyond Pinot Noir in terms of red varietal wines, there is Gamay of course, and Pinot Meunier, but were also seeing a new range of red wines that are more often associated with Washington state, a much warmer wine growing region (the Gorge aside). Southern Oregon certainly has more in common with certain California regions, or Washington and has become somewhat associated with Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec and more obscure varieties like Tannat. There are a few wineries that make the case beyond Pinot Noir and a strong case at that.

2014 Apolloni Vineyards Estate Nebbiolo, Willamette Valley Oregon $34
Apolloni Vineyards is in the northern reaches of the Willamette Valley in Forest Grove. They planted these Nebbiolo vines in 2005 and produce this wine in very small lots, less than 100 cases. If you're not familiar with the northern Italian region of Piedmont and tend to see yourself as an American wine drinker, this could be a bit of a gateway wine into the variety, and perhaps that region. If you're a fan of the elegant Nebbiolos of the Langhe, you'll find something you like here. Aromas of dried violets and dried fig, along with a note of espresso bean. Flavors balance sturdy structure with a bit of refinement, blue fruits, and earth. The acid is ample and the structure seems like the Nebbiolo we all know.  A very pleasant surprise.

2015 Helioterra Willamette Valley Syrah, Dion Vineyard $30
Anne Hubatch makes her wine in Portland from a litany of Willamette Valley vineyards both well known and less so. Additionally Anne makes a fair number of Washington Syrahs, both Columbia Valley designated wines, and single vineyards. The Dion Vineyard Syrah is an homage to the cool climate potential of this grape. Only a tad of it is planted in this Chehalem Mountain vineyard, and if you know this region you know that this northern end of the valley is cooler than most of it. This is an ultra elegant endeavor with a structure to spare. Floral and dried fruit aromas, sappy black fruit flavors underscore what is a layered, lush and fresh wine. Though one loaded with complexity, hints at smoke as well.

Cool climate Syrahs are on the rise in the Willamette (though they'll never challenge Pinot's dominance) and this wine shows why that's a smart play. From Anne Hubatch the winemaker: "I do believe that Syrah shows promise in the Willamette Valley. I have been working with this fruit from Dion Vineyard since 2013 and it has been lovely every year. No problems with ripening at all. Their site has four different clones of Syrah planted - this wine is a field blend of all four.

I love the more savory and wild flavors that come from cool climate Syrah. Mine really emphasizes the white pepper notes we are used to seeing from Northern Rhone. Other cool climate reds that show promise are Gamay, Tempranillo, and Trousseau." 

Going Rogue

For most of the Willamette's wineries that want to produce Oregon red wines beyond Pinot, the easier play is to look south to the Rogue Valley which produces world class Syrah, along with Tempranillo, and some Grenache. It is the most common Oregon Syrah that you'll come across, aside from the ones that everyone thinks is from Washington (The Rocks AVA of Milton-Freewater).

2015 Youngberg Hill Oregon Syrah, Rogue Valley $40

The highly perched McMinnville producer makes a Syrah out of the south and the Applegate Valley AVA's Daisy Creek Vineyard. It's black, inky and robust, loaded with fine grain tannin, ripe, redolent black cherry, spicy pepper accents the full body, mouth coating finish on what is a more masculine (than its northern neighbor), but very pretty Syrah.  

2015 Penner Ash Oregon Syrah $36
This is a true sampling Syrah from a myriad of Oregon vineyards. Fruit from both the southern Rogue Valley as well as the much cooler sites of the Columbia River Gorge (which can be even cooler than the Willamette Valley itself). This wine is awfully pretty and accented with some aromatics of new French oak, creme brulee, blackberry and spice. The palate is mostly fruit forward, there are hints of turned earth mixed with with ripe blackberry and sweet blue fruit flavors. This fills up your palate and coats the mouth for quite a long finish.