Portland Wine

A Blog for Clients, Customers, and Wine Geeks everywhere.

       We truly admire and trust many wine critics, but this month we encourage you to buck the trend and ignore the critics. In an age of vintage charts and shelf-talkers, finding the right wine can be a difficult task. Much of the wine-buying public defers to these professional palates that dictate their tastes to the masses. We think the critics sometimes miss the point. Good winemakers in underrated vintages can make sublime wines, Oregon’s 2007 vintage being the perfect example. The ’08 vintage has seen fanfare worthy of a Hollywood diva while the ’07’s have largely received shrugs and indifference. Our side-by-side tasting revealed the unique merits of each, and while the ’08’s have real age-ability, the ’07’s are classically subtle and elegant. In this heyday of over-the-top cocktaily reds that overwhelm food, a moderate-alcohol wine like this month’s ’07 Brooks Oregon Pinot becomes an increasingly rare treat that whispers Old World sensibility: Wine was made to be drunk with food. Listen, we also appreciate cocktail wines of 15%, but at the right time, and in the right place…which is not next to our dinner of grilled salmon. So, don’t just jump on the bandwagon—trust your own palate.
       I believe that farming in this way, by keeping the earth alive and the ecosystem intact, is the only way to really achieve that concept of terroir. ~ Jimi Brooks 1966–2004
       Jimi Brooks started Brooks Winery in 1998. He passed away in 2004, prematurely at the age of 38, but he left a philosophical legacy about winemaking and viticulture that family and friends carry on today by continuing the winery in his name and honor. Jimi believed “that the quality of any wine comes from the care taken in the vineyard.” His winemaking philosophy was simple: Balance in both the vineyard and the resulting wines, and only organic and biodynamic farming. His philosophy really speaks in the Brooks 2007 Janus vintage of Pinot Noir. We feel this month’s Oregon Pinot Noir will give you a great appreciation for the subtleties of this elegant-styled Pinot from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Though the ’07s came in a little leaner, it resulted in a classically styled vintage.
       Speaking of trends, the latest rage in the U.S. these days is “un-oaked” Chardonnay. This must be amusing to the French because in Chablis it’s always just been that way. Here, our palates were trained to adapt to over-oaked, tropical-fruity, buttery-style California Chards, but in recent years, folks have finally tired of this total manipulation of the grape and are now starting to appreciate what the Burgundians have known and loved all along: a flinty, pure, mineral expression (of the mineral-laden land) that only an un-oaked Chardonnay from Chablis can deliver. Our white this month is from Petit Chablis, the lower region of Chablis, where you can experience the same style of crisp, lean, and refreshing Chardonnay at a fraction of the cost of the Grand Crus. Enjoy with shellfish, chicken, and cream-sauced pasta.

Recipe of the Month
Alder- or Cedar-smoked Salmon
The Native Americans smoked their salmon on cedar or alder wood planks, and this tradition continues every year at the Oregon Pinot Noir Festival. Both of our selections this month will pair well with the salmon.
Ingredients:
Untreated cedar plank large enough to accommodate your fish lemon slices
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pat of butter Soy sauce to drizzle
Instructions:
Soak the untreated cedar or alder plank in water for 6 to 24 hours.
Preheat your outdoor grill for high heat. Place the plank on the grill and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 2–3 minutes, until dry. Remove the plank from the grill and adjust the grill settings for medium heat. Rub each fillet with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil and top with slices of lemon. Place the plank back on the grill at medium heat and cover the grill. Cook until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork at the thickest point. The exact cooking time will vary according to the thickness of your fillets. When fillet is almost done, brush with butter and drizzle soy sauce on top.

Wines

Frédéric Gueguen
Petit Chablis
100% Chardonnay
Region: Petit Chablis, France
Vintage: 2008
This wine comes from the low-lying areas of Chablis, the region of Petit Chablis, where the soil differs just slightly from its famous neighbor’s Grand Crus. It’s a great introduction for this type of “un-oaked” Chardonnay, which has many of the classic qualities, such as a floral aroma on the nose, a flinty-mineral palate and a crisp, tart lemon finish. Throw some oysters on the grill and enjoy! Organic.
Brooks
Janus
100% Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Vintage: 2007
Fear not the underrated ’07 Oregon Pinot Noirs. Though the ’08’s garnered all the hype, the ’07 vintage is what the original Oregon Pinot mavericks strived for. Bright, with good acidity and a soft cherry aroma, this lighter-style, elegant wine is true to its terroir without over-the-top extraction. The subtlety of this wine beckons to lighter fare such as chicken, grilled salmon, roast pork, and cream-sauced pastas.
Biodynamic.