A new neighbor who has rapidly become a close friend invited us over last weekend to taste a few wines with Andy McVay, a family friend and the winemaker at Dobbes Family Winery in Dundee, Oregon, which I was previously familiar with and impressed by.
We began with:
2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Grüner Veltliner
From the half acre Elton Vineyard, and one of only 15 Gruners made in Oregon in this vintage. Pale, delicate, and pretty; not dilute but you have to lean into it to capture the light aromas of lemon blossom and sweet peas. Crystalline acidity. This bottle set off a side conversation about what's going on with this company which has been selling ownership shares for a couple years now (I got another solicitation just last week). I, and most of you, would at best be only familiar with their lower end stuff which ends up at Costco--rather vapid and unthrilling versions of chardonnay and pinot noir, but Andy says they're doing good things with some higher end winery-only stuff and this Gruner was certainly encouraging in that regard. They have been buying up some smaller wineries and adding vineyards, and on the planning sheets for the coming years are five restaurants. Interesting news, though good or bad I can't tell.
Next I went uber-geek with this one:
2016 Zorah Voski Vayots Dzor White Blend
From vineyards at 4500 ft elevation on Mt. Ararat in Armenia. Dry pippin apple and pear with slatey, autumn dry leaf notes plus a gush of that earthy smell that comes in front of incoming rain. This bottle spent over a year on a retail shelf and is more forward than the earlier bottles purchased but nonetheless captures that Chablis-like character I find so remarkable in a non-Chardonnay.
Then Holly opened:
2015 Syre Farm Mad Ang, Puget Sound appellation
Holly just invested in some artwork from the Syre gallery and was gifted this very local wine made from Madeline Angevine. On the nose and palate, a most intriguiging blend of fennel and Gewurzish gingery flavor that Andy called "bitter", which for me is a new way of looking at spicy flavors. Big mid-palate with a drier finish than one predicts at first sip. It's a grape that buds late and ripens early so it does well here even though it remains relatively unknown to the general public, and is widely thought of as German or Swiss in origins. Was a big surprise, then, to read on the label that it's origins are in the Loire Valley. Doesn't seem right.
At about this moment we all realized we were hungry and I volunteered to cook dinner for everyone at my house, so we moved en masse to Chez J where Andy opened this amazeball:
2016 The Eyrie Vineyards Melon de Bourgogne Dundee Hills
A very serious, very substantive Melon unlike any I've ever had--but wish I'd had all along. Citrus nose with a hint of seaspray and something very lightly floral. All repeat on the palate where concentrated quince-like fruit is softened and lengthened by pear and a dash of ginger ale. Unexpected palate weight and intellectual engagement for an American white. Only 12% alc. Stunning, just stunning.
To go with the salmon I was roasting I offered Andy the run of my cellar to choose some dinner wines. Because he's actually considering some William Selyem clones for his vineyards he jumped at the chance to taste a few, so we opened:
2016 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard Anderson Valley
PnP'd. Robust dark cherry fruit showing earthy vanilla and bright, concentrated elegance, a real mouthful that will age very well. Good Anderson cool-climate acidity but not at all lean or needy.
2015 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
PnP'd. Interesting to drink after the '16 WS Ferrington. Was afraid it would show more alcohol but it didn't, just a sweeter, darker fruit closer to marionberry with the more overt Russian River spice. Great showing.