“ From the Anderson to the Willamette Valley” 

On Sunday November 21^st 2004 I drove down Castro, San Francisco as the sun was rising, at the start of a week long tour of the Pacific Northwest Wine growing areas, for me compromising the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, 200 miles north of the Bay area, the Willamette Valley in the heart of Oregon Wine Growing country and on the return journey the Ukiah region of Mendocino County.  

Two hours north of the magnificent Golden gate Bridge (I always marvel at this beautiful piece of engineering) I turned west on the 128 heading for the pine trees and sublime coastline of Mendocino. Given its distance from the bay area, it remains beautifully peaceful unlike the overrun Napa and increasingly busy Sanoma Valley, that are a day trippers paradise from the bay area. “Sideways” I am not! 

My first port of call happens to be a small appellation newly created called the Yorkville Highlands, adjacent to the Anderson valley. Yorkville cellars, a family run winery, offer all seven of the varietals traditionally grown in Bordeaux. I tasted a crisp 2002 Sauvignon blanc, which still needed more time in the bottle before drinking ( a good sign) and a beautifully nutty 2002 Eleanor of Aquitaine ( Semillon-Sauvignon blend). Other highlights included the 2001 Cabernet Franc (chilli and orange zesty, newly released, great with mallard) a sublime 2001 Malbec (sold out and I can see why) a 2000 Merlot, a 2001 Petit Verdot (Single vineyard and unique since there are less than 700 acres of this planted in  California) and a new release of the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, very light and refreshing with black cherry undertones. Chuffed to bits with this find I marched on earnestly to the Anderson, 20 miles further west. 

In Anderson the highlights for me were Husch vineyards and Lazy Creek. Small is beautiful. My philosophy of focusing on family run, friendly, hand pruned and picked grapes, is the way forward. 

At Husch, third generation German family, I tasted their 2003 Gewurztraminer, 2003 Chenin blanc, 2002 Carignane ( a most complex wine and wonderfully soft grape, origins in Cahor, on the Lot and Garonne rivers, close to the Massif Central.) This grape is normally used for filling out a wine, and is bold, black and sometimes harsh. This is completely opposite: soft, ruby and affectionate. A winner beyond most other wines I have tasted this year. I also tasted a rhubarby 2002 Pinot Noir, 13.9% alcohol, yet soft and alluring. Lazy creek, attractive from the outset due to its approach down a dirt track and through dense wood, lived up to its relaxed, friendly name. Mary Beth, wife of the winemaker, Josh, ran me through the hand-made wines in the converted barn with 2 large Alsace oak barrels used for the 2004 Gewurtztraminer. These are square in shape, about 10 times the size of a normal oak barrel and incredibly impressive in their own right. 

Here I tasted the 2003 Gewurtz, soft and floral from a Magnum, a rose of pinot noir, a 2003 Riesling of a quality I have not tasted outside of Alsace ( that includes all my travels through Australia in 1999-2000), and a 2002 Pinot, again from a magnum.  Lazy creek wines are not inexpensive, but they have a quality and cutting edge that I loved, especially in juxtaposition to the name.  

From here, happy and content, I drove to Mendocino on this most alluring of coasts, rejoined the Pacific Coast Road, Route 1. This is one of the top coastal routes in the world, stretching from Los Angeles all the way up the west coast, but occasionally ambushed by the 101. It is a windy way north here in northern California but worth the extra 18 hours travel time. I watched the sun come up over Claim beach north of Eureka, drove all morning stopping at various coves like Trinidad before entering the Redwood National park and Oregon State. Late afternoon I turned inland along route 38, past a new wine area called Umpqua, that I have intentions of visiting in 2005. 

On a cold and misty morning, I crossed the Willamette River on the Wheat Sheaf Ferry just east of Brooks and entered the North Willamette wine growing area. A lasting memory will always be the rich golden and copper wilted vines suffocated by the clinging mist and dew. I felt this area had not changed in 50 years and indeed it has a presence and beauty untouched. This is the home of Pinot noir of the future. The first visit was with Amity, the Huckleberry Fin, long bearded character of Myron Redford welcomed me to his winery, where he first started planting grapes in 1971. I came here since I have been searching for a good Gamay outside of Chenas for the last 8 years (since magnums of 1989 Chenas on my 30^th Birthday in Arran) and on tasting 2004, out of the tank Gamay, I am pleased to say my search has come to a happy, grinding halt. Soft and juicy now, crushed whole clustered fruit, it will be released June 1^st 2005. Can’t wait. 

I ended up staying here for almost 3 hours, consumed by Myron’s knowledge and passion. It soon became apparent to me that this is an area that excels in Pinot Noir (if not indicated assume the following are Pinot Noir) 

Gewurtztraminer 2001- 375 ml- aging well and still full and developing that oily finish

Shouten Vineyard, Pinot noir, Shale soil, 14.5% soft and subtle,

Yamhill Vineyard from Amity Estate, 2002, from vines planted in 1971, leathery, in for the long haul.

Sunnyside Vineyard 2002, newly released, 16% alcohol yet bitter chocolate, intensely soft finish, bought a bottle and shared with friends on Thanksgiving Day in Seattle, with Turkey and all the trimmings…magnificent. 

Realising I was late for me next appointment I sped back down the hill, crawled frustratingly through Amity at 20 mph, the speed limit in small towns in Oregon, and headed 20 miles north to Yamhill and Willakenzie. Unlike other wine regions there was a refreshing, “ we’re all friends” attitude here. Myron had rang ahead, I found out later, to both my appointments to say I was running late. How refreshing I thought. 

Willakenzie Estate, a larger concern takes Pinot Noir very seriously. As of 2004 100% Estate grown wines, owned by Bernard Lacroute, a Silicon valley dot com entrepeneur with a passion for Pinot. Here I tasted 7 different Pinots, all totally different due to that sacred Burgundy ideal: terroir. Aliette was a Pommard vine, named after Bernards Mother. Pierre Leon, more masculine in style and named after his father. Kiana, named after their Granddaughter, is a “Pretty” wine, according to the winemaker Thibault. This together with the Terres Basses and Triple Block, were for me the winners. Pinot needs to have quality, softness and intensity and these wines have this in abundance. I was so excited to have discovered such amazing wines. They also make a superb Pinot Gris 2003, that I think will sell very well here in the UK restaurant market. 

Five miles south, I find my last port of call, Cuneo Cellars at Carlton. I had read that their Italian varietals were extremely good, so a visit here, in the home of pinot, I thought would make an exciting addition to the “ Whirly Tour”. I was not to be disappointed. I tasted their 2003 Nebbiolo, 2002 Bricco and 2002 Sangiovese. yt 14.2%, 15.4% and 15.5% Alcohol respectively I was worried about my palate being completely bullied, not to mention the fact that I was driving to Seattle that night. I was completely surprised by their depth and subtlety and as with the two other vineyards here in Oregon see a place for them in the wine racks and on the tables in some of the better restaurant and boutique hotels that the United Kingdom has to offer. 

We are returning to Mendocino in late 2005 to spend time with the winemakers and see how the wine is made, so that we can pass this invaluable knowledge onto yourselves.

Simon Newson
Whirly Wine