Dundee Hill/Williamette Valley suggestions?

S

SteveTimko

Steve Timko
I'm going to go to Four Graces, Archery Summit and Stoller on Friday morning (the first two open at 10 a.m. and Stoller just plain rocks). Any other suggestions for another winery to hit in the Dundee Hills area before I head up to Seattle? Any suggestions for must visit Washington wineries or other places in the Willamette (rhymes with dammit) Valley?
Beaux Freres is in the area. They didn't answer their phone this morning and they haven't responded to my request for an appointment.
They're organic. Interesting.
 
I really like McKinlay and especially Belle Pente.

I've never been to Cameron or Thomas, but like the wines.

I wouldn't bother with Archery Summit, but that's me.
 
McKinlay looks interesting, but it's not open to the public and they don't take appointments. Do you know a secret handshake or something, Nathan?
I was going to Archery Summit because it was open early. I got an appointment at Beaux Freres, so I can blow that one off easily if it's not that good.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Personally, I'd try to get into St. Innocent and/or Domaine Drouhin.
Click to expand...

Jay,
St. I. is in Salem, not the Dundee Hills, or do you know of a second location for them? (Agree re the wines, though)

Mark Lipton
 
Oddly enough, Serge was bitching on the CellarTracker! forums that St. Innocent was way over oaked. Might be interesting to check them out. I like their wines. Or at least I did in the past.
I confess, I don't get Drouhin.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Personally, I'd try to get into St. Innocent and/or Domaine Drouhin.
Click to expand...

I'd concur about Domaine Drouhin Oregon. We had a nice (and small - just four people total) tour and tasting there. The tour guide was knowledgeable and interesting. DDO is not far from Archery Summit. I'd concur with VLM on Archery Summit; the wines aren't to my taste, and the tour we had there was a fairly large group led by a presenter with a canned routine. Couldn't get any information that wasn't already in the presentation.

Between DDO and Archery Summit is DePonte. They grow and make wine from Melon de Bougogne. It's fatter and less focused than most of the Muscadet I've had, but it was interesting to try the wine.
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
Beaux FreresI've got an appointment for Beaux Freres, by the way.
Click to expand...

My condolences, Steve. Although not properly in the Dundee Hills, I like Chehalem for the people and the wines (and they are connected to Stoller). And if you go to Belle Pente in Carlton, there's also the Carlton Winemakers Studio, featuring a number of smaller producers including Hamacher, and Scott Paul.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by SteveTimko:
Beaux FreresI've got an appointment for Beaux Freres, by the way.
Click to expand...

My condolences, Steve. Although not properly in the Dundee Hills, I like Chehalem for the people and the wines (and they are connected to Stoller). And if you go to Belle Pente in Carlton, there's also the Carlton Winemakers Studio, featuring a number of smaller producers including Hamacher, and Scott Paul.

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

Maybe Carlton would be a place for me to hit on the way back.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Personally, I'd try to get into St. Innocent and/or Domaine Drouhin.
Click to expand...

Jay,
St. I. is in Salem, not the Dundee Hills, or do you know of a second location for them? (Agree re the wines, though)

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

Sorry, I knew they made wine from grapes in the Willamette valley, didn't know where their headquarters were. I knew they were building a new one though!
 
Chehalem has a new tasting room in Newberg which is worth a stop as Prof. Lipton has suggested. If you're going to Beaux Freres you might want to stop by Aramenta wich is also nearby in the Ribbon Ridge AVA...young vines but great potential IMO.
 
You should try to get into Belle Pente if possible. Brian makes some tasty Pinot as well as some of the best whites in Oregon.

Cameron and Thomas both make very nice wines, but you'll probably have to know someone to get in on short notice.

Call me a shill (the distributor I work for carries the wines), but some of the White Rose Vineyard Pinots are really nice, too.

Unfortunately, at almost all of these places you'll probably be tasting the 2006s, which are a bit soft, alcoholic and jammy for my taste.

Marshall
 
Steve,
They do several varieties and are certainly known for their pinots but I'd pay special attention to the riesling, if they still make it.
Best, Jim
 
Their Web site says they have the 2005 and 2006 but lost their source after that. The 2005 is bone dry, which I won't like, but the 2006 sounds promising.
 
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