Cameron Winery -- sustainably farmed, non-irrigated, Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay

November has become Cameron’s traditional month for initial release of our “Vin creme de la creme” (i.e., the good stuff). It is at this time that you can taste and Purchase our best Chardonnav and Pinot noir. Often these wines are not generally released to the trade until the following Spring or Summer (unless we are feeling desperate) and so may not be widely available until those later dates. This time around we will be showing Abbey Ridge Pinot noirs from 1987, 1988 and 1989. The first two are in very limited quantities. We will also be releasing our 1989 Reserve Chardonnay, a wine riot to be passed up. You can taste these wines on:

November 23 and 24 from 2 to 5 Pm

at the winery in Dundee. Please note that the tasting will be short and therefore sweet, leaving you and us in a great mood!!

Abbey Ridge Pinot Noir

It is no secret that Abbey Ridge produces some of the best wine in Oregon. Cameron Winery has been fortunate to get a significant share of the crop. Over the years we have become familiar with various nuances and attributes of different sections of the vineyard. We have adapted our methodology to accommodate these observations and the wines seem to keep improving as a result. Tasting 3 different vintages from this fascinating vineyard promises to be an educational event. All 3 wines clearly show the mark of the vinevard while exhibiting differences of the vintage. If one tastes from 1989 to 1987 the evolution of Pinot noir in the bottle can be easily seen. While the ’89 is clearly the best of the three (a reflection of differences in vintage), the type of aromas and nuances of structure in each are true to form for the respective age of each wine.

The wines thus evolve aromatically from ripe cherries, plums and earth undertones (1989) to a briary (raspbcrrv or blackberry) note and slightly dusty undertones (1988) to lavender and anise with some undertones of forest floor (1987). Mouth feel evolves from fat and full (1989) to showing a somewhat hard edge (1988) which starts to resolve itself in a somewhat silky texture (1987).

Reserve Chardonnay

It is no secret to those who know me that 1 cherish the wines of Lafon and Francois Jobard (neighbors. as it turns out, in the tiny Burgundian village of Meursault). For a number of years I have experimented with the Old-World methodology which they employ in making their wines-wines of finesse and length and which possess incredible aging potential. The technique is one of barrel fermentation. extensive contact with the lees (or sediment) (up to two years), a very cool cellar of relatively constant temperature and, of course, the proper grapes. What I have found is that only Chardonnay from my highest vineyards can be vinified successfully with this method (these are the grapes possessing highest natural acidities and the most austere qualities of aroma). In 1988 1 was ready to make my first Reserve category Chardonnay via this method. I never really had to “market” the resulting wine. People tried it and bought it and that was that (there wasn’t very much … there never will be very much since the vinevards from whence come these grapes are quite small). The 1989 Reserve Chardonnay is similar to the 1988 offering, it is slightly higher in alcohol and slightlv leaner. It is also still verv voung but I don’t advise waiting too long to get your hands on it; I only made 270 cases.