During the weekend trip to the lakehouse, I decided to put together a double blind tasting for everybody. I wanted to find 4 wines that had similar characteristics that could be compared. The wines that we chose were:
A) '05 Archery Summit Winery Premier Cuvee
B) '05 Cristom Mt. Jeffersom Cuvee
C) '05 Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvee
D) '05 Lachini Estate
Each of the wines were 2005 vintage Pinot Noirs, with three of the four being cuvees. it was really interesting to see how differently the 6 people ranked the wines differently.
Rankings:
1st: AABCDB
2nd: BDCBAC
3rd: CCDACA
4th: DBADBD
No clear winner (or best) of the night. All the wines scored the same (giving 4 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, 1 for 4th), with the exception of the Cristom. That one had a funk to it that turned many of the tasters off (as shown with the 3 4th-place votes). The interesting thing is that no two people ranked the wines the same way, and that the one that a few people didn't like as much (Cristom), it was still ranked as both 1st and 2nd by two of the tasters.
Being able to taste these wines in this way was really insightful, as it eliminated any bias or preconceived notions the taster's might've had, and let the wines speak for themselves. The success of this tasting has be planning other blinds tastings already.
Some of the tasting notes written down during the tasting:
Lachini: red fruit, bits of blackberry, hints of charcoal, good mouthfeel, decent finish, earthy, smokey
SB: red fruit, hints of pepper, short & flat finish, light on palate, dies
ASW: the most tannic of the wines, almost chewy, fruit was hidden behind the level of tannins, would like to see this wine in another 8 years.
Cristom: A funk that turned a few off, but was interesting to others, good mouthfeel and balance
Showing posts with label Cristom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cristom. Show all posts
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Monday, October 1, 2007
Willamette Valley Harvest Update
The harvest in the Willamette Valley is a bit up in the air right now. As of Friday the 28th, we've been getting rain, and the kind of soaking rain that fills the grapes and dilutes the flavors. In some areas, the grapes ripened and matured enough to be harvested before the rain started, but in others, the grapes were not quite ready. At some vineyards we visited this weekend, about half of the grapes had been harvested. In Cristom's case, about 2/3 of their Pinot Gris had been harvested, and the rest is still on the vine.
The issue that is being presented will probably have to be decided upon in the next few days by vineyard managers and winemakers. The rain is expected to continue for about a week, and then there should be some dryer weather, there's just no certainty of how long this will last, if it comes at all. See, that's the thing about weather around here. Weather can reasonably be predicted about 3 days out. Anything more than that is a crap shoot. So the decision will need to be made weather to harvest the grapes now, in their rain-soaked and diluted form, or wait until dryer weather and hope the grapes dry out, and that the flavor and sugar levels can rise again. The problem with this, is that the grapes could be overcome by mold and over-ripeness, which could ruin the remaining crops.
Overall, I'd say that about 50% of the crop has been harvested, and we will just have to wait and see about the rest. We had a very cool summer, which means that the grapes have taken longer to ripen and mature. Normally, this is a very good thing, especially with Pinot Noir. If the rain would have held off for a week more, this harvest would have a ton of potential. With the weather looking like it is, we really wont know until late 2008, when the wines start to get released. Until then, I'll be looking forward to the 2006 vintage, which should be really good.
The issue that is being presented will probably have to be decided upon in the next few days by vineyard managers and winemakers. The rain is expected to continue for about a week, and then there should be some dryer weather, there's just no certainty of how long this will last, if it comes at all. See, that's the thing about weather around here. Weather can reasonably be predicted about 3 days out. Anything more than that is a crap shoot. So the decision will need to be made weather to harvest the grapes now, in their rain-soaked and diluted form, or wait until dryer weather and hope the grapes dry out, and that the flavor and sugar levels can rise again. The problem with this, is that the grapes could be overcome by mold and over-ripeness, which could ruin the remaining crops.
Overall, I'd say that about 50% of the crop has been harvested, and we will just have to wait and see about the rest. We had a very cool summer, which means that the grapes have taken longer to ripen and mature. Normally, this is a very good thing, especially with Pinot Noir. If the rain would have held off for a week more, this harvest would have a ton of potential. With the weather looking like it is, we really wont know until late 2008, when the wines start to get released. Until then, I'll be looking forward to the 2006 vintage, which should be really good.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Harvest and Wine Clubs
The Willamette Valley is getting ready for harvest time, and that means one thing...wine club parties! Well, it really means lots of things, especially for those who make wine, but I'm not on that side of the world. With this in mind, I started to really think about the wine clubs that we are members of, why we are, and the benefits that we get. There are some places that we really enjoy being members at (Sokol Blosser, Erath, and LaVelle) because of the events they have. These events are fun and enjoyable, and they really make you feel appreciated as a customer. Other clubs we are members of (King Estate, and Cristom) are mostly just for the wine. Both of these wineries do not have events very often, so we are members mostly because we love the wine, and we get discounts on it, and in the case of Cristom, it forces us to buy some age-worthy wine that we might otherwise forget about.
So what makes a great wine club? I think this is a question that most wineries have asked, and that I've even asked myself, so I thought I'd take a stab at answering the question from my point of view.
I think the first thing is to have a really great wine club coordinator. This person is the face of the wine club, and many times, the face of the winery to club members. They need to be very personable, and really show interest in the people that come to the events, as well as be available and responsive to questions asked. I think the best example of this would be Brooke at Sokol Blosser. Its really amazing how good it makes you feel when somebody recognizes you, especially when we've only been members for less than a year. This friendliness would extend to the rest of the staff, but that should be a given for a winery/tasting room. Being treated a little special is really nice as well. King Estate is a great example of this. They have a list of wines that they are tasting for the day, and it is usually limited to 6-8 wines. When we go there, it feels like they roll out the red carpet for us. One time we went, I think we ended up with 20 or so bottles of wine in front of us that we had tasted, and most of it was stuff not on the list, and that they only let us try because we were club members.
The second thing is to have fun and accessible events. Sokol Blosser, LaVelle, and Erath all have fun events that we can usually attend. They are on the weekend, and usually free, and always fun. We just recently cancelled a wine club membership because the events were always on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, from 5-7pm. Now, I get off work at 5, and so trying to attend one of these events (after crossing through all of Portland's horrible traffic) would require me to leave about 3pm. Not only is the day and time not very convenient, but the events are not well planned out. The one event we actually made it to, you had to stand in line for about 10 minutes to get a 2-3 ounce taste of wine. On the other hand, we are heading to LaVelle on the 30th for their harvest party, which we attended last year as well. The wine was and is easy to get in your glass (from both the tasting room bar, staffed by 2-3 people, or the bar they set up outside, with 1-2 people working there, so never a line), the event is from 12-5pm, so plenty of time to come and go as we please, and we get to go pick some grapes, stomp them into juice, and potentially wine prizes. These are the kinds of events that make being a member worth it.
I think the quality of the events is the key determination if a wine club will be successful or not. Erath recently had a luau, with a roasted pig and everything. This was a really fun and engaging event, and makes me really glad to be a member. Having free events is also a requirement, especially being a 20-something with a new mortgage and still paying off school loans. Dinners that are $50 or so a plate (some I've seen are as high as $125) are out of reach for us. I'm fine with having those events, as I'm sure I'll attend them in a few years, but I also want to see some free, fun, and special events for those of us on a budget.
The last thing is the wine shipments and discounts. Now, I realize that the winery still needs to make money on the wines, so a 15-20% discount is what I would expect, potentially increasing to up to 30% if purchasing a case or more. I also like getting a variety of stuff in a shipment. Cristom and King Estate are really good about this, as whenever we get a shipment, its like Christmas in finding out what we got. I would rather have 3 shipments in a year, with each shipment having a variety, than 4 or 5 shipments where each one is a couple bottles of the same wine. I'm not afraid of getting a wine I don't like, because we chose the wine clubs to be members of based on the fact that we enjoy all their wines.
Now I don't think I'm an expert on wine clubs. I just know what I like, coming from my perspective and experience. I'm sure that different things work for different people, and that's what is great. If I owned a winery, I think my ramblings above would be how I would run my club, and I guess the only way to know if it would work would be try it out.
So what makes a great wine club? I think this is a question that most wineries have asked, and that I've even asked myself, so I thought I'd take a stab at answering the question from my point of view.
I think the first thing is to have a really great wine club coordinator. This person is the face of the wine club, and many times, the face of the winery to club members. They need to be very personable, and really show interest in the people that come to the events, as well as be available and responsive to questions asked. I think the best example of this would be Brooke at Sokol Blosser. Its really amazing how good it makes you feel when somebody recognizes you, especially when we've only been members for less than a year. This friendliness would extend to the rest of the staff, but that should be a given for a winery/tasting room. Being treated a little special is really nice as well. King Estate is a great example of this. They have a list of wines that they are tasting for the day, and it is usually limited to 6-8 wines. When we go there, it feels like they roll out the red carpet for us. One time we went, I think we ended up with 20 or so bottles of wine in front of us that we had tasted, and most of it was stuff not on the list, and that they only let us try because we were club members.
The second thing is to have fun and accessible events. Sokol Blosser, LaVelle, and Erath all have fun events that we can usually attend. They are on the weekend, and usually free, and always fun. We just recently cancelled a wine club membership because the events were always on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, from 5-7pm. Now, I get off work at 5, and so trying to attend one of these events (after crossing through all of Portland's horrible traffic) would require me to leave about 3pm. Not only is the day and time not very convenient, but the events are not well planned out. The one event we actually made it to, you had to stand in line for about 10 minutes to get a 2-3 ounce taste of wine. On the other hand, we are heading to LaVelle on the 30th for their harvest party, which we attended last year as well. The wine was and is easy to get in your glass (from both the tasting room bar, staffed by 2-3 people, or the bar they set up outside, with 1-2 people working there, so never a line), the event is from 12-5pm, so plenty of time to come and go as we please, and we get to go pick some grapes, stomp them into juice, and potentially wine prizes. These are the kinds of events that make being a member worth it.
I think the quality of the events is the key determination if a wine club will be successful or not. Erath recently had a luau, with a roasted pig and everything. This was a really fun and engaging event, and makes me really glad to be a member. Having free events is also a requirement, especially being a 20-something with a new mortgage and still paying off school loans. Dinners that are $50 or so a plate (some I've seen are as high as $125) are out of reach for us. I'm fine with having those events, as I'm sure I'll attend them in a few years, but I also want to see some free, fun, and special events for those of us on a budget.
The last thing is the wine shipments and discounts. Now, I realize that the winery still needs to make money on the wines, so a 15-20% discount is what I would expect, potentially increasing to up to 30% if purchasing a case or more. I also like getting a variety of stuff in a shipment. Cristom and King Estate are really good about this, as whenever we get a shipment, its like Christmas in finding out what we got. I would rather have 3 shipments in a year, with each shipment having a variety, than 4 or 5 shipments where each one is a couple bottles of the same wine. I'm not afraid of getting a wine I don't like, because we chose the wine clubs to be members of based on the fact that we enjoy all their wines.
Now I don't think I'm an expert on wine clubs. I just know what I like, coming from my perspective and experience. I'm sure that different things work for different people, and that's what is great. If I owned a winery, I think my ramblings above would be how I would run my club, and I guess the only way to know if it would work would be try it out.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
A Cab and a Chard, all in the same night.
Yesterday, I was really in the mood for a Cabernet Franc. I'm not sure why I was in the mood for this, but it just sounded really tasty. Unfortunately, what we had for dinner (chicken and rice) didn't really pair well with red, so we decided to drink a 2000 Cristom Chardonnay. We don't really have Chardonnay very often, and the 2000 Cristom is about all we have in inventory right now. Cristom only has 4.5 acres out of their 65 acres planted with Chardonnay, so its a very minor part of their wine selection. Their Pinot Noirs are very big (for a Pinot) and the ones we have are going to be stored for a while. The Cristom Pinot Gris is one of the best I've had, and was one of the first wines I drank that I really enjoyed. I think the Cristom Pinot Gris and the King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris are the wines that got me into wine.
But I digress, so back to last night. The Chardonnay was a good drinker. It wasn't overly complex, and not very oaky, so it was a really great Tuesday night wine with dinner. I'm not usually a fan of Chardonnay, as they are usually to oaky and big. The way most Oregon Chardonnays are made though, they are lighter and usually fermented in stainless steel. The Cristom is oak-fermented, but it is still a good example of how I would make Chardonnay.
After dinner, and friend came over and we had a bottle of 2005 Erin Glenn Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm not usually a fan of Cab due to the high tannins, but Erin Glenn makes a Cab that is easy to drink, even for a guy like me with a "delicate" palate. This wine is definitely on the lighter end of the Cab spectrum, which I appreciate. It was a wine that was easy to drink on its own, and did not need food to go with it. Again, it wasn't a super complex wine, but a very drinkable, and very good wine overall.
Sometimes you don't have to have the most complex and superb wine to enjoy a dinner and nice evening with friends. A good bottle (or 2), good food, and good friends are all you need.
Link to Cristom
Link to Erin Glenn
But I digress, so back to last night. The Chardonnay was a good drinker. It wasn't overly complex, and not very oaky, so it was a really great Tuesday night wine with dinner. I'm not usually a fan of Chardonnay, as they are usually to oaky and big. The way most Oregon Chardonnays are made though, they are lighter and usually fermented in stainless steel. The Cristom is oak-fermented, but it is still a good example of how I would make Chardonnay.
After dinner, and friend came over and we had a bottle of 2005 Erin Glenn Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm not usually a fan of Cab due to the high tannins, but Erin Glenn makes a Cab that is easy to drink, even for a guy like me with a "delicate" palate. This wine is definitely on the lighter end of the Cab spectrum, which I appreciate. It was a wine that was easy to drink on its own, and did not need food to go with it. Again, it wasn't a super complex wine, but a very drinkable, and very good wine overall.
Sometimes you don't have to have the most complex and superb wine to enjoy a dinner and nice evening with friends. A good bottle (or 2), good food, and good friends are all you need.
Link to Cristom
Link to Erin Glenn
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