Wine Notes > Pinot Noir > Previous Release

1998 Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard

2000 (Rex Hill North Block)
2000 (Bethel Heights Wadenswil Clone)
2000 (Stoller Vineyards Clone 115)
1999 | 1998 (Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard)
1999 | 1998 (Bethel Heights Southeast Block)
1999 | 1998 (Jacob-Hart Vineyard)

Chehalem 1998 Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard Pinot Noir

One of three experimental Pinot noirs resulting from multi-year experiments aimed at separating vineyard and winemaker influence.

The Wine

This wine is very limited and is a result of ongoing experimentation between Chehalem and two close friends at Bethel Heights and Rex Hill. Since 1998 the three wineries have exchanged fruit from key vineyard blocks, making wines that, when assembled into a 3 by 3 tasting array, give insight to the relative influences of terroir, winemaking style and, replicated over several years, vintage. The concept is that vineyard distinctions are important determinants in wine quality, but that winemaking style can often mask nuance site differences. With three different approaches, even the same vineyard can reflect differently.

The Vineyard

Our own Ridgecrest Vineyards contribution to the experiment is from our 7 Acre Pommard block, the second-oldest Pinot noir block we own, planted by us in 1983 on a very shallow bench mid-way in the eastern side of the vineyard. Ridgecrest is the first vineyard planted on Ribbon Ridge Road, a currently trendy viticultural area subsequently attracting Beaux Freres, Brick House, Patricia Green (of Torii Mor), Archery Summit, Adelsheim and several non-winery associated vineyards. It is on the Willakenzie soil series, a transition soil between volcanic and sedimentary, carrying characteristics of both. Wines typically reflect a more briary, deeply colored and dusty blackberry or cassis aspect. The vineyard was begun in 1980 by Harry and Judy Peterson-Nedry.

The Vintage

The 1998 vintage is possibly the best we have yet seen in Oregon, or at least the equivalent of the highly touted 1994 vintage. The intensity of this vintage is due to a half-crop yield (e.g. 1.2 tons per acre) and perfect ripening weather at this moderately high elevation vineyard, where acidity is maintained even in ripe years.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/2/98, at 1.2 tons/acre @22.6 brix, 6.1 g/L acid and 3.35 pH.

Fermentation:

Fermented with commercial yeasts (BRG) with 17 days total skin contact, 7 days of that pre-maceration; acidulated with 1.0 g/L; pectolytic enzyme used for uniform extraction; no post maceration, although sluggish finish to fermentation.

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 11 months with one racking in 1/3 new, 1year and 2 year French oak.

Clonal Selection:

Pommard clones.

Bottling:

Bottled 9/24/99 with eggwhite fining and no filtration.

Bottling Analyses:

Cases Produced:

25 (remainder added to normal cuvees)

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

April, 2001

Winemaker's Comments:

A big, structured pinot noir. Very deeply colored with deep black and blue fruit aromatics in a complex nose that includes licorice and slight reductive garlic and rubber tinges, the wine has good juicy acid up front and a big, briary structured mid-palate. It is bright and tight, with a ram-rod backbone and full berry spectrum in Michael's vernacular. Lots of wine packed in a small capsule; weighty middle and chunky tannins is how Cheryl describes it. Harry notes a blackberry and grain-molasses nose, big mid-palate, long sweet fleshy finish, with integrated oak. Big, rustic with elegance in time, possibly. HPN, CJF, MD