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2001 Rion Reserve Pinot Noir

(updated 11/03/04)

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The Wine

We look for this wine to embody the essence of pinot noir. Select barrels and fermentation lots are chosen from Ridgecrest Vineyards before any blending is done in the cellar. We choose components to make a wine that epitomizes finesse, elegance, complexity, textural silkiness, and palate breadth and length for the vintage. We think these elements are what pinot noir is all about — not as big as we can make it, but as beautiful as we can make it. In balance, as it is, it will be optimally ageable.

The Vineyard

To date, our Rion Reserve has been comprised exclusively of Ridgecrest Vineyards fruit. Our oldest estate vineyard, Ridgecrest is a 37 acre vineyard on a 72 acre property. Beginning in 1980, this site pioneered grapegrowing on Ribbon Ridge, a small ridge on the western end of the Chehalem Range and Valley. Soils are a Willakenzie soil called Wellsdale, a transition soil series exhibiting characteristics of both volcanic and ocean sedimentary underlying structures. The rich, supple black cherry and blackberry fruits are characteristic of Ridgecrest Vineyard and the Willakenzie soil type. Excellent acidity and a finesseful texture and finish are hallmarks of the vineyard site, being relatively high in elevation, mature in vine age and deeply rooted.

The Vintage

2001 is a soft, big vintage. It saw almost ideal growing and ripening weather and less than an inch of rain during harvest. This is not a typical cool climate vintage and the pinot noirs will be soft, fleshy and early appealing. Whites will be full and broad, and early maturing. The alcohols are restrained slightly by yields that were neither too generous nor forced extreme extraction: pinot noirs, 2.38 tons/acre; chardonnay, 2.77; pinot gris, 2.26; riesling, 2.77; gamay noir, 1.86; pinot blanc, 4.27.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested October 10, 13 and 15th for Babies Pommard, Babies Wadenswil and 5 Acre blocks at Ridgecrest Vineyards, respectively; with sugars of 21.7, 21.8 and 23.2; with acids of 6.0, 5.7 and 6.4 g/L; with pHs of 3.22, 3.29 and 3.34; with yields of 2.06, 2.38 and 2.37 tons/acre, all respectively

Fermentation:

15-17 day total fermentation time, with 9 day cold macerations, with enzyme; native ferments; ½ g tartaric added at fermentation; Babies Pommard had 20% whole clusters (therefore 7+% total WC)

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 11 months in French oak, with 39% new, 70% new or once-used barrels

Clonal Selection:

58% of this cuvee is from the 5-acre block planted in 1982, 2/3 Pommard and 1/3 Wadesnswil clones; 42% is from the Babies block (6% Wadenswil and 36% Pommard) planted in 1989/90

Bottling:

Bottled on 9/6/2002

Bottling Analyses:

13.8% alcohol; 3.61 pH; 5.7 g/L TA

Cases Produced:

1254 6-bottle cases (750mls) and 123 12-bottle cases (375mls)

Suggested Retail:

$50

Release Date:

October, 2003

Winemaker's Comments

Very much in the style of 2000, this is ultimate elegance in intent, without extremes and with balance and finesse a theme. It is bright, medium garnet in color, has a light oak and smoky aromatic and is silky on the palate. The acid is very good, especially for 2001, and the alcohol is restrained and not apparent. It is the epitome of Pinot noir, graceful and not massive, complex and not a fruit bomb. The Reserve we'd make every year if we could.

Quotes

The San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 2004. "The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Oregon Pinot Noir $30 and over." Body: Medium. Dryness: Dry. Comments: Nose of black cherry, mushroom and earth; similar flavors plus cola and hint of barnyard; simple flavors and structure but good balance of fruit and acidity.

Wine Spectator, June 30, 2004, Harvey Steiman. "Oregon Scores Big with 2002 Pinot Noirs." TOP WINES: Chehalem 2001 Rion Reserve Pinot Noir 93. It is clear that 2002 is the state's best vintage yet. The first wave of 2002 Pinot Noirs is terrifically ripe and extraordinarily well-balanced, marking the pinnacle of a string of warm, dry vintages. Ten of my top 15 wines in this report, which covers Oregon wines reviewed in the past year, are 2002 Pinot Noirs. The other five are Pinot Noirs from 2001, also a strong vintage.

Northwest Palate, March/April 2004: Recommended. Cherry fruit and light toast aromas. Elegant, with subtle, rich cherry flavors that finish on a note of spice...

Wine Spectator Weekly, January 22, 2004, Harvey Steiman. These are the most exciting discoveries from our editors' most recent tastings, published exclusively in Wine Spectator Weekly. They are high-scoring, low-production wines from around the world that may be difficult to find, but are worth seeking out. 93 Points. Named for Patrice Rion, who consulted with Chehalem on earlier vintages, this special bottling uses only grapes from the winery's oldest vineyard... Ridgecrest, on Willakenzie soil in the Chehalem Mountains. It's one of the best wines of a very ripe vintage, supple and nicely fleshed out with rich black cherry, rose petal and pepper flavors, an open-textured red that lets everything emerge unhampered by anything resembling obvious tannins. Beautiful stuff. Drink now through 2010.

Oregon Wine Report, November 2003, Issue 17, Cole Danehower: (A-) "Overall Best Wine" of the 2001 Vintage out of 130 pinot noirs tasted. (Tied with Elk Cove's Roosevelt.) 2001 is a strong vintage. Period...Mother Nature gave us generally soft bodied and lightly colored wines with robust alcohol, plenty of pretty flower and spice components, and an overall character that is deceivingly easy for some to simply dismiss as 'light." But this is not fair. A "light" vintage can offer elegance, purity of fruit, and be pleasure-giving, as any hugely extracted and 'massive' vintage...A truly silky mouthfeel carries a wonderfully harmonious blend of fresh red raspberry and cherry fruit along with a lurking dark blackberry edge...the plush texture is concurrent with intense flavors: the essentially bright fruitiness is contained by accents of lightly toasted oak and autumn leaves... (Our1999 Rion Reserve Pinot Noir received the same accolade two years ago.)