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Need the rest of the world care about the wines of Oregon? Perhaps not that much – although a rash of new plantings is at last resulting in some bargains among them. This wooded, under-populated, over-principled American state sandwiched between California and Washington in the Pacific Northwest has so far exported well under five per cent of its wine outside the US and the majority of it is still drunk by proud Oregonians themselves.
But even though its total wine production is less than a fifth of Washington’s and a tiny fraction of California’s, Oregon does succeed in making a great deal of noise. This is only partly because it has established itself, along with New Zealand, as one of the very few parts of the world capable of making decent Pinot Noir outside Burgundy. It is also because the winemakers of Oregon themselves are such a distinctive bunch.
Despite some recent uncharacteristically businesslike arrivals, the state’s wine producers are typically heavily bearded, highly educated and deeply introspective smallholders. Their log cabin wineries and lack of glitz were worn as badges of honour in stark, wholemeal contrast to the flash wine scene over the stateline to the south.
It should not be so surprising then that so many of Oregon’s wine producers have gone, are going or have gone beyond organic viticulture. This is completely in line with a ‘salmon safe’ state that prides itself on America’s highest recycling rate (49 per cent) and general right-on tone. Besides, the state is not home to many viticultural pests (although the greedy phylloxera louse certainly made its presence felt in the 1980s and today virtually all new vine plantings are on resistant rootstocks). Downy mildew, for example, is virtually unknown. Keeping weeds and birds under control are the main problems.
Oregon may be notoriously green underneath and grey above, but during the summer, when rot can be such a serious threat in humid weather elsewhere (such as much of France these past few weeks), almost dangerously little rain tends to fall on Oregon’s vines.
It is the early onset of autumn weather that is the big challenge for Oregon vintners. Over the last few years they have taken drastic steps to hasten ripening so that they can harvest healthy grapes before rain sets in. These have included choosing rootstocks, and new clones, that do not waste precious sunlight on sprouting excessive vegetation; removing leaves during the summer; and reducing both irrigation and yields.
The result has been deeper-coloured, more substantial wines although thanks to the Pommard and Wadenswil clones traditionally planted, Oregon Pinot Noir has been notably sweeter and juicier, simpler even, than red burgundy. Growers have recently been planting more burgundian, so-called Dijon, clones but many are loath to abandon the old clones which they feel give Oregon Pinot its distinction.
This is the sort of philosophical discussion point that is meat and drink to the Oregon wine industry – as is that of the relative merits of organic, biodynamic and merely sustainable viticulture, this last promulgated by the popular LIVE (low input viticulture and enology) movement. Some estimate that half of all Oregon’s 13,500 acres of vines are now at least effectively (if not necessarily certified) organic and the number of converts to Steiner’s more advanced version is rising fast. “I believe the future lies in biodynamics”, says young Sam Tannahill, passionately anti-agrochemicals and a partner in A to Z, a relatively new negociant business designed to mop up newfound surpluses from well-known producers and deliver sound Pinot Noir for under 18 dollars a bottle, a snip by Oregon standards.
Jimi Brooks of Maysara, another young, clean-shaven addition to the Oregon winemaking ranks, is just as adamant that the future is clean and green. He went organic in 2000 and now cultivates 55 acres of vines biodynamically. “Now that’s a lot of stirring,” he says as he shakes his head over the amount of powered cow horn or whatever to be “dynamised” to treat so large an area.
Doug Tunnell, the former CBS foreign correspondent who returned to his native Oregon to found the estimable Brick House winery in 1990, was organic from the start. He suggests that all anyone wondering whether to go organic has to do is house the vineyard manager in the middle of the vines. That manager will then be in no doubt at all.
But perhaps the most ardent and high profile convert to biodynamism is Michael Etzel of Beaux Frères, the winery part-owned with his brother-in-law, America’s top wine critic Robert Parker. “I’m still in the faith stage,” he explains. “ I’m not sure how biodynamic viticulture works but I do believe in it.”
And his wines are eloquent testament to this faith, and some extremely sensitive winemaker. The early releases from Beaux Frères were attention-grabbing for their mass and concentration rather than particularly eloquent expressions of Pinot Noir’s delicacy and playfulness. The contrast between the 1998 and 2003 vintages from his Jackie Block, an ingredient in the final blend, could hardly have been greater. The earlier vintage was big, tough and edgy. “In 1998 I used Roundup and fungicides. I leaf-pulled very aggressively and ended up with a yield of half a ton an acre. In the winery I used hot fermentations, maximum punchdowns and 100 per cent new oak. In 2003, my first year of growing biodynamically, I was happy with a ton an acre, I didn’t pull the leaves so aggressively, I was much warier of high temperatures and heavy punchdowns and I used just 75 per cent new wood.”
Beaux Frères 2003 Jackie Block was probably the finest Oregon Pinot Noir I tasted during an all-too-brief visit there earlier this year when I tasted just a selection of Pinots available (together with a wide range of the many other vine varieties now being grown in the state). It was beautifully round and gentle with the most haunting perfume, already easy to like despite its youth.
There are a reported 2,000 acres of new vines coming on stream in Oregon in the next two years so the state will have to find many a new convert to its particular style of Pinot Noir, the dominant grape variety. As Rollin Soles of Argyle puts it, “Pinot Noir brings in all the wackos; the Pinot buyer is different.”
Perhaps the wholesome organic message will help make new converts among this particular constituency. Observers of the international wine scene have long thought that the first region to be able to boast comprehensively of its organic credentials has everything to play for. Chile is being remarkably slow to seize this opportunity, despite its natural advantages. New Zealand has no shortage of natural disadvantages to overcome. Oregon may yet win this particular race.
Some favourite Oregon Pinot Noirs
Beaux Frères 2001 Beaux Frères Vineyard
Bergström 2002 Arcus Vineyard
Bethel Heights 2000 Flat Block
Brick House 2001 Cuvée du Tonnelier
Brick House 2002 Les Dijonnais
Chehalem 2001 Corral Creek
Chehalem 2001 Reserve
Ken Wright 2002 Savoya
Lemelson 2002 Chestnut Hill
Maysara 2001 Delara
Shea 2002 Shea Vineyard