As you’re reading this today, I’ll be pouring for day two of the Indie Wine Mixer here in McMinnville (representing Ricochet). The Indie Wine Mixer is produced and organized by Erich Berg, owner/winemaker at Ricochet, and celebrates the small, scrappy, start-up and long-time wineries in Willamette Valley. But what exactly is Indie?
Well, Oregon is known for its small production wineries, with the majority of the +/-1100 wineries across the state producing 5,000 cases or less. But in this case, many of the “Indie” wineries represented here are less than 2,500 cases of production and most are under 1,000 cases. One producer had only 1 barrel! They are also a mix of full and part-time vignerons/winemakers/owners, start-ups and long-time grinders, that basically do it all from grapes to winemaking, sales and marketing, to licenses, shipping, compliance, etc. In other words, these folks wear all the hats, they rarely rest, and their fingerprints are all over every aspect of the wine. They are passionate winemakers with a dream and an employee/volunteer or two - or none - putting out some artisanal wines representative of place, self, and their brand ethos - and the majority don’t have tasting rooms.
The bi-annual events (a smaller version takes place around Thanksgiving) are an awesome opportunity to taste limited edition, small production, micro-brand wines, and in many cases, wines that you won’t find easily. They’re also being poured by the winemakers themselves. Again, because they wear all the hats.
Here’s a list of this year’s producers if you’re curious (and I encourage curiosity): 3 Goats Vineyard—Arabilis—Burton Bittman—Flipturn Cellars—Human Cellars—Jackalope Wine Cellars—Lafayette and White Cellars—Lagniappe Wines—Liska Wine Co.—Little Bastions—monument—Ricochet—Satyr Fire—Sound & Vision Wine Co.—Sunshine Effect—Suzor Wines—Throughline Wines—Zē Wine—Approachment Wine Company—Botaneity—Cortell Collection—Gonzales Wine Co.— La Randonnee—Mendivia Wines—Mijita Wine Co.—Redolent Wine Co.—Archetype12 Wines—Augustina Cellars—Circadian Cellars—Franchere—Grit Cellars—Matzinger Davies—Narrow Window Wines—William Marie Wines.
If you didn’t make this one, there will be another one in Southern Oregon on June, 23rd - the Indie Wine Mixer South.
In My Glass
2008 Antonelli Montefalco Sagrantino
A suitcase wine, fortunately that can be found stateside at Eataly in California, this Sagrantino scratched an itch. Sagrantino is a deeply colored red wine grape variety grown mainly in the Umbria region of Central Italy and described as one of the country’s most tannic grapes. It’s best drunk after the wines have aged - often a decade or more. Although, that didn’t stop my husband I from drinking copious amounts of young Sagrantino on the veranda with our Umbrian neighbors in the summer of 2016. When in Rome…(or in this case the rural hillsides of Fratta Todina). But I will say there’s something magical, transcendent even, about the dusty tannins sprinkled across the potpourri of dried red berries, flower petals, earth, worn leather, and a lifting hint of cola that an aged Sagrantino can bring. And this one did bring it. In spades. Umbria was in the house. Or we were in Umbria. Transtemporal. $60
When it comes to Spanish whites, I’m likely in the minority: I’ll choose the once nearly extinct variety of Godello over Albariño almost every time. That’s not to say I don’t love the marine salinity and crisp acidity of a good Albariño, I just find Godello to be more enticing to my palate. And the Ceibo certainly was with its silky texture, rounded mouthfeel, and lively acidity that carried through flavors of yellow orchard fruits and peaches laced with herbal undertones all ahead of its compelling saline and mineral-driven finish. Like the Costal Camino path that runs through Galicia, this limited production wine will provide. Sojourn. $31
2020 Arabilis Columbia Gorge Extra Brut Sparkling Wine
You can officially add this sparkling wine (and its sister bottle) the into my top three found in the Willamette Valley. Produced primarily from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a touch of Pinot Blanc from the volcanic soils in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, this traditional method sparkler was fermented in oak, underwent partial malolactic, and saw 35 months en tirage with 1.5g/L dosage. The mineral-driven aromas of this sparkling wine stopped me in my tracks. Literally. I was walking with the glass and as I took it up to my nose, I stopped, sniffed again, and muttered “Whoa!”
Now I did have high expectations here - husband and wife winemakers, Kenny & Allison have PhDs in winemaking and Kenny’s is in sparkling wine (which I didn’t even know was a thing but am now rethinking my entire education haha!). They’re also talented. Their still wines have impressed me as well. But I will admit, I’m extremely partial to Champagne, Franciacorta, and Crémant. Domestic sparklers often just lack a kind of tension and character to me - and sometimes quality. And here in Oregon, while I’ve enjoyed many sparkling wines, only a few have risen to the level of outstanding for me. This is one of those. It has character, tension, quality, complexity, and the ability to capture your full attention. It captured mine. And it will again soon. Don’t sleep on this one. Prodigious. $75
In the Spotlight
Region of the Week
Since this past week was Chardonnay day, but I spent it drinking Riesling, let’s give a nod to the grape’s namesake region. In fact, that’s exactly where I’m standing in these photos. The namesake town of the most widely planted white grape in the world: Chardonnay, France.
Chardonnay is believed to have originated here in the Mâcon region of Bourgogne (aka Burgundy), where it descended from an in-the-wild crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, both of which were widespread in northeast France during the Middle Ages. Today the picturesque French village of Chardonnay lends its name to bottle labels as a region vs grape*. In other words, wines from this denomination can say Mâcon-Chardonnay, referring to the town not the grape, on the label. And yes, they do make red wines from Pinot Noir in the town of Chardonnay too, but it’s not likely you’ll see the Chardonnay village name on a bottle of red as it would cause too much confusion - although technically it’s allowed!
So that’s the village of Chardonnay in the region of Mâcon, now let’s dig a little further into the overall Mâconnais. The Mâconnais is the most southerly terroir in the Bourgogne region, between Sennecey-le-Grand and Saint-Vérand. The region sits between two valleys, the Grosne to the west and the Saône to the east. The Chardonnay grape is the thing here in Mâconnais, representing 80% of all vines planted in the region. For the red wines in the Mâconnais, you’ll largely find Gamay, unlike in the rest of Bourgogne where it’s almost entirely Pinot Noir.
In Mâconnais you’ll also find numerous sub-appellations including the regional appellations: Mâcon, Mâcon-Village, Mâcon+ followed by the name of the Village (as in that Mâcon-Chardonnay), and 27 additional geographical denominations in the Mâcon AOC. If it seems like a lot, and honestly somewhat confusing, it is. Bourgogne is a complicated region to break down and the Mâcon is just one of its appellations with its own sub areas.
But for something slightly simpler, let’s get into the dirt. In the Mâconnais, three periods are largely responsible for the rich, complex soils comprising the area’s geological composition.
First was the Jurassic marine era, roughly 145 to 200 million years ago when a tropical sea covered the area and left behind a good deal of limestone often in the form of marine fossils. Many of these fossils can still be found in the vineyards today. Then about 65 million years ago the Alps began to form which created and shaped the hills which stretch from Chablis in the north to Mâconnais in the south. And finally came the glacial period which led to erosion of the hills, leaving behind various rocks and soils across the region.
The primary soil types found in Mâconnais are clay-limestone soils with limestone rubble, clay, and siliceous soils on granite and volcanic substrates, as well as silty soils. And I can personally attest to the salinity and minerality tastes in the more chalky soils - I licked a rock! And then I tasted the wine. Placebo effect? Maybe, but the minerality was notable and similar to me.
As for the climate in the Mâconnais, the southern tip of the Bourgogne sees more sun, less rain, and slightly warmer temperatures compared to the whole of Bourgogne. The Mediterranean influence here means the grapes ripen slightly faster than in the other winegrowing areas of Bourgogne. It is not unusual for the harvests to begin in August! But as it’s also a cooler climate region, the weather year over year still impacts the vintage with events like frost, rains, hail, droughts, temperature rises from climate change, etc. always presenting possible challenges. And while any good winemaker will tell you that wines are made in the vineyard, it’s up to these talented professionals to know and understand their soils, and to be ready to work with and capture each unique vintage in their wines.
* In “old world,” or European wine regions, wines are labeled based on place vs. grape. In other words, instead of stating it’s a Chardonnay grape-based wine, it will state where it’s grown most predominantly, for example, Bourgogne. Or instead of Sauvignon Blanc, it will say Sancerre or Bordeaux Blanc. Alternatively, in the “new world” or wine regions outside of Europe, wine labels will state the grape variety Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, with the region or place as subtext.
In Context
Now, you’ve likely also caught my references to the word “Bourgogne,” and not Burgundy. Well, the region renowned for its terroir, tradition, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay (White Burgs), is the only French wine region to have adapted its regional name for the outside world. Think about it - Loire is Loire. Alsace is Alsace. Bordeaux is Bordeaux. But in English speaking countries, we know Bourgogne as Burgundy. This translation dates back to ancient times when the region was established as a crossroads for trade - which incidentally is also the reason they’re hoping for a return to its original identity of Bourgogne, to make the international export of the wines less confusing and more consistent.
In My Opinion
Bourgogne … we’ve touched on Chardonnay, the soils and climate of the Mâcon, why we’re calling the region “Bourgogne,” and briefly touched on the appellations of the Mâconnais.
Why is all of this important?
Nuance. And that begins with terroir. The sense of place, or the geological, geographical, climatic, cultural, historical, and human factors that combine in such a way the same product cannot be replicated anywhere else.
But in Bourgogne we go beyond terroir to “climats,” of which there are several thousand. Climats are delineated plots with specific geological and climatic conditions. It’s basically boundaries around specific terroir - think pieces of a puzzle. Climats are then classified into different categories of appellations: regional, village, Premier (1er) Cru, and Grand Cru. This might seem like a lot to take in, and we could dive even further, but for simplicity’s sake, it basically all boils down to this:
Like many wine regions, in Bourgogne you have diverse and complex soils and a specific climate (semi-continental). But where things begin to differentiate: a 2000 year history of vineyard cultivation and winemaking tradition, and now this is key, grape variety. From Chablis in the north to Mâconnais in the south, producers have been and continue to work with two primary grapes: Chardonnay (51% of plantings) and Pinot Noir (39%). This means they have a strong, intuitive understanding of these grapes, and also a foundation from which, to further express both place and grapes in a way that cannot be replicated.
For us, as wine lovers, it’s an opportunity to really see, smell, and taste the subtleties of terroir. For example, Chardonnay from Saint-Véran typically will present white floral notes, whereas Chardonnay from Viré-Clessé will typically have a honey, caramel, licorice, or even cocoa note. The ability of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to express its sense of place can be both readily apparent and mind blowing. Sometimes these differences are subtle, other times stark. But it’s an incredible opportunity to really geek out on how such things are expressed through the wine.
Or, you can skip the nerd session and just enjoy some really dang good - often exquisite - wine from Mâconnais and all the way up through Bourgogne to Chablis.
In the Hopper
I’ve got a few stories in the works: one on own-rooted vines and another on a unique vineyard that’s worked to bring several native species back to the land. And of course, there’s upcoming tastings, including the Chehalem Mountains AVA tasting, a blind, and bubbles at a brand new, all sparkling winery.
In Box
Want a topic covered, have a wine or personal question? Drop me a line.
Yes!!! You will LOVE it!
I must try that sparkling!!