This week has been an absolute blur of being back into the thick of it with driving to school and ballet a crazy number of evenings for my daughter. I realize we all need to get back to the craziness, but I wonder why it needs to be so crazy and hectic.

Outside of the craziness, there has been some groundbreaking news of Oregon Wine on the interwebs. Starting off, James Suckling gave excellent scores for 12 Pinots under $40. In the article, Mr. Suckling calls out Eola-Amity Hills and the Van Duzer Corridor AVAs. In addition, citing cooler micro-climates and winds produce exceptional wines and help fight against climate change.

Here’s the list from his report if you haven’t already seen it and take note of the number of 2019s in the list.

• Cristom Eola-Amity Hills Mt. Jefferson Cuvée 2019 – JS97
• Authentique Eola-Amity Hills The Corridor 2017 – JS95
• Colene Clemens Vineyards Dopp Creek 2019 – JS94
• Domaine Drouhin Dundee Hills 2019 – JS94
• The Eyrie Vineyards Dundee Hills Estate 2017 – JS94
• Hundred Suns Willamette Valley Old Eight Cut 2019 – JS93
• J. Christopher Chehalem Mountains Basalte 2017 – JS93
• Lemelson Vineyards Thea’s Selection 2017 – JS93
• Maison L’Envoyé Willamette Valley Two Messengers 2018 – JS93
• Purple Hands Lone Oak Ranch 2019 – JS93
• Raptor Ridge Barrel Select 2019 – JS93
• Stoller Family Estate Willamette Valley 2019 – JS93

The other big news is Trail Blazer TJ McCollum bought 318 acres in Yamhill Carlton, bordering the Resonance Vineyard. There are very few details, but it sounds like vines are going in the ground this Spring, and I wouldn’t expect to see anything from the vineyard until 2026 at the earliest. New vines take 3-5 years to produce. So depending on the wine-making style, it might be 2026 until we see the inaugural release. Exciting news nonetheless and yet another story to keep an eye on.

Before diving into this week's winery, I want to say how wonderful it is to see harvest in full swing this week. So many grapes coming off the vines without a hitch brings a smile to my face. This year is a stark contrast to what we saw last year, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Going back to the topic of Eola-Amity, are you aware of a winery called Dukes Family Winery? I never heard of them, and thanks to Dave and Lars for the introduction! Multiple times they have shown up with a bottle of Dukes to share. It’s been phenomenal every single time! Sometime last winter, I finally made a reservation to visit but had to cancel due to snow. Maybe that was February? Geez, all the days blend together at times. Anyway, in July, I finally made another reservation and had the opportunity to taste at Duke's finally!

Before we dive too much into the tasting, we have to discuss a bit of the back story with the winemaker for Dukes. Do you know Kelly Kidneigh? She is also the winemaker at Mad Violets, Trout Lily Ranch, and Andante Vineyards. I was only aware of Mad Violets before my visit. I mention Mad Violets because it’s also a kick-ass boutique winery where her husband, Stirling Fox, manages the vineyard while being the man of the hour pouring wines. And if you like run-on sentences, I am capable of many more! Kelly and Stirling are known throughout the Willamette Valley. Stirling manages a crazy number of vineyards, somewhere around 30, including Dukes. Can you imagine what evening dinner conversations are like with Stirling and Kelley? I have a feeling they talk about anything other than wine.

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Why would I mention Kelley right off the bat? She is a stellar winemaker who came from Colorado but also started as an actress. It’s not every week I get to look up a winemaker's IMDB bio. Kelley has three credits to her name, including Firearm (1993), Shooting Lily (1996), and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy video game (1997). Kelley also worked in restaurants to pay bills, and the wine bug grabbed her hard. Her curiosity to explore what the Willamette Valley had to offer set the stage for her today. She started her journey at WillaKenzie, which led to some time with David Lett at Eyrie. Her journey continued with Tori’s Mor and Tyee Cellars. Kelley began working with Dukes in 2006.

The Dukes, Pat, and Jackie are a fantastic couple who have been married for 38 years. They moved to Oregon about a decade ago, searching for a more peaceful, calming life from Arizona. During my tasting, I talked with both of them and what I remember most was how down to earth they were.

Before I get too deep in the weeds, I want to mention the drive out to Dukes. Once you turn off the main road, it is at least a good half mile until you reach the tasting room hidden behind a big ‘ole bluff. Before you see the tasting room, out of nowhere, there is the most tranquil pond making your heart flutter just a teeny weeny little bit.

Walking up to the tasting room from my car, I looked around, and there was not another customer anywhere in sight. So I found a spot as close to the pond as possible. Sitting down, the outside world dissipated into nothingness. One of the vineyard dogs greeted me, and the bullfrogs were singing in the background. Everything was blissful, and no wine had touched my lips yet.

I can’t exactly remember how the conversation went, but I am pretty sure I mentioned my Sparkling Report sitting there next to the pond. My first pour was the 2015 Brut, followed by the 2015 Blanc de Blanc. Both of them were fantastic, and at the time, I was all about Blanc de Blancs. However, after tasting through almost 40 Sparklings over the summer, I want to revisit the 2015 Brut soon!

Here is the tasting note for the 2015 Blanc de Blanc in my report:

After my Sparkling tasting, there was a choice between a 2016 vintage flight or four year vertical of their Charlotte Pinot Noir. Decisions, why in the world do I have to choose? Both sound absolutely incredible, but I decided on the 2016 vintage flight. I wanted a wider variety of their labels.

Slight tangent, take note of the two flight offerings. A four-year vertical starting with 2013 or a flight consisting of only 2016s. Who does this, and how freakin cool??

My flight consisted of the 2016 Pearl Chardonnay, 2016 Alyssa Pinot Noir, 2016 Bella Pinot Noir, and the 2016 Charlotte Pinot Noir. I didn’t take notes at all. I was too sucked into the ambiance along with the peace and quiet surrounding the vineyard. Having a nice little charcuterie board was an extra little something special to add to the overall experience. I do have to say the chocolate-covered hazelnuts were to die for!

Throughout the tasting, Jackie came out to talk, and a little while later, Pat also came out. As I mentioned earlier, they are both down-to-earth and super friendly! At this point in the newsletter, I am going to let you down a bit. Sitting there looking at the pond sipping some sumptuous wines, the last thing I wanted to do was take notes while being all analytical. I wanted to savor the moment, relax and enjoy. I remember having a conversation back in February of 2020 with Izzy at L’Angolo. She mentioned that she didn’t have any wine certifications because she wanted to have the ability to simply enjoy the wine. After a year and a half, these words still stick with me. So enjoy the scenery and imagine yourself sitting next to the pond enjoying a great tasting. When you visit, please let them know, “A.J. sent me.”

With Gratitude,

A.J.

PS - Feedback on the advertising, too much or ok?

PPS - Last year I did an Oregon Wine Report featuring 40-ish wineries. Should I do one again this year?