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Perfect 100pt Pinot. DiMaggio at the Plate.
On November 1, 2010, Wine Spectator broke the news before editor-at-large Harvey Steiman even got a chance. Spectator writer Tim Fish reported that Steiman, who had been covering the coastal Pinot Noir scene for the better part of two decades, was about to fire a shot heard round the collector world. On the eve of the release of a treasure trove of Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs, the likes of which even the greatest and most experienced Oregonian winemaking names had never seen before, Fish reported that Steiman would rate that vintage a perfect 100 points.
Even as Wall Street caught a miserable case of the jitters, Oregon's top cellars would be sucked dry, with the tiniest production, single vineyard cuvees fetching triple digit prices.
We just returned from five straight turquoise sky days at the greatest Pinot Noir bash this side of the Hospices de Beaune. Daily highs were in the 90s, but as is often the case in Oregon wine country, the summer nights were cool, with humidity hovering around 40%. We were a long way from Central Park.
The International Pinot Noir Celebration drew thousands, including top winemakers from Burgundy, Russian River and California's Central Coast. We took in a half dozen seminars. Swirled hundreds of Riedel glasses. But unlike most in attendance, we had come to McMinnville on a mission, looking for a different kind of retrospective party.
Much has been said about the fine, red fruit elegance of the top Oregon Pinots from 2010. Unusually Burgundian in style, generally lower in alcohol, but with beautiful floral aromatics, lovely shape and structure, these recent releases are all about refinement and class. The 2009s -- at least those that have been held back and are still in cellars -- provide a far more New World look at the Willamette Valley. That scorching hot growing season pushed ripeness to the extreme. Even the most rigorous growers were put to the test. Some managed to squeak out sufficient acid backbone to counter all the California-like opulence. Others, however, came up short and were obliged to acidify.
But even now, three years after their release, the most majestic 2008 single vineyard Pinot Noirs continue to shock and dazzle. The story of the improbable '08 growing season continues to bring smiles to winemaker's faces, with some employing late inning metaphors to describe what would turn out to be a miracle harvest. Harry Peterson-Nedry explained it as well as anyone. "It was as if the game had already been decided. We were all down ten runs. Two outs. Nobody on. Then, we suddenly looked up and the game was tied. DiMaggio was strutting up to the plate."
September 2008 was miserable. Cold and gray. The vines were still weeks behind, and Peterson-Nedry wasn't alone in wondering if his insurance policy might cover all his losses. But even as weather.com described incoming storm fronts, Nature had other ideas. Seemingly out of nowhere, the skies turned blue. Humidity would remain low. Some would pick, worried about coming up completely empty. But the superstar Pinot Noir veterans of the valley -- Peterson-Nedry, arguably the godfather of all -- rolled the dice and waited.
When Harry finally pulled the trigger, harvesting his famed Ridgecrest Vineyard, the crop load was down close to 25%. The clusters were small, the berries fabulously concentrated after a late season sugar spike. Skins were thick. Acids blistering. Peterson-Nedry wouldn't bring in much, but that which did make it to his crusher, represented the finest harvest of his three-decade career.
Most of that 2008 Ridgecrest Pinot Noir would go into Harry's Chehalem "Ridgecrest Vineyard" bottling. But the very best barrels -- just 25 of them -- would be redirected into a special micro-cuvee that many believe to be the finest in Oregon.
Tanzer and Steiman would come in with matching 93 point rave reviews, among the highest of Spectator's 100pt harvest. Almost all of the 2008 "RR" would disappear on release, but as always, Harry's a sucker for his Library and held some back. Today, a little bit of that Library is ours.
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$80 at the winery. Today, for one of the greatest American Pinot Noirs of the last decade, a mouth watering $49.99/bottle. Just 20 cases. This one's a coup.
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Tasting Notes
2008 Ribbon Ridge (RR) Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyards
"Deep, bright red. Aromas of black raspberry, Asian spices and cola, with slow-building floral character. Sappy and deeply pitched, offering lush dark berry flavors that pick up spiciness with air. Brighter and nervier on the finish, which shows outstanding energy and persistence."
93 points -- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
"Cinnamon, wet earth and clove overtones add a savory touch to the dark berry flavors in this lean, firm-textured Pinot. The finish keeps developing with successive sips. Best from 2013 through 2018. 630 cases made."
93 points -- Wine Spectator
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