Daffodils were opening and the earliest flowering trees were just starting to bloom in Oregon’s Dundee Hills when the spouse steered our Subaru Outback onto Worden Hill Road.
Spring, warm and sunny, had sprung at last, and the northern Willamette Valley was already hopping with travelers despite Covid restrictions still in place. Our destination was Winderlea Vineyard and Winery for an outdoor wine tasting in one of the winery’s four enclosed domes.
Winderlea is the second-career pivot for founders Bill Sweat and Donna Morris. In 2006, they left office jobs and relocated from Boston. These two Pinot Noir enthusiasts purchased about 16 acres in what’s become one of the grape’s most highly prized growing regions and called the place “Winderlea,” the same made-up name of their Vermont property. Pronounced “Win-dur-lee,” the name combines the word “wind” and the word “lea,” meaning meadow. “We believe that it evokes the feminine, sensuous and elegant wines we are making,” the owners state.
The Dundee Hills wine region (American Viticultural Area) is located 45 minutes southwest of Portland. As shown on the map, it’s basically an island – one continuous landmass rising above the Willamette Valley floor, protected from heavy storms by the Coast Range to the west and the Chehalem Mountains to the northeast. The region receives just 30 to 45 inches of annual precipitation, most of which falls during the winter. Because of their slope and elevation, Dundee Hills vineyards benefit from warmer nights and less frost and fog than the adjacent valley floors. (Source: Oregon Wine Board)
But what makes Dundee Hills such a standout wine region is the soil. Dundee Hills is part of a chain of hills that developed from intense volcanic activity and the collision of tectonic plates. Soil is typically volcanic basalt over sedimentary sandstone. Ancient and deep, this rich, red and well-draining Jory soil is the stuff grapevines adore.
Pinot Noir, in particular, has found a home here, and Winderlea is a Pinot Noir specialist. Robert Brittan, the winery’s consulting winemaker, left Stag’s Leap, a top Napa winery, in 2004 to focus on Pinot Noir and Syrah from cool-climate sites. He also owns 128 acres in the Willamette Valley where he grows Pinot Noir and Syrah for his own label, Brittan Vineyards.
“I am fortunate have 30-plus years of winemaking and viticultural experience, bolstered by an undying passion for balanced and elegant wines that express a unique sense of place,” he states.
Though the Dundee Hills is a singular viticultural entity, Pinot Noir wines from this region vary – sometimes significantly – depending on vineyard elevation and the direction vines face (aspect). Farming methods are also different from vineyard to vineyard, and winemakers make their own decisions, too. Finally, there are multiple clones of Pinot Noir, each with its own distinctive characteristics.
So we were expecting variations as we settled into the sunshine-bathed dome to taste four Pinot Noir wines from three Worden Hill Road vineyards.
2017 Winderlea Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir – Directly to the west of Winderlea, the Maresh Vineyard is the fifth oldest in all of Oregon. Jim and Loie Maresh bought the property in 1959 and farmed it as a peach, prune and cherry orchard before they became convinced, in 1970, to plant wine grapes. Winderlea has been sourcing fruit from this vineyard since 2010. But 2017 was the final season.
- My tasting notes: Pale ruby in color. Bright cherry and baking spice on the nose; cranberry and herbs on the palate with a hint of cedar. Polished tannins. Medium acidity. Long finish. Aged 10 months in French oak, 25% new. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $55.
2017 Winderlea Murto Vineyard Pinot Noir – Murto Vineyard is located at the west end of the Dundee Hills, about a mile from Winderlea. At 700 feet, it’s the highest-elevated site on Worden Hill Road. Owned by Mike and Robin Murto, the vineyard is regarded as “classic Dundee Hills.” Winemakers around the Willamette Valley source fruit from this vineyard.
- My tasting notes: Ruby in color, noticeably darker than the Maresh Pinot Noir. An earthy nose of cherry, raspberry, charcoal and mushroom gives way to an herby palate. Medium+ acidity. Long finish. Aged 10 months in French Oak barrels, 25% new. Alcohol: 14.2%. Price: $55.
2017 Winderlea Imprint Pinot Noir – Imprint is the only wine produced onsite at Winderlea. Owner Bill Sweat makes this one in his garage-style winery using old-world winemaking techniques (mashing the grapes by feet) and 100% whole-cluster fermentation.
- My tasting notes: Transparent ruby in color. Cherry, strawberry, tobacco and forest floor on the nose with a kind of nutty aroma. Spice and cranberry on the palate with a hint of orange peel at the end of a medium+ finish. Medium+ acidity. Aged 18 months in French Oak barrels, 10% new. Alcohol: 12%. Price: $55.
2017 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot Noir – Winderlea’s estate vineyard, originally planted in 1974, is comprised of 16 planted acres of Pinot Noir. South-facing slopes rise to 500 feet in elevation. This Demeter Biodynamic®-certified Pinot Noir is their flagship wine. Farmed Biodynamic® since 2009, the vineyard earned Demeter Biodynamic® certification in 2015.
- My tasting notes: Transparent ruby in color. A sweet-smelling nose of fennel, bright cherry and raspberry, followed by cranberry and sour cherry on the palate. Medium acidity. Medium+ finish. Aged 13 months in French oak barrels, 15% new. Alcohol: 13.2%. Price: $65.
Though I was impressed by all four Winderlea wines, I was determined to purchase only one. A tough choice! After ruminating for a while, I decided on the Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir. Why? This unusually spicy Pinot was the one most different from the rest. Also, the 2017 vintage is one of the last Winderlea Pinot Noirs from this vineyard. Not sure yet when I’ll uncork this bottle. But whenever that is, I’ll think of springtime in the Dundee Hills.