Another vintage in the barrel.  This being the 11^th vintage for La Bete.  2009 is tentatively a fabulous vintage, with a slow to begin Spring, followed by a warm, drier summer featuring an intense spike of heat and a longer ,warm and dry Fall.  This resulted in fully ripened fruit, with pronounced color and huge potential.  Compared to 2008 this vintage provided ample quantities of outstanding fruit.

By contrast, the 2008 vintage has proven to be a very concentrated one, with good color and lots of very ripe fruit essence.  Balanced alcohols as well should make for some very nice wines for current drinking as well as aging.  The downside, especially here at la Bete is that we received very little fruit in 2008, resulting in our only producing under 500 cases total for pinot noirs.  The’08’s are now in the bottle about a month and I look forward to observing how they will develop.  The challenge from a business standpoint is to keep cash flow going to get through such a small vintage!

Our current releases are the 2007 wines.  We are sold out of our white wines, so only have red wines to offer.  Contrary to belief by many consumers as well as wine writers, I adamantly believe that the 2007 vintage is one well worth considering.  It is a classic Oregon vintage, that featured a cooler and more moist Fall.  I have been a commercial winemaker here in Oregon for over 20 years and have seen these types of vintages before.  Veteran winemakers realize that each vintage is different and offers challenges.  Perhaps some of the newer, more recent winemakers here in Oregon (those who have been here only in the past 10 years) were used to warmer, less challenging vintages.  Many of us veterans remarked at the time, that the 2007 vintage would show who “could make wine in Oregon, and those who could not”.  I am personally very proud of my 2007 wines.  Lighter in style, yes of course.  More elegant as good Oregon Pinot Noir should be, yes of course.  Ageworthy? Probably not so much, but then many Americans would find a typical Burgundian Pinot Noir to be too light as well.  Pinot Noir is not a Syrah, nor a Cabernet, it is by definition more supple and elegant.

A side note, many wineries establish and offer “library” wines to their customers.  Much to my wife’s chagrin, I have never developed much of a library for sale.  I generally do not keep much of any of the wines that I have produced.  So, when customers contact me inquiring about past vintages I must admit that I honestly don’t have any of it to sell.  Even in my own personal  cellar I only have a random case of some of my past wines.

Here are our current releases along with pricing ;

2006 Pinot Noir, Meredith-Mitchell Vineyard  $40.00

After just a few months in the bottle, I thought that this wine may be the finest wine I had ever produced.  I am not one to such platitudes, but still think it is an outstanding wine.  I only have a couple of cases remaining.  This was the last vintage that we sourced fruit from this vineyard as our block was acquired by Ken Wright Cellars.

2007 Gamay Noir, Rebecca’s Vineyard   $15.00

My wife, Kay, being in the wine business as well, has strong opinions about our wines.  One of those that she is not fond of is Gamay Noir.  She does not agree with me continuing to produce this wine, even though I am very fond of Gamays.  I had tried for several years to access fruit from this vineyard located near Yoncalla, Oregon, and finally was successful.  The wine is very “racy” to me reminiscent of cranberries and/or rhubarb with a clean, tart acidity that makes it ideal for certain foods.  I personally think that Gamay Noir has a strong future in Oregon as an alternative red grape, yet few growers have it planted.  Unfortunately this is the last year that I will be producing Gamay from this vineyard ( a long story that still upsets me) so I am on the search for alternative Gamay Noir grapes.

2007 Pinot Noir, Selection du Cave   $18.00

This is our “base pinot” for the vintage.  It is blended from 5 vineyard sources; Stormy Morning, Croft, Momtazi, Stoller and a tiny hint of Gamay Noir from Rebecca’s.  It is unfiltered as all of our reds, and has tended to throw a bit more sediment.  To me it is a lusty type of wine, not holding anything back from the body and intensity of the wine.  Sure it is a bit cloudy, but has a full flavor and meant to be drunk and enjoyed without over-analyzing it.

2007 Pinot Noir, Croft Vineyard    $22.50

Croft vineyard is in the Eola Hills AVA and has produced certified Organic grapes for a few years.  This is the 9^th year we have worked with their fruit.  We have sourced from a specific block known as the “special select” and it has produced very consistent wines each year.  I love the fresh, ripe cherry aromas and flavors in this wine along with the crisp acidity in the finish.  A wonderful food wine, easy and ready to drink.

2007 Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard   $25.00

McMinnville AVA, sedimentary soils and Organically and Biodynamically grown.  I have worked with Momtazi vineyards for several years as well, and their fruit is always more of the brawny style.  Some tannins when young, with bold flavors and a wine that can be aged very nicely.  They also produce their own wines under the Maysara label.

2007 Pinot Noir, Stoller Vineyard   $30.00

To me, you may have read this before, Stoller is the finest vineyard site in all of the Dundee Hills.  Located on the Southern flanks, it is absolutely beautiful.  The fruit that comes from this vineyard is also beautiful.  It exhibits the classic “red hills clay” characteristics of depth as well as elegance.  From the beginning it has a strength yet, finesse that is velvety yet assertive.  I love this wine year in year out.

The 2008 vintage wines were bottled in September of 2009, so they are just beginning to come out of bottle shock.

2008 Pinot Noir, Selection du Cave   $20.00

Only 95 cases produced.  Typical of the 2008 vintage, it has a deeper color and more range of intensity in the mouth.  A blend of only two vineyards, Momtazi and Croft.

2008 Pinot Noir, Croft Vineyard    $24.00

Only 140 cases produced.  Deeper color, chocolate and royal Anne cherry aromas with nice depth and youthful exuberance.  I think this wine will be a beautiful one with a few months age.

2008 Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard   $25.00

Only 75 cases produced.  Deep, dark and brooding, with a touch of oak, this wine will need time to fully open and show itself.

The Saint Vincent Series:

If you have ever visited our winery, or read our emailer, you will recall our St. Vincent series of wines.  When kay and I were living and studying in France, we were fortunate to attend a couple of the Fete de St. Vincent events in Burgundy.  It is a great honor for the village that is chosen, they decorate the houses, cellars and streets.  There is dancing, music, food and of course wine drinking in  the cellars.  Once we returned to Oregon, we named one of our dogs (a Golden Retriever) St. Vincent.  We also wanted to establish a bit of Burgundy here in Oregon with this tradition.  Each year we create a single barrel of what we think is the best wine in the cellar for our St. Vincent Cuvee.  So, only 24 cases produced each year – dedicated to our deceased dog as well as the tradition of St. Vincent in Burgundy.

We currently have very limited quantities of St. Vincent Cuvee wines;

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Each of these bottling is offered at $50 per bottle.  We generally do not offer them for tasting except at our own Fete de St. Vincent typically held during the third week of January.  A festive and fun event with food and music and wines!  If you would like to participate, please send us an email.