On Saturday, April 5th we had the wine club out to taste the 2007 wines and enjoy a day at the winery. The wines showed beautifully. We chose to highlight the influence of oak on Pinot Noir. We picked wine from three different barrels. Each barrel was produced by a different cooper and the wood for each came from a separate forest. In addition the wine in each of the barrels came from its own unique block in the vineyard, was picked at separate times of the harvest season and was made up of one individual Pinot Noir clone. Each was distinct. Aromas ranged from bright cherry fruit to violets to spice, and flavors were equally diverse.
Jeff Usinowicz, Executive Chef at the new Deschuttes Brew Pub in Portland’s Pearl District cooked up an amazing meal which we paired up with ’06 Bishop Creek wines. The Braised Buffalo short rib sandwich went particularly well with the Iris Block and Whole Cluster Pinot Noirs (two small reserve bottlings from the 2006 vintage). A very successful event indeed!