FeedDay One: Dundee and McMinville
Ponzi, Argyle, Eyrie
Our first stop was the Ponzi Tasting Room in Dundee where you can taste and purchase wines from many area wineries. We sampled the premium flight ($10 tasting fee, waived with purchase) which included a 2008 Evening Land Estate, 2008 Tendril Willamette Valley, and 2005 Ponzi Il Luce. Our host Andrew Turner was delightful and very knowledgeable about the area. We also purchased a bottle of Brick House Pinot Noir, consumed the next evening at the fabulous Wildwood restaurant in Portland. www.ponziwines.com
A short walk across the main road in Dundee led us right to the cozy Argyle tasting room. This time we chose a sparkling flight ($8 tasting fee, waived with purchase), all traditional method wines good enough to rival Champagne! In what was a real surprise to me, a self-confessed wine snob, I have to say that the basic non-vintage Brut was smashing, especially for the price. It is generally about $16 retail, and we can buy it locally at the supermarket. We also sampled a 2007 Brut, 2006 Blanc de Blancs, 2006 Knudsen Vineyard Brut (80% Pinot Noir – my personal Argyle favorite), and a 2000 Extended Tirage Brut. www.argylewinery.com
We finished our first afternoon at Eyrie, renowned for its biodynamic practices. The most interesting surprise was a little known white varietal wine, Muscat Ottonel. With just a hint of the musky perfume aromas that distinguish classic Muscat wines, this wine was fresh and crisp with flavors of citrus and white flowers. Befriending our host, Jacques Rendu, and armed with our great enthusiasm for Eyrie's winemaking style, we gleefully tasted our way through an extensive line-up of outstanding wines that included a 2009 Pinot Blanc, 2008 Pinot Gris, 2009 Reserve Chardonnay made from the property’s 45+ year-old vines, 2008 BlackCap Reserve (single block) Chardonnay, 2007 La Luz Pinot Noir, 2009 Estate Pinot Noir, and 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir also made from the property’s original vines. www.eyrievineyards.com
