Myron Redford of Amity Vineyards is one of those pioneer Oregon Pinot Noir producers who sometimes are overlooked.
While such exciting producers as Archery Summit, Beaux Freres, Ken Wright Cellars and Domaine Drouhin Oregon garner headlines - and justifiably so - Redford has been crafting Oregon Pinot Noir for 28 years and has as much passion today as in 1977.
His Pinot Noir that year was made with Washington grapes from Sagemoor Vineyards near Pasco. Then-vineyard manager Jerry Bookwalter convinced Redford that Sagemoor grapes could make superior Pinot Noirs. That 1977 Pinot Noir shared Best of Show honors at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival in 1980.
Redford doesn't use Washington grapes anymore; he's got plenty of vineyards to choose from in and around Amity, which is in Oregon's Yamhill County.
Redford is a charming backwoods kind of man with a full beard and an unpretentious barn-like winery nestled among the oak-covered hills outside Amity.
But don't let appearances fool you. His Pinots and other wines, including a great dry Gewürztraminer and a sweet botrytis-affected Riesling, are sought after by wine aficionados.
However it is with Pinot Noir that Amity shines, with a Winemaker's Reserve, estate Pinot, Sunnyside Vineyards and Schouten Vineyard as part of the lineup - all for $30 or less.
Furthermore, Amity offers many of its wines in half-bottles. This has proved popular with folks who prefer not to open a full-sized bottle with a dinner for two.
I have known Redford for 28 years, and I was on hand to enjoy his 1977 Pinot Noir in 1980.
You can imagine my excitement when he invited me to Amity and suggested we go out to dinner at Nick's Italian Cafe in McMinnville, which is considered one of the best restaurants in the region.
He sweetened the invitation by offering to pop the cork on a bottle of the 1977 Pinot Noir. Needless to say, I was salivating. The multi-course dinner took about three hours, and when it was through, we had sampled 14 of his wines and a Chateau Bianca ruby port made from Pinot Noir.
Here are some of the tasting highlights.
1977 Sagemoor Vineyards Pinot Noir was like a fine old Burgundy, more wood than grapes but still enjoyable. It reminded me of going into a spice shop where wooden drawers smell of cedar, menthol and cigars.
1978 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir never saw oak. It imparts earthy tones with black pepper and toast yet with enough fruit to belie its 25 years.
1985 Winemaker's Reserve Pinot Noir shows Redford's approach to making Pinot Noir by using oak barrels that are 2 to 3 years old and quickly bottling the vintages, then holding them two to four years before release. It still is a great wine with classic fruit charms and aromas of aged herbs. It is full bodied and loaded with complex berries and spice.
1989 Winemaker's Reserve Pinot Noir is still a delicate cherry delight. The wood is understated yet imparts a charming spice component with balanced acidity.
2001 Schouten Vineyard Pinot Noir is the kind of throwback Oregon Pinot that I came to love 20 years ago. It's a classic with lots of cherries and vanilla but has that silky, velvety feeling. Plums, chocolate and other black fruit lend to the enjoyment. $30 at the winery.
1977 Gewürztraminer was Redford's last bottle, and I felt privileged. Bone dry and made from Sagemoor grapes, it still had inviting tropical aromas along with classic grapefruit characteristics and good acids. It just blew me away.
1992 Botrytis Affected Riesling is starting to show its age yet still has lots of charm. It offers baked cinnamon apple and spice aromas along with some sweet dried fig flavors.
2002 Select Cluster Riesling is Redford's answer to a German Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). It smells like ripe, warm, fresh-cut white peach dribbled with honey with tremendous acids to balance the 23.8 percent residual sugar. That honey and peach flavors linger long after the wine is consumed. $40 for a half-bottle at the winery.
2002 Willamette Valley Pinot Blanc represents the change Redford made a few years ago when he switched from Chardonnay to Pinot Blanc. Redford says this relative of Pinot Noir does well in the Willamette Valley. The 2002 shows intense pineapple and grapefruit qualities with touches of minerals. $12.
2002 Crown Jewel Reserve is a white blend that shows off Amity's close ties with Schreiner's Iris Gardens, which is the largest Iris producer in America. The label has a wonderful blue and white iris. The wine inside is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Blanc with a sweet but crisp 1.7 percent residual sugar. Crisp tropical fruit with an underpinning of oak. $16.
BOB WOEHLER is Wine Press Northwest's tasting editor. He has been writing a column on Northwest wine for the Tri-City (Wash.) Herald since 1978.
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