Yet by the late 1960s, the potential to produce life-changing Pinot Noir had lured a handful of winemakers to the remote Willamette Valley. Emboldened by their early successes, vintners from California to the Côte d’Or took notice, and a wave of interest and investment ensued in the following years. A burst of expansion occurred in the early 2000s, when many of the last, best hillside sites were claimed and planted. Premier Pacific Vineyards developed prime vineyard land just as the valley’s vibrant styles of Pinot Noir achieved international renown. One such site, positioned on a southwest-facing slope of weathered volcanic soils, clustered amidst the most historic vineyards of the Eola-Amity Hills, is Zena Crown Vineyard.
Since its third leaf, Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir has been subject to multiple interpretations; it became a sought-after single-vineyard designate for top producers like Beaux Frères, Soter, and Penner-Ash. With the 2013 harvest, however, Zena Crown emerged as a true Oregon domaine. As Shane adapts to its rhythms and natural oscillations, he seeks to explore and manifest the singular voice of this special plot of land, in accordance with the remote and rugged beauty of the Eola-Amity Hills.
Jackson Family Wines purchased the Zena Crown Vineyard just west of Salem in 2013, marking their first foray into Oregon. With cautious optimism, the desire to remain a harmonious neighbor, and the patience to watch this vineyard's story slowly unfold, they engaged Willamette Valley winemaker and passionate Pacific Northwest native SHANE MOORE to bring Zena Crown Vineyard to life.
Proximity to the Pacific, rather than the extreme seasonal flux of the continental interior, allows the Willamette Valley to accumulate annual temperature and degree-day averages similar to those in Burgundy. Yet these summations are achieved differently—in the Willamette Valley, the growing season is longer and drier, with fewer summer heat spikes and only rare episodes of hail. In July and August, the Willamette Valley experiences only moderate heat, with temperatures seldom surpassing 90° F. But despite a longer, even growing season and the gift of summer sunshine, Willamette Valley’s winemakers, like those in the Côte d’Or, endure sleepless nights as fall weather approaches with its attendant fog, capricious rains, and the specter of frost threatening a year’s work. Adaptation, and a little luck, are key to navigating the valley’s climate and preserving its promise of lithe and luminous Pinot Noir.
Burgundy’s famed limestone is absent in Oregon. Here, the ground below was forged through seafloor upheaval, volcanic power, and catastrophic floods at the close of the last ice age. The Willamette Valley’s best Pinot Noir is grown on slopes of windblown loess, uplifted marine sediment, and reddish volcanic soils. Formed from weathered basalt and younger than the marine sedimentary layers underneath, the volcanic series are associated with some of the most classic examples of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Volcanic soils color the Dundee Hills red and characterize many of Eola-Amity Hills’ most important sites, including Zena Crown. The nutrient-poor, well-drained Jory series is the most abundant volcanic type throughout the valley, as well as the state’s official soil. Along with the shallower basaltic series Nekia and Witzel, Jory sculpts wines of lighter color and more expressive red fruit aromas—a stark contrast to the darker fruit flavors and heft conjured from marine-derived soil series elsewhere in Willamette Valley.
In the Eola-Amity Hills, our volcanic soils help maintain aromatic lift, our climate keeps acidity buoyant, and the punishing winds piping through the Van Duzer Corridor add an overcoat of structured tannin.
Zena Crown Vineyard The Sum Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Massed from multiple vineyard blocks and clones, this wine has a timeless beauty that can be inherently understood by innate human nature. Wines of this stature, much like great art, reflect the complex and compelling relationship between humanity and Earth. Expressing Autumn, S (The Sum) leads with Gala
apple, Japanese plum, gun powder, dirt, and garlic power on the nose, with barely ripe cherry on the finish. 60% whole-cluster fermentation bolsters the wine, sustaining the tannic imprint and tension that uncoils like a rattlesnake strike on the finish.
Review:
Dynamic and multilayered, with tiers of wild red berry, sandalwood and mineral laced with a hint of eucalyptus. Builds richness and tension on the way to refined tannins. Drink now through 2029. 565 cases made. — TF
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
Mordoree Tavel Rose Dame Rousse is made from Grenache 60 %, Cinsault 10%, Syrah 10 %, Mourvèdre 10%, Clairette 5%, and Bourboulenc 5%.
Nose : steady rose, brilliant and limpid.
Aromas : very complex with flowers, red and white fruits aromas.
Palate : rounded, full bodied with a long lasting aniseed and fruity finish.
Ageing potential : 4 to 6 years
Surface : 9 Ha. Yield : 44 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 40 years Terroir : Clay / chalk and sandy with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : 100% destemming, cold maceration during 48 h., pneumatic pressing, fermentation at 18° C. Estate bottle
Food pairing: cold meat and delicatessen, poultry, white meats, grilled meats, fried fish, fish soup, pastas, pizzas and all Asian cuisine.
Review:
Deeply concentrated and penetrating with blackberry and black cherry flavors, this pale ruby rosé offers the zesty fruit character that rosé lovers demand alongside an intensity and structure craved by red wine drinkers. A touch more spry than the producer's more richly concentrated La Reine des Bois, it's a delicately spiced, pepper-edged rosé that can be enjoyed year-round.
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Maysara Arsheen Pinot Gris is made from 100 percent Pinot Gris.
No oak
Arsheen was an Archeamenian Princess during the 500 B.C. Era. She taught Astronomy and was granted the role of winemaker in the palace due to her impeccable palate and knowledge.
A bright expression of fruit right up front, allowing you to mingle and recline in a shaded garden on a sunny day. The wine floats atop a delicate hint of salinity that will reward pairings of shellfish and citrus based preparations. Arsheen has a smart, refreshing character that will bestow clarity and a ready-set-go!
At Maysara Winery & Momtazi Vineyard, we are committed to cap-turing the complete expression of our land and conveying it to you through superior quality in every bottle. We practice only low-impact, holistic farming methods in our Demeter Certified Biodynamic Vineyard. We are confident these practices are the best way to capture the true essence of the soil in our fruit and ensure health of our vines and the unique accent of our terroir for generations. This philosophy is carried into the cellar, where Demeter Certified Biodynamic wine-making practices produce wines with intensity, sophistication and elegance while maintaining a purity of both fruit and earth.
Starting gunshot to any coursed meal, or even as a cocktail… try as a Bianco, with campari, lemon, ice and a splash of soda…