How old do you like to drink Oregon Pinot Noir?

[DavidG]

And why?

Right off the back of the FedEx truck?
Within five years of release?
Five to ten years old?
Ten to twenty years?
Over twenty?

[stefan]

Most of the ones we have drunk that were 20-25 years old were very good. Of course, these have generally been ones that earlier tastings suggested that they would benefit from extended aging. In general, though, most taste mature by age 15, and none of the ones we drink are over the hill at age 15. We also drink a lot quite a bit earlier. For example, the 2016s, while young tasting, are very pleasing now even if they will outlive me. Many 2017s were already good at age 6. OTOH, we have just recently begun to drink our 2005 Burgundies, and the 1999s are still mostly pretty young.

Tonight we'll drink a 2015 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge PN. I expect it not to be mature but nevertheless fine for drinking now.

[stefan]

As to why: We don't have much old Oregon PN and they are hard to source. Fortunately, stefanJr frequently opens bottles for us.

[finner]

I lived outside of Portland for about 5 years. The sweet spot for me is the 8 to 10 year mark, they seem to really 'settle in' at that range. Dundee I would go on the earlier side 7-8 yrs, Eola Amity more structure on the later side 10-11 yrs

[Jay Winton]

Father Stefan enabled me to load up on various 2008 pinots from St. Innocent. They have all drunk well and I have one Momtazi left. The problem is the corks are very difficult to remove as they basically dissolve on opening. 1st world problem.

[JimHow]

I drink my St. Innocents young. They are mouth puckering at first but then open up with the meal.

[DavidG]

My problem is I buy enough to maintain a steady state, but not enough to accumulate bottles for aging (no room). So I’m drinking them within a couple of years of release. The Patty Greens I’ve been drinking young are quite enjoyable. They’re not too acidic or tannic to drink on their own. The few 2013s and 2014s I forgot about for 10 years did mellow and develop nicely.

My favorite pairings have been with grilled salmon. I like to prep it with a thin layer of Ken’s Lite Caesar salad dressing before popping it on the grill. Quick, easy, delicious. Time to go get the grill going and open a bottle.

[JimHow]

Mmmm Oregon pinot + simple salmon dish. Baby doll....

[stefan]

>>
Oregon pinot + simple salmon dish. Baby doll.
>>

Yes, indeed.

[DavidG]

Father Stefan enabled me to load up on various 2008 pinots from St. Innocent. They have all drunk well and I have one Momtazi left. The problem is the corks are very difficult to remove as they basically dissolve on opening. 1st world problem.

Does a Durand work any better on those?
I wonder if they’ve changed their cork supplier since then.

[JCNorthway]

Good to see all the Oregon PN pairings with salmon. That is how much of my Oregon supply gets drunk. I typically do not age them much because I can't keep them long eough. I did buy a couple of mixed cases of 2016 St. Innocent PNs and hid them until this year. But I don't think many of them will see more than 10 years of age.

[Harry C.]

21 in New Jersey. I'm not a big fan of many Pinot Noirs I've tried, but early on in my collecting journey, I bought a few and promptly forgot them in my cellar. I've had a few young Aubert Pinot that were too young; wannabe Cabs. But recently, I came across a 2005 Aubert Pinot. A revelation that reminded me of a Leroy pinot (what few I've ever had). So. for me age is needed, perhaps 20+ years?

[finner]

I drank a 1999 Tyee Pinot Noir in 2019 at age 20 years old. The last vintage that Barney Watson made there. It had lost some fruit but was still drinking well!

[DavidG]

Harry, I’ve never had an Aubert or a Leroy Pinot. From what I’ve read, and the few I’ve had, Cali, OR, and Burg versions are all different animals.

[stefan]

Last night we went to dinner with my sister and brother-in-law and friends whose anniversary is, like ours, this week. The two Oregon Pinot Noir stood out: 2012 St Innocent Shea Special Selection and 2014 Domaine Drouhin Louise. Both are soft and mature and on the power side of Oregon PN. The bouquet of the Shea was as floral as usual for Shea, but in the mouth it was more concentrated than the regular bottling. The Louise is similar to the other Dundee Hills DD PN but is vinted for the long hall. I was happy that it showed well at age ten. Both of these wines were stored since release in my warm wine room (62-64F), so wines stored at normal cellar temperature may take a couple of more years to reach maturity.

[DavidG]

Sounds delicious stefan.