Circling Back to Our Favorite Oregonian Pinot Noirs #WinePW

This month the Wine Pairing Weekend writers are turning their eyes towards wines from Oregon. Our group's founder - David of Cooking Chat - is hosting. He left the topic wide open. I decided to circle back to some of our favorite Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley...and create some new pairings!

The Pinot Noirs of the Willamette Valley

With nearly two dozen AVAs in Oregon, the Willamette Valley is certainly the largest and best-known. Additionally, half of those wines are made from estate-grown grapes. The Oregonian darling is Pinot Noir, making up nearly three-quarters of the grapes grown in the state; however, there are also areas of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and a few others. Many of the winemakers are passionate about the environment and over half of the vineyards are certified sustainable.

Be sure to check out these articles from the Wine Pairing Weekend writers about pairings with Oregon wines!

The #WinePW Writers Dive into Oregon

• Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm hosts A Fall Celebration of Oregon Food and Wine

• Culinary Cam is Circling Back to Our Favorite Oregonian Pinot Noirs (you're here).

• Linda from My Full Wine Glass writes offers a look Beyond Willamette: Oregon's other wine regions

• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is Pairing 2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon with Hearty Beef Nilaga

• On Crushed Grape Chronicles, Robin is sharing Rogue Valley Amphora Grenache from Upper Five and Grilled London Broil with chocolate BBQ Sauce

• Deanna from Wineivore talks about Pairing Organic Ken Wright Pinot Noirs from Williamette Valley, Oregon

• On Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley you will find Fall 4 Biodynamic Oregon Wines: Brooks Riesling, Cowhorn Viognier, Troon Rose, Montinore PN + Menu

• Terri of Our Good Life is Unveiling the Perfect Pairing: Exploring the Flavors of Oregon Pinot Noir and Salmon.

• David from Cooking Chat pairs Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Willamette Pinot Noir

It is a joy to go back and try new vintages of some of our favorites.

2015 Maysara Cyrus Pinot Noir

I first tried Maysara wines in February 2023 when David had the group looking at BIPOC winemakers. For that event I shared From Tehran to McMinnville: Maysara's 2015 Jamsheed Pinot Noir + Joojeh Kabab with Mast-o Khiar and Maysara Pinot Gris with Kuku Sabzi, Salad-e Shirazi + (Failed) Tahdig.

I paired this with Braised Lamb with Onions, Olives, and Orange Rind. I actually placed all four of the Willamette Pinot Noirs on the table when our niece was spending the night on her way to moving in to UC Santa Barbara. I told her and R that they could pick the wine they wanted to pour. I am not exactly sure, but I think they picked it because it was the oldest vintage I was offering.

Named for King Cyrus the Great, it is said that he was instrumental in planting extensive vineyards and producing wine throughout his territory. He also supplied his troops with wine rations for strength; it was also part of his war strategy. It is said that he allowed some food and wine to be captured by the enemy. Once his enemies were too intoxicated to be effective, he deployed his army to attack for an easy victory.

The grapes for this wine were grown in the Momtazi Vineyard, a Demeter USA Certified Biodynamic® vineyard. Picked in late September 2015, the juice was fermented with native yeasts before being aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. It was bottled on May 2, 2017.

Like many Oregonian Pinot Noirs, the Cyrus is fruit-forward with abundant tart red fruit aromas of cranberries and unripe plums. On the palate, you get all of those fruity flavors layer of sweeter black cherries and tannins of black tea. What starts off as a fruity wine deepens with a lingering warmth and complexity.

2022 Hundred Suns Old Eight Cut Pinot Noir

Back in 2016 I became acquainted with Hundred Suns Wine. Thanks to social media, I saw that a school mate Renée Saint-Amour, along with her husband Grant, is behind Hundred Suns Wine. I immediately ordered two bottles of Pinot Noir, pouring one for our Easter feast and one for a girls' day. And, then, I ordered another three bottles: two Pinot Noir and one Syrah. I have been an avid fan ever since. And each year, I order a few bottles to open for special occasions.

The Old Eight Cut references a style of diamond cutting that dates back to the 14th century. The cut used simple tools to enhance the natural stone without masking its natural beauty. When I uncorked the wine, I was stunned by the aromatics. At the forefront, it was largely fruity with notes of strawberries and dried cranberries. But, with that first swirl and sip, intriguing layers revealed themselves.

The wine brought to mind one of my favorite poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay "Wine from These Grapes."

Wine from these grapes I shall be treading surely

Morning and noon and night until I die.

Stained with these grapes I shall lie down to die.

If you would speak with me on any matter,

At any time, come where these grapes are grown;

And you will find me treading them to must.

Lean then above me sagely, lest I spatter

Drops of the wine I tread from grapes and dust.

Stained with these grapes I shall lie down to die.

Three women come to wash me clean

Shall not erase this stain.

Nor leave me lying purely,

Awaiting the black lover.

Death, fumbling to uncover

My body in his bed,

Shall know

There has been one

Before him.

The wine opens with the expected red fruit of Pinot Noir but quickly descends into an intriguing tartness of juicy pomegranate and tart rhubarb. Then you get savory layers of earthy mushrooms and redwood duff. The acidity is food-friendly and the wine lingers with a spicy finish. I poured this wine with Earthy Braised Lamb Shanks.

2022 Sokol Blosser Evolution Pinot Noir

Back in 2021 I took part in a virtual tasting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sokol Blosser family. We received the 2018 Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling, 2018 Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir, 2018 Old Vineyard Block Estate Pinot Noir (special anniversary bottling!), and the 2012 Big Tree Block Estate Pinot Noir. Then we hopped on a Zoom session with the family, including founders and parents Susan and Bill and the second generation Alison and Alex. The Sokol Blossers are one of the last remaining wine pioneers. You can read the full details of that Zoom tasting in my post, on my previous blog, Over the Top Taco Night: Pork Carnitas + 2012 Sokol Blosser Big Tree Block Pinot Noir.

Then in 2023 I was invited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Evolution Wines and I posted Evolution Lucky No. 9 + Some Thai Favorites. So for this event, I opted to open the 2022 Sokol Blosser Evolution Pinot Noir. A young wine whose fruit comes from all over the Willamette Valley, the wine was fermented for over a week with pump-overs to "mix up the magic" they said. Then it was aged for seven months in stainless steel.

This wine boasted bright fruit flavors with warm spices and a hint of umami that made me think of cuttlefish ink. I ended up pouring it with a cuttlefish risotto whose recipe I will be sharing as a Halloween dish later this month, but you can see it here.

The last Willamette Pinot Noir I am going to share is the...

2022 Maison Noir OPP Pinot Noir

I was introduced to Maison Noir when #WinePW looked at BIPOC winemakers. While I poured Maysara in 2023, I poured my first Maison Noir in 2022 and posted Cherry-Kissed Pairing: Maison Noir's Horseshoes and Handgrenades + Steaks in a Cherry Pan Sauce.

This year I got ahold of the 2022 Maison Noir OPP Pinot Noir. OPP means "Other People's Pinot." It's a great value and true to what you expect from a Pinot Noir: fruity and spicy. But it intrigues with some layers of subtle florals and grassy herbs. I decided to pair this bottle with a Creole Gumbo.

Gumbo is derived from the word 'gombo' which translates to 'okra' in many West African languages. The earliest recorded recipes for the dish include okra as a main ingredient. I have made both, but when I gave the Cajun Gumbo a try, two of the four around my table found it too strong. So, I usually stick with a Creole recipe...

• 2 quarts water

• 2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined (shells and heads reserved to make seafood stock)

• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into thick coins

• 1 pound spicy Creole sausage, cut into thick coins

• 1 pound okra cut into 1" length

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 to 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and pressed

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, cored and chopped

• 2 cups diced tomatoes

• 1 Tablespoons Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 Tablespoons filé powder

• freshly ground salt, as needed

• freshly ground pepper, as needed

• Also needed: steamed rice and green onions for serving

Add the shrimp heads and shells and 2 quarts water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cook sausages in a large stockpot until the pieces are nicely browned and much of the fat has been rendered. Remove the sausages and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. In the same pot, add 1 Tablespoon oil. Add in the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and bell peppers. Stir together and cook until the vegetables are softened.

Strain the shrimp stock into the large stockpot. Add in the browned sausages, bay leaves, and diced tomatoes. Bring everything to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and stir the okra into the mixture. Continue cooking the gumbo for 60 minutes. Fold in the shrimp. Cook for 15 minutes longer.

Remove the gumbo from the heat and stir in the Creole seasoning and filé powder. Let the gumbo rest for 15 to 20 minutes. As it cools, oil should form on the top. Skim the oil off with a ladle and discard.

Taste the gumbo and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve the gumbo ladled over steamed rice.

That's a wrap on my offering for the Oregon event. I think that next month will have the #ItalianFWT writers looking at the Coppo Winery in the Piemonte. I can't wait to learn more about them, taste, and pair. Stay tuned.