One of my favorite interactive sessions at the Wine Bloggers Conference was a component tasting of clonal selections of Pinot Noir, hosted by Erath Winery.
First, a bit about Erath. Erath Winery was established in 1967, with it’s first vintage in 1972. They were one of the early pioneers in the Willamette Valley. They were, in fact, the first winery in the Dundee Hills AVA, focused on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Piot Blanc. Dick Erath was inspired to create wine in 1965 after some garagiste experiments
After leaving an engineering career behind, he attended UC Davis, and relocated to Oregon in 1968. In 1969, Erath planted the Dundee Hills’ first vineyards, with 23 varieties With Pinot Noir flourishing, he had produced his first commercial vintage in 1972.
Now, let’s look at each of the Pinot Noir clones that were part of our tasting. Of course, there are many more clones used in Oregon, but Erath focuses on these three.
Grape clones are developed for specific reasons, flavor profiles, color, and body.
There are Dijon clones, the Pommard clone, and the Wadinswil clone, widely used in Oregon. Erath uses three clones for their wines, 115, 777 and Pommard. All of the clones and the blended wine resulting from them are from Prince Hill Vineyard, in the Dundee Hills.
The Pommard clone has become most widely known as the distinct Oregon style. Pommard is often used alone, while the Dijon clones are classically blended. Pommard gives Pinot Noir powerful fruit notes, spicebox and a rich body.
In the 2009 Prince Hill Pommard Clone, the oldest vines on the property are used. The bright classic cherry flavors were obvious, with earth hiding underneath. I loved this wine, with the bright acid and root beer notes, and a touch of herbal notes. I really enjoyed this single clone, however, I found it lacking in some interest with just the Pommard.
It is a deep colored grape, with rich aromas and red fruit flavors. With the strong tannins it’s a good choice for a wine you plan to age long.
The 2009 Prince Hill 115 Clone Pinot Noir had lovely earth, and dark red fruit with a bit of a nutty finish. This clone brings cedar and earth, and adds a nice backbone.
Clone 777 also has more earthly vegetative flavors, with the classic mushroom and forest floor notes. True to Erath’s restrained style the 2009 Price Hill 777 Clone has strong aromas of perfume and flowers, with mushrooms, brown sugar and figs followed by rich berry fruit. It’s a bolder style, with silky textures. The overwhelming note was strawberry, and this is the clone that brings the fruit tot he party.
The thrill of sampling single clones is incredible because it allows you to see all the traits that are possible in a variety. Windsor Oaks Winery makes their own blends from 2-5 different clonal selections, and I’m curious to try them!
