Visit the Chehalem Wines website

2011 Gamay Noir, Ridgecrest Vineyards, Ribbon Ridge, Oregon
2011 shows a moderate to rich purple/garnet color, typical of Gamay Noir. The nose is laced with black pepper, fresh crushed red and black fruits, with a deep cherry accent, and charcoal wood oven. Pepper lingers on the spice-framed palate, showing fresh mineral notes, brandied cherries, black tea, and smoked paprika. This Gamay has cool-vintage brightness, but balances acid with moderate mid-palate tannin and a light, juicy, clean finish. Delicioso.

Vintage Notes: Yes, 2011 is THE latest harvest on our records. Three weeks late, picking some of our blocks as late as the second week of November, one would think the cards were stacked against us. However, considering three positive aspects from the vintage; 1) late season sun, 2) lower yields, and 3) below average rainfall - we’re seeing one of the best vintages of the last twenty years emerge. Resulting wines are fully ripe, rich, deep, dark AND carry low pHs/high acids and low alcohols, which bodes exceptionally well for long aging, food friendliness and a reputation that makes similar years, like 1999 and 2008, humble!

2015 Gamay Noir, Ridgecrest Vineyards, Ribbon Ridge, Oregon
When we think of a great Gamay vintage, this is exactly what we want. Deep purple in hue with black fruit galore and chocolate-coated blueberries. The spice factor rivals that of a Beaujolais Village Gamay, showing five-spice and peppercorns with an earthy, wild, cherry cola and gamey accent nose. Cocoa, Italian plums, dark roses and a bright clean acidity bring up the finish. This is a perfect food-friendly red, ready for a slight chill and a summer BBQ, or standing up to a steak and fireside winter dining.

Vintage Notes: The 2015 vintage was slightly different in early growing season timing from 2014, but the final effect was the same, big heat, big crop and big expectations. The acids are down, the alcohols are hovering around 14% and the work we did to minimize over-extraction resulted in more elegant wines than a hot vintage deserves. Similar to 2014, the fruit was impeccably clean and devoid of disease. We focused on restraint in 2015, and it rewarded us with incredible Pinot Noirs with density but not heaviness, nicely polished velour-like tannins and reasonable acidity. Four progressively warmer vintages, we will just learn to count higher—more heat, more fruit, more, more!