“Merlot Me” With This Pair From Washington State’s L’Ecole Winery

Fall weather is the perfect setting for expertly crafted Merlots from Washington.

Magnificent Merlot

October is Merlot Month and we’re squeezing under the wire to tell you about two wonderful bottles we recently uncorked. L’Ecole No. 41 is recognized as one of Washington State’s masters of Merlot. This pair certainly magnifies that claim.

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As the weather dips lower and the frost is (almost) on the pumpkin, we decided we needed a nice warming meal. It was time for some beef beef bourguignon as only the Green Dragon can make it.

Beef bourguignon is a rich beef stew in a thick wine sauce. The dish includes onion, carrots, garlic, celery, and mushrooms. We added some creamy mashed potatoes to make this a true comfort dish. For the wine we tried two L’Ecole Merlot, both 2018 vintages: Columbia Valley Merlot and the Walla Walla Valley Merlot.

Contrast In Excellence

As we savored the succulent stew, the first sip of the Columbia Valley Merlot opened our eyes with delight. This is a smooth wine bursting with bright raspberry and black cherry flavors. It is 80% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and a dash (2%) of Petit Verdot. This has beautiful ripe flavors of berries that entrance without becoming heavy or ponderous. A wonderful blend with the bourguignon.

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The Walla Walla Merlot is the same, but different. By that I mean that it is also an exemplary wine – but it is a deep dive into the darker side of Merlot. It is the electric bass to the Columbia Valley’s acoustic guitar.

Blackberry and black cherry rise to the forefront and chocolate and plum paint the mid-palate. The finish is plush and balanced with cedar and savory accents.

Twelve percent Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon are blended with the Walla Walla Merlot. The grapes for this wine come from two prestigious estate vineyards: Ferguson and Seven Hills. Both the vineyards are certified sustainable and certified Salmon Safe. Aging was in small French oak barrels, with 35% new, providing structure without being too heavy.

L’Ecole is a leader in Washington State wine and one of our favorite producers. The Columbia Valley Merlot retails for $25 while the Walla Walla Merlot has an SRP of $36.

Full disclosure: These wines were received as a marketing sample.

Umpqua Valley A Surprising Find In Oregon Wine Country

The first of our two-part look at Oregon’s Umpqua Valley, a region ripe with innovation and diverse grape varieties.

Oregon wine continues to grow in popularity and reputation. The state has 21 AVAs and contributes more than $7 billion annually to the Oregon economy. Much of the buzz focuses on Willamette Valley and its Pinot Noir, but further south in Umpqua Valley, there is a world of quality wine unknown to most wine lovers.

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The Umpqua Valley sits between the Cascades to the east and the Coastal Range to the west. It stretches 65 miles from north to south and is 25 miles wide and is nestled between Willamette Valley to the north and Rogue Valley to the South.

Its wine history dates back to the 1880s, when German immigrants established the first vineyard and winery, producing an estimated 22,000 gallons of wine. The region has quite a few firsts. Between 1959 and 1961, Richard Sommer, a winemaking pioneer in the Umpqua Valley planted 36 acres of vinifera grapes, including Oregon’s first Pinot Noir, despite warnings from his U.C. Davis educators that grapes will not grow in Oregon.

The Umpqua Valley AVA was founded in 1984 and innovation continued. In 1984, Abacela Winery planted the first Tempranillo in the Northwest. In 2001 the winery planted the first Albariño vines in the Northwest. In 2003-2005, Steve Reustle of Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards planted and produced the first commercial Grüner Veltliner.

The region historically was home to vineyard plots of five to 30 acres. Today larger vineyards from 100 to 200 acres are planted. The number of grape varieties has expanded to include Syrah, Tempranillo, and Grenache. In fact, the 30 family-owned wineries of Umpqua Valley grow 40 different wine varieties.

We recently had a chance to tour Umpqua Valley during the Wine Media Conference in an excursion hosted by the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association. Here’s a look at five impressive Umpqua Valley wineries and we’ll continue with winery reports in our second part.

Meadows Estate Winery - 175 Hogan Road, Oakland, Oregon

Formerly MarshAnne Landing, this winery was purchased by Dexter and Marilyn Meadows in 2019. Meadows Estate Winery is 17 acres of deep, cobbled volcanic soil and features 10 varieties. We tried the first two wines that are “their own,” the 2017 White Grenache and the 2017 Syrah Rosé. The focus is on Rhone and Bordeaux varieties. Be sure to check out the Cote du Umpqua, a Rhone-style blend of 50-50 Grenache and Syrah.

Their goal is to produce “out of this world” wines. With a stylish tasting room that features a deck with scenic views and beautiful estate wines, Meadows Estate Winery is ready for liftoff.

Brandborg Vineyard and Winery - 345 First Street, Elkton, Oregon

Brandborg Vineyard and Winery are located in Elkton, the coolest and most maritime climate in the Umpqua Valley. I was familiar with their elegant Pinot Noir but got my introduction to their Alsace-style white wines during my visit. With just a touch of sweetness, their Bradley Vineyard Riesling is one of the top sellers in Oregon. The 2015 Bradley Vineyard Gewürztraminer is an award-winner with citrus and green apple notes.

The array of 11 different Pinot Noir includes the 2014 Ferris Wheel Pinot Noir, limited to 465 cases and supple with blackberry, spice, and cherry notes.  The Ferris Wheel Vineyard is the most westerly in Umpqua Valley and stands at 1,000 feet and just 30 miles from the ocean. For a treat, try the 2018 2018 Fleur de Lis (White) Pinot Noir.

Bradley Vineyards and River’s Edge Winery - 1395 River Drive, Elkton, Oregon

We tasted wine from these outstanding wineries at River’s Edge. Bradley Vineyards was founded by John and Richard Bradley and sold almost all of the crops to wineries around Oregon. When friends opened the River’s Edge Winery, it provided an opportunity to begin producing a small amount of wine under the Bradley Vineyard label.

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Our tasting began with the River’s Edge 2019 Aligoté. There’s not much of this white grape to be found in the US market. It’s light and crisp with a delicious minerality. In a bottle with a distinctive piece of art, the River’s Edge Cascade is a Pinot Noir pet nat wine with just the right amount of bubbles and a nice unfiltered texture.

The 35th Leaf Edition (it’s their 35 harvest) 2018 Skin Contact Gewürztraminer from Bradley takes Gewürz and stands it on its ear. The unique orange color comes from skin contact during primary fermentation. The bouquet is a blast of roses, which gives way to tree-fruit and spicy flavors. Their 2018 My Bon Pinot Noir uses Pommard and Wadenswil clones. It’s a classic beauty.

Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards - 960 Cal Henry Road, Roseburg, Oregon

Our lunch stop was at Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards and, if I had my way, I would still be at the winery! Owner and winemaker Stephen Reustle has carved an impressive wine estate in the shadow of Tyee Mountain. There are 14 grape varieties planted among the 40 acres of vines. The complex includes a winery and tasting cave as well as an observation deck and amphitheater.

Inside the wine cave, we were treated to a gourmet meal with a salmon entrée. In 2005, Reustle became the first winery in the US to commercially produce Grüner Veltliner. The 2018 Grüner has a big mouthfeel and round mineral flavors, perfect for our fish dish. We closed with a cheese course that featured the 2019 Syrah. Their 2012 Syrah took the title of Best Syrah in the World in the 6 Nations Wine Challenge. It’s a savory wine with blackberry and cocoa notes.

There is indeed a Prayer Rock, a large boulder at the top of a south-facing slope that served as a meeting place for Stephen and his son. Reustle Prayer Rock is an answer to a wine lover’s prayer.

More fun in Umpqua Valley in the second part of our story, coming soon.

Cantine Ermes Quattro Quatri Nero D'Avola Sicilia DOC

One of the best bottles in months!

Nero D’Avola Impresses With Dinner

Nero D’Avola is the most important red grape in Sicily and one of the most important indigenous grapes in Italy. The dark-skinned grape is often compared to New World Shiraz and has the depth and body of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

When I let the Green Dragon know about the wine, the wheels started turning to determine the proper pairing. She decided on Beef Florentine Pinwheels with sautéed kale and roasted potatoes. It’s a hearty wine and quiche definitely wasn’t going to cut it!

Cantine Ermes is one of the most important producers of organic grapes in Sicily. An added bonus to the wine is the appassimento process of partially drying the grapes. This gives it amazing depth. 

Raisinated Wine Rocks

We taste a lot of wine during a year (it’s an important job that someone has to do!) but this one was remarkable. The wine was the most expressive and memorable that we've had in months. The flavors are deep red cherry, minerality, and some coffee notes at the finish. The finish is smooth as this is finished in stainless steel to keep the fresh fruit flavor.

Surprisingly, this bottle retails for a mere $16 to $18. Each sip mingled perfectly with the juicy steak. It was a succulent addition to our meal. Truly beautiful and highly recommended!

Full disclosure: This wine was received as a marketing sample.

Ziereisen 2016 Talrain Spätburgunder, Baden

Pork and Pinot – it’s a beautiful thing, especially with a gourmet-prepared smoked pork shoulder.

A German Surprise

When we arrived at our friend’s house, our hosts were befuddled. I announced that I had brought a bottle of Spätburgunder, and Tony and Amy exchanged puzzled glances.

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They aren’t alone. Even though Spätburgunder is Germany’s most popular red wine, most people haven’t heard of it. They haven’t heard of it, that is until you tell them that Spätburgunder is German for Pinot Noir.

Spätburgunder is a delicious secret to most people. While the prices of Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Carneros, and Russian River Valley continue to escalate, German Pinot Noir represents a marvelous value. I’ve also found the quality to be excellent.

The True Star

While the 2016 Talrain Spätburgunder is indeed newsworthy, the true star of the evening was the smoked pork shoulder prepared by Tony. Tony, who teaches physics at a local university, has developed his own scrumptious technique for smoking pork.

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The secret is in the sous vide technique. The meat is vacuum-sealed in plastic and then placed in a water bath where it is cooked with a low-temperature immersion circulator cooker. This allows precise control over the temperature.

It’s a two-part process with the final cooking being done in a smoker to give the meat a nice “bark” and the smokiness we all crave. When the meat came out of the smoker (and after a brief rest) the meat fell off the bone – ready for the hungry guests.

The Pairing

While Amy and Tony took care of the many details of the dinner, I focused on the critical task of uncorking the Spätburgunder and pouring!

Talrain is a vineyard located on the lower hills of the Black Forest in Baden. It is layered with limestone and iron-rich clay with an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and 30% of the grapes are pressed whole-cluster. The ABV is a low 12%, meaning it won’t overpower your meal. This is a light and fresh wine with good acidity and aromas of forest and flowers. On the palate, there is wild strawberry and spice with juicy mineral notes. It’s an elegant wine.

In case you are wondering about the sauce, it started with a base of sweet sauce which was precisely attuned with hot sauce, vinegar, and some mustard. The meal was over the moon good.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2019 DCV Block 10 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Sophisticated Chardonnay rounds out our pasta meal.

Changing Seasons

As the pages flip on the calendar and the seasons change, we know that meals on the patio may be fewer and farther between. The fates intervened and we had a perfect evening. We decided to move our dinner outside.

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The dinner was linguine with white wine clam sauce. Rounding out the meal was a nice spinach sale with mandarin oranges and some homemade beer bread.

For our wine pairing, I selected the 2019 DCV Block 10 Chardonnay. The Green Dragon is not a fan of oaky Chardonnay – but I reckoned this was balanced perfectly and would be ideal for our dish. (Turns out I was right!)

Whole Cluster Goodness

This is a fresh and expressive wine. There are peach and floral notes flowing with minerality. The aging is in 100% French oak with 28% being new oak. That keeps the oakiness at a very refined level – blending nicely and not overpowering the delicate flavors.

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We also dig into the complexity that comes from whole cluster pressing. We enjoy that technique in wines like Pinot Noir and in white wines, it adds character that the juice alone can’t produce. The pairing with the linguine was spot on and, of course, it helped that the sauce was made with the DCV Chardonnay. The only part of the meal that was a bit offbeat was the beer bread. It was slightly sweet and so didn’t really fit with the wine – we enjoyed it all the same.

This limited production with 825 cases and the grapes come from 30 specially selected rows in the vineyard. the winery has since released the 2020 DCV Chardonnay. Cost is $40. It's from one of our favorite AVAs: Russian River Valley in Sonoma. Sophisticated and a great food match!