April 2007
While in Salem on business Carolyn and I decided to make a quick winery stop before heading back to Bend. We headed west out of Salem about 15 minutes to Van Duzer Vineyards.
Just off of Highway 18 Van Duzer Vineyards lies at the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor which funnels cool air into the Willamette Valley at the close of summer evenings. In honor of this, "Zephyra" the Greek goddess of the west wind is conceptualized on Van Duzer's wine labels.
Carl and Marilyn Thoma purchased Van Duzer Vineyards in 1998 and have continued to farm and upgrade the 21 year old vines while bringing new vineyards such as the West Bowl online also. Other more mature vineyards include the Homestead Block and The Flagpole Block.
We arrived at the winery and tasting facility right around lunchtime. The new facility has been open around 6 months now and is absolutely beautiful. With interior work by Neo Design Studio and Laurence Ferar & Associates doing the building design you can tell a lot of time and effort was put into constructing a facility that is both functional as a winery and a pleasant atmosphere for guests. The views of the Van Duzer Corridor are amazing and you can see all of the vineyards from the tasting rooms vantage point atop the hillside.
As we tasted through the wines with our Van Duzer associate (who was very knowledgeable) she started us with the Stones Throw wines from the Carl & Marlyn Thoma's vineyards in California. We tasted the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and the Lake County Sauvignon Blanc. We found the Sauvignon Blanc at $7.00 a great value.
We then moved on to the Van Duzer wines. We tried the 2006 Estate Pinot Gris and the Estate Pinot Noir Rose first. The Pinot Gris was lively and crisp with pineapple and citrus. The 100% Pommard Clone Pinot Noir Rose showed cherry and cranberry with a bright but smooth finish making it a great candidate for summer sipping on the deck.
And then the Pinot Noirs!
Van Duzer has a new Pinot Noir called Vintner's Cuvee. The 2005 is made from some of the newer plantings on the estate. This seems a lighter styled and approachable Pinot Noir and is affordably priced. It shows aromas of cherry and raspberry with a hint of truffle.
The 2005 Estate Pinot Noir shows bright red fruits, black cherry and hints of spice while the 2004 Dijon Clones (always one of our favorites) smacks of red and black fruits with a hint of vanilla. The Dijon Clone has a deep and lingering finish.
We finished with the three vineyard designate Pinots. The first was the 2005 Westside Block which has aromas of succulent red fruit and spices with a dark berry finish. The 2004 Homestead Block was wonderful with floral aromas, dark cherry on the mouth feel and a meaty finish. Our favorite though was the 2004 Flagpole Block, a brooding earth laden 100% Wadenswil Clone Pinot Noir showing ripe fruit and mushroom. The finish is long with smooth tannins. Quite a wine!
Northwest Wine Fan Recommendations:
2006 Estate Pinot Noir Rose
2004 Dijon Clones Pinot Noir
2004 Homestead Block Pinot Noir
2004 Flagpole Block Pinot Noir
Van Duzer Vineyards is well worth a visit and just minutes away from downtown Salem.
Winery &Tasting Facility
11975 Smithfield Rd.
Dallas, OR 97338
1-800-884-1927
Head Winemaker:
Jim Kakacek
