Guest Wines

The Guest “red eye” $11. to taste both

Every week, we like to pour two Pinot Noirs side-by-side to highlight their differences
& hopefully evoke interesting conversation.

This week we’re pouring two small production gems from the bold 2009 vintage.

- Inimitable. Unique. Effervescent. If we were asked to describe John Paul Cameron, those three words would pop up first. Describing Cameron wines, on the other hand, requires a little more depth to capture that special spark underlying each of John Paul’s tiny production selections. With fruit sourced from his dear friend Bill Wayne’s Abbey Ridge vineyard, Arley’s Leap showcases a single block planted in 1990, just uphill from the original vines. What makes the wine exceptional is the delicate and lovingly obsessive relationship between the winemaker, vineyard crew, and the ecosystem in which these vines flourish. Organically farmed, the vineyards are treated with natural solutions when the threat of pests emerges. Add to that a commitment to non-irrigation, and you’ve got one happy Mother Earth!

- Each of Ken Wright’s single vineyard Pinot Noirs is designed to provide a snapshot of one of the winemaker’s favorite Willamette Valley sites through the lens of a particular vintage. Since Ken is counted amongst the most acclaimed vintners in the region, he is often entrusted with highly coveted blocks within these pristine vineyards. Nestled between Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit in the Dundee Hills, Nysa vineyard is meticulously managed by Michael Mega and Salvador Ordaz. They strive to keep yields from this 33-acre property low, allowing winemakers to produce Pinots with complexity, concentration, and balance. Just 350 cases were produced.

2009 Cameron Wines Arley’s Leap Pinot Noir $8. half glass/$14. glass/$40. bottle /$432. cs.
2009 Ken Wright Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir $11 half gls. / $20. glass / $58. Bottle / $626.40 cs.