On to part 2 of my Owen Roe series (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) and a truly spectacular wine in this round of 2. But, before I get to that wine, wanted to touch on another interesting element of Owen Roe winery. There are so many great Northwest wineries and winemakers. In Oregon, a few that stand out to me are Devitt, Domaine Drouhin, Ken Wright, Williamette Valley Vineyards. And, up north in Washington, some of my favorites are Mark Ryan, Buty, Dunham Cellars, Long Shadows, Cayuse, K Vintners and on and on. It's truly extraordinary the number of great wines coming out of the Northwest and no one knows this better than Owen Roe winery.
Their positioning as "Wine from Oregon & Washington" seems pretty straight forward, but to take on two huge states, with over 25 AVA's between them and a host of great wines and winemakers is a daunting task. This isn't necessarily a new phenomenon, with the likes of Andrew Rich and Sineann also making wines with grapes from both states, but what makes it even more interesting is that these three wineries have 37 current releases among them. 37! I've been to at least 1/2 a dozen wineries this last year that only have one and these guys are offering up almost 40 different wines. Which is part of the reason why I was so intrigued by Owen Roe to begin with. I haven't tasted any Andrew Rich or Sineann, but the simple fact that Owen Roe has such a vast line-up of wines (14 current releases on its own) is what originally compelled me to look into the subject further.
From there, it's the quality of the wine that caught my attention. If Owen Roe was putting out the Northwest's Two Buck Chuck, I'd probably write one post and move on or completely ignore them. But, Owen Roe truly recognizes the power of a Northwest grape and, in most cases, are pulling all the best natural characteristics out of the grapes and the land. Even though the Northwest has received high acclaim around the wine world, it's still an up & coming region and it’s important (at least to me) that people get a realistic sense of wine coming out of there. A truly extraordinary place, producing truly extraordinary wines.
Which brings me to the two wines I'm focusing on for today – the 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard and the 2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley "Lady Rosa".
2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard
If you read my first post on Owen Roe (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) you'll know that I wasn't a big fan of the Pinot Noir in that round - the Eola-Amity Hills. Just couldn't seem to shake the fact that it didn't taste like a Pinot Noir to me. Still a decent wine, but not at all what I expected and certainly not a contender in its weight class.But, the Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills is a different story. On the nose came blackberry, cinnamon and rich earth, with an interesting blend of raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant in the mouth. Much fruitier in the mouth than on the nose and a bit unbalanced, but I appreciated the fact that it tasted like a Pinot Noir. Bar too low on this one, given my experience with the Eola-Amity Hills? Maybe. But, then again, I am focusing on one winery for this series, so it's only fair that I judge the wines against each other.
What you should do: Wait on this one, until I finish. At about $42, it drinks below its price for now, especially considering some of my favorite Pinot Noirs go for around $50 (Domaine Drouhin, Sea Smoke, Kosta Browne...to name a few). This one may be fighting as a middleweight in the heavyweight category - not that far off, but would almost certainly get pummeled in the ring.
my rating: 87
2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley "Lady Rosa"
My wife and I are expecting our first child in December and we decided to not find out the sex of the baby. And, we're not one of those couples in which one wants to know and the other does not. We are 100% committed to not knowing, under the auspice that there are only so many truly beautiful surprises left in this world anymore. Uh oh, is he really going to compare the birth of his first child to a bottle of wine? Well, not really. Nothing will compare, that's for sure. But, it's noteworthy that after you taste so many wines, there are also very few surprises. My first surprise in the Owen Roe tasting was a Pinot Noir that tasted like anything but that (aka an unpleasant surprise). My second is the Lady Rosa Syrah that absolutely knocked my socks off (aka a pleasant surprise).
This wine is beautiful. A huge nose...and I mean huge. To extend the boxing metaphor, a heavyweight who came to win and even intimidates some of the super heavyweights along the way. Blueberry, eucalyptus, play-doh and cigar box (not a lit cigar, more like running a cigar under your nose before lighting it). A weird combo on paper, but it really was dynamic, aromatic and ever-changing. Then, on the mouth, I tasted one of the richest, creamiest wines I've had in a long time. Again, some blueberry, with dark berries and fresh earth, and a phenomenal caramel / butterscotch finish that I can still taste in the back of my throat, like a Werthers Original hard candy, but a less sweet-version. Overall, an incredibly lush and silky Syrah, with very fine tannins, from a state that is currently blowing me away with their Syrah (if you don't believe me, get your hands on a Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard or Bionic Frog - unbelievable...come to think of it, if you do get ahold of them, give me a ring, I'll be right over).
What you should do: BUY IT by the case if you can afford it. $45 a bottle and still selling at that price, even after a 94 rating from Wine Spectator. This is a beautiful wine. Be selective about who you share it with - if you think they won't appreciate it, then pull out a good sub-$20 bottle of wine for them. Save the Lady Rosa for yourself or for a friend that's bringing over an equally great bottle of wine.
My rating: 92
Gadget
RJ, I have a bottle of Lady Rosa that I bought mainly because it is grown in my backyard (almost). I enjoyed this review and will forward to drinking this wine even more.