Oregon white wine, so very fine
Paying homage to where I first learned about wine, I decided to buy an Erath Oregon Pinot Blanc to serve as a counterbalance to the tangy pasta dish–Fusilli Alla Crazy Bastard–I planned to prepare for dinner. Funny name, fast preparation, and free of meat, this goat cheese and oven-roasted tomato slathered pasta dish paired superbly with the dry Pinot Blanc, just as I imagined it would. Go ahead and give it a shot! The recipe can be found at this Food and Wine’s recipe link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fusilli-alla-crazy-bastard.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, wine. Let me just say, first of all, that I am of the “Old School” Oregon wine biz (circa 1995-1997), pre-tasting-room-fee days, in fact. The name Dick Erath is synonymous with the Oregon industry,having made his first vintage in the early 1970s. (For more winery information, please visit Erath’s website: www.erath.com.) (There are many other pioneers of the Oregon wine industry, but I dare not try to list the names, for fear of leaving off someone important. Perhaps another post…)
Yet I digress and I shall digress even more by proffering up some trivia to go along with this 2006 (ten years after “my time”) Erath Pinot Blanc. Here we go: What was the original name of Erath and who currently owns Erath? (Answers appear below.)
Now onto the important things in life: wine. This Pinot Blanc’s light straw color offers up nothing about the many surprises to come. When chilled, aromas of green apples with floral accents were first to come forth. After warming a bit, a richer scent of freshly mowed grass tantalized my senses.
Like Van Gogh’s sunflowers with their plump canary heads, petals swaying to an invisible breeze, this Oregon Pinot Blanc captures the essence of summertime. What do I mean by this crazy artistic reference? I dare thee to read on!
Refreshing lemon is the first flavor I detect. Soon this gives way to a luscious layer of butterscotch. Let me stop here a moment and emphasize that this is indeed a dry wine. So, why am I tasting butterscotch? I really can’t explain myself. It definitely was NOT sugary sweet, but rather creamy and caramelized. That aside, this wonderful white wine finishes out with a dash of kiwi and a streak of minerality, which provides a sense of place–terroir de Willamette Valley. To my surprise and delight, this Pinot Blanc is exquisitely well-balanced.
Label (Non)Sense:
I actually like the nice anagram and tagline Erath has developed for their label because it slices away the snobbery to reveal the true spirit of wine: Earth, Heart, Erath.
For all you cork die-hards, a warning about this wine: Erath uses screw tops. Shocking, I know, but ecologically sound, right? And, if you forget your corkscrew on your picnic, no worries, mate!
Verdict: Buy now! Drink now! Yummy!
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Trivia answers: Knudson-Erath and Chateau Ste. Michelle. Dick Erath still runs the show, as far as management of the vineyard/winery.
Wine~n~Trip 