A few years ago during a trip to Volnay one of our customers asked Jean-Pierre Charlot, who has spent a lifetime as a proud vigneron in Burgundy, what he would do differently if he were a young man starting today. Without hesitation he answered: “Oregon.” He went on to say that everything he had experienced suggested a place full of creative, collaborative energy that was on the cusp of making world-class wines. Who wouldn’t want to be part of writing that history? This is not the sort of praise that gets tossed around lightly in Volnay.
This week’s article “Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness” adds Josh Raynolds’ voice to the chorus suggesting that recent vintages in Oregon have seen much of that potential realized. All four of the producers we represent in California — Belle Pente, Division, Goodfellow Family, and Walter Scott — feature prominently. Deservedly so.