Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir Estate 2007

$36 / bottle
JULY 2010:
World Class Wine Club Selection
Drinkability: Tasty now!
Availability: Good for the short term

Whistling Ridge Vineyard is smack-dab in the middle of Oregon's Ribbon Ridge AVA, which in turn is part of the larger Chehalem Mountain AVA. It is perhaps the most distinctive of the newer AVAs created here a few years ago, and many folks claim the ability to taste the sedimentary loam in the wines from this spot, which is about 3 miles by 2 miles in size. Whistling Ridge is literally surrounded by great vineyards and producers, including Ridgecrest Vineyard, Beaux Freres, and Patricia Green Cellars - and more recently, Trisaetum. So, this info applies in part to that wine, too.

From The Oregon Wine Board comes this description of Ribbon Ridge: "Ribbon Ridge is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA that sits 22 miles southwest of Portland, 4 miles northwest of Dundee, and 40 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Ribbon Ridge is contained within the larger Chehalem Mountains AVA - which is contained with the Willamette Valley AVA.

"In 1980, Harry Peterson-Nedry was the first to plant wine grapes on Ribbon Ridge at his Ridgecrest Vineyards. Two years later, the first commercial vineyard was established with the planting of 54 acres of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. It was nearby Yamhill Valley Vineyards who first used these grapes to make wine in 1985. Other vineyards were soon planted in this relatively small ridge . . .The appellation became official in 2005.

"Protected by geographical features to the north, south and west, Ribbon Ridge's grape-growing hillsides are slightly warmer and drier when compared to the adjacent valley floors. Ribbon Ridge's moderate climate is well suited for early grape growth in the spring, consistent and even ripening over the summer and a long, full maturing season in the fall.

"The Ribbon Ridge region contains primarily sedimentary soils that are younger, finer and more uniform than the alluvial sedimentary and volcanic soils of neighboring regions. These moderately deep, well-drained silty-clay loam soils are part of the Willakenzie soil series and are of low fertility and ideal for growing high-quality wine grapes."

Whistling Ridge Vineyards, under the ownership of Dick and Patricia Alvord, was planted in 1989, and started producing grapes in 1992. Ken Wright made a single-vineyard wine from the site for many years, but now much of the pinot noir goes to Matello and to Patricia Green Cellars. Marcus Goodfellow of Matello makes the wine for the Whistling Ridge label.

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Price $36.00 Available 79 bottles Qty