The Willamette Valley was named Region of the Year by the 2016 Wine Star awards:
“The vintners who first explored the valley’s potential were pioneers. There was no history to build upon, no grapes to purchase to produce wines while they waited for new vineyards to bear fruit. Only one of the first dozen or so vintners had any agricultural experience.” -Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
That person with the agricultural experience would be Pat Campbell, who grew up on a pear orchard and founded Elk Cove Vineyards with husband Joe Campbell in 1974. It’s incredible to think that 40+ year’s later, this region would beat out contenders in classic wine regions around the globe for this prestigious award. Congratulations to everyone whose hard work has made the Willamette Valley AVA what it is today. Cheers!
Check out all the Wine Star award winners at winemag.com
We’ve been featured on Grant’s Getaways! Grant McOmie is one of Oregon’s favorite travel journalists and we are honored to be included on this feature on the Oregon Wine Country Electric Vehicle Byway, otherwise known as Plug & Pinot.
A lot has been happening this spring! Here’s what’s been going on at Elk Cove over the past three months:
In the Vineyard
We officially have 100% budbreak. We’re still about 2 weeks behind our average year so we anticipate a later harvest than in 2016. On a warm day this time of year you can almost watch the vines grow, they’ll gain an inch or more in height in 24 hours!
Travis and the vineyard crew have planted an additional 10 acres of Pinot Noir (Adam’s favorite Dijon clone 777) at Mount Richmond Vineyard. We still have a bit more room for planting at Mount Richmond. This is our largest vineyard site just outside the town of Yamhill, Oregon.
We’ve been mowing or disking in our cover crops. These grasses and legumes help us retain soil moisture, balance soil fertility and prevent erosion.
In the Winery
Winemakers Heather and Adam are tasting every single barrel in the cellar, some more than once! We can laugh about what a cushy job this is, but it’s real work trying to maintain your palate all day. Heather says peppy music is essential. They are choosing blends for each of our Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs as well as our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Bottling of our 2016 white wines (and our 2016 Rosé) is finished! Our 100% Pinot Noir Rosé, Pinot Gris, and Estate Riesling have all been released but it will be another year or so before the 2016 reds are available.
In the Tasting Room
We recently hosted members of our Roosevelt Club for our Spring Dinner. Chef Jessica Hansen of the Kitchen at Middleground Farms did a great job with the menu and Kari and Katherine presented Roosevelt magnums to 12 members who’ve been in our Wine Club for 10 years or longer.
Katherine, Elissa and the Tasting Room crew are gearing up for Summer. Oregon has such beautiful weather in June, July and August so we expect a lot of visitors in the coming months. We’re especially excited about our collaborative event with the Portland Opera, Opera in the Vineyard as well as our sister winery Pike Road Wine’s Eclipse Party.
Of the 750 Oregon Wines reviewed by Wine Spectator for their “Recommended Wines From Oregon”, two Elk Cove wines made this prestigious list of 32 wines, our 2014 Goodrich Pinot Noir (Top Wine & 94 points ) and our 2015 Pinot Gris (Top Value & 90 points).
We’ve long been known for our complex Pinot Gris and Goodrich is a new favorite among our Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs (2014 was our very first year of this wine). Still it was a welcome surprise to see both of these wines show up on this list of great Oregon wines.
“Sleek and expressive, this is complex, with orange peel and tea leaf overtones to the cherry and raspberry flavors, finishing with style and finesse. Drink now through 2021.” – Harvey Steiman
Happy New Year! We have some introductions to make!
Fall 2016 saw the departure of Direct Sales Manager, John Bellncula who left to pursue his career in wine in a climate conducive to his passion for skiing in Colorado.
While the DTC Team buckled down for a busy holiday season, we searched for the right person to lead them as Direct Sales Manager. We were pleased to find Katherine Stalmann, a seasoned Oregon wine industry veteran with over 10+ years’ experience combined at Adelsheim and Bergstrom wineries. We are excited to welcome Katherine to the team!
On the Distribution side, we’re excited to announce the promotion of Todd Stewart, Sales Manager (USA) to Director of National Sales. Todd has been an advocate of ECV wines for over a decade, first on the Distributor side and then as one of our ECV Sales Managers covering over 20 markets for Elk Cove. Many of you know Todd and his tireless efforts to build the Elk Cove brand around the country. He’ll also support Elk Cove’s other Distribution Sales Managers. Please join us in congratulating Todd!
Claire Cunningham has moved to Port Townsend, Washington to be with her fiancée. We’re excited for Claire and the happy life changes she is making. Her markets have shifted to our other Managers and they’ll be reaching out to you shortly. I’m happy to announce that we have created a new role for her as our Corporate Sales Manager. We hope with this focus Claire can find more opportunities for both Elk Cove and Pike Road around the nation.
This shift obviously left a hole so we searched for another valuable Distribution Sales Manager. Please join us in welcoming Cam Christie to the Elk Cove family! Cameron Christie is a recent Portland transplant and hails from the frigid, wind-swept Canadian prairies (you can’t make him go back). He spent a decade working in wine starting in the Caribbean, then working harvest in Burgundy and then on to London where he managed retail operations for Uncorked Wine Merchants, one of the most acclaimed independent wine merchants in the UK. After a few years in London, he moved to San Francisco to work in sales for Bacio Divino Cellars (Napa), first taking over the CA market, and then expanding into business development across the US and internationally. Most recently, Cam managed a team of eight specialists across Northern California for Moet-Hennessy’s Champagne Portfolio. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, cycling, hiking, camping, film and literary fiction.
One final addition: we have a newly created position for the entire Sales Team, a Sales Coordinator who will be the ‘glue’ that holds all these moving pieces together. Please join us in welcoming Margaret Popenoe to this position. Previously, she was a Tasting Room Associate at our Pike Road Tasting Room. Margaret has an extensive background in the service/hospitality industry with over 16 years’ experience as a server, caterer, barista, yacht stewardess and tasting room manager.
We’re excited to have some new talented people join our team and we hope you all embrace them as well! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
We’re very pleased but not at all surprised to see our 2015 Pinot Gris show up on Wine Spectator’s prestigious list of the 100 Top Values of 2016. Our Pinot Gris has long been a favorite on lists of highly rated yet affordable white wines. We’re extra proud to see this wine represent Oregon in the category of Rich Whites, a category dominated by old world wines:
“Chardonnay tends to define this category of riper, fuller whites, yet there are many other wines from a diverse array of regions whose rich, lush flavors are nicely balanced by brightness, vibrancy and structure. Portuguese whites have come on particularly strong in recent years, showcasing the country’s indigenous grapes in distinctive versions, while New World examples such as Oregon Pinot Gris and South African Chenin Blanc are expanding the map.”
Check out the entire list at winespectator.com. There are some excellent wines here from wine regions all over the world, all of them rated at 88 points or higher and available for $20 or less.
Wine Spectator just announced a 93 point review of our 2014 Roosevelt Pinot Noir:
“Dark and spicy, sleek and inviting for the black cherry, licorice, tomato leaf and clotted cream notes that come together harmoniously on the expressive finish. Drink now through 2024” – Harvey Steinem
We are extra proud of our winemakers because this review previewed in Wine Spectator Insider, a members-only publication that offers a sneak-peek at Wine Spectator’s top-rated selections. It will also be published in Wine Spectator Magazine.
James Suckling visited Elk Cove during the 2016 Harvest and gave our 2014 Mount Richmond Pinot Noir an outstanding 93 point review:
“A bolder style of pinot here with lots of blackberry and bark character. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Tight and structured. Try in 2019 when the tannins soften.” – James Suckling
James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics. According to his profile at JamesSuckling.com, “A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A). It’s a wine I want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase.” The title of his 2016 article on the Willamette Valley tells it all: Oregon Pinot Noir is Ready to Take on the World. We agree!
James Suckling visited Elk Cove during the 2016 Harvest and gave our 2013 Mount Richmond Pinot Noir an outstanding 93 point review:
“A vivid and bright wine with dried-strawberry and floral aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, medium, velvety tannins and a delicate chocolate, hazelnut and ripe-fruit finish. Impressive for the vintage. Drink or hold.” – James Suckling
James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics. According to his profile at JamesSuckling.com, “A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A). It’s a wine I want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase.” The title of his 2016 article on the Willamette Valley tells it all: Oregon Pinot Noir is Ready to Take on the World. We agree!
James Suckling visited Elk Cove during the 2016 Harvest and gave our 2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir an outstanding 92 point review:
“A wine with plenty of dried-strawberry and berry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, firm and velvety tannins — yet this is always refined and polished. A beauty. Drink or hold.”
James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics. According to his profile at JamesSuckling.com, “A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A). It’s a wine I want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase.” The title of his 2016 article on the Willamette Valley tells it all: Oregon Pinot Noir is Ready to Take on the World. We agree!
James Suckling visited Elk Cove during the 2016 Harvest and gave our 2013 Five Mountain Pinot Noir an outstanding 90 point review:
“A little tight with berry and light milk-chocolate character. Lacks a little intensity but a firm and polished wine. Outstanding but a little short. Drink now.” – James Suckling
James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics. According to his profile at JamesSuckling.com, “A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A). It’s a wine I want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase.” The title of his 2016 article on the Willamette Valley tells it all: Oregon Pinot Noir is Ready to Take on the World. We agree!
James Suckling visited Elk Cove during the 2016 Harvest and gave our 2014 Five Mountain Pinot Noir an outstanding 92 point review:
“Very tight young wine with soft and silky tannins and plenty of plums, light cedar and toffee flavors. Medium body and a long finish. Give this time. Better in 2019.” – James Suckling
James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics. According to his profile at JamesSuckling.com, “A wine that I rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A). It’s a wine I want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase.” The title of his 2016 article on the Willamette Valley tells it all: Oregon Pinot Noir is Ready to Take on the World. We agree!
