88 Points “Soft and round, with a tinge of apricot to the citrus and apple flavors…”
– Wine Spectator (April 30, 2006)
89 Points
– Wine Enthusiast (July 31, 2005)
90 Points “…Its spice-laden mineral nose leads to a hugely flavorful core of rich apples, pears, and spices…”
– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (June 30, 2006)
2004 vintage continues what has strangely become almost routine up in Oregon – a very warm growing season. However, cold Spring weather naturally lowered crop sizes, and early Fall rains challenged picking, but the extended warmth in late September produced healthy, balanced, and concentrated fruit – just a lot less than normal. Generally, the wines are light-colored, but with great varietal intensity and excellent structure. This new varietal for Elk Cove Vineyards is true to our style of white wines; clean, crisp and focused on the fruit. While there is great ripeness apparent in this wine, lean and racy also describes the 2004 Pinot Blanc. This fruit is blended of, not only, both Elk Cove Vineyards’ Estate and Mount Richmond vineyards but also two other sites in the Willamette Valley, Helmick Hill near Monmouth and Tukwilla near Dundee. We hope you enjoy this new wine selection from Elk Cove Vineyards, as we are proud to add it to our “family” of wines!
The fruit for this Pinot Blanc is hand-harvested from select hillside vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley, including our Five Mountain, Mount Richmond and Estate vineyards.
The Willamette Valley has an ideal climate for Pinot Blanc, a delicate grape variety – enough sunlight and warmth for ripening, with cooler night temperatures that help retain varietal character. To preserve this freshness, our Pinot Blanc is whole-cluster pressed then fermented at very cool temperatures in small stainless steel tanks, all of which accentuates aromatics and enhances the richness and complexity of the wine.
It’s our post-harvest tradition to rent a boat and go crabbing at Kelly’s Marina. While we don’t always make it to the coast to go crabbing ourselves, sitting around the table shelling cooked crab from the fishmonger is also a great way to catch up while anticipating the great meal ahead, usually while savoring a glass of what we in the Campbell family call “cooking wine” (wine poured for the cooks). Dungeness crab season in Oregon runs from December to August.
These crab cakes pair beautifully with our Pinot Blanc. Cheers and bon appétit!
RECIPE
For the cakes:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
3 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
ground black pepper to taste
1 pound cooked blue or Dungeness crabmeat
2 cups panko bread crumbs (divided)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Skillet:
2 tablespoons (or more) butter
2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil or grapeseed oil
For the salad:
salad greens of your choice
3tbs olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dijon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
serve with crusty bread & hot sauce
In a large bowl, whisk ingredients the first 10 ingredients together. Mix in crabmeat, and break it up into a rough, chunky texture while feeling with your hands for any remaining pieces of shell. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup panko with the cayenne then fold into crab mixture. Let stand while panko soaks up the liquid from the crab mixture. Place the remaining panko in a flat bottomed bowl or tray. Form crab into patties about 2.5 inches in diameter (about 12) then press both sides of patties into the panko. Chill the formed patties for 1 to 4 hours in the fridge.
To fry, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes on both sides for about 4-5 minutes until they are browned, adding oil as needed to the skillet.
Make a vinaigrette with any remaining herbs, tossing lightly into your greens and serving alongside your favorite crusty bread. Season if desired with lemon wedges and Louisiana-style hot sauce – Crystal is our favorite but Tabasco or Texas Pete work equally well. Cheers!
Pinot Blanc
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