2006 – The First Vintage from Zenith Vineyard!

We are thrilled to announce the release of our 2006 Pinot Noirs and Tempranillo - the first-ever vintage under the Zenith Vineyard brand. These are also the first vineyard-designated wines from our site since the 1998 St. Innocent O'Connor Pinot Noir.

Zenith Vineyard made two Pinot Noirs and a Tempranillo in 2006, to be released in May but available for purchase now. Our total production was about 515 cases - 465 cases of Pinot Noir and 50 cases of Tempranillo.

It's been a long road... right back to where it started.  Kari and I were simply fans of Oregon Pinot Noir and particularly fond of the wines by Mark Vlossak at St. Innocent.  We started buying St. Innocent wines back in the early nineties and in particular were drawn to O'Connor Vineyard wines.  At a dinner party in early 2002, at our home in suburban Chicago, we remember opening a double-magnum of 1991 St. Innocent O'Connor Pinot.  The wine was sublime.  I wrote Mark Vlossak a note to say how much we enjoyed it!  Six months later in a phone conversation with Mark, he recalled that I liked O'Connor.  Mark asked "why not buy the O'Conner Vineyard?"  It was about to be offered for sale.  An outrageous, dreamy, unrealistic suggestion, to be sure...  Three months later, we found ourselves vineyard owners and Oregon-bound.  It is the fulfillment of our wildest dreams.

2006 was a magical year.  Being a vineyard manager was easy in 2006.  We enjoyed beautiful fall weather that allowed the fruit to ripen at a measured pace.  We harvested at our leisure and made wines of optimum fruit and acid balance.  It was the type of year vineyard owners and winemakers dream of - our recommendation is be aggressive in buying Oregon's beautiful 2006 Pinot Noirs.

Mark Vlossak on the 2006 Zenith Vineyard wines: "The Zenith Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noirs both come from blocks that did not exist when I was making the St. Innocent O’Connor Vineyard wines (the vineyard’s former name). These new blocks incorporate all of the lessons learned on growing great Pinot Noir over the last three decades.  The real question in my mind was would the new wines reveal the same terroir, but with greater concentration, focus, and clarity – the rationale for making viticultural choices that are much more costly to plant and more labor intensive to farm. When I tasted the first wines I produced for Zenith Vineyard, the answer was an unequivocal Yes!"

2006 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir, Estate, Eola-Amity Hills – Mark says: “The Estate reveals Zenith’s signature dark fruit and cherry aromas with highlights of smoke, cedar and spice in an accessible structure that can be enjoyed over the next five years.”  Our Estate Pinot Noir was aged for 18 months in 26% new French oak.  It is 34% Pommard; 29% clone 115 and 29% clone 667 and 8% clone 777. We produced 280 cases; $25 per bottle; $255 per case.

2006 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir Barrel Select, Eola-Amity Hills – Mark writes: “The Zenith Select was produced from a co-fermentation of Block 5C and 8A, which was for me, the wine of the vintage from Zenith.  The focus and clarity of fruit and the details of the flavor layers are fully revealed in this wine. Enjoy its exuberance now or age for up to a decade.”  This wine is selected from the best barrels of our 2006 production.  We produced 185 cases; it is 48% clone 115; 39% clone 777 and 13% clone 667.  The Barrel Select was barrel aged for 18 months and cooperage was 41% new French oak; $40 per bottle; $408 per case.

2006 Zenith Vineyard Tempranillo, Estate, Eola-Amity Hills – Mark can barely believe that he has made a Tempranillo – it’s possible he is in denial at present, in any case I’m afraid to ask him what he thinks (other than I know he thinks it should be Pinot Noir).  Tim says: “The Estate Tempranillo is our first effort with this Spanish varietal and I’m quite pleased with the result.  We think our terroir is well-suited to the Tempranillo grape and we have a shot at another credible red varietal in the Willamette Valley.  The wine has bright fruit and smokiness on the nose.  Despite the 50% new French oak, the tannins are mild.  Our Estate Tempranillo was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak.  It is 100% clone 2.  We produced 50 cases; $25 per bottle; $255 per case.

We’ve recently tasted many of the classic vintages of O’Connor, now Zenith. We’ve had the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 all in the past year and remain enthralled with the beauty and intensity these wines show, even at a relatively advanced age. We are truly lucky to be the caretakers of land which continues to show well and produce the flavor and complexity we are looking for.

Give us a try!  If you are not thrilled with the wines please return unopened bottles for a full refund.