We were excited to check out Lenné in Yamhill. From what I have heard, this vineyard is producing top quality grapes and the Pinots are duly noted. We did some shuffling of schedule on our way and ended up at Lenné a little before noon. The long drive up to the tasting room was steep and I tried not to be distracted by all of the horses in the adjacent field. As luck would have it, the gates to the property were closed. We realized we were there before they opened. It was a great photo opp, so here you go!
Within a few minutes a car pulled up behind us and the proprietor of the estate let us eager beavers in. Let me tell you, this tasting room is stunning. Definitely an aesthetic I love, very French country home with a ton of Northwest accents. It sits on a gorgeous piece of land and it was nice to have it all to ourselves. Steve opened up the tasting room and the Pinot started flowing. I was excited about the Le Nez, french for nose, and a play on the name of the estate. Meghan did the tasting and from the looks of it, was very happy. Steve told us a lot about the evolution of Lenné and how they currently operate. I had read that for a time Steve and his team were looking for 15K investors to help take the business to the next level. At the time this was fairly public (I read it in my Wine Bible) . He told us, unsurprisingly that people really came out of the woodwork-lets face it, wine is sexy. If you've got 15K sitting around, it'd be nice to be associated with such a fun business.
After waxing on the erroneous way some (unmentioned) wine publications choose editorial features/ratings, it was time to move on. A bottle of Pinot each and we were off!
Next stop: Trisaetum. One thing I have noticed in all of this winery research is how many "combo" names are out there. Nearly every winery has a story behind the name and Trisaetum is no exception. A blend between Tristen and Tatum, the children of the vineyard owners. Trisaetum sits up on Ribbon Ridge Road, which is scattered with some notable wineries. Once again upon arrival, Meghan and I were the only ones there. Trisaetum is a new and very nice winery. The tasting room is vast and houses and art gallery which showcases the art of one of the owners James Frey (not to be confused with the author/embellisher). The art was interesting. A lot of it played off the terrior of Oregon wine country.
We were lucky enough to have Courtney, the tasting room gal offer to give us a cave tour. It was right below the tasting room and it was awesome! Of course the first question Meghan and I asked "Do you have parties down here?!" Answer being yes, BUT you must be a club member. This is a great perk if you ask me. She said they are hosting a dinner for 50 in a few weeks being catered by the Art of Catering. This no doubt will be fabulous. Although with the temperature hovering around 55 degrees, the dress code is very North Face meets Uggs.
We left Trisaetum with a bottle of dryish Reisling each (being stored for the next Racelette dinner party) and headed for Dundee Bistro for some much needed nourishment. The weather was gorgeous and we nabbed a table outside. Food per usual: excellent.
Another successful wine country voyage! Geez, at this rate I will have made my way through my wine bible in oh, 2 years?!
Lesson learned: Thursdays are a great day to go wine tasting-do it.
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