Art Chowder September | October 2023 Issue 47 | Page 32

2021 Flâneur Pinot Meunier
2021 Flâneur Pinot Meunier from La Belle Promenade Vineyard out of Chehalam Mountains AVA in Oregon — 100 percent Pinot Meunier in a still wine ? How cool is this ? Pinot Meunier has been a blending grape in champagne forever but in this vineyard is planted alongside Pinot Noir , Chardonnay , Grüner Veltliner and Aligoté . Whole cluster and native yeast fermented , with semi-carbonic maceration , give this wine a dizzying array of flavors . To me it ’ s like if Beaujolais and Chinon had a baby . Bright and aromatic , throwing notes of flowers , fennel , maybe a touch of tobacco leaf and sous bois ( forest floor ) and the coolest fresh beet juice note , round out this wine ’ s earthy side in the best way . A wine for an adventurous spirit !
And last , but certainly not least , is the 2019 Kobayashi “ Sans Soufre ” Syrah from WeatherEye Vineyard . First of all , let me tell you that WeatherEye Vineyard — the brainchild of owner Cam Myrhvold and farmer , viticulturist , vineyard manager Ryan Johnson — is producing some of the most amazing and unique vines in the PNW and maybe the world . Located on top of Red Mountain ( I mean literally on top ), Ryan , a mad genius wrapped in farmer ’ s persona , utilizes many vine growing styles inspired by some of the most distinctive growing regions in the world .
The Sans Soufre was developed by Travis Allen , another one of those young guns ( well , he ’ s my age but looks much younger ). This
Flâneur Wines , La Belle Promenade Vineyard Oregon
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