Winemaker Wayne Bailey is a quiet, warm, and unassuming man. His radiant smile beams like the afternoon sun when he talks of his children: both of his daughters and his wines. He’s a farmer at heart, a man who loves the land, lives to grow great fruit, and who respects the earth- insisting on sustainability, biodynamics, and organics across the board. When I hear those three words together, it often makes me wonder if there might be a trade-off in quality to maintain the lofty objectives.   In this case dear readers, I can attest that I experienced a greater appreciation for his lofty goals and dedication to sustainability, biodynamics and organics because the wines pay off in the mouth. And if like me, you are also a French wine snob, these wines might actually remind you of wines from Burgundy. Let me wax poetic another time, and let’s get to the wines!

Youngberg Hill 2014 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley, McMinnville, Oregon.  ABV 13.5%, MSRP $25/bottle.

Color: pale straw with a slight tinge of green. On the nose, I detected an initial smokiness that dissipated quickly (probably from travel) and a few moments later had gone with no lingering trace, instead my nose filled with melon and white pear. On the palate, bosc pear, apricot, and kiwi fruit meet solid acidity in a savory blend with a gentle rolling finish that shows hints of vanilla, fresh cedar, and clay. Overall, it drinks like a mature savory white with a neutral barrel sense, not buttery, and delicate enough to drink on its own but stellar when paired with food. Obviously fish or salads would be an easy pairing, but this Pinot Blanc stood up to spicy meatballs and gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce. I have to admit, I fell a little bit in love with this pinot blanc and wanted to steal the bottle to take back with me.  If you are  new and perhaps a little afraid of pinot blanc, this is THE wine to taste to try it out: a shining example of the grape that will make you want to drain your glass over and over again.

Youngberg Hill 2012 Cuvee Pinot Noir,  Willamette Valley, McMinnville, Oregon.  ABV 14.5%, MSRP $30/bottle.

Color is light purple with violet edging. On the nose: iris, rosebush, and a hint of black fruit. In the mouth, young black plum, black cherry, with a medium finish showing notes of pepper, clove, oak and silty clay. I was expecting a pinot with much brighter fruit and thought this wine is ideal to drink right now. Wayne explained to me that for the Cuvee, he made single vineyard barrels of two different grape clones with six- and seven-year old vines and blended the barrels together to make a wine that was approachable upon release (requiring less age). It works- it’s a “drink me now” wine that shows the fruit with a sense of maturity, good acidity and tannin. It sang with rich and savory dishes but I could also see this being great to watch the sunset on a picnic with a fruit and cheese basket while the kids play nearby, and lasting across dinner and with dessert.

Youngberg Hill 2012 Jordan Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, McMinnville, Oregon.  ABV 13.4%, MSRP $40/bottle.

From a four- acre plot planted in 1989 comes the single-vineyard “Jordan” Pinot Noir. Color is bright violet, while the nose shows gentle black cherry, vegetation, and hints of truffle and leather. In the mouth, fruit forward cherry and red raspberry with a better initial balance blend. I noticed significantly less spice than the Cuvee, while the finish is showing more complexity and more notes overall- with spice box, sandalwood, green pepper, slate and loam. The Jordan pinot is a wine to lay down and enjoy in 6-10 years when it will have subtle fruit and tons of complexity. This is a young thoroughbred that needs time to come into its own and will pay off beautifully down the road, but will require patience to get there. 

As an independent winemaker, Wayne Bailey is someone to keep on your list of people to watch. Without fanfare and pomp, he simply demonstrates how much he loves the time spent in the vineyards by producing great fruit that in turn are used to make delightful wines. I’m glad I got to spend time with him and am looking forward to enjoying more of his products in the future, both in the short and long run.

Have you tried Youngberg Hill wines? Please comment, and share your experiences with us! 

à votre santé!

Tags: Oregon Wine, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Red Wine Review, Review, White wine review, Willamette Valley Wine, Youngberg Hill Wines