Left Coast’s Latitude 45 vineyard
I’ve been to all shapes and sizes of wineries. One of my first winery visits in Virginia was to a small producer whose tasting room was the top floor of the small farm house with a nice view where the owners lived, and the winery an adjacent utility building. Outside my hometown of Seattle, I’ve been to the two-million-cases-per-year Chateau Ste. Michelle, which sits on acres and acres of land manicured for visitors’ delight. I’ve been to Napa’s Castello di Amorosa, which is an enormous authentic rendition of a 13th Century Tuscan Castle that takes several hours to fully explore. In Oregon, I’ve gone to the large and stately Domaine Serene, and hung out on the hillside perch that is the tiny Martin Woods. My favorite Israeli and (Republic of) Georgian wineries are effectively in the homes of the owners.
Some wineries source all of their grapes from vineyards they don’t own, while others produce all their wine from grapes they grow themselves (the term for the latter is “estate”).
The lesson I’ve taken from this range of experiences is that good wine is made by dedicated people independent of their winery resources. That said, while the quality of wine is one thing, it’s not the only thing that makes for interesting wine. There are loads of business models variables that are interesting in and of themselves that add to the intellectual experience that can come with wine. Through a range of samples and a conversation with winemaker Joe Wright, I’ve started to get to know Left Coast Cellars, which is located in the Willamette Valley, and their business model. They do it all themselves, and then some.
Founded in 2003, the 500 acre property has 160 acres under vine, which is farmed under both LIVE and Salmon Safe certifications. This effort to farm in environmentally-friendly ways is indicative of an approach to managing the entire property with an eye towards responsible environmental stewardship.
Two projects, encompassing 170 non-vine acres, are managed in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service with the goal of turning them into a permanent wildlife refuge. The first, measuring 100 acres, is an ecological compensation area, while the remaining 70 acres are dedicated to an old growth oak forest restoration effort. Every year, the winery hosts a 5 and 10k race called the “Run for the Oaks” to support this latter project. Further, a good portion of the estate runs off electricity produced by solar panels mounted on the winery. The estate also produces honey, and offers customers a $1 credit for each empty Left Coast wine bottle that is returned.
Run for the Oaks 5/10k
Speaking of customers, Left Coast offers a variety of “experiences,” including a wine and pizza pairing, property tours in a 1950 Chevy flatbed truck and live music, that allow visitors to turn winery visits into a time to enjoy the property and atmosphere. This is all in addition to a wide array of wines produced exclusively off estate fruit and the tasting room where wine is the focus. The whole Left Coast package, if you will, is a responsibly-run comprehensive business that takes not just the wine into account, but also the health of the property and how it can provide enjoyment, tranquility and sustenance to humans and nature alike for the long term.
The vines stretch out over nine different vineyards on the property, which yielded about 350 tons of fruit in 2018, good enough for about 20,000 cases of wine. Pinot noir represents 65-70% of production in a given year (which is made into pinot noir rouge, rosé and pinot noir blanc), with the remainder spread across pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot blanc (not to be confused with pinot noir blanc), viognier and syrah. This gives winemaker Joe Wright and his team a lot to play with.
Joe has been making wine for 23 years in Willamette Valley, and counts himself quite lucky to be at Left Coast. “I’m sick and tired of manipulating wine,” he told me when we spoke, adding that “I want to make them in the vineyard,” meaning that the focus is on harvesting the best grapes possible. “I get to do that here,” he said.
The Orchards vineyard
As our conversation continued, he proved this point several times over. When asked about tannin development, he explained that the vineyards produce grapes with naturally thick skin, which means naturally high tannin potential, and that means ensuring that crop levels are low enough to produce ample space around the clusters for air to circulate and cool the grapes, which keeps the skin tannin at bay. It means picking enough leaves to allow airflow to get in to the backside of the clusters so they ripen similarly there as they do on the frontside, which helps produce higher ratios of anthocyanin to phenolics, the former being the more pleasant and interesting of the two types of tannin.
While on this subject, Joe told me (and the samples I received supported him) that Left Coast’s wines are capable of decades of positive evolution. He had recently opened a 2002 pinot noir and it was brilliant. “Wines aren’t wine until they’ve been bottled for five or six years,” he said. “When wine goes into the bottle, it’s basically just fermented juice. If you taste base wines, they’re not complete. It’s the things that happen over time during aging that makes it wine.” Right now he’s drinking Left Coast’s 2008s.
I was sent eight different bottles: four whites, one rosé and three reds. Two stood out above the rest: the 2018 White Pinot Noir and the 2015 Right Bank pinot noir. The 2018 Rosé of pinot noir was also impressive. Based on these three alone, it’s evident that Left Coast is making serious wine while also spending considerable time and resources on non-wine related projects. This balance, to say the least, is impressive.
Tasting notes and scores:
2018 Left Coast White Pinot Noir – A white wine made from pinot noir, the reticent nose offers aromas of tangerine, yellow and white florals and white pepper. Full bodied with a slightly zesty, or twitchy, sensation. The acid is well-defined, but spreads out wide and really coats the mouth nicely. Flavors are slightly sweet-edged, though the lemon zest and stony minerality are both strong and welcomed balancing agents. Strawberry, sweet banana, Sprite, lemon curd, cherry blossom, green herbaciousness and orchid. An unusual, interesting and serious wine. This would be interesting to revisit in a year or two. 93 points. Value: A+.
2015 Left Coast Right Bank pinot noir – This has a dark and hedonistic nose. The aromas are saturated cherry, blackberry and strawberry compote, baking spice and graphite-laced smoke that is polished by blood orange zest. This is full-bodied with enormously juicy acidity. The tannins are effectively seamless and highly polished. The structure on this is complete. The flavor profile is slightly bloody in nature, which highlights red plum, strawberry, raspberry and huckleberry fruit. There is a dose of saline to go with bacon fat on the back end. This is an impressive wine with an in-your-face orientation. 93 points. Value: A.
2018 Left Coast Rosé of pinot noir – The nose is a summery concoction of strawberry, cherry, watermelon and wet crushed rock. Nearly full-bodied, this lush and brightly acidic rose gives generous doses of sweet cranberry, strawberry, orange peel and mean and steely streaks of flint and white pepper. Nudges towards the serious end of rosés, this could handle a wide array of even more serious food. 91 points. Value: B+.
2015 Left Coast Truffle Hill pinot noir – This is a very young 2015. I put it through a Venturi four times and then decanted for two hours, and it still seems a bit closed and young. The nose offers blackberry, raspberry, kirsch, red currant and Allspice. It is medium bodied with well-integrated and smooth tannin and slightly bright acid. The structure is refined. Flavors hit on a bunch of red berries and plum and are highlighted by slightly tart Acai. Hard to call this a fruit bomb given its structural finesse, but it is fruit-forward at this stage with only a slight undercurrent of baking spice. I suspect this will start to reveal itself around 2022 and impress in 2025. 91 points. Value: B.
2016 Left Coast Cali’s Cuvée pinot noir – Not the most saturating of noses, but it’s a touch hedonistic. The fruit is dominated by blackberry, with undertones of boysenberry and strawberry. There’s a theme of spiced mulberry as well that’s really nice and works well with the black pepper. It’s of medium weight. While it’s smooth on entry and exit, the tannins break out a bit and give it some nice gritty texture while it’s in the mouth. The acid is a touch sharp, though it doesn’t ruin the wine. The flavors are on the darker end of the pinot spectrum and balance dense fruit with restrained spice nicely. The fruit is brambly and plummy and saved from saturation by the acid. The baking spices really come in strong on the mid palate and finish. This is a great value among pinot from anywhere, especially Oregon. 90 points. Value: A.
2017 Left Coast Truffle Hill chardonnay – A slightly reserved, if prototypical nose of Meyer lemon, key lime pie, white pepper spice and flint. It’d medium bodied and quite round and smooth. The acid is well-placed. Flavors are light and delicate and very pleasant: sweet lemon, sweet white and yellow floral notes, honeysuckle and key lime. A very enjoyable everyday chardonnay. 89 points. Value: B-.
2017 Left Coast The Orchards pinot gris – A very reticent, high-toned and linear nose, it wafts stone minerality and citrus zest. On the palate it’s a juicy medium body with well-fitted acid. Flavors are strawberry nectar-forward, touching on Meyer lemon, orange zest, banana peel, slate and white pepper as well. The finish holds a nice juiciness for an extended period of time, turning slightly savory at the end. 88 points. Value: C+.
2017 Left Coast Queen Bee Bubbly (of pinot noir) – A surprisingly honeyed nose of…honey. Like, straight from the jar honey. Beyond that it’s slightly perfumed by way of jasmine and sweet Thai chili sauce. Quite pretty if a bit monolithic. It’s medium-bodied with bright and streaky, linear acid that the fine bubbles accentuate. Flavors hit on tart cherry and huckleberry, limesickle and slate/crushed gravel minerals. A fun, easy wine sparkling rosé. 88 points. Value: C.
