A to Z Wineworks Chemin de Terre 06

Review:

A blend of red wines including Merlot, Cab, and Syrah. The opening bouquet of this deeply-colored, brilliantly garnet wine from the Rogue Valley is full of berries (boysenberries, blackberries, raspberries), Bing cherries, coffee, cocoa and tobacco. With aeration, aromas of plums, pepper, truffles, minerals and cedar emerge. In the mouth, the succulent flavors mirror the aromatics without compromising the wine's serious nature. A classic tannin/fruit balance gives shape and elegance to the wine while good acidity promises some aging ability. These big 2006 wines were aged in barrel for 18 months and then aged an additional 15 months in bottle and will drink well now and for another five to ten years.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2004 Vintage Tasting Notes

From the winery: "The 2004 vintage was anything but typical. The spring was early and warm. However, rain during flowering resulted in the worst shatter Oregon has experienced for years bringing very low yields, about half of normal. A hot summer seemed to promise an early harvest and for a small portion it did before the weather turned cold and rainy. Luckily the rain did not last that long and we were able to harvest well into October under beautiful skies. The wines from this vintage will be classical Oregon."

"The 2004 A to Z Pinot Gris is crafted from many different wines selected and blended by A to Z from over half a dozen of Oregon's best Estates and was composed and bottled in early March 2005. Many Pinot Gris clones and styles of winemaking are represented as facets in this multidimensional blend. A small portion of the wine did undergo partial malolactic fermentation for a creamy mouthfeel, but for the most part malolactic fermentation was blocked to retain bright acidity to balance the ripe character of the vintage. Fermented and aged in Stainless steel and a small percentage of old French Oak barrels for 6 months, the wine is a great example of the 2004 Pinot Gris vintage in Oregon."