McKinlay Vineyards
McKinlay Vineyards |
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Mr Steiman reviewed Matt Kinne's 2000 Pinot Noir Special Selection in the December 2002 Wine Spectator and gave it 93 points. He says: "Not a big wine, but beautifully balanced to make the flavors persist and fan out on the finish. Centered around plum, raspberry and spicy cream flavors, it has fine tannins that don't get in the way. Drink now through 2007. 250 cases made. (HS)" Perry Bishop tells us that the 00 Special Selection is drinking wonderfully and that the $11.00 McKinlay Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 01 is drinking fabulously, and at such a reasonable price. So give these wines a try and watch here for an interview with Matt McKinlay, whom we have neglected too long!---JY
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The Story of McKinlay Vineyards In the early 1900's George Angus McKinlay ministered to his flock at the Zena church and dry-farmed cherries, apples, prunes and nuts on well drained volcanic soils on east facing slopes in the Eola Hills, in Oregon's Willamette Valley. He welcomed winter rains, battled springtime frost and predation of local deer, thanked the good Lord for warm summer sun and prayed it would last long enough to harvest ripe crops. Reverend McKinlay has long rested in the church-side cemetary at Zena and the origional family farm is now part of a 4-H camp. But the risk and rewards of farming are persued by great-grandson Matt Kinne on the southeast facing slopes of Parrett Mountain in the Chehalem Range, 20 miles southwest of Portland, OR. McKinlay was an obvious moniker for the winery, founded in 1987, celebrating a return by the clan to agriculture and the Eola Hills were an early source of grapes for many of our wines of the the late '80's and early 90's. In an additional twist of fate, the origional McKinlay farm would have made fine Pinot noir due to it's soils, elevation and exposure. The new McKinlay farm was founded on 32 acres in 1989. Vines for the Estate vineyard were first planted in 1990 and the below ground cellar and family home were built the following year. While early vintages included Pinot gris and Chardonnay, since 1995 Pinot noir has been the sole focus. The Estate vineyard provides 50% of fruit needs and the balance is grown in three other vineyards, all within the Chehalem Mountain range. Production currently hovers around 1000 cases per year and will slowly climb toward 2000 cases as additional plantings at the winery reach production. McKinlay Pinot noir is a synergy of four vineyards, all lying within the Chehalem Mountain range. In addition to the winery owned Estate vineyard, the La Cantera, Marquis and Tommy T sites are farmed with focus on vine health and lots of hands-on labor to produce low yields of rot free grapes that possess great concentration of flavor. A wine's potential for greatness begins with the concentration of flavor in the fruit. The only way to achieve concentration is to limit the amount of fruit the plant has to ripen. Each winter the vines are pruned back so that two canes of one year old wood are left to be tied horizonally to the fixed fruiting wire. Out of these canes grow the new year's shoots which carry the fruit clusters and leaves to form the vertical canopy to ripen the fruit. The new shoots are trained upward into the trellis in order to orient both fruit and leaves to sun and greater air flow, easing disease pressure and promoting flavor development. A healthy shoot in most years will set (produce) two and sometimes three clusters. In our persuit of richly flavored wines only one cluster is allowed to ripen on each shoot. Many might question the economics of this practice, but never is there a question of the resulting wine quality. What seperates Pinot noir from other red varietals is it's ability to express itself in such a confident and understated form. Pinot noir at it's finest is red, not black; freshly fragrant; richly and brightly flavored with complexity and length. The winemaker's hand is light to balance, not mute these attributes and promote the purest possible expression a vineyard has to offer. Appropriately, McKinlay Pinot noir ferments with native yeasts, without enzyme additions; ages in modest pecentages (25%) of new oak and is neither fined nor filtered at bottling. PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2001 PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY SPECIAL SELECTION 2000 Each year the cellar fills with barrels, each offering their own unique expression of Pinot Noir. Some spicey, some intense, some lush, some tannic, some wildly fruited, each patch of soil offers it's interpretation of the year's climate and farming efforts. Special Selection Pinot Noir is our license to blend. While single vineyard bottlings can be distinct, seldom do they achieve completeness. By combining attributes from different sites Special Selection Pinot Noir strives to achieve the goal of concentration, complexity, length and balance. The 2000 bottling is 60% Estate fruit and 40% La Cantera. Perfumed aromas of briary red berries, spice, roses and even a hint of licorice lead to layers of lush red fruit and foresty under- tones on the palate. Fine tannins frame and extend the rich flavors which are complemented by just a trace of sweet French oak. Per usual, the influence of new oak is kept to a minimum so the vineyards are the focus. The wine succeeds in presenting it's richness and complexity in true Pinot Noir fashion; FINESSE In context with recent vintages, this effort is the most forward since the '96 Special Selection and should improve nicely over the next 3-5 years. Production is 250 cases. |
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We
have ignored this winery too long. And now Harvey Steiman, of
The 2001 Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a blend of young vines
from the Estate and Wadenswil clone from La Cantera. Forward
ripeness from the young vines marries well with the spicey high
tone red fruits of the later ripening La Cantera site. The wine shows
familiar McKinlay style of lively fruit, purePinot noir character uncluttered
by exessive new oak and fine
richness on the palate. The older vines of La Cantera contribute
to extended length of flavors that linger nicely in the wine's finish.
While price and forward flavors indicate a wine for immediate
consumption, this medium bodied, expressive Pinot Noir will improve for
a couple of years with reasonable storage conditions.
Production is 1000 cases.
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