The Adelsheim 2012 Pinot Blanc Bryan Creek Vineyard is more successful than its Auxerrois counterpart from Ribbon Springs thanks to more efficacious acidity, driving a longer finish; but also more successful than the corresponding 2011 Pinot Blanc thanks to that acidity not being so obviously green-apple influenced. Positive piquancy of apple pip and chew of skin are embedded within a brightly juicy and refreshing context, with hints of toasted nuts and white pepper aiding in the invigoration and sheer extension of the finish. While the subtle creaminess of which this cepage is naturally capable (and here it enjoys a small share of barrel elevage as well as) isn’t in evidence now, I would feel free to follow this for at least another 18 months during the course of which I may well gain textural allure or complexity. Adelsheim winemaker David Paige maintains, “I instantly became a better winemaker when I finally let go of worrying about why it is that grapes from one site taste so different from those harvested elsewhere and focused instead on making the best wine out of them.” The occasion for his remark was a comparison of adjacent Quarter Mile Lane and Bryan Creek Vineyards, which were planted from the same Adelsheim mother block on soils and with exposures identical as nearly as their proprietor and his team let alone yours truly can tell. “Sure, we handle the fruit a bit differently now,” notes Paige, “but that’s in response to the differences we observe right off the vine.” Paige insists, though, that he is anything but a recipe winemaker even relative to a given vineyard or block. “I drive some of the people who work with me crazy I do so much tasting in the cellar, because what I suggest we do with this particular fermentor based on how it’s tasting today might be 180 degrees removed from what I thought we were going to want to do a day or two ago. But now I have more data.” (For a capsule history of this estate and details on its nowadays extensive vineyards, consult my issue 202 report.) Tel. (503) 538-3652

Light and tangy, with a minty note gracing the green apple and lime flavors, finishing dry. Shows surprising length. Drink now through 2017. 342 cases made.??–HS??Region: Oregon / Willamette Valley / Chehalem Mountains Select to Add