Now that the Penner-Ashes have taken full ownership of Dussin Vineyard – amid which their facility sits – they have included the word “estate” prominently on the label of their 2011 Pinot Noir Estate Dussin Vineyard, and the name “Dussin” will be phased out in coming years. With more refined tannins and a welcome, vintage-typical sense of lift vis-a-vis several of this collection’s Pinots, this also benefits from its slightly lower alcohol to deliver an exhilaratingly juicy burst of pit, herb and black tea-tinged fresh dark cherry and blackberry, allied to a lentil sprout-like positive vegetal and nutty piquancy. Underling suggestions of beef stock and game add depth and savor to this impressive Pinot from only eight year old (and thus, in theory, awkwardly “adolescent”) vines. It should merit following through at least 2020. Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash have once again fielded a successful collection in which they showcase their diverse vineyard by means of diverse cellar approaches, in some instances turning out Pinots that struck me as highly vintage-typical and in others as somewhat against-the-grain. (For more about Penner-Ash methodology and vineyard sources, consult my introductory coverage of them in Issue 202.) Tel. (503) 554 5545

From their own estate – planted in 2002 with four Dijon clones and 40% to traditional Pommard selection – a substantially volcanic clay-loam location where the generally sedimentary Yamhill-Carlton A.V.A nearly touches those of Ribbon Ridge and the Dundee Hills – the Penner-Ash 2010 Pinot Noir Dussin Vineyard displays a fine, tart strawberry-rhubarb edge playing against a silken backdrop. Peony, rose petal, black tea and dried herbs add considerable interest to a buoyant and refreshingly juicy mid-palate, and the finish lingers with eminently mouthwatering savor and next-sip inducement. This ought to be worth following for at least a half dozen year. Lynn Penner-Ash – who with her husband Ron runs the eponymous winery – designed her recently-constructed Yamhill-Carlton facility (surrounded by the estate’s 15 acre Dussin vineyard) with evident insight and enthusiasm drawn from the same quarter century of technical and practical experience as well as aesthetic sensibility that have made her wines regional icons. Interestingly, Penner-Ash did not include a bottling line in her plans, insisting that the multiple trucks, detail-consciousness, and self-sufficiency that characterize today’s top mobile bottling companies argue in favor of farming-out that finishing touch to those specialists. Penner-Ash taps six principle sites for Pinot (resulting in 5-7 separate bottles); three each for Syrah and Viognier; plus one for Riesling. Her fermentative regimen for Pinot involves 5-7 days of cold soak; a division of lots between spontaneity and inoculation; hand punch-downs as the primary means of extraction; pressing at dryness; and an unusually long settling period of up to a week before juice is let into barrel. Whole clusters and stems are utilized for certain single-vineyard lots in certain vintages (including 2010). This estate bottles certain of their Pinots (but not ones I tasted in their 2010 editions) under the Willamette Valley’s sub-appellations, but their single-vineyard wines are all labeled solely with the Willamette Valley appellation, so I have noted in the text of each applicable tasting note the sub-region in which the vines are located. Penner-Ash is among many Willamette vintners to maintain that what she termed “proactive” and judicious acidulation of musts – based on an analysis of malic acid levels and experience with the fermentative and bottle evolution of Pinot from each individual vineyards – was among the keys to vintage 2010 success. Tel. (503) 554-5545

The 2009 Pinot Noir Dussin Vineyard is the Penner-Ash estate property that surrounds the winery and was planted in 1993. It is more structured than the preceding wines, has an extra layer of savory fruit, plenty of spice notes, and floral aromas. This impeccably balanced effort is likely to evolve for 1-2 years and will drink nicely through 2019. Veteran vigneron Lynn Penner-Ash had just celebrated a milestone birthday prior to my visit and, like her wines, she appeared to be evolving gracefully. The current collection includes two white wines. www.pennerash.com