2011 - My Year In Wine

My wine consumption in 2011 was greater than any other year to date.  It was an exciting one, too, with some real gems opened, and some nice surprises.  Looking back I thought I drank a lot more Syrah this year than anything else, but that may not be the case.  Syrahs were definitely up, however.  I really started to drink more and more of it in 2010, and fell in love with it.  I was sure I drank a lot less Pinot Noir last year, but as I comprised my list of bottles consumed, I did pretty well with that grape.  And actually, the first major bottle opened for the year was a 2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir - Arcus Estate.  It was the bottle Cate and I popped when she was ready to drink again after giving birth.  Boy, did we make a nice choice!

Then, of course, there's Cabernet.  Always there when you need it.  Mostly from California, but I've recently begun to explore Washington (for Syrahs, too)  For Christmas eve dinner, we opened five bottles, four of which were WA wines.  The WA cabs really have their own flavor.  I am excited to drink a lot more from there and hope to get up north and visit some of the wine regions soon.

Following is a list of wines I drank in 2011.  I'm sure to leave a few out.  I'll start with my Top 5, then everything else:

(1)  2005 Clarendon Hills Syrah Moritz  (96 pts)
      - Had three bottles of this throughout the year, and have two more left in the cellar.  Really didn't know what to expect when I originally purchased just a single bottle the first time back in April.  It blew me away over two nights.  Then in October when my brother visited, we opened another one and somehow it was better.  An incredible, huge wine that I need more of in the cellar because the two sleeping in there are taunting me.

(2)  2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus Estate  (96 pts)
      - Like I said above, this was our first big bottle opened after the baby was born.  When I poured this into the decanter in the kitchen, the aromas filled the house.  Probably the most aromatic wine I've ever smelled.  When it hit its peak I was sure it was the greatest wine I'd tasted to date, and confirmed my love for Pinot.  And this particular vineyard has always been my favorite.  Sadly, I only have one bottle left.

(3)  2001 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Franc  (94 pts)
       - This was actually a friend's bottle that he was very generous in opening with us.  It was a complete surprise.  I had never drank a straight Cab Franc before this.  Consumed with some great homemade burgers, the two really complimented each other.  This, too, was a real treat to sniff.  Because of this bottle I want to seek out some more Cab Francs.

(4)  2007 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon  (94 pts)
       - I had been eyeing this one on the store shelves for a while, so when it went on sale and came down $20 or so, I had to jump on one.  Planned on laying it down for a couple years, but a special occasion arose and I decided this would fit.  Glad I did.  Like most '07 Napa Cabs I've had, this was ready to drink.  Simply put, this was a beautiful bottle of wine.  Received another one as a gift, but no promises as to how long it will last.

(5)  2006 Col Solare  (94 pts)
       -  A bordeaux blend from Washington state, made from over 70% Cab Sauv.  Really well made and interesting and delicious.  We opened during my brother's visit in October.  I really need to get more of this.


Well, that's my Top 5, now everything else. (in no particular order):

2000 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks (CA)
2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)
2007 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)
2006 Silverado Zinfandel (CA)
2007 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)
2007 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)
2007 Montes Alpha Syrah (Chile)
2006 William James Cellars Syrah Hampton Family Vineyard (CA)
2007 Abacela Garnacha (OR)
2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus Estate (OR)
2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Archery Summit Estate (OR)
2006 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Looney Vineyard (OR)
2007 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvee (OR)
2008 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvee (OR)
2007 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (WA)
2009 Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris (WA)
2007 Dunham Cellars Trutina (WA)
2007 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Estate Grown (OR)
2008 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (CA)
2008 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)
2007 John Duval Wines Plexus (AU)
2008 Evening Land Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard "La Source" (OR)
2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Cold Creek Vineyard (WA)
2007 DeLille Cellars Doyenne Aix (WA)
2009 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir (OR)
2009 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier (CA)
2010 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier  (CA)
2008 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3 (WA)
2009 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3 (WA)
2008 Columbia Crest Merlot H3 (WA)
2007 Efeste Final-Final (WA)
2007 Spangler Petite Sirah "The Terraces" (OR)
2004 Clarendon Hills Syrah Liandra (AU)
2004 Shingleback Shiraz Show Reserve (AU)
2007 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Chateauneuf-du-Pape (FR)
2007 Domaine La Roquette Chateauneuf-du-Pape (FR)

The D

The Lower Deschutes River has, for years, frustrated me.  From the first day I fished it I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, even when I was always targeting trout, and in the last couple years - Steelhead. It's a big river that can be intimidating.

Yet, over the past two or three years I've slowly begun to figure it out. SLOWLY.  I hooked and lost my first steelhead on the first day of a two day float in October '09.  On a few days in 2010, I had some amazing trout action. And later that year landed my first Deschutes steelhead on a cold December day.  In 2011, I didn't fish it as much as I had planned.  But on a day float on October 2nd, standing in the same spot where I hooked that first fish two years earlier, I hooked a really hot steelhead - so hot, in fact, that I thought it might be a chinook.  With the help of a friend that was just along for the ride in the boat, I landed the 30.5" hatchery hen.

Salmonfly

Now that another season has come and gone, I very much look forward to the upcoming year on this amazing river.  Including trout from April until the start of the steelhead run.  And the Salmonfly/Golden Stonefly hatch in May, dodging crowds trying to hook big trout on these big dry flies.  Unfortunately, I was not able to fish this famous hatch in 2011, but I fished it for the first time in 2010 and had maybe the best day of fishing in my life.




So I say goodnight to "The D" for a few months, as I spend some time at the fly-tying bench getting ready for a wonderful new year on a world-class river right in my backyard that people travel from around the world to fish and float.

Swinging a fly through "Luelling"