Decades of Excellence

Willamette Valley Pinots from 1985 still lively

By Nathan Graves

Last fall, 14 lucky oenophiles gathered to savor special bottles of 1985 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The group had previously held a 1983 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir tasting. (Read more about it in the November 2022 issue of Oregon Wine Press.) After that event, Dick Erath suggested 1985 as another good vintage. We took his advice and arranged this tasting. Would the 1985 vintage hold up to the wonderful 1983 vintage?

The wines were selected by James “Doc” Wilson and Oregon wine legend Bill Fuller, formerly of Tualatin Estate Vineyards. Bill established Tualatin Estate in 1973 and now produces wines at Willamette Valley Vineyards from the grapevines he planted. Another Oregon wine legend Myron Redford, founder of Amity Estate Vineyards, also attended. Wines were selected from four collectors: John Kelly, Richard Stinson, Harry Kamin and Nathan Graves (whose bottles were from Dick Erath). Most of the wines were purchased as “current releases” in the 1980s and carefully stored in the collectors’ cellars.

These 1985 Pinot Noir wines were sampled:

Flight one
Adelsheim Willamette Valley
Knudsen Erath Vintage Select
Yamhill Valley Vineyards
Amity Vineyards Estate
Tualatin Estate Reserve
Veritas Winery

Flight two
Sokol Blosser Hyland Vineyard
Arterberry Winery Cellar Reserve
Ponzi Vineyards
Shafer Vineyard Cellars
The Eyrie Vineyards
Wasson Brothers Winery

The bottles were opened (and recorked) one hour beforehand using a “Durand” wine opener equipped with a corkscrew and two blades. Most of the corks were still in remarkable condition and the bottles had limited ullage. Guests sampled a 1985 Tualatin Estate Private Reserve Chardonnay while the Pinots were opened and decanted. The Chardonnay showed signs of oxidation but still retained some acidity, body and muted fruitiness.

None of the wines demonstrated any marked flaws; the Arterberry exhibited some strange aromatics that improved with time in the glass but faded more quickly than the other wines. Others initially smelled musty but this aroma dissipated with time. The wines changed remarkably once poured, both in the nose and on the palate, generally improving with time. We allowed a 45-minute period to evaluate the wines and see how they evolved. All remained viable throughout the tasting window, although each changed considerably.

The Amity Vineyards Estate was a lighter-style Pinot Noir with delicate fruit that improved in the glass. While tasters expected this wine to fade quickly, it had extraordinary staying power. Other favorites include the Knudsen Erath and Yamhill Valley Vineyard, expressing outstanding richness and balance. Dick Erath suggested the Wasson Brothers– a winery better known for its fruit wines. The grapes for the wine were reportedly obtained from Leland Vineyard near Oregon City, a vineyard site that continues to produce grapes today. Earning several awards following its release, the 1985 Wasson Brothers Pinot Noir was indeed one of the best wines featured in this tasting.

John Kelly surprised the group by opening a 1985 Cameron Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, another favored bottle, and only the winery’s second vintage. A few other notable wines: 1976 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir, 1975 Tualatin Estate Petite Sirah (made with Washington grapes), and 1983 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville Zinfandel.

How did the 1985 Pinot Noir compare to the 1983 vintage?

By comparison, the 1985s exhibited greater fruit, tannins and acid than the ‘83s. The older vintage was lighter and more delicate, possessing typical Willamette Valley Pinot Noir characteristics. While they transformed in the glass, the younger wines had more staying power than the 1983s; this may simply be a function of age. Overall, most who attended both tastings concluded the 1983 vintage superior to 1985. Nonetheless, few would have predicted Willamette Valley Pinot Noir could last upwards of 40 years. We surely believe now! It’s an amazing story that continues to be written.

Nathan Graves is a retired environmental scientist/consultant who has not retired from enjoying good food and wine.  He is chapter director of the Portland/Vancouver Tasters Guild Chapter of the American Wine Society. Graves feels incredibly fortunate to live between two of the world’s greatest wine regions; the Willamette Valley and many AVAs of Eastern Oregon and Washington.