Spring 2006
Buon giorno amici (friends),
It’s officially Spring in the Willamette Valley and we’re rapidly transitioning into a busy, yet exciting summer! As we write, we’re in the midst of clearing the remaining portion of the West Block at our Estate vineyard and planting six more acres of Pinot and two small blocks of Riesling & Albariño ~ both of which we expect will be exclusively for our mailing list customers. We have numerous events that we will be attending in the coming months – Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Sun Valley Wine Auction, Oregon Pinot Camp, Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, and the 1st Oregon Pinot Showcase in Orlando, FL. We continue to work toward breaking ground this Fall to construct our winery for 2007 harvest and will launch a new website early June which we hope will provide a more sensory experience, handle ecommerce and offer more up-to-date information. Meanwhile, you can now enjoy Lachini Vineyards wines in many of the top restaurants across the country following our rapid expansion into 24 markets. We certainly couldn’t do it without you, our loyal supporters, and the positive feedback we continue to garner from the wine press.
We are pleased to offer the inaugural release of our ‘reserve’ Pinot Noir, the 2004 Cuvée Giselle ~ aptly named after our daughter born the same year. We are also thrilled to release our 2005 Pinot Gris (our 2nd effort - last year’s was a total of 50 cases which quickly sold out over the Memorial Day weekend) and of course, our signature Pinot Noir, the 2004 Lachini Family Estate.
As we stated in our Fall letter, Oregon’s fifth vintage of the new century, two thousand and four, will likely be characterized as another opulent vintage; marked by wines of great complexity, depth and elegance. Mother Nature had limited yields to nearly half of normal, following to a cold front and rains in the Spring after one of the earliest bud breaks in recent memory which resulted in a low fruit set. The good news is these progressions in the vineyard resulted in yet another fine quality vintage and everything you’ve come to expect from Lachini Vineyards over our first three vintages – ripeness similar to the ’02, with the acidity of the ’03 and the opulence of the ’01 vintage.
June 20, 2005 Wine Spectator, Harvey Steiman – “in cellar after cellar, I tasted barrel samples of 2004 Pinot Noirs that show classic fruit character and highly polished, sweet tannins. It’s going to be a lovely vintage, there just won’t be much wine from it. Poor flowering in the spring reduced the potential crop by as much as 30-50% in the end.”
The 2004 LV Cuvée Giselle Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley is a selection of the finest four barrels of our entire production and in 2004 comprised entirely of Dijon clones from our Estate Upper & Lower Middle Blocks.
100 cases produced
Alcohol – 14.4% | pH – 3.79
Top 4 selected barrels of entire vintage ~ our ‘Reserve’
2004 consists entirely of Dijon clones from LV Upper & Lower Middle Blocks
Harvested September 16th, 2004
Aged for 12 months in 100% French Oak barrels (50% new and 50% one-year old)
Dare we say…as plush as a velvet pillow. Deeply fruited as a blackberry farm, yet expressive for violets and wonderful perfumed cassis and pomegranate. It’s deep, complex and polished giving way to supple tannins and lively acidity. Shows remarkable brilliance of dark plums and licorice flavors on the palate. The flavors are extraordinary in their richness, neither rough nor heavy. Should age and develop nicely for 10+ years.
The 2004 Lachini Family Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley is a blend from our three Estate blocks, each contributing unique expressions of their respective clones as well as subtle Willakenzie series soils differences. This is a wine for the discerning Pinot / Burgundy fan that will reward patience. We’ve come to learn that the Estate PN, styled in traditional Burgundy expression seeking ‘classic balance’, often comes around 1-2 years after bottling and we project it will be enjoyed most at 5-15 years. Can you say built for longevity, yet will compliment the most exquisite meal tomorrow – just ask some of the finest sommeliers in America! 100% Estate fruit from our vineyard on the footstep of the Chehalem Mountain range.
1140 cases produced
Alcohol – 14.3% | pH – 3.86
Harvested began on September 9th and concluded on September 21, 2004
50% Pommard clones + 50% Dijon clones from East, Middle and West Blocks
Aged for 12 months in 100% French Oak barrels (20% new and 80% one-year old)
Complex from the first sniff, where aromas of chocolate, cola and minerals meld with a hint of wild herbs, underbrush and packed ripe blackberries and black cherries. Full-bodied and deliciously supple now with fine and noble tannins bringing a silky roundness. It resonates on the palate and lasts on the finish. We suggest decanting for 30 minutes in it’s youth or cellaring for increased nuances.
The 2005 Lachini Vineyard Pinot Gris, Oregon is a blend from four vineyards and representing 3 AVA’s throughout Oregon resulting in a mélange of flavors. At last year’s Aspen Food & Wine Festival, the 2004 was recognized as one of the Top 10 New World White Wines among thousands!
133 cases produced
Alcohol – 13.6% | pH – 3.54
Blend from Del Rio, Quail Run, Croft and Guadalupe vineyards
Aged 9 months entirely in stainless tank.
Pale yellow in color, it reveals aromas of pear, apricot and citrus fruits with floral nuances and flint. Rich, super-ripe, medium to full-bodied in style, a velvety mouth feel is vivacious with creamy flavors intertwining perfectly with the lively acidity. Concludes with a texture of ephemeral qualities and a hint of minerality on the clean finish.
RECENT ACCOLADES AND UPCOMING REVIEWS ~
Wine Enthusiast, Nov. 15, 2005 – ‘03 ‘S’ PN received 91 pts (Editors Choice) & ’03 Estate PN received 90 pts.
Wine Spectator, May 15, 2006 – ’04 Ana Vineyard PN 90 pts & ’03 Estate PN 89 pts.
Decanter, April ’06 – submitted ‘04 Ana Vineyard PN & ’03 Estate PN… each received a 3* rating
Santé, May ’06 Issue ~ ‘Recommended’ 2004 Cuvee Giselle (primarily a trade publication)
Wine & Spirits, 2004 ‘S’ will be in upcoming issue
Wine Press NW, Summer 2005, Lachini Vineyards was the only producer w/ 2 outstanding wines out of 107 Pinots reviewed!
The Wine Advocate & Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – were submitted in 1/06 and 3/06… reviews forthcoming.
Please join us at the vineyard this MEMORIAL WEEKEND, May 27-29th, 2006 ~ 18225 Calkins Lane, Newberg (Sat & Sun. 10:30-5:00pm & Mon. 11:00-3:30pm). We’ll be pouring the ’05 Pinot Gris along with the ’04 Estate, ’04 Cuvee Giselle and Ana Vineyard (both ’04 & ’05 FUTURES) Pinot Noirs. There will be a limited number of double magnum sets – Estate + Ana, as well as a limited number of 3 bottle box sets of our ‘Estate Wine Series’ (’04 ‘S’, Estate & Cuvee Giselle Pinot Noirs).
SHIPPING: Please mail us your order along with payment in full (including shipping), at your earliest convenience in order to secure your desired wines. Orders should be received no later than May 26, 2006. We will do our best to fulfill your order, yet do not guarantee your order will be filled in it’s entirety and will honor allocated and large format wines on a first-come, first-served basis. We will confirm your order with deposit of your check or processing of your credit card payment and enclose your receipt in your shipment due to ship the 1st week in June. If you live in a state listed below the shipping rates box as PROHIBITED, you will need to provide an acceptable alternative shipping address. Please call us if you would like us to arrange for special storage/shipping – there are several options, including: 55 DEGREES which provides temperature controlled wine storage in St. Helena, CA. Inquiries should be directed to Neil Aldoroty, Owner at 707.963.5513 or www.fiftyfivedegrees.com. Alternatively, we can ship your wine to New Vine Logistics in American Canyon. Both are reputable establishments.
IMPORTANT: Those who purchased futures over the Thanksgiving Weekend 2005 – we will have your 2004 Lachini Family Estate Vineyard Pinot Noirs available in wooden 6-pack boxes for pick up over the Memorial Weekend at the vineyard. Should you be unable to drop by, please notify us of alternative plans for shipping and provide means for shipping payment (see grid on order form). You may call with your credit card number or kindly complete and return your order form with the additional amount.
As our wines are limited in production, we must again respectfully inform that those who do not purchase wines from two subsequent offerings or notify us of your desire to receive future offerings will be removed from our mailing list. This does not concern those of you who purchased futures. Fortunately, your allocation will be greatly received by another as our mailing list continues to grow tremendously.
Many of you have asked for more information, perhaps to learn what we’re really about? Going forward we intend to share a bit about our philosophy, behind the scenes, how Lachini Vineyards was incepted, old laughable stories and tales. At this time, it is likely most appropriate to set the foundation and provide you with our guiding principles along with a sense of our philosophy.
Lachini Vineyard Estate Pinot Noirs are crafted in traditional Burgundian style to reflect a classical balance and capture the elegance, finesse and complexity of the delicate Pinot Noir grape. We believe that the vineyard is the wine. Our goal remains to nurture our 45-acre vineyard’s distinctive terroir and produce world class Pinot Noirs of prodigious quality for generations to come. Our emphasis is on the meticulous management of each vine through biodynamic farming, while combining state of the art winemaking and old world technique to handcraft wines of complexity, grace and profoundness - each one, we believe, a reflection of it's soul and unique place. The Lachini Estate Vineyard is L.I.V.E. (Low Impact Viticulture & Enology) certified.
We again, thank you for your tremendous support, high praise and enthusiasm for our wines. We are grateful to be able to use our wines to support so many wonderful causes and enjoy the fruits of those who strive to make a better world as we live for the future. While we maintain our passionate affair for producing World Class Pinot Noir is a multigenerational effort, it is quite rewarding to know even in our infancy, many of you hold us amongst the top producers in OR!
We leave you with a quote from 3 Dog Night – “I couldn’t understand a single word he said, but he had some mighty fine wine… and I helped him drink his wine.”
Salute!
Marianne, Ron, August, Gianluca and Giselle Lachini
