Spring 2009
2008 Pinot Gris ◊ 2007 Estate Pinot Noir ◊ 2007 Cuvee Giselle Pinot Noir ◊ 2006 La Bestia ◊ 2006 il Mulinello
Greetings ~
Marianne & I are pleased to offer our 2007 Lachini Estate Pinot Noirs and the second vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from the Klipsun Vineyard on the heals of our inaugural release’s high acclaim – the 2006 La Bestia (Beast) & il Mulinello (Swirl)! We also have a wonderful 2008 Pinot Gris in our traditional blended style. We’re very excited about the quality of all of these wines and can attest that these wines represent some of our best efforts to date.
The 2007 Vintage ~
There has been much reference to the challenges of the 2007 vintage in Oregon. The Wine Spectator’s rating of Oregon’s 2007 vintage was 84-87 NYR – “Rain produced light, delicate wines at best; others weak.” In the face of this challenging vintage we are convinced that our 2007’s are better balanced, more complex and age-worthy in comparison to last year’s ripe, opulent-styled wines. We’ve even heard a rumor that Dr. Jay Miller (The Wine Advocate) noted our ‘07’s as being one of the best from 2007. It has always been our joy to work the vineyard, implement and follow the best viticulture and winemaking practices; ultimately to share these quality wines with you. Never has this been more apparent with the quality of our 2007 vintage wines. It is an added bonus to receive continued recognition for what we hold most dear to our hearts. That said, a truly great vintage must endure the test of time and our belief is that one is more apt to benefit from finding and trusting the style and integrity of a vintner just as is appreciating the nuances of each vintage’s splendor. We can attest our flagship 2007 Pinot Noirs from our Estate Vineyard offer structured wines of balance, nuance and texture. The vintage did bless us in terms of working alongside her and not cutting corners! We attribute our success with this difficult vintage to our: Willakenzie series soils (sandy, silty loam that are well draining + multiple clone blocks); rigorous viticulture practices (e.g. thinning to 1.8 tons/acre and biodynamic/L.I.V.E sustainable farming); experienced winemaking decisions such as the nail-biting decision to pick two weeks later than we’ve ever harvested and bleeding off (saigneé) approximately 15% of every fermentation lot. We invite you to come and taste for yourself; we don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
| The Wine Spectator rated the 2006 OR vintage ~ 92 Drink or hold Ripe flavors, but fruit character tastes fresh, not dried. |
| The Wine Spectator rated the 2006 WA vintage ~ 94 Drink or hold Ripe but balanced; similar to 2005 |
Short & Sweet…
We fully understand the challenges that the economy has presented. Our family-owned winery has for the first time, limited quantities of our previous vintage wines. We will not waiver from our long-standing commitment to make uncompromised wines of quality that can be enjoyed today and for many generations to come. As such we hope you’ll delight in purchasing some of our wines. We have held prices in the face of increased material and farming costs, and yet we are offering special incentives to make Lachini wines a part of your everyday life and/or cellar! We’re offering free shipping for any case purchase which equates to savings of 10-15%. Purchases of six plus bottles will receive a 10% discount while purchases of twelve or more bottles will receive a 15% discount. Furthermore, for those of you who’ve joined our L’Connoisseur & L’VIP wine clubs (please inquire if you wish to join), club members receive an additional 10% & 20% discount, respectively! That can equate to a savings of up to ~50%! Ultimately, we hope you will continue to enjoy and share our estate grown, biodynamically-farmed and top-rated wines!
Our Vineyard ~
How committed are we? We’ve instituted a 100% biodynamic regime while our winemaking continues to rely on old-world craftsmanship such as utilizing native yeasts, partial whole-cluster fermentation, tiny yields and modest use of new French oak. We put our name on the label to signify our commitment! We don’t answer to shareholders. We only have ourselves, our team and Mother Nature to guide our decisions. Being family-owned and family-run means we make the “right” choices, work smart and hard, and take care of the land we cultivate. As a result, our land and you, our customers will then take care of us! We apply sustainable farming practices that naturally build, not take from our vineyard. Such natural practices include: composting and rotating diverse cover crops to build biomass in our soils; brewing compost tea preparations, using honey bees and cover crops as natural pesticides, hand hoeing and mechanized cultivation in lieu of herbicides. If our soils are alive, our vines will be healthy and this makes for the utmost quality in each vintage of wine we produce!
Lachini 2007 Vintage ‘Release’ Parties ~
Per your many requests, we’re bringing the road show to Washington this summer! We will host three additional release parties in the Seattle metro area – we encourage you to invite a few friends. The cost for non-club members will vary by location based on the food and venue. We do not expect any of the parties to run more than $25 per person. Rest assured, our wines will be complimentary and our goal is to keep the costs reasonable. Please RSVP to 503/ 864.4553 or via info@lachinivineyards.com.
Saturday, June 6TH, Willows Lodge Gazebo & Courtyard ~ Woodinville, WA ~ 12:00 - 4:00 PM
Thursday, June 25TH, Volterra ~ Seattle, WA ~ 5:30 – 9:00 PM (limited to 100 people!)
Saturday, July 11TH, Arista Wine Cellars ~ Edmonds, WA ~ 12:00 - 4:30 PM
Lastly, a few words about the wines…
Below is a brief overview of each wine’s tasting notes. Please refer to our website www.lachinivineyards.com for detailed information, including: technical data, tasting notes, historical scores (wines are reviewed after they’re released), etc.
2008 Lachini Pinot Gris, Oregon – Stunning aromas of gingerbread, honey and lemon cake lead to a strikingly intense palate accented by tropical fruits and caramelized apple notes. The high level of ripeness is countered by bright acidity. Crisp with a long and lingering finish.
2007 Lachini Pinot Noir, Family Estate, Chehalem Mtns OR – Ruby-red, with a spicy, vibrant bouquet of raspberry, kirsch, white pepper, truffle and mocha. Structured, layered mid-palette with a long, integrated finish. Packs plenty of flavor punch without any excess weight.
2007 Lachini Pinot Noir, Cuvee Giselle, Chehalem Mtns OR – Deep ruby-red. Beautiful bouquet of dark cherries, plus hints of woodsmoke, allspice, black tea and dried flowers. Broad, fleshy red and dark berry compote flavors integrate with cassis, silky tannins and finish with a good mineral lift. Turns sweeter on the finish, ending with a strong raspberry quality.
2006 Lachini Cabernet Sauvignon, La Bestia, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mtn WA – Firm in texture, but with a mouth-coating roundness around a lively core of raspberry, black cherry and dusky spice flavors, hinting at espresso as the finish lingers enticingly. Intensely powerful.
2006 Lachini Red Wine, il Mulinello, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain WA – Dense purple color, with a glorious perfume of carmelized blackberries, blueberries, spice aromas and a hint of saddle leather and toast. This is a massive, yet remarkably elegant Cab/Merlot-inspired wine with a great concentration of flavors and richness. Long, smooth and silky finish.
Come visit us over the Memorial Weekend at the vineyard! We’re open Saturday & Sunday, May 23 & 24th ~ 18225 Calkins Lane, Newberg (10:30AM - 4:30PM). Taste our current releases and a few of our library wines. We’ll also feature a limited number of back-vintage large format bottles for sale (clearance priced), tasty foods and hopefully sun to enjoy out on our stone patio.
SHIPPING: Please fax or mail your order with full payment at your earliest convenience in order to secure your desired wines. Orders should be received no later than June 15, 2009. We honor all requests on first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee wines will still be available up to the deadline. Several of the wines are certain to sell out due to limited production or remaining inventory. We will confirm your order by depositing your check or processing your credit card and enclose your paid invoice with your wines. We are scheduling several ship dates in early June (weather permitting). We are happy to hold wines until we ship again this Fall of 2009– please advise on your order form.
IMPORTANT: If you purchased FUTURES of La Bestia or Il Mulinello over the 2008 Thanksgiving Weekend – we will have your wines available for pick up at our Memorial weekend open house events. If you are unable to pick up your wine and did not specify shipping upon purchase, please include any additional shipping costs (see shipping grid on order form) and provide means for payment. Alternatively, you may contact us with your request and credit card information.
We hope that you realize how important you are to us. We take to heart your wonderful comments, inspirational letters & emails and the many enjoyable times we’ve shared together. You are the reason that we are pressing forward to get the financing to construct a tasting room first; prior to our winery’s construction.
“God in His goodness sent the grapes, to cheer both great and small; little fools will drink too much, and great fools not at all.” Unknown
Grazie!
Marianne, Ron, August, Gianluca and Giselle Lachini
