Profiling Excellent New Releases From Pike Road and Soter's 'Origin Series'
Pike Road is the sister winery to Elk Cove. Named for a real road on the western edge of the Willamette Valley, it runs adjacent to Elk Cove's vineyards. Second gen winemaker Adam Campbell works with Australian ex-pat Heather Perkin to make these wines.
Initially the brand was introduced with a passel of well-made, inexpensive wines sourced from non-estate vineyards. The first Pike Road wines I tasted were a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from the 2015 vintage, all priced at or below $20. Almost a decade later, the brand has dramatically expanded, but those wines are still the anchor, and believe it or not those prices have actually dropped.
Pike Road 2022 Pinot Gris – The fresh, ripe, lively fruit flavors showcase pears in particular, with further highlights of orange and grapefruit. The natural acidity adds a sleek 'cut' to the palate, accented with a hint of wet stone. This wine has the extra 'it' factor that ramps up its intensity and sheer deliciousness. As I have noted in past vintages, this is a fruit-packed white wine for sipping summer and fall. Tasted over three full days, it was one of those bottles that I happily drank down to the last drop. I'd suggest that you hang onto a few bottles for that Thanksgiving turkey. 5000 cases; 13%; $17 (Willamette Valley) 93/100
Pike Road 2021 Chardonnay – Pike Road has jumped into a much-needed category for Willamette Valley wines – varietal wines from top tier fruit priced under $20. Make no mistake – I love Oregon Chardonnays, though many of the finest examples are priced well beyond the pocketbooks of most wine drinkers. This is a lighter style, given just the merest hint of new oak, but just enough time in mostly neutral wood to avoid the overly bright harshness that can sometimes come with all-stainless fermentation. Lovely cucumber, green melon and banana, coupled with a finishing touch of butter pull this into focus through a lingering finish. The screwcap ensures freshness and no musty notes. 4012 cases; 13%; $18 (Willamette Valley) 91/100
Pike Road 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé – Produced with free run Pinot Noir juice, this stylish rosé fills the palate with flavors of mint, bubblegum, watermelon and white strawberries. Give it a good chill to bring up the energy and sharpen the acids. It has wonderful persistence even after 24 hours. Although we don't often think about aging rosé, this is one that should do quite well over the next two or three years. 686 cases; 13%; $17 (Willamette Valley) 91/100
Pike Road 2021 Pinot Noir – This is the least expensive Pike Road Pinot Noir among the 17 that are currently listed for sale on the winery website. All stainless steel fermentation keeps costs down and livelies up the fruit. Beetroot and bright berry flavors, along with juicy acids, are the story here. It's fresh, clean and crisp; a no-frills style and a fine value. 13397 cases; 13.5%; $20 (Willamette Valley) 90/100
In recent vintages a growing number of single vineyard selections have been added to the portfolio. I've previewed two of the finest which are not yet listed on the website. Hopefully soon!
Pike Road 2021 Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – This cool site emulates the Elk Cove estate vineyards, showing savory/floral highlights around tight wild berry fruit. This vineyard selection has been featured since the first vintages of Pike Road were introduced. Just a touch of new French oak was introduced, adding hints of spice and tobacco through the finish. Dark-fruited and slightly earthy, this lovely wine will need decanting to show its best. 166 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Pike Road 2021 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – Made consistently since 2017, the Shea bottling gets roughly one fifth new oak. As expected it's big, bold, dark and blocky, with plentiful blackberry and black cherry fruit. I love the texture and depth of this wine, which layers in subtle shades of clean earth, pipe tobacco, black olive, anise, coffee grounds and... well the deeper you dive, the more you find. 351 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100
As has Pike Road, Soter Vineyards launched its 'Origin Series' wines to showcase quality fruit from non-estate vineyards in five different AVAs. Winemaker Chris Fladwood, working with founder Tony Soter, endows these wines with a beguiling suppleness. Polished fruit and seamless palates make them instantly enjoyable, yet they are structured for further improvement. I spent several days tasting and re-tasting them. They are offered for sale individually and as a tasting set of two bottles each.
Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case the Speegle Crawford vineyard (a young, three-acre site on Jory soils). It splashes the palate with a lightly funky note around forward red fruits, notably raspberries. Not as full-bodied as others in this series, this is a light, summery wine that should be enjoyed over the next couple of years. 350 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Dundee Hills) 91/100
Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Gran Moraine, a Jackson Family project. All of these Origin Series wines are delightfully aromatic, fruit-forward, beautifully proportioned and individually distinctive. Here the blueberry/blue plum fruit flavors are front and center, with vivid acids in support. Aging in 30% new French oak brings notes of cedar. This will benefit from another couple of years of bottle age. 315 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100
Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Zena Crown. A pretty blueberry shade, this conjures up notions of blueberry pie, with further details from aging in 30% new French oak. It's smooth, supple, lightly tangy and with a soft, almost silky finish that resonates with a hint of chalk. Delicious already, this should continue to evolve over the rest of the decade. 564 cases; 13.8%; $65 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard. This is the exception – three quarters Roe and Roe, the rest Soter. As with the rest of the series, 20% whole clusters were included, and 30% of the barrels were new. I don't know the vineyards, but I love the AVA. This is an elegant, detailed, palate-teasing wine, threading together nuanced flavors of blackberry, black cherry, chicory, toasted walnut, tobacco and baking spices. When I say threading I mean you have to basically unweave this wine, like a tangled skein, in order to suss it out. And that's the pleasure of it. 448 cases; 13.8%; $65 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100
Soter 2021 Origin Series Pinot Noir – Each wine in this series spotlights a specific sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley; most are also sourced from a single vineyard, in this case Hollis, a high elevation site with ancient volcanic soils. Sturdy fruit flavors blend marionberry, blackberry and black cherry with lightly chewy tannins and a dusting of coffee grounds. It nicely keeps its darker elements in proportion with firm, ripe tannins and a mineral foundation. This feels like a wine with decades of life ahead. Drink now to... 2040? 465 cases; 13.6%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 94/100
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