This week’s Wine Down Wednesday wine review takes us to the Williamette Valley in Oregon!
Written by Miss Maggie, the Boston Terrier
Discover It.
Quiet and beautiful red wine from Oregon. This Willamette Valley Pinot Noir venture holds a very special place in my heart as it was owned by a dear friend of mine, Mark Tarlov. Mark loved wine. And he loved to question. After a successful career as a film producer, Mark decided to pursue the age old question, what makes good wine. He chose Williamette Valley as his testing soil and Chapter 24 answers the question. Interestingly, this fab red wine was named after the last chapter of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey.
Chapter 24 Vineyards Pinot Noirs are unique in that they combine the knowledge, wine-making skills and philosophy of three great minds. First the burgundy legend, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair whose family owns the iconic, grand cru property, La Romanee. He oversees everything start to finish, expressing his thoughts regarding terroir, soil composition and his quest for individuality.
A note about La Romanee. La Romanee, a grand cru vineyard in Burgundy’s Vosne-Romanee region is the smallest appellation in France. It covers just two acres of land, (I could play fetch on that). La Romanee is a monopole, and he produces one single Pinot Noir from this tiny vineyard. La Romanee’s position on the mid-slope of the Cote d’or gives it a terroir that is perfect for Pinot Noir. This wine normally sells for around $7, 000 per bottle, very high class dirt.
Winemaker extraordinaire, Felipe Ramirez, shares his skills and this is combined with Mark’s philosophy and passion of seeking out individual sites so as to achieve premier cru “burgundy like” wines in Willamette Valley.
A note about Felipe Ramirez. Felipe Ramirez is one of the world’s great winemakers. He grew up and studied winemaking in Chile, continued his education throughout various parts of France, eventually making his way to Oregon where he teamed up with Liger-Belair and Mark Tarlov.
Three wines are produced under the Chapter 24 label: The Flood from sedimentary soil. The Fire from volcanic soil that is 10 million years old. The Final Chapter which is a blend of both of these types of soil from different vineyards.
All about the dirt.
*Taste It.*
The 2017 Chapter 24 Pinot Noir “The Fire” is seductively, quietly expressive and quite seamless. The fabulous bouquet possesses cherry cola, black raspberry, licorice and a slight hint of mocha. Smooth and elegant in the mouth, it offers spice laced dark berry and cherry flavors that convey a smoky nuance and sultry tannins.
Pair It.
I had this delicious red with the classic pairing of roast duck, roasted beets and swiss chard. Don’t be scared of cooking duck! Super easy and definitely worth it if you’re drinking great Pinot. Gets my highest yummy award. https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/slow-cooked-duck-green-olives-and-herbes-de-provence
Thank you for reading this Chapter 24 Pinot Noir “The Fire” 2017 wine review.
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