Palmer Emmitt

In February of this year, Gary Vaynerchuk urged his legion of Wine Library TV fans to start wine tasting groups on the third thursday of every month, and Third Thirsty Thursday was born. I've thrown six of these tasting parties now, each one centered around a theme - last night we visited the wines of Oregon. I wanted to showcase my first love - Willamette Valley pinot noir - but also turn people on to some of the great things winemakers in Oregon are doing with Alsatian white varietals. The lineup:

Erath Winery Pinot Blanc 2006

Bergstrom Wines "Dr. Bergstrom" Riesling 2007

Gypsy Dancer Christine Lorraine Vineyard Pinot Gris 2007

Domaine Coteau Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2006

Domaine Drouhin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2005

Rockblock (Domaine Serene ) "SoNo" Syrah 2004

Dick Erath is one of the pioneers of the Oregon wine business, and I'm sure many people are familiar with his pinot noirs, but he's also one of the producers leading the charge for Oregon pinot blanc. I'd never had this wine before, but stumbled across it at the Wine House last week - a lone bottle for $8.99 - and thought it'd be perfect for this tasting. The wine was similar to much of the Italian pinot bianco I've had, light and simple with just a hint of green apple but not quite enough acidity for my liking. The consensus at the party was that it was a nice but unspectacular wine. Still, for 9 bones I think many of us would go back for more.

Next we moved on to the Kabinett style Riesling from Josh Bergstrom - a young leader of the biodynamic viticulture movement. This wine was stunning - fresh zippy acidity, smooth minerality, hints of spice, and an array of citrus and stone fruits dancing across the palate. The crowd was moved and even a former Oregon wine professional in attendance who was skeptical about Oregon whites said this was fantastic. We lingered over this wine for awhile and I breathed a sigh of relief that I had at least chosen one winner...

Our third selection was the only white wine produced by Napa and Willamette Valley legend Gary Andrus at Gyspy Dancer. Gary and I share pasts as downhill ski racers so I'm partial to his wines, but had never actually tried a white from his skilled hand. His pinot gris did not disappoint - with huge stone fruit and ample acidity to back it up, this wine was downright delicious. Some of our group complained that the residual sugar was a touch high, but it didn't bother me, especially paired with some beautiful Italian Piave from the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills .

With the preamble taken care of, it was time to move on to the serious stuff - the legendary pinot noir of Willamette Valley. The first selection was from boutique winery Domaine Coteau and former defense contractor Dean Sandifer. Dean is about the nicest guy I've ever met and he seriously charmed me with his gentle demeanor and lovely wines on my trip to Oregon last fall. Tonight, his '06 pinot noir from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA had the fresh spice and jammy red fruits I remember, but many complained that the oak was making its presence felt a bit strongly - reluctantly, I had to agree.

The real heavy hitter of the evening came next, the 2005 appellation pinot noir from Burgundy transplants Domaine Drouhin Oregon. The tasting notes from Veronique Drouhin suggest this wine needs 7 to 10 years in the cellar, so I made sure to decant 3 hours prior to our tasting. The first word that springs to mind with this wine is elegance - while the terroir of the Dundee Hills may differ from that of the Cote d'Or, the elegance is one aspect of the Drouhin wines that easily translates. Spicy white pepper and a hint of orange peel mingle nicely with raspberries and even blueberries on this very complex and enchanting effort. It was an instant hit with the group and paired beautifully with the rich, tangy and stinky Epoisses cheese and the cedar plank salmon I prepared on the grill (you can't drink Oregon pinot noir without cedar plank salmon - that's a strict rule in my household...).

We closed the evening with a syrah by Rockblock, an alternate label for the Rhone varietal wines from Domaine Serene. The "SoNo" syrah blends grapes from the Rogue and Walla Walla Valleys, appellations to the south and north respectively of the Willamette Valley. I don't know what it is about drinking syrah after drinking pinot noir, but it never fails to make me happy. This wine had the perfect blend for me of old and new world - explosive black fruit with just enough of an earthy backbone to balance it out. We had another crowd pleaser on our hands and it paired nicely with my cheese of the night - the Abbaye de Bel-Loc .

With all of the late night, half-drunk enthusiasm for the SoNo syrah, I thought it a shoo-in to win wine of the night, but the surprising final tally came in just as I had voted:

1. Bergstrom Wines "Dr. Bergstrom" Riesling 2007 - available at Wine House LA for $23.99

2. Domaine Drouhin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2005 - usually around $40

3. Rockblock (Domaine Serene ) "SoNo" Syrah 2004 - available at Wine House LA for $24.99