Tasting with Joe Dobbs and His New Label, Iterum

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It’s Friday afternoon, and I am sitting at Chapters in Newberg with a Chai, finishing the newsletter. It is officially yucky raining weather outside. I have to say I wish I were heading back to a hotel room at the beach, getting ready to open a delicious Pinot with the fireplace roaring, sliding glass door open, and listening to the crash of the waves.

Maybe after the Pinot, I would pop the cork on Snoop Dogg’s latest wine, Death Row Records Wine. I am sure playing a game of Monopoly on the new Napa Valley board would go with the mood at the beach and watching Adele’s new music video for I Drink Wine.

Food and Wine published an article on “How to find the best Wines in Oregon.” Good thing they don’t read the newsletter; otherwise, all of my hidden gems would no longer be hidden!

The Capital Press did an article summarizing the 2022 vintage for Oregon.

Dusky Goose is celebrating 20 years with a special dinner at the winery, including Lynn Penner-Ash and current head winemaker Hans Van Dale.

Do you have tickets yet for Raising the Temp? I got my ticket and look forward to seeing you there!

One of the many aspects of writing a weekly newsletter I enjoy the most is the interwoven stories I come across. Most of us are aware of Dobbs Family Estate and Wine by Joe, but how many of us know or have talked with the man behind the labels, Joe Dobbs? The likelihood of him pouring wines in the tasting room is small. How cool would it be to run into Joe during a tasting? Please stick with me a bit because I have a story about how to taste with the legendary Joe Dobbs and his newest project, Iterum Wines.

Earlier this year, I wrote about Chris Mazepink’s project, White Walnut, I mentioned how Joe Dobbs hired Chris in the early 2000s while Joe was still at Willamette Valley Vineyards. At the time of that writing, I didn’t know much of Joe’s backstory and was surprised to read a quote from Jim Bernau during a lunch celebration highlighting Joe’s 30 years in the Wine Industry at Irving Street Kitchen downtown, which is no longer around. The quote is, “My biggest regret is not being able to grow Willamette Valley Vineyards fast enough to keep Joe. I hold out hope that one day we will make wine together again.”

Another occurrence where Joe came up was during my tasting with Travis from de la boue. While talking with Travis, he mentioned he worked for Joe Dobbs, which impacted how he approached his 2020 Pinots.

During IPNC’s Salmon Bake, Joe and his wife Patricia also attended. I was a little overwhelmed by the wine, and somehow I ended up getting a pour of Iterum’s Sauvignon Blanc. I was blown away and thought I had taken a picture of the wine, but I didn’t. However, I did make a mental note it was Joe Dobb’s new label. After the event, I found the Instagram account and followed it, ensuring I would stay up to date.

At the end of September, Kathleen Wilcox did an article titled “Non-Binary Winemaking: The Rise of Mellow Malo in a Bid for Non-Buttery, Non-Steely Chardonnay.” I wasn’t interested until I saw Joe’s Sauv Blanc mentioned, and there was an IG post featuring the article. I had to comment on how great the wine was and how fortunate I was to try it at Salmon Bake. Joe reached out to me. After exchanging DMs and a couple of emails between Joe and myself, we found a date for me to visit and taste his wines!

The day before I met with Joe, I was sitting outside at Domaine Willamette with a few friends when none other than Jim Bernau was going around pouring an extra pour for customers. Seeing Jim standing behind the brand and working his patootski off was a wonderful treat! When he came over to our table, I couldn’t help myself. I had the quote of his regret of not being able to grow WVV fast enough for Joe, and I was going to see Joe in person the very next day!

I mentioned the quote to Jim, and he got the biggest of smiles on his face. He told me how excellent Joe is and how they are still friends to this day. He also told me of a story of him calling Joe and asking for some help. Without hesitation, Joe came over and fixed the issue at no charge. Joe followed up to ensure everything was in order multiple times, not charging Jim one penny. It warms my heart on every level possible to hear an out-of-the-blue story of larger producers in Oregon still there for one another and having their back.

Standing in Joe’s driveway, you hear water flowing from a water feature opposite the front door, going between the steps leading up to the house’s entrance. I marvel a little while making sure I don’t miss a step and make a complete fool of myself before ringing the doorbell. Joe answers the door with a big ole’ smile, welcoming me into his house. Before I set foot inside, I compliment him on his abode's uniqueness with the water feature. He tells me how he fell in love with the house many years ago and eventually had the opportunity to buy it.

After a few minutes, I walk into the house, and Joe walks me to the back deck overlooking the Orchard House vineyard. It’s breathtaking to see the vineyard tucked away in a clearing of evergreens with the Cascades lingering in the background. I am pretty sure this is what Joe calls the Eola Bench, with its micro-climate tucked away in the Eola-Amity Hills. There were even lime trees with fruit on the back porch. I should have asked about those, but I was taking everything in.

Coming back to the kitchen, Joe had everything set up for a great tasting and told me how the Iterum came to be. One day he asked his IT guy what he should call the new project. Immediately, the IT guy said, “Iterum. It is Latin for again, afresh, and once more.”

As Joe continues to talk, I am amazed by his level of enthusiasm and drive. Standing in his kitchen, I see a thriving man who still has a hot burning fire deep in his soul, driving him to create another successful wine project.

In 2017, Joe needed a reset from Dobbes Family Estate and Wine by Joe. He wanted to focus on another business he started, a mobile bottling company called Dundee Mobile Bottlers. During this time, Joe revisited wines from his career and those from his peers. After his reflection, he wanted to be small once again.

From a recent press release, here are Joe’s words, “Iterum is all about getting back to my roots and being highly focused. I am just where I want to be, back in the vineyard getting dirty, farming organically, calling on all my years of experience and creating. I am rejuvenated, excited, and blessed to be in this position, and I am making the most exciting wines of my career.”

The first wine we tasted was the 2021 ‘Old Friend’ Oak Grove Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Joe first worked with this vineyard in 1989, and one of his many missions is to show Oregon Sauvignon Blanc to be on par with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This was the wine that caught my attention at IPNC, and tasting it in Joe’s living room might have made the wine even more pleasing! I am not well versed with Sauv Blancs, but there is unbelievable fruit on the nose that explodes on your mid-palate. I need to go down the Sauv Blanc rabbit hole and explore earnestly!

It was around this time I mentioned my interaction with Jim the previous day. I didn't think Joe's smile could grow, but it did! There is a deeply respected friendship between these two legends!

Next up was the 2019 Orchard House Vineyard Chardonnay. As we sat down to taste the wine, Joe told me about Acacia barrels. From what I have read, Acacia isn’t used very much at all, but when used, the purpose is to add texture to the wine, not flavor. It looks like it is primarily used for Sauv Blancs, but Joe was talking about the possibility of using Acacia for Chardonnay. Joe was all about it, and the 2019 Chardonnay is 35% new Acacia and French Oak barrels. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chardonnay, and once again, you will have to forgive me for not having more detailed notes about the wines. I enjoyed every millisecond of the non-stop conversation with Joe!

The following three wines were 2019 Pinots. Two were from the estate Orchard Hill vineyard, Clone 114 and Clone 115. Tasting these two Pinots side by side was fascinating, with the only difference being the Pinot clone. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be the 114. It held those darker fruit qualities, which I prefer over the lighter red fruit.

The third Pinot was the 2019 Pinot Noir Arlyn Vineyard. As Joe poured this wine, he asked me how I felt about wine scores. Oh man, talk about a can- -of-worms-topic that could be debated for hours over several glasses of wine. I tried my best to answer by saying they are a double-edged sword with supporting context for both sides of the coin. After my rambling monologue of scores, Joe let me know the 2019 Arlyn received 96 points! This was my favorite Pinot.

Joe shared six more Pinots from the 2020 vintage, and something unique happened on my first sip of the 2020 Pinots. The nose, mid-palate, and finish triggered the memory of sitting with Travis from de la boue. I have never had an experience of tasting wine, and taking me back to a memory. I had to share my finding with Joe, who knew exactly who Travis was and was super excited to hear he had started de le boue. To give you a brief idea of what these were like, traces of smoke taint weren't there. They were super pleasant, and I would recommend all of them in a heartbeat.

I had so much fun tasting with Joe! Looking back on the experience, there were two major takeaways for me. First, Joe is on a pursuit of quality over quantity while having fun getting back to his roots with Iterum. Secondly, it is inspirational to see a person with Joe’s experience and background thriving with a new venture. So, when you are out in the Eola area, take the time to taste! Visit their website and make a reservation. Please note Joe is putting a six-bottle minimum per person when making a reservation. There will be seasonally catered bites, a tour of the estate, and of course, a tasting of the current offering. When you walk up to the door and Joe answers, please tell him, “A.J. sent me!”

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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