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Dispatch · Saturday, July 8, 2023

The New Ridgecrest Cottage on Ribbon Ridge

Compris names a winemaker, Antica Terra buys Keeler Estate, and a Kubota ride through Ridgecrest's vines after a tasting in its remodeled cottage.

There is too much news and links this morning for me to ramble. Let’s dive in!

Do you remember my podcast interview with Dru Allen of Compris Vineyard a few weeks ago? During the interview, he informed me of a new winemaker coming on board, but it wasn’t 100% public yet. I didn’t want to spill the beans, and so this past week, Compris announced Aaron Kendall as their new winemaker. Aaron was the Associate Winemaker at Beaux Freres and is ready to take over as head winemaker for Compris Vineyard!

Adelsheim is also announcing some adjustments to crucial positions within their ranks.

It’s sad to say, but we are in fire season. There is so much heartbreak happening right now in the Columbia Gorge.

Antica Terra doesn’t pop up much in the news, so having two different stories in the same week is mind-blowing. First, Antica Terra bought Keeler Estate. The link is behind a paywall that I can’t get around. I don’t know any details. I also contacted Nicholas Keeler, the winemaker at Authentique and Keeler Estate, to get some details. He mentioned the next chapter of Authentique will be even better! If you, by chance, know any more details, I would appreciate any info you can pass along.

The other news item from Antica Terra is a NY Times piece titled “Maggie Harrison’s War on Wine”. This is also behind a paywall, but the whole story awaits you if you can read the HTML source code. It was a long, fascinating piece, and here is an excerpt I enjoyed reading.

I can’t tell you what Antikythera tasted or smelled like. The vines had produced an extraordinary grape, a tiny, tannic berry of intense, almost disagreeable complexity. But the lists of flavors you see in typical tasting notes amount to a kind of bragging about the acuity of the writer’s palate, and they are also banal and dishonest — far more than pencil lead, marmalade or saddle leather, wine tastes like itself. What matters are the things it makes you perceive, feel and think about and how it lives in your memory. Tasting any great wine can be as immersive as watching a film. But Antikythera took me somewhere beyond that. First, it made me see colors: the inkiest indigos and the bluest blacks, streaked with fissures of silver. Then I pictured something lurching out of a cave on a moonless night during a thunderstorm, which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. And I thought about Jacques Lardière, the great former winemaker at Louis Jadot in Burgundy, talking about the “unconscious of the earth.”

Huge kudos to Arabilis for being accepted into Artist Block. I have yet to visit this new tasting room in Dundee, where not every winery gets accepted to be part of the flight.

Also, Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine got some excellent scores from Wine Enthusiast

Lytle-Barnett 2018 Blanc de Blancs - 94
Lytle-Barnett 2019 Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Pinot Noir - 92
Lytle-Barnett 2017 Brut Rosé Sparkling - 91
Aubaine 2021 Joie Anahata Vineyard Pinot Noir - 94 and Editors’ Choice
Anahata 2021 Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir - 92

I do have to say there is a WEINNOTES promo code for 20% off of Aubaine Wine!! The Joie Pinot Noir is knee-weakening!!

One last ramble is the Neskowin Wine and Food Festival on August 5th. I hope to see you there and I can't wait!

There were over 50 events that for the last Events Newsletter!

You don't want to miss the next one coming out July 15th

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There are constants in our lives we rely on without even thinking about them. The same logic applies to me when it comes to some wineries. Today, I want to dive into the rabbit hole with one of those wineries that have been around for a long time. We all know the people behind the label but don’t hear much about Harry Peterson-Nedry, Wynn Peterson-Nedry, or Jon Foster. These wonderful humans make up Ridgecrest and RR Wines.

My last visit with Jon was too long ago, during 2020 in the yurt surrounded by the vineyard. I loved it, and it sticks with me as one of those authentic Oregon tastings. Since the tasting, I have run into Wynn a few times in wine country, interviewed her for the podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts) and she ran into me earlier this year while I was shopping at REI.

I have never talked with Harry, and that’s ok. Even though he would feel uncomfortable with me calling him a superstar, that’s precisely what he is! He put Ribbon Ridge on the map, and in the summer of 2021, one of his projects finally came to a close, with Oregon getting PGI Status.

In case you don’t know, PGI status protects wine regions. Let’s say, by chance, there was a Willamette Valley in North Carolina. NC couldn’t use Willamette Valley because Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the only one that can be used for wine.

A few other notable events since my last visit to Ridgecrest include: Wynn being the winemaker for 00 Wines and getting some off-the-chart scores! Wynn finally planting some Chenin Blanc on Ribbon Ridge. Wynn moved on from 00 Wines. She is now making wine for Arlyn, consulting for Celestial Hill, and of course, making the Ridgecrest / RR Wines.

One last notable mention before I get into the tasting I had with Jon. The library wines available are out of this world!! You can visit the website right now and get a vertical from 2004 to 2018 without effort. It blew my mind in 2020, and I still find remnants of my mind-blowing out sideways three years later.

Not too long ago, I noticed on Instagram Ridgecrest was remodeling a cottage to make it a tasting experience. Once it was done, the only thing left to do was make an appointment to check it out!

After I made the reservation, I asked Jon if the cottage was the same turn-off Ribbon Ridge Road as the yurt. He responded, “No,” and he gave me the address. Driving up to the cottage caught me off guard because it was a lovely little house just off the road.

Walking into the cottage, it was easy to tell that everything had been remodeled and looked adorable.

After gawking around the house and catching up, Jon asked, “Would you like to hop on the Kubota and see some vineyards?” There was only one possible answer to that question, “Yes!” He packed some wine, and we headed out to look at some vines. I was also curious to know and see if the rain after Father’s Day had any impact on the fruit set.

From the eye of an amateur, everything looked ok, and Jon also mentioned everything was looking ok after the rains.

Driving through a few rows, Jon talked about bringing his 14-year-old daughter out here to work on her driving skills. I also mentioned how the driving lessons on my end were ramping up as well. It is always wonderful to see the vineyards to get a sense of where the wine comes from, but when you are drinking wine amongst the vines, the volume gets turned to 11 without even trying!

Driving back to the cottage, I couldn’t help but look around at the surroundings. So many vines, picturesque views, great wine, and an excellent gravel road returned me to the authentic yurt tasting. It just doesn’t get much better!

There were a few more wines to taste at the cottage. Jon gave the option of sitting inside or out on the porch. It was way too nice of a day to be inside.

So far, I tasted the 2022 Gruner, 2022 Estate Dry Riesling, and the 2022 Old Vine Estate Pinot Gris. Next up was the 2022 Estate Rose of Pinot Noir. Wynn is a huge fan of white wine, and it shows. How often to get to taste Gruner, Riesling, and Pinot Gris on the same flight?

Not long after my 2020 visit, Wynn planted some Chenin Blanc, and I was hoping it would be ready to sample. To my dismay, I still need to find some patience. Thank goodness I haven’t had to wait as long as Wynn for this wine. Rumor has it she has been waiting for almost 15 years.

I tasted a couple of Pinots and a Walla Walla Syrah before leaving. I decided not to write anything about the wines. I wanted to be present, and sitting there talking with Jon was an absolute blast!

It befuddles me how quiet and under the radar Ridgecrest / RR Wines is. I know it is part of their humble spirit and background, but still. For a winery to be around longer than 95% of the other wineries in the state is a testament to their drive and the quality of wines produced. Please visit the website, make a reservation today, and tell Jon, “A.J. sent me!”

With Heartfelt Gratitude,

A.J.

A.J. Weinzettel

Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country