Dispatch · Saturday, October 7, 2023
Lonesome Rock and Danny's Enthusiasm
A barista becomes a podcast fan, and one bottle of Corollary leads to Lonesome Rock, where Danny, Susan and Riley the dog tour the vineyard by Gator.
Long-time readers of the newsletter know I have a weakness in indulging in a chai at Starbucks in the mornings. Part of the reason I enjoy this daily routine is for the people behind the counter. I have gotten to know them over the years. Everyone who works at the location I frequent knows I am obsessed with wine. Most of them don’t know I have a wine podcast.
The other day, the podcast came up in conversation. I told one person Weinnotes is the podcast's name and how Weinzettel translates into wine note. The following day, I was informed how much he enjoyed the podcast and didn’t need to know anything about wine. He got sucked into the stories Greg Lambrecht from Coravin told during our time together.
That morning, I left Starbucks on cloud nine. The barista didn’t have to take an interest in the podcast, didn’t have to listen, and definitely didn’t need to give feedback, but he did. People are amazing, and it warms my heart to share the stories I have heard over the years.
I can’t wait to continue passing on these stories, especially today’s story, but first, let’s dive into some links!
Carrie Wynkoop of Cellar 503 has launched the AVP Collective, giving wineries another place to make wine.
The Robb Report has a great highlight of Drew Bledsoe, Doubleback, and Bledsoe McDaniels.
Jaime Goode writes up his experience at the Northwest Explorations – Oregon, Washington, and Idaho seminar at Texsom hosted by Samantha Cole-Johnson.
Amy Wesselman is stepping down from IPNC.
Are you ready for the next SOMM movie?
How much have you explored British wine? The demand is increasing quite a bit!
Have you ever wondered what music is playing during Harvest? I ask the question all the time for the podcast. Here are some playlists that were pumping throughout the valley.
According to Bloomberg, the Most Interesting Wine Scene in the US Is in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I didn’t get to read it because it’s behind a paywall.
Jeb Dunnick gave some excellent scores recently. Antica Terra and Morgen Long got 100-point scores. Walter Scott and Lavinea got 99. I didn’t pay the $100 to read the whole report. I saw a screenshot of these wineries.
What do you think about the Napafication of Oregon? Food and Wine dive into a little.
Today’s newsletter starts before the Saturday I visited Lonesome Rock on May 6. I am not exactly sure when it started, but I know it is Dan and Jeanne’s fault from Corollary. They get fruit from Lonesome Rock for their wonderfully delicious Sparkling, and who would have known I would be traversing yet another rabbit hole from one bottle of wine?
I don’t even know where to start. There is so much to unravel, but let’s start with me pulling into the driveway of Lonesome Rock earlier this year on May 6th. The sky was filled with huge clouds threatening rain at any minute, but it didn’t stop the enthusiasm from Danny wanting to get out the gator to tour the vineyard. Can we focus on the word enthusiasm for a little bit? There is always enthusiasm to get the gator out to explore a vineyard, but Danny was beyond excited to tell me everything there was. The vineyard dog, Riley, was also quite happy to run alongside the gator, waiting for Danny to throw the ball.
Seeing the vineyard was beyond spectacular! Driving around, Danny told me the 30-acre property used to be owned by Scott and Rae Baldwin. Six acres of the property were planted in 2007 with Pinot Noir (666 and 777 clones). Today, there are 15 acres planted to chardonnay, pinot meunier, and five different heritage, dijon, and exotic clones of pinot noir.
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If you don’t know Scott and Rae Baldwin, they own De Ponte Cellars. They used to live on the property where Danny, his wife Susan, and her parents now live. Danny and Susan also have three grown kiddos. I might dive into that briefly. Danny’s enthusiasm for wine started very early. Somehow, he accidentally attended the Hospice de Beaune auction in 1988. In 1992, he was in a cheap hotel in Bordeaux with Susan and their daughter Rachael after knocking on the door of Chateau Margaux's for a job.
Danny and Susan’s path always had one foot in the world of wine. They even had a house in Champagne in 1994. The couple moved back to Chicago, where Danny worked as a wine importer and distributor at Heritage Wine Cellars. Holding down jobs and raising three kids, the dream of owning a vineyard never left their grasp. There were many trips to California, Washington, Oregon, France, and even Greece, looking for a property to no avail. In 2020, their dream finally became a reality when Scott and Rae put Lonesome Rock up for sale.
Lonesome Rock was one of the vineyards for De Ponte, and if I had to make a stab in the dark, I would say Scott and Rae sold Lonesome to invest in the new Vinovate custom crush facility along with Rob Townsend, Pam Turner, and Bryan Weil. Kate Payne Brown is also there. Also, a small sidenote: Hazelfern is making their Sparkling at Vinovate. We must wait another 3-5 years, but I promise it will be worth it!
The winemaker for De Ponte is Isabelle Dutartre. She studied at the University of Dijon and worked in the vineyards of Côte-d’Or before coming to Oregon to work for her friend Veronique Drouhin at Domaine Drouhin in 1992. In 2001, Scott and Rae approached Isabelle to become the winemaker at De Ponte, where she still makes the wine today. Isabelle is also making the Pinots for Lonesome Rock along with Jackson Holstein, the most humble winemaker I know at Granville Wines, making Lonesome’s Chardonnay.
More backstory about Isabelle from The Prince of Pinot:
One tidbit I found fascinating about Lonesome Rock is how much influence it gets from the Pacific Ocean. The coastal range is less than a Superman’s stone throw away, and if I am correct, only three other vineyards in the Willamette Valley are closer to the Pacific.
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Jackson has had an eye on the Lonesome Rock vineyard. He had this to say about the 2012 Lonesome Rock Ranch Pinot Noir from De Ponte:
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After riding around in the gator and Riley always finding the ball, Danny pointed out a soon-to-be-cut-down oak tree. He told me how he wanted to test out using Oregon Oak with his wines to get an actual test of terroir. The other project Danny pointed out to me was the Ukraine Olive trees on the property. They produce next to no olives, but Danny is having a blast learning about olive trees.
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Sitting inside with Danny and Susan, I felt like the star of the show. Susan made one heck of a charcuterie board. I hope I didn’t offend her too much by barely touching it. I am always engrossed with the stories!
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I am finally getting to the wines. Danny poured the 2021 Chardonnay, and I was highly impressed. We are talking about a unique vineyard and Jackson as the winemaker. There is no way this could wrong at all! The bar is set high for Oregon Chardonnay, and this easily sails over the bar. In looking back over my notes, I didn’t write down anything about the wines. Sitting there listening to stories, the wines, and engaging in conversation, it is difficult for me to grasp everything that is going on in the glass.
With all of that said, I watched Danny pour the 2021 Lonesome Rock Pinot Noir. My eyes were fixated on how dark it was. The first sniff entranced me with what I was getting ready to experience on entry, mid-palate, and finish. I took the first sip and was speechless. I get so engrossed sometimes in the wine that I don’t realize people are looking at me for reactions and feedback. I quickly hurried out of my trance and said something like, “This is freaking amazing, and you have something special here!” Danny looked at me and said, “Don’t BS me. It’s OK if you don’t like it, but give me your honest opinion.” I followed up and tried to translate what I was experiencing into words.
The three of us continued to chat for some time. When I left, Riley wanted to play more and didn’t want me to leave. Going back down the hill to Carlton, I was blown away by my experience. Lonesome Rock is a winery I am keeping on my radar for many years to come!
Speaking of my radar. I saw the Lonesome Rock Pinot Noir at Rosmarino in Newberg a couple of months later. I was super giddy and asked Dario how much it was. He responded, “It’s not for sale. This is a special bottle of mine.”
I also saw Danny and Susan at the Neskowin Food and Wine Festival over the summer. It was great to catch up with both of them. As I was leaving, Danny approached me, handed me a bottle of the Lonesome Rock Pinot Noir, and said, “Tell me how good this is in ten years!” I now have a reminder on my calendar to open this bottle in June of 2033 and report back to Danny. I cannot wait to share my findings!
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The next time you are in Carlton, you should drive 15-ish extra minutes to visit Lonesome Rock. It truly is a unique vineyard. You also need to experience Danny's enthusiasm for yourself! His passion is beyond contagious. I promise you will have a fantastic time and experience. Please take a few minutes to make a reservation on their website, and when you pet Riley, please let Danny and Susan know, “A.J. sent me!”
With Heartfelt Gratitude,
A.J.
Just in case you missed the latest podcast episodes, here they are 🥂
A.J. Weinzettel
Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country