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102 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 Tasting Notes: The Ageability of Umpqua Wines Brandborg 2002 Riesling Petrol, nectarine, drying apricot and honeycomb with salivating acidity. Brandborg 2002 Benchlands Pinot Noir (lower vineyards, alluvial soils): Mushroom, forest oor, dried cherries, potpourri, trufes and dried herbs. Brandborg 2002 Northern Reach Pinot Noir (higher on hillsides with no irrigation): Dark cherry, pomegranate, cherry cola, fine-rained tannins and bright acid. Reustle-Prayer Rock 2006 Riesling us, under-ripe pear, apricot pit, ginger tea and honeysuckle with vibrant acidity. Clonal Selection: Pinot Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo Given that Brandborg Vineyard & inery, eustle-rayer oc ineyards and Abacela each have an individual vari - etal focus, we tasted three ihtsinot oir, yrah and Tepranilloto eplore the importance and difference in the end product by the careful selection of particular clones of each variety. We started the tasting with Pommard, Wädenswil and 828 clones of Pinot Noir. "I find that oard yields structure and forward cherry, Wädenswil lends an earthy note and 2 is hih-toned and perfumed," illuminated Brandborg. Moving on to Syrah, we tasted clones 470, 877 and Syrah Noir. Reustle described his choices, saying, "For me, 470 gives bacon fat and redder fruit; 877 ehibits iolets and purple plu but also has thicker skins, so it lends structure; and yrah oir is classic pepperblac and whiteand dar chocolate with the ost body of the three and grippy tannins." We tasted two, 12 and one of Tempranillo, which Abacela has given proprietary names to as well. Clone two, or Fiesta, was the clone the winery chose in order to ae the easier-drinin wines. Clone 12, or Knoll Block, shows darker, denser fruit and is a great blender. Clone one, or SE Block, maintains the deep color and blue and purple fruit with massive tannin and is utilized for the top-tier wine. Our discussion also broached the topic of yeast. "I think that some yeasts clearly work better with different clones," says eustle, eplainin that he firly beliees in inoculatin with specifically PHOTO: ALLYSON GORSUCH An Explanation of Umpqua vs. the Old World To bein our three-day ecursion in the pua alley, our hosts decided to put their wines to the testlinin the up aainst reputable wines fro the ld orld in a blind tastin to see if we could discern which wine was indeed fro pua. The eperient wored as the roup iediately reconized the proise and balance of these wines: Not a sommelier in the group was able to correctly identify the Old orld wine in eery one of the si ihts. Gregory V. Jones, an atmospheric scientist formerly based at Southern Oregon niersity who currently seres as irector of ine ducation at infield Collee in McMinnville, Oregon, then gave a thorough presentation of the climate framework for uality wine production in the area. "ur diersity in ters of cliate swaps other regions," he declared. He pointed out the vast difference in degree days at each winerycitin Brandbor with ,, eustle with 2, and bacela with 2,7 to further demonstrate the three different climates from north to south. He also pointed out the inuence of three ountain ranesthe Coastal anes, the laath ountains and the estern Cascadesas the soils are aried as well with alluial, arine and olcanic copositions. "pecifically in outhern reon, we hae the lar - est overall diurnal shift than anywhere else in the world," Jones stated, cementing the case for diversity.