Vino Voyager
Making Every Wine moment an Adventure
A Journey through Time: A Saffron Fields Vertical Tasting
One of our latest wine adventures took us to the comfort of our backyard patio on a beautiful Fall Sunday afternoon. A favorite Oregon winery we have been club members with for several years, Saffron Fields, recently offered a four-bottle vertical of its Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. It was an ideal chance to gather a few friends in honor of Come Over October and do a vertical tasting.
About Verticals
Vertical tastings, which feature different years of the same wine, are my favorite type of tasting. It’s like stepping into a time capsule with a bottle of wine and pouring a glass one year at a time. It truly offers a unique sensory experience that provides a glimpse into how wine matures over the years. Obviously, weather patterns also have something to do with adding different nuances to each vintage, but that’s all part of the aging process.
One other thing I knew would influence each of these vintages is the soil type the vines are planted in. Soil type greatly influences wines produced in Oregon, which is what I find most fascinating about Oregon wines. Each type yields specific recognizable characteristics.
Yamhill-Carlton AVA, which is where the wines from Saffron Fields are made, has marine sedimentary soil. It is a well-draining soil that requires roots to dig deep for water, which creates stress on the vines. This, in turn, yields a wine that has complexity with layers of fruit, sometimes a bit of spice, and typically low to moderate tannins that create a smooth finish.
The Tasting
The vertical included four vintages from 2016-2019, all featuring fruit from the same Saffron Fields estate and other local vineyards located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. We opted to start with the newest vintage and work our way down, knowing that younger vintages tend to be less complex than their aged counterparts.
Below are the tasting notes.
2019: The nose was full of red cherry and when it hit the palate, it had bright acidity and a youthful characteristic, kind of like a red cherry lifesaver. With soft tannins with a smooth finish, it was a wine perfect for our situation – a patio sipper on a sunny afternoon.
2018: This vintage was fuller bodied than the 2019 and had more subdued, darker fruit. I picked up a bit of licorice followed by some baking spice. It also featured a long, lingering finish after each sip. With this vintage, I pictured being surrounded by the sights and smells of a winery’s barrel room, which I have always found oddly comforting.
2017: The nose was bursting with brambly, blackberry fruit that made me want to keep swirling and sniffing. Not surprisingly, it almost felt velvety on the palate and also delivered notes of plum. Despite having such intensity on the nose and palate, the finish had a faint presence of delicate violet.
2016: While the 2019 was all about red cherry, this vintage, which is four years its senior, featured richer flavors of black cherry. It had subtle hints of clove and a slight earthiness coming from the marine influenced soil.
How the Wines Rated
We rated the wines on a scale of 1-5 and, of the four of us doing the tasting, we all rated them a 4 or higher. Which one rated highest varied in the group, depending on palate and preference for younger or more aged wines. I particularly favored the 2018 and 2017. Both of these would pair nicely with fall and winter foods—think stews and braised meats. For cocktail hour, I would pair the 2016 with a charcuterie plate. Of course, all vintages can easily be enjoyed without food as well.
Overall, the tasting experience underscored why we love Saffron Fields wines. It also reminded me why vertical tastings can be so enlightening. In the end, each vintage captures the essence of nature, winemaking expertise, and time, creating a uniqueness all its own.
About the Winery
Saffron Fields is a boutique winery perched on a hill in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. It has a stunning, modern tasting room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a unique projected floral wall design, and a peaceful koi pond framed by sweeping vineyard views. Especially beautiful is the ceiling made completely of reclaimed wood from an old barn that was on the property when the owners purchased it.
The owner, Angela Summers, is actively engaged with the winery and often on the tasting room floor on weekends greeting guests while her staff create a welcoming tasting experience. The incredibly talented winemaker, Tony Rynders, has been with the winery since its first vintage in 2010, and previously was head winemaker at Domaine Serene.
The winery offers a variety of events during the year, including guided tours of its beautiful gardens, several tasting experiences, and its acclaimed July 4 fireworks party on the lawn. It is about a 20-minute drive from the town of Newberg, which offers lodging and dining options.
What fun to read about this vertical tasting. Your descriptions made me wish I had a bottle – any year – right here, right now. Think I’ll see if I can find some Saffron Fields wine here in Arizona and invite dear friends, the Andrews, over for a Happy Hour!