Year in and year out, our Clos Electrique “Blanc” is one of the best wines to come out of our cellar. And 2018 is yet another amazing example of that. This vintage is beautifully perfumed with notes of honeysuckle, creme Anglaise, lemon curd, marzipan and orange blossom. The palate mirrors the nose along with unctious mouth feel resulting from 2 years contact with the yeast lies prior to bottling. There is truly something about the Clos Electrique terroir that chardonnay loves which is why, as we have expanded (slightly) our plantings on this vineyard site over the last 10 years, we have favored our fabled white Burgundy clones in those plantings. While Abbey Chardonnay is a rendition of Chablis, Clos Blanc is a meme for the great wines of Meursault.
John Paul wasn't actually born a winemaker, though optimistic tourists have assumed as much from the lions toasting on his spurious family crest. As he neared the end of a post-doc in Marine Biology at Berkeley in the middle 70's, Paul discovered two things: that universities weren't exactly lining up to give him a job; and second, the noble grape. Wine, or plankton? The choice was clear. After short stints in and around the wine business, Paul took the lessons he'd learned and put them to work in Oregon. In 1984, he bought some land, quickly planted vines, and started a winery named after his Scottish clan.
Over the next eleven years, Cameron gradually grew from 800 to 4000 cases a year, and that's where Paul wants to stay. He produces a nonvintage, regular vintage, and two vineyard designated wines of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as a small amount of Pinot Blanc. In the future, he's looking into producing an Italian varietal wine, such as the famous Nebbiolo from Piedmont.
Paul radiates the confidence of a man who has made some quirky and difficult decisions and seen everything start to go his way. At 4000 cases a year, he and an assistant winemaker handle everything themselves, from winemaking to in-state distribution. As his wine gets better and better, he can relax and swim the burgeoning tide of Oregon wine.
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