Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

Passion, Science, and the Perfect Land

Newberg, Oregon, USA

Tasting in August 2015

By Sean Overpeck

Passion is one aspect of truly setting yourself apart as a vineyard. With tens of thousands across the world from little regions to big ones, if you want to get noticed as a top winery wether you're a small boutique or large corporation owned winery you have to have passion. Winemaking is not only an art but also a science. To round up the perfection of a great tasting wine you also need the land. In 1998 Penner-Ash Wine Cellar owners Lynn and Ron used their passion and knowledge of science, and found the perfect land to produce some of the best pinot noir I have personally ever tasted before from the Willamette Valley. Nestled into a hillside overlooking the Chehalem Valley, their property reflects the values, spirit and winemaking philosophy that the modern Willamette winemakers strive to achieve. 80 acres of land encompass the property, with breathtaking and expansive views of the valley with the Chehalem Mountains to the North and the Red Hills of Dundee to the South.

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From vineyards home page:

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars embodies the spirit and passion of small producers focusing on Pinot Noir in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. After working for some of Napa’s premier wineries and Rex Hill Vineyards in Oregon, Lynn Penner-Ash teamed up with husband Ron Penner-Ash to launch Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in 1998. In the winery, the focus is on small lot indigenous yeast fermentation with extended cold soaks to extract a rich, fruit-focused textured mouth feel. Each lot is treated individually and depending on the outcome, either blended into a reserve quality Willamette Valley Pinot Noir or bottled separately as a vineyard designate. Although the focus is Pinot Noir, Penner-Ash also produces limited quantities of Syrah, Riesling and Viognier sourced from warmer growing regions in Rouge River Valley to the south and the Columbia River Gorge to the northeast of the Willamette Valley. A sustainable three-level gravity winery building is sited within the Estate Vineyard. 

 In 1998, Lynn started Penner-Ash Wine Cellars with husband Ron, carefully crafting small amounts of Pinot Noir and Syrah. In 2005 Lynn and Ron designed and built their sustainable, gravity-flow estate winery surrounded by estate vineyards, a building that seems to spring from the land itself and is a reflection of their values, spirit and winemaking philosophy. Over the years, Penner-Ash has achieved impressive growth, going from 125 cases of Pinot Noir in 1998 to 15,000 cases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier and Riesling in 2015.

Ron and Lynn continue their quest to find the ultimate vineyard property having traveled to Everest Basecamp in Nepal, the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and just recently a secluded side canyon tucked into the Grand Canyon accessible only via the Colorado River. They vow to continue their search … and have fun doing so.

Main review:

My fiancé and I were on a one day drive and tasting of the Willamette Valley, with Penner-Ash being the forth stop of six on our tour. Before this trip I had not heard of Penner-Ash but it was one that my fiancé recommended. 

In 2005 a new tasting room was designed and built by Ron, who before this time was an educator  and ran the winery as a side-job, and even after taking on the winery full time, never left his roots of education staying on as a school board member. Motivated by the healing qualities of music Ron currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Cancer Association/MyMusicRX. 

The tasting room itself was fantastic, and very aesthetically pleasing, using timber sourced from the local area. As you enter the tasting room, to your right is a small bar, and racks of wine, with the other end having floor to ceiling glass to look down into the larger racking and work area for the winery. Around the corner from the tasting bar was a large open area with an oak table capable of sitting over ten people with chairs dotted around. This was a secondary yet more formal tasting area away from the bar. The views from the window looked out at the Chehalem Mountains and the vineyard property. The room from ceiling to the floor was covered in windows letting in the natural light so that during the daylight hours you can enjoy tastings and food without the need of artificial lights. The glass doors then opened onto a stone patio with picnic tables for more involved tastings, perfect for a good weather day.

Penner-Ash offers three tasting menus, with the first being a five wine tasting, and the others by appointment are more involved which include food and tours of the property. Through their wine club you can also receive extra discounts on the tours and the wine purchases.

On the day we arrived for the tasting, a gentleman named Martin was working, and he recently had moved to the area from Napa, and settled in with the Penner-Ash family. He was extremely knowledgable and made the experience a wonderful one. Like most other wineries in the Willamette, the predominant grape grown is Pinot Noir, and Penner-Ash also produces Syrah, Viognier, Riesling and Rosé.

In the production process, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars uses a method known as gravity flow on their winery (also known as gravity fed). This means that the wine from the production and growing of the fruit on the vine to winemaking all flows downhill directly to bottling, so that there is no mechanically pumping of the fruit. The process enables the wine to gently extract color, flavor and tannin, which reflects in their wine as you will see in the tasting notes below, and also adds to the energy saving that the new facility incorporates. So more flavor, plus saving money by using less energy, what more can you ask for.  

Now lets see how I and the critics rate the wines, plus give you some tasting, cost, and general winery information….

96 - 100	is Extraordinary
90 - 95	is Outstanding
80 -89	is Above the Average
70 - 79	is Below the Average
60 - 69	poor / appalling /  “Cac”

Review basics:

Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating	98 points
Vinous by Antonio Galloni	90 points on the Willamette Pinot, 91 points on the Bella Vida, Zena Crown, & Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir’s. 92 points on the Shea, and Pas De Nom Pinot Noir
All Accolades	Penner-Ash News
Wines Produced	Red:  Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rosé of Pinot Noir White:  Riesling, and Viognier
Grape Blends	Red:  Rubio: Pinot Noir & Syrah Blend
Regulatory	AVA: American viticulture Association

Cases Produced:

Per Year:

2013 Oregon Viognier	1,202
2013 Palmer Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir	256
2014 Oregon Roséo	473
2013 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir	835
2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir	6,980
2013 Pas de Nom Pinot Noir	290
2013 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir	836

These wines remind me of:

Wine tasters that work for Robert Parker, Spectator, and others base their reviews on a single wine giving it a specific point system rating. These reviews and accolades are the make and brake to a winery, as all media and most wine drinkers will look at this ratings and judge on purchasing the wine, or bypassing to a neighbor winery. The ratings given for The Wine, Dine, and Play Blog are the overall experience, not just the wine. From the tasting of the wines, prices, customer service, property, and the style of the winery such as what category it falls into, boutique or a commercial giant are a few of the items I look at when giving a rating for a review. 

Earlier I mentioned that Penner-Ash produces some of the best pinot noir I have personally ever tasted before from the Willamette Valley. I think I under estimated that statement and am happy and confident to say that I rate it as some of the best Pinot Noir wines I have ever had from any wine region. Willamette is closely compared to the Bourgogne in France, as it is on the same lines of latitude as Burgundy. Burgundy or Bourgogne however you like to pronounce it is known for its Pinot Noir wines. The most expensive wines in the world are grown in this region from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, with the Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, which sells for around $12,000 American Dollars (£8,320.00) per bottle. One day Penner-Ash may equal the great and complex wines that Romanee-Conti offers. 

The tasting notes of the wines from Penner-Ash are listed below, with my favorite wine being the Pas de Nom Pinot Noir. I would compare it to the Vougeot Premier Cru from Domaine Bertagna a Grand Vin de Bourgogne. This wine would pair perfectly with many dishes that commonly go with red meats, and for me I would not be afraid to pair this wine with dishes that are normally reserved to go with white wines like a nice oven baked cod coated in breadcrumbs with a skillet of sautéed chorizo sausage and onions. For those that want to stay traditional with pairing red wines to red meats then try the wine with a Moroccan style lamb tagine with fried eggplants and tomato, and your taste buds will thank you.

Bouquet & Palette Notes:

Wine & Grape:	Nose (Bouquet):	Palette Experience:
2013 Oregon Viognier	Winemaker:   Aromatics of white peach, ripe pear and honeydew melon with a hint of citrus	Winemaker: Dense and creamy texture balanced by acid and minerality on the palate with a core of peach cobbler and lemon zest. Tropical fruit flavors extend into the finish
2014 Oregon Roséo	Winemaker:   Mouthwatering candied raspberry and juicy watermelon flirt with pink floral aromatics	Winemaker: Fresh citrus zest and ruby red grapefruit lead into a creamy mid-weight palate with a bright, lingering finish.
2013 Palmer Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir	Winemaker:   Aromas of bramble, blueberry and black pepper	Winemaker: Black cherry with hints of cassis and bittersweet chocolate round out a vibrant, structured palate. Finishes with notes of tea and dried cherries
2013 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir	Winemaker:   Perfumed notes of soft red cherry and dried aromatic herbs, layered with hints of chocolate-covered orange and raw sugar	Winemaker: Bright cranberry and cardamom in the front palate, expanding into a pleasing density of forest and earth, finishing in ripe red fruits
2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir	Winemaker:   A perfumed nose showcases strawberry, anise and tea spice aromatics. Experience ripe, fresh raspberry, red plums and strawberry compote with a hint of subtle cedar	Winemaker: The fine texture and silky tannins enhance the vanilla, brown sugar, and leather notes on the finish
2013 Pas de Nom Pinot Noir	Winemaker:   Aromatics of plum skins, crushed rose petals and sweet earth combine with silky textural perfection	Winemaker: Dark cherry density, roasted wood, cedar, vanilla and red currant round out the finish My Tasting:
2013 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir	Winemaker:   Black cherry, exotic Asian spice and wood vanilla aromatics My Tasting:	Winemaker: A savory and broad palate of wild berries, cola and dark chocolate, lingering finish of blackberries and rose petals My Tasting:

Bottle Prices 

(excluding taxes)

$£€¥ -                Under 50.00 

$£€¥ x 2 -          51.00- 99.00 

$£€¥ x 3 -          Over 100.00 

$£€¥ x 4 -          Over 200.00 

$£€¥ x 5 -          Over 400.00 

**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s** 

Wine Selction:	Currency in the top wine producing countries:	Price Chart :
2013 Pas de Nom Pinot Noir  (750 ml)
$100.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
$130.00	Australian Dollar (AUS)	$$$
£70.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	££
$131.00	Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
¥648.00	Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
€88.00	European Union (EUR)	€€
$145.00	New Zealand Dollar (NZD)	$$$
R1,467.00	South African Rand (ZAR)	R
2014 Oregon Roséo (750 ml)
$24.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$
£17.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€21.00	European Union (EUR)	€
2013 Oregon Viognier (750 ml)
$30.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$
£21.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€26.00	European Union (EUR)	€
2013 Palmer Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir (750 ml)
$65.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$
£46.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€57.00	European Union (EUR)	€€
2013 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir (750 ml)
$65.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$
£46.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€57.00	European Union (EUR)	€€
2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (750 ml)
$48.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$
£34.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€42.00	European Union (EUR)	€
2013 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (750 ml)
$65.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$
£46.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
€57.00	European Union (EUR)	€€

Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):

Flight of 5:	$15.00
Estate Experience:	$35.00
Pas de Nom Experience:	$40-50.00

Château or Vineyard Owner:

Ron Penner-Ash

Winemaker:

Lynn Penner-Ash

Vineyard &Tasting Room Address:

15771 NE Ribbon Ridge Rd

Newberg, OR 97132 

  

GPS Coordinates: 

45.330673

-123.086822

Tasting Room Information: 

Hours:	Monday - Sunday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT-8:00)
Tasting Room:	+1 503.554.5545
Website:	Penner-Ash Wine Cellars
Email:	Contact Winery
Social Media:	Facebook Link
	Twitter @PennerAsh
	Pinterest
	YouTube
	Instagram

Review by:

Sean Overpeck (CFE)

I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, Dubai, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army food service program. The idea for the Wine, Dine, and Play Blog started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by others to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, plus the wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra, and the culture. Since that time, nearly 200 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide; exotic world locations such as Dubai, Petra, and African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; country cuisines such as Afghan and Peruvian; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia

Who is John Galt?

“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”

TTFN