I really like grenache’s spicy methods. It may be concurrently elegant and hedonistic, filled with aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, Mediterranean herbs, white pepper and anise. Grenache is Walton Goggins in a silk swimsuit, sans shirt.
So you’ll be able to think about my delight after I found Sirpa and John Peacock’s vineyard, the one one I do know of devoted solely to grenache-based wines.
Ocelli is greatest identified for: see above.
Why grenache? For Sirpa, making grenache is a approach to stand out within the Willamette Valley’s ocean of pinot noir. A giant bonus, Sirpa stated, is that they each love ingesting grenache.
The Peacock’s epiphany grenache second occurred in Walla Walla, Washington, the place Sirpa and John go to frequently. John stated the 2009 classic grenache wines launched by Kerloo Cellars, Maison Bleue, Rotie Cellars and Sleight of Hand Cellars satisfied them that they’d discovered their grape.
“Should attempt” present launch: 2022 Ocelli Columbia Valley Grenache ($30 – 14.6 ABV).
That is the most effective Ocelli wine I’ve needed to date. It’s a mix of fruit from the three Yakima Valley vineyards the Peacocks labored with in 2022 – French Creek, Upland and Heron Bluff. This wine, like all Ocelli wines, is made in 100% impartial French oak barrels.
Its fruit is darker, with strawberries and blueberries vying for supremacy. There’s some earthiness right here as effectively, together with traces of orange blossoms, rose petals and black licorice. All that fruit is backed by juicy acidity and silky easy tannins.
Innovation: Due to an experiment, Ocelli produces a white grenache noir, which is sort of a rarity within the wine world. “So far as we all know, we’re the one producer that makes an intentional white wine from pink fruit utilizing grenache,” John stated.
In 2022, the Peacocks obtained a half ton of grenache noir that they didn’t have room for of their fermenter. Impressed by all of the white pinot noirs made within the valley, Sirpa advised they flip the additional grapes right into a white wine.
To determine how one can flip a pink right into a white, John consulted along with his mentor, Mo Ayoub of Ayoub Wines in Dundee. John ended up sorting and urgent the grapes right into a impartial French oak barrel for main and malolactic fermentation. The wine then spent 10 months on its lees in barrel earlier than bottling.
The identify recreation: In Latin, ocelli means “little eyes,” and is utilized by entomologists to confer with the single-lens eyes possessed by many bugs. With peacocks, nevertheless, ocelli is the identify given to the flamboyant eyespots on their feathers.
Ocelli, as a lot as you will need to make it sound Italian, is pronounced ah-sell-eye.
Historical past: The Peacocks started their industrial wine profession by buying two barrels of grenache from the 2012 classic, which they bottled in 2013. They now use fruit from the Rogue and Yakima Valleys annually to supply 400-500 circumstances of pink, white, and rosé variations of grenache.
John works full-time on making wine, forsaking a profession as a logistics evaluation specialist for corporations reminiscent of Nike and Umpqua Financial institution. Sirpa, a 19-year veteran of the Oregon wine trade, is director of gross sales and advertising and marketing for Appassionata Property in Newberg.
What we don’t know: These winemaking Peacocks are additionally hen farmers. “We increase chickens for meat and eggs, promoting simply sufficient to family and friends to cowl our prices,” John stated.
The best way to style: You may style Ocelli wines by appointment at August Cellars in Newberg. A regular flight prices $20, which is refunded with a $50 buy. A library flight is obtainable for $40.
Scorching tip: Ocelli Cellars joins forces with Out of Necessity Wines to host tastings every Saturday this summer time. The tastings, which embrace wines from each wineries, happen from 11 a.m. to five p.m. at Out of Necessity Wines. The handle is 21080 N.E. Ribbon Ridge Street in Newberg.
I visited this location not too long ago, and it’s a beautiful spot, with winery views and pleasant chickens wanting to make your acquaintance. No appointment is critical for the Saturday tasting.
Final e-book learn: For Sirpa, it’s “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Outstanding Energy of Giving Individuals Extra Than They Anticipate,” by Will Guidara. John not too long ago completed Robin Sharma’s “The 5AM Membership: Personal Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.”
The place to purchase: Apart from the vineyard, your greatest guess to search out an Ocelli wine is to dine at Picket Coronary heart in Dundee. I like to recommend having a glass of any Ocelli wine with Picket Coronary heart’s lamb gyro pizza.
By appointment, 14000 N.E. Quarry Street, Newberg, ocellicellars.com or information@ocellicellars.com.
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Fanatic Journal. He may be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To learn extra of his protection, go to oregonlive.com/wine
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