Dinner with John Paul of Cameron Wednesday 11/8 -- North End Grill 7:00pm

Please join us for a special dinner with John Paul Cameron on Wednesday, November 8th, at 7:00pm at North End Grill (104 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282). Chef Eric Korsh, Wine Director Jeff Taylor, and the fantastic team at North End Grill will prepare a menu to pair with Cameron's phenomenal wines. $160 ticket includes dinner, wines, tax, and gratuity. We hope you can join us for this rare opportunity to break bread in an intimate setting with a true American winemaking legend!

Cameron 2014 Dundee Hills Clos Electrique

Clos Electrique is home base for Cameron winery, first planted in 1984 by John Paul and comprising 15 different clones of Pinot Noir, along with various clones of Chardonnay, and several Italian varieties. The vineyard is farmed organically, with only small amounts of elemental sulfur and copper used to prevent mildew and rot. Clover (for nitrogen), buckwheat (for phosphorus), and mustard (for drainage) are planted throughout. Geese, chickens, and goats roam the vineyards, and cover crops are used to nourish the soil and attract predatory insects to keep pests away. It’s truly a natural ecosystem at work, and is also the first certified Salmon-Safe vineyard in Oregon. Though situated on terroir of decomposing basalt (Jory soil) like Abbey Ridge, the Clos Electrique vineyard has a much higher iron and titanium content and it is of much younger origin, in terms of "when the lava flow occurred," says John Paul. The vineyard is also at only 300 feet elevation, and is one of the warmest spots in the Dundee Hills, so harvest is much earlier than at Abbey Ridge, and the fruit typically yields a more intense style of Pinot. It's hotter, but the soils give mineral depth, and the clonal variety provides level upon level of complexity, leading many to liken it's evolution in the glass to an "old world" wine.  The fruits of the labor of the entire extended family at Cameron, and a wine that feels like the beautiful place it comes from, and has the warmth of the great people who tend the land.   Eben Lillie

Cameron 2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge

The Abbey Ridge vineyard was planted by Bill and Julia Wayne, who are partners at Cameron winery. It’s dry-farmed, with a rotating system of cover crops used to maintain moisture, and only organic treatments used in the vines. Originally planted by the Waynes in 1976, (with additional plots added in the 80s and 90s), Abbey Ridge is one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon. At around 600 feet elevation (up to 700 at its highest point), it’s also one of the highest vineyards in the Dundee Hills, which "makes a big difference on timing of bloom and when the fruit is harvested, " says John Paul. Grapes fully ripen here typically in October and are given the chance to develop high natural acidity, which in turn leads to wines with long aging potential. Everything is here! A beautiful Pinot Noir, perhaps with a Burgundian nod in the form of red fruit, rose petals, dry herbal notes, and bright acidity, but uniquely Oregonian in its own right. Though it would not be a shame to drink this in 1-3 years, it will definitely benefit from longer term aging. Eben Lillie

Cameron 2015 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir

Always a blend from parcels planted in the 80s and 90s at Abbey Ridge, and fruit from the Clos Electrique parcel, this is a fantastic Pinot Noir that over-delivers for the price. Bright red fruit on the nose, with perfect acidity, and a touch of structure that lingers in the finish. There is definitely potential to age this wine, but it's very enjoyable in its youthful phase. There's no jamminess, or overextraction, just fresh vibrant fruit and well integrated tannins. I know it's been said many a time, but this really does remind me of great Burgundy.  Eben Lillie

Cameron 2016 Dundee Giovanni Pinot Blanc

In the words of John Paul Cameron: "This came about many years ago after developing a love for fresh Friulian white wines. I talked Bill Wayne [of Abbey Ridge vineyards] into planting a couple of acres of Pinot Blanc (bianco!) so that I could pursue that line of wine. It is always a blend of more than Pinot blanc - basically absorbing anything that I maybe don't have a place for (a bit of extra Chardonnay if I run out of barrel space, a bit of Pinot grigio if I have enough for Ramato), but the overall approach is still to make a fresh lively white wine that is best consumed in the first year or two after production."                      I consumed a good amount of this wine during my stay at Cameron winery, and can personally attest to its versatility with food, its fresh and lively acidity, and the subtle texture that adds complexity to the wine and rounds out the finish. Bravo to the Cameroni for this excellent Pinot Bianco!   Eben Lillie

Cameron 2015 Dundee Ramato Pinot Grigio

It’s common to find Ramatos in the Friuli region of Italy, where the term (from the Italian word for copper: Rame) is used for the local style of skin contact Pinot Grigio. It’s not so common to find a Ramato in Oregon, but when John Paul was offered access to Pinot Grigio grapes from the Abbey Ridge vineyard, he decided to try his hand at making one. Shortly after he started making his Ramato, about 5 years ago, John Paul met Sasha Radikon, and traveled to Collio to see how he and his father (the recently deceased Stanko Radikon) approached making their Ramato. He learned that the Radikons waited much longer before harvesting, yielding a darker hued and more intense wine. Though he has embraced the Radikon style and experiments now with late harvest Pinot Grigio (aged for 2 years in neutral oak like their Pinots), this is the original version that John Paul has always made. He picks the grapes at peak ripeness, (we should note this is already later than nearly everyone else in Willamette Valley), and ferments them on the skins, extracting just a touch of tannin, and giving the wine a pleasant structure. There’s tropical and stone fruit here, and also a fascinating herbal side. It’s a beautiful color in the glass and a perfect introduction to the world of skin contact wines. Drink with a slight chill.  Eben Lillie

Cameron 2015 Dundee Hills Saignee of Pinot Noir

To make a Saignée, a small percentage of juice is "bled" off during fermentation of red wines, to balance the ratio of skins to juice, and give more boldness to the resulting wine. The run off juice is fermented separately and yields a rosé that has a considerable amount of color, compared to rosés made by direct press, or with very short maceration times. In one of his "rants " from a few years back about pink wine, John Paul writes that "one should be drawn to the wine by its color, captivated by its elegant aromas, and finally conquered by its texture and lingering flavors." The 2016 Saignée Rose delivers on all counts. It has a lovely rich pink hue, pretty strawberry aromatics, and a fascinating fleshy texture and long finish. A perfect rosé for the fall/winter months! I get the sense from John Paul that he might be getting out of the rosé game soon, as the market that was demanding rosé 4 years ago now seems to him to be saturated with them… so this may be the last time we get a chance to drink the Cameron Saignée. I'd suggest getting a bottle or two and drinking sometime in the next 1-3 years.  Eben Lillie

Cameron 2015 Dundee Hills Clos Electrique Blanc

The Cameron estate Chardonnay, from 2 acres of vines planted in 1987.

Cameron 2015 Dundee Hills Abbey Ridge Chardonnay

Cameron 2016 Dundee Hills Giuliano Bianco

"Giuliano," says John Paul, "is inspired by Vintage Tunina (which I am somewhat disappointed of late to see with screw caps...it was more serious wine than that!). So the main part of that wine is Friulano with inputs from several other components...Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrios and the true Jermann inspiration: une baci (a kiss) of Moscato." This has always been a beautifully textured wine and we're excited to have some of the 2016! ARRIVES 11/1       - Eben Lillie