Wine of the Week: Averaen Oregon Pinot

The Averaen pinot noir could rival Placido Domingo in holding a note. The only difference is that the Spanish tenor’s note would never be as delicious. This pinot has layered red fruit that lingers on and on.

Adam Smith, 36, is the winemaker, farmer and poet of Averaen, the house of pinot in Willamette Valley, Oregon. It’s not surprising that his 2016 bottling at $22 would be a showstopper in The Press Democrat’s blind tasting knowing his backstory, his talent for transforming that finicky grape into a peacock.

“Pinot noir gets written off as ‘light and fruity’ by many, but it can be so much more,” Smith said. “It can be muscular and gregarious, or it can be lilting and demure. Pinot noir is versatile, but it never apologizes.”

With the spring holiday in the offing, this unapologetic pinot is the perfect match for grilled lamb because it contrasts with the savory meat with delicious, high-toned bing cherry fruit. If you’re looking for a less traditional pick than pinot noir for your holiday feast, check out the grenache and syrah in our lineup.

The house style of the Averaen is, in a word, electric. “I want to make wines that are effusive, bodacious, captivating,” Smith said. “Electric fruit, poised tannins and a tension that gives way to lushness.”

What makes Smith a perfect fit as a pinot producer is his devotion, plain and simple.

“Pinot noir demands constant attention, focus and thoughtfulness,” he said. “I’m invigorated by the work of having to care so much. It’s also the foundation for my upbringing as a winemaker.”

Smith said he first became attracted to winemaking when he was a kid growing up in the Sierra Foothills, encountering gnarled old vines and staggering elevations.

Later, when the 21-year-old was an artist in Los Angeles, he took frequent road trips to Santa Rita Hills.

“A bottle of 1985 Eyrie Pinot Noir was shared with me … I moved to Oregon after that.”

Smith never graduated from college, referring to himself as a “dyed in the wool bohemian.” But his resume is impressive, nonetheless. Smith was behind the inaugural Banshee releases and in 2014 the founders asked him to help them start Averaen.

What makes Smith a compelling winemaker?

In his own words: “Embarrassingly unsinkable work ethic, strong opinions on style, razor sharp palette and my complete inability to hold still.”