Wow...to think I almost missed out on a very nice little winemaker and quality person!  Sheez, talk about humbling!  Thanks to an email alert from them, Jane and I decided to visit Seven of Hearts tasting room over in Carlton on Saturday afternoon.



         
We were already going to be out and about attending the Pinot Gris Release party over at Sokol Blosser, so we decided to stop over at Seven of Hearts as well.  Truth be told, we were going there to taste the Burgundies they had advertised to be pouring, and not their own wines.
     
During Thanksgiving when we went to the big tasting at 12th and Maple Wineworks in Dundee, there were a number of people there pouring, and Seven of Hearts was there...for whatever reason, the wine tasted far too sweet and jammy for my palate...as I recall it had a strong cotton-candy aftertaste, a lot of candied-apple flavor, and was just not my cuppa!  So we figured we would just ask for the Burgundy flight, and call it good.

We arrived to a very nice little shop,
...it was a rainy day, not sunny like this picture, but dummy me forgot to snap the exterior.
Once inside, we found the shop quite roomy and bright, and the heavenly aromas of fresh caramel haunted my senses...home made caramel will forever have a special place in my heart, thanks to a neighbor girl, her mom's candy making talent, and sweet childhood kisses...

Byron Dooley was behind the counter pouring his wines,

and his wife Dana was busy back in the kitchen making the wonderful candy.  

We were greeted as if we were old friends, and Byron assured us that he was not going to allow us to "just taste the Burgundies" but wanted us to have the experience of his wines next to them.  I didn't tell him that I thought I didn't really like his wines, and he was so generous of spirit and kind in nature, that we acquiesed enthusiastically!  LOL!

He first poured us his Chardonnay, and again I was stunned by a Chardonney...it was absolutely smack dab on the money!  The color was a rich gold, the nose was of apples and lemons...not sour, but like lemon meringue pie, and the palate was soft and firm, with the oak notes from the barrel providing the proper structure without being hectoring like some heavily oaked Chards can be.  I immediately looked Byron in the eye and told him that I thought this was one of the best wines I had tasted recently and I genuinely liked it!  I do not normally comment right away on what I think of the wines...I like to wait and listen.  But this wine was like a bright and cheery beautiful woman...you don't need time to figure out she is gorgeous, though you may well want time to figure herout!


We moved on to his Viognier & Roussanne blend.

It was a new experience for me and by now I was feeling my heart be won over by this genuine winemaker.  His passion for his art and his land was easy to see, but he lacks the nearly religious fervor so many are developing...have you noticed the somewhat crazed zeal that is sweeping through the ranks, leading some into the arms of poor wine making decisions as they strive to please some higher principle of harmony...if you read this blog you know I am all about the relationship and the gestalt of all aspects of life...but when one gets too much prominence for improper reasons, problems begin to show, and usually the end result is mediocre wine.
 

The Viognier/Roussanne blend is Byron's expression of a common blend in Rhone that is a jewel in that region's treasure purse.  Byron is responsible for a planting of this varietal in Columbia Valley near Arlington, and I think he will make marks of distinction as he continues to learn the ways of this blend.  Having never had it before, I appreciated the ginger hints and lemon promises the Rousanne brought to the apricot/peach flavors of the viognier.  The combination lent a bright grassy-herbacious hint that was so refreshing.

We then tasted the Rhone version of this, and it was very nice...honestly I think I liked Byron's better!

Then we began with the pinot noirs...let me just recommend at this point that you head to the shop and taste...there are many, all different in taste and character that are all very nice.  However, the one I enjoyed the most was the LUX from the Luminous Hills Vineyard...
Just go taste! You will not regret it!

While we tasted, I wandered around, letting the wines talk, and I listened to Byron tell us about his wine, his land, and as he spoke, his dedication and integrity spoke the most.  

There was a beautiful table there, and I hope to return with a group sometime to take our seats at this chivalrous table...

The decorations were tasteful and unique, and they were a good reflection of the medieval name and theme...as well as the candy shop, which kept wafting seductive aromas my way...
 
Here are some pics I cadged from the site showing somewhat the interior of the shop...
   

It was not full like this when we were there, and I liked the languid and calm feel of the shop...and the day...one mirrored the other, and I was thinking of this when I decided to snap the really cool big mirror they have there...


Byron mentioned that the vineyard was in an area that is one of my favorite short training rides...up on WIllis Rd here in McMinnville, and that led to an informative train of conversation from him about the individual blocks, the soils, the micro-climates, and his plans for them.  Jane wandered over to the candy counter, for she is in a swoon anytime there is chocolate, and Byron had devilishly paired his pinot with some scrumptious chocolate from Dana's alchemical kitchen!

Byron makes his wines at 12th and Maple, and is well acquainted with Chris Baker, so I am certain this will be a fruitful connection for them both.

What a lesson for me that day...it is wise to not be hasty, wise to stay open minded, and wisest of all, before you decide what you think of a wine, talk with the wine maker himself and don't judge too soon...otherwise you will miss out on great wines, and even worse, miss out on great people.  I am looking forward to cultivating a long and fruitful relationship with Seven of Hearts, and this very nice man who has a real touch with the vino!


Thanks for a great afternoon, Byron and Dana!


 We look forward to our next time, and until then, salud!