Paul Gregutt: An Interview with Michael Lundeen & Latest Reviews
Paul Gregutt's Northwest Wine Guide is a reader-supported publication. Paul publishes his work on Substack and as a subscriber he will become your guide to the best, newest, hidden, most interesting Pacific NW wines. We highly recommend you check it out! The following is an excerpt from Paul Gregutt’s November 6 article titled, When Is The ‘Right’ Time To Release A Wine?
Michael Lundeen is one of the trailblazers in this exciting, unfolding new era of world-class Oregon traditional method sparkling wines. “Serendipity and the frighteningly cold, late vintage of 2011 gave me the push I needed to commit to giving production of Traditional Method sparkling a go” he explains. “Since that inaugural 2011 Blanc de Noirs I have now tiraged more than 50 cuvées and disgorged more than 35, all by hand since 2018 (that’s 40,000 bottles). For the last 10 vintages there has been no herbicide and only organic practices… for soil health and disease management.”
He uses a careful program of reserve wines in his non-vintage blends, following the classic practices of French Champagne. I asked him to comment on a couple of issues raised in my previous posts, and also on one that I had not referenced – how expensive these wines are.
PG: These are very expensive wines, and therefore up against top quality competition, including true Champagne and some of the best from California. What feedback do you get from your tasting room visitors?
ML: “In a recent essay you delve into the notion [responding to Eric Asimov] that wine should become more ‘inviting’. I do agree that the zeitgeist around fine wine is evolving to something far more fun and unaffected than the elitism that seemed to resonate marketing wine to Boomers. Sparkling wine seems well-suited to that [new approach] as tastings with the public invariably are buoyant affairs; fun not only for them but for me! We’re not selling White Claw. These are artisanally-crafted products made in very small batches. Real wines made by real people. Usually with our livelihoods hanging in the balance.”
PG: Is high cost a limiting factor to overall success?
ML: “The topic of pricing actually becomes useful for explaining why and where these wines fit in the market. I agree that almost all Traditional Method bottles of wine from anywhere are expensive. I don’t see pricing as a ‘limiting factor to overall success’ but that may be related to how I define success. We’re doing the good work of farming responsibly, educating consumers, and showing potential through the wines themselves. We’re selling more every year. I am able to make a living creating something beautiful and compelling. Together with my colleagues, Method Oregon is rapidly gaining recognition for what we do here on a very broad stage. I feel a lot of success already in those things.
When we are hosting guests who are new to traditional method in general and may raise their eyebrows when they see some of the pricing, we go to some length to describe how long, involved, and in our case truly hand-crafted the process is. The guest will be loving the wine in their glass, but when they wrap their minds around the ideas that I’ve planted some of the vines myself decades ago, that I farm and make the wine myself, and that we handle each bottle many times over a period as long as 5-10 years before releasing to market, without exception they understand. They may or may not be ready to buy a $95 Blanc de Blancs, but they have zero argument about the justification of price. They have learned and come to appreciate something about us and this place.”
PG: And for you this appreciation ties directly into your own goals and sense of purpose.
ML: “Speaking at the LIVE (Sustainability Certification) Annual Meeting in Newberg back in 2024, Asimov illuminated something quite important about fine wine that in the end was considered opportunity and an obligation to act. He posited that wine is possibly the most important food/beverage product as a conduit for communicating about farming practices, soil health, ecological responsibility and farmers as an important demographic. We are working to build brands that care about these issues and rise to the obligation to commit to them financially and with our life energy. Thank goodness younger generations seem to care about authenticity and craft. Long ago I did some soul searching and illuminated for myself the important differences between ‘proudly hand-crafting an artisanal product which tells a story of a place’ and ‘making a luxury good.’ Otherwise, they are both expensive.”
PG: Thank you Michael! Lots to think about while I enjoy another glass of your excellent wine.
Lundeen NV Brut, Willamette Valley
Though non-vintage it’s all estate fruit and includes 5% reserve Chardonnay from 2019. A fine bead, a pleasing hint of toast and well-ripened orchard fruits are in play. The mid-palate is concentrated and firm, with suppressed power. The length is impressive, and the complexity surpasses the majority of entry-level Brut bottles. Well done! 450 cases; 12.7%; $45 (Willamette Valley)
93/100
Lundeen NV Brut Reserve, Willamette Valley
Half 2018, half 2019, half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir, barrel fermented and given four years en tirage before being disgorged in December of 2023. Michael Lundeen fermented the base wines in barrel and includes reserves dating back to 2012. Flavors are big and bold, almost chunky for a sparkling wine, but I mean that to say it’s powerful and mouth-filling, loaded with a mix of apples and a hint of pumpkin spice. As is true of the best sparklers this can drink well (if properly capped) for up to a week and sometimes longer after the cork is pulled. Aromatic, toasty and flat out delicious, it’s even better on the third day. 82 cases; 12.8%; $70 (Willamette Valley)
95/100
Lundeen 2021 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Willamette Valley
Loaded with flavor, this runs the gamut from crisp citrus to ripe orchard fruits and touches on tropical pineapple. All Robinson vineyard Chardonnay, this has instant appeal and the structure and length to age gracefully over the long haul. There’s a touch of salinity as it trails out, a nice complement to the sassy acids. Vintage-dated and limited to a single barrel, but let’s hope for more like it in the years to come. 25 cases; 12.3%; $70 (Willamette Valley)
96/100
Lundeen 2021 Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley
This bright, almost hyper-realistic copper colored all-Pinot Noir rosé packs a rich mix of citrus, orchard fruits and baking spices into a compact core. Fruit flavors touch on strawberry and lemon rind, dive down deep and continue dancing on through the long finish. Highlights of cinnamon and allspice enliven the tart fruit, with an earthy note as it trails out. 80 cases; 12.5%; $60 (Willamette Valley)
93/100
Lundeen 2015 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Late Disgorged, Willamette Valley
Bunker Hill Vineyard, eight years on the lees and explosive with richness, toast, ripe fruits and intense flavor. The base wine was barrel fermented and that toasty character carries through in a long, lush, palate soaking bubbly that absolutely rocks. This is Oregon bubbly on steroids, with flavors like Marvel heroes have super powers. I’m out of superlatives. 25 cases; 12.3%; $95 (Willamette Valley)