As harvest begins today for this winery, I figured this is the perfect time to present the latest sparkling wines by Pashey. A tribute to his grandmother, the talented James Frey of Trisasetum fame, crafts some beautiful sparkling wines under his Pashey label. I’ve been tracking these wines since they were first released a few years back and I think that the quality is only improving with time. It is not easy making sparkling wines in hot vintages, which is what he has been facing in the past three releases. To do that well takes a lot of precision and work in the vineyard.
To my knowledge Pashiey offers the only single vineyard Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine offerings available in Oregon. James Frey and has long been inspired by the wines of Champagne, particularly grower Champagne. James described how he started Pashey and noted “I have always loved small producers that were doing really good stuff. Andrew Davis left Argyle to do his sparkling wine and he provided the logistics behind it. He was going to buy the equipment and if you wanted to do 800 cases you couldn’t afford to put the money in the equipment. He was looking for some people to start and because we did Riesling, high acid wines with a bit of residual sugar, I approached him and it was a good fit. We jumped right in and we were fortunate having cooler sites. I had these blocks at Coastal Range that weren’t as good for still wine but they are great for sparkling wine.”
The new releases by Pashey from the 2016 vintage show a wonderful combination of verve and mouthfeel. These are complex wines that have a common thread of tension, salinity and soft texture. I think you will be delighted by any of these new releases, none more so than the 2016 Pashey ‘Brut Rose’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 92) which has wonderful delicate red fruits on the palate, dancing with minerals. Learn more about these fantastic new wines at https://www.trisaetum.com/Our-Wines/Pashey-Sparkling-Wines Here are the beautiful new releases by Pashey.
2016 Pashey ‘Coast Range Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine- The ‘Coast Range Blanc de Blancs’ was disgorged in May 2019. Utilizing 2 grams of dosage, the wine shows a touch of salinity on the nose with nutty undertones and damp earth that all mingle nicely the glass. The complex aromatics bring you back to the glass for more. The freshness of the wine really shines as this Blanc de Blancs produces gobs of mouth-watering acidity. Bright lemon zest with green apple with shades of unripe cantaloupe mingle with a creamy texture. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Pashey ‘Ribbon Ridge Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine- The 2016 Pashey ‘Ribbon Ridge Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine is a fantastic effort from this warm vintage in Oregon. Showing off a deeper hue than the ‘Coast Range’ bottling, the nose echoes the rich color with baked apple and pear aromas that mingle with shades of starfruit and salted lemon that are all marvelously combining on the nose. The wine shows a wonderful texture with a great sense of salinity. Meyer lemon rind, Pink Lady apple and shades of nutmeg infused sourdough bread all sing together on the palate. The combination of freshness and weight on the mid-palate is really classy. Enjoy this excellent new wine over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Pashey ‘Estates Cuvee’ Sparkling Wine- The ‘Estates Cuvee’ is a silky blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. The blend changes depending on the vintage as this wine was disgorged in May 2019. The nose shows a musty edge with wild mushrooms and wet stone that connects with the baked apple character aromatically. The weight on the mid-palate is really satisfying. The baked apple component mingles with cinnamon and shades of citrus zest on the palate. With a silky mousse, this beautiful wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 91
2016 Pashey ‘Brut Rose’ Sparkling Wine- The ‘Brut Rose’ is a really good blend of 60% Pinot Noir with the remainder Chardonnay that was sourced from the Coast Range and Ribbon Ridge sites. The aromas lead with citrus blossom and high toned Gravenstein apple despite the wine’s color. However, the flavors connect more with the light red fruits of red raspberry, guava and strawberry with melon undertones. The soft texture here is really fantastic. Bright, with great verve, this beautiful wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 92