If you've visited our website before, you already know that we are big fans of Bells Up Winery of Newberg, Oregon. Our "wino" crew recently sat down virtually with owner and winemaker Dave Specter to taste through six of his micro-boutique, unique and delicious wines. The other half of the winery and Dave's boss (and wife) Sara Specter made the arrangements and we were off to a beautiful evening!
Like every winery, there is a good story behind this one. We guess "good" may not be the best way to describe how the winery came to fruition, but it does have a happy ending. Dave and Sara began making wine in their basement in 2006. Dave was a corporate tax attorney who was not enjoying (to put it lightly) his profession and wanted to pursue a passion of not only becoming a winemaker but eventually owning and operating his own winery with Sara. While visiting the Willamette Valley in 2008 on vacation, they both fell in love with the area and there was, as they say, no looking back.
One really interesting connection we had during our virual tasting was the musical relationship between our tasting crew and Dave. Dave was a French Horn player in high school and college and has been virtuoso of sorts for 20 years. The name "Bells Up" refers to a maestro's instruction for French Horn players to lift their bells in order to project maximum sound. And that's what Bells Up is for Dave and Sara. Two members of our tasting crew, composer Richard Saucedo and Scott McCormick, former CEO of Bands of America, enjoyed going down memory lane and comparing notes/names of the music world almost as much as they did the wines.
Our lineup for the night consisted of:
- 2023 Rhapsody (100% Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley AVA)
- 2022 Prelude (Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains AVA)
- 2021 Titan (Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley AVA)
- 2021 Jupiter (Estate Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains AVA)
- 2021 Maestro (Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains AVA)
- 2021 Candide (Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains AVA)
Dave started off by telling us the background of the dream, how it became a reality and how things are going. When asked about their employees, Dave told us about the grower, winemaker, barrel filler, tour guide, tractor driver, taster, marketing director, social media/public relations lead, cashier, banker and welcoming committee they have. And it is ALL done with two people - Sara and Dave. You have to understand that with 600 cases produced annually on 7 planted of their 10 acres, they are considered a micro-boutique winery and the fact that they do all of this and produce such a high quality of wines is really mind blowing. Normally when you have such a small operation, something is going to suffer. 99% of the time it is the website that will suffer and be out-of-date, the tour/tasting will be unmemorable or (God forbid) the wine will be sub par. Not here. Not by a long shot!
Named for George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, this wine actually renews our hope in white wines. We tend to view many (most?) white wines as esophageal demons that produce heartburn and a bad aftertaste. In fact, most of the wines that our tasting crew gravitate to are medium to full bodied reds. Everyone (E V E R Y O N E) of us were very pleased how this wine tasted from start to finish. The lack of oak was suprising, but the 6 months of lees stirring helped create a full bodied white wine with citrus fruits, spring rain, wet rock minerality and spice. It was surprisingly mouth coating and left a very crisp but not overbearing finish.
ABV: 12.7%
Willamette Valley AVA
47 cases produced
Suggested retail price: $38.00
Drink The Bottles score: 93/100
The 2022 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir was another pleasing stunner. Luckily for us Rosé of Pinot Noir usually hits on all cylinders with us and this one was extremely inviting! Baking spice, fruit basket and sweet cherries on the nose and palate. This one is very fruit forward and a wine that loves the company of salty cheeses. Presents a lighter finish with acidity that is in check.
ABV: 12.8%
Chehalem Mountains AVA
108 cases produced
Suggested retail price: $30.00
Drink The Bottles score: 91/100
Dave started our first of four Pinot Noir selections with the 2021 Titan. We feel like we jumped in with both feet first with this bold and smoky Pinot, presenting scorched earth and asphalt on the nose, dark fruits, cherry, and spice cabinet on the palate. Our group actually noted about eleven different flavor profiles and agreed that this felt more pronounced than expected for a Pinot Noir. You would almost swear there was a bit of Petite Syrah in here.
ABV: 13.8%
Willamette Valley AVA
111 cases produced
Suggested retail price: $46.00
Drink The Bottles score: 93/100
The 2021 Jupter Estate Pinot Noir was yin and yang to the Titan. This one had more fresh red fruits, strawberry preserves, floral notes and less smoke than our first Pinot Noir. It starts off softer and then really becomes more powerful and full of black cherry and spice cake flavors that trail off to a very satisfying and lightly spicy finish. This one is drinking beautifully!
ABV: 13.5%
Chehalem Mountains AVA
154 cases produced
Suggested retail price: $50.00
Drink The Bottles score: 94/100
When we asked Dave about picking his favorite Bells Up wine, he wouldn't do it. We compared that akin to picking your favorite child. But for our team collectively, the 2021 Maestro Estate Reserve Pinot Noir was the northern light for us during this tasting. Beautiful, haunting, deep dark red color with soul-reaching aromas of black cherry, hibiscus, dried flower pedals, and country gravel road in the spring. The flavors of elegant red fruits, nutmeg, cherry tobacco and cocoa powder challenged each other for dominance, all while dancing on the tongue. This wine did not jump out at you, but rather pulled you in slowly and methodically, similar to the Jurassic Park theme song by John Williams. This wine is named in honor of Williams and to us, it is an exquisite fit. This is one of those wines that instinctively makes you throw your hands to the side of your face and simply exclaim, "Wow!". Drink this now or cellar it for 5+ years.
ABV: 13.3%
77 cases produced
Chehalem Mountains AVA
Suggested retail price: $56.00
Drink The Bottles score: 97/100
Our final wine of the evening (insert crying emoji here) was the 2021 Candide Estate Reserve Pinot Noir. It was the highest alcohol content of the selections we enjoyed, but still well within a respectable check of only 13.6%. This wine had more of that mouth-watering smokiness that you generally expect from Oregon Pinot, alson with dried rose petals, plum and damp earth. It was also the "spicy" wine of the evening presenting a full complement of backing spices, book leather and baked berry pie. The finish was similar to the 2021 Maestro, lingering for moments after the last sip and drawing you back for more. It's quite amazing!
ABV: 13.6%
Chehalem Mountains AVA
64 cases produced
Suggested retail price: $56.00
Drink The Bottles score: 94/100
We could have spent all night listening to Dave talk about his passion, his story and what lies ahead for Bells Up Winery. It's abundantly clear that Dave and Sara strive to make a connection with every customer. With over 1,000 wineries in Oregon, Team Specter knows that creating memorable wines and intimate experiences will result in lifelong fans and ultimately friends. One of the biggest compliments Bells Up Winery can receive, according to Dave, is when someone simply says, "Wow, that's nice" or "Yummy". As an UN-domaine winery, you receive a very personal experience from Dave and Sara, making you feel as if you are the only people on the planet. And, at that moment, you are to them.
Bells Up Winery checks off all of the boxes for us: delectable and memorable wines, incredibly friendly and down-to-earth people, affordable, low production, and a place we will visit in person one day.
