Tasting Room Open Tuesday – Sunday 11am to 4pm
» Wine Club Events
» 2012 Spiral 36 Release
» 2011 Viognier Editor's Choice
» Seven Wines 91+ Points
» My Wines of the Year
» One More 90+ Rating
» One of Oregon’s Top Wines
» Voodoo Vintners?
» Co-op cork drop
» Roll out the barrels
Amuse Winemaker Dinner, Jan 26, 2013Club Appreciation Day, Saturday/Sunday, Mar 2 & 3, 2013
U-Pick Farm Day, Saturday, April 27, 2013-
Spring Release Party, Saturday, May 18, 2013
U-Pick Farm Day, Saturday, July 6, 2013-
U-Pick Farm Day, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013-
Fall Release Party, Saturday, Nov 16, 2013
We send an email announcement before each event with more information. If you are a Club member and would like to RSVP, call or email us at contact@cowhornwine.com.
Alternatively, if you are interested in becoming a Club member, see the Club section on our website, https://www.cowhornwine.com/club.aspx. We look forward to having you as our guest!
With the 2011 Spiral 36 receiving 91 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate,
and a Wine of the Year selection from Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer - the 2012 Spiral 36 has some big shoes to fill.
However, as our vineyard matures, it's teaching us how to make Spiral 36 even better.
This time around, the rich flavors of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are tightly entwined, flooding your mouth with tropical and citrus fruit flavors that persist on the palate. Sip this wine alone or pair it with full-flavored dishes and strong cheeses. If you can, stash a few bottles for later in the year, when the wine will show even greater complexity.
The editors of Wine Enthusiast recently rated and reviewed the Cowhorn 2011 Viognier with a 93 and the Editors' Choice designation! You can find our rating in their online wine database and the following comments:
Paul Gregutt: Viognier is clearly a strong suite at Cowhorn, a biodynamic vineyard and winery in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon.
This is splendidly aromatic, wreathed in seductive scents of flower and fruit.
Flavors are a mix of citrus and stone fruits, with a taste of honey that brings added depth, but not sweetness. (3/31/2013)- 93
We are honored to be included in the August edition of Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, with seven of our
wines receiving 91 plus point scores.
"I can't recall experiencing an array of Syrahs so alluringly original from one and the same winery and place other than Edmunds St. John - but Steven Edmunds has historically sourced from a striking array of microclimates, soils and Californian sub-regions, whereas Cowhorn Syrahs all grew in the same vineyard!" " –David Schildknecht Wine Advocate #202 (August 2012)
If you are interested in learning more about these wines - or if we can assist you with placing an order, please contact us at 541-899-6876.
2009 Reserve Syrah: 93 Points
"Reliance on 100% whole clusters and just over 50% new barrels hasn't resulted in any stemmy or woody extremes in the Cowhorn 2009 Syrah Reserve; on the contrary, this manages to combine explosive intensity of dark berry fruit and peat-like smokiness with seductively wafting perfume of freesia, buddleia, and violet; palpable extract-richness with near levity (at 13.5% alcohol); and vibrant fruit acids with a silken texture. It will leave your mouth and preconceptions shaken." - Release Date: Fall 2012
2009 Syrah 80: 92 Points
"Cowhorn's 2009 Syrah 80 smells provocatively and complexly of dark cherry, cassis, beet root, violets, black tea, peat and prickly hints of radish. Pure-fruited; concentrated yet buoyant; and invigoratingly accented by radish and cherry pit, this brash, smoke-tinged Syrah of mere 13.5% alcohol offers a penetratingly persistent and strikingly distinctive variation on its familiar cepage." - Release Date: Winter 2012
2010 Syrah 58: 92 Points
"Cowhorn's 2010 Syrah 58 - vinified almost entirely whole cluster - smells intensely and startlingly of black raspberry and cassis concentrates shadowed by their distilled essence; horehound; road tar; and eucalyptus. Although palpably full of stuffing nevertheless tart, vibrant and (at a mere 13.4% alcohol) buoyant; this audacious exercise in Syrah finishes with lip licking as well as salivary gland - stimulating salinity." - Release Date: TBA
2010 Grenache 58: 92 Points
"Gorgeous scents of fresh strawberry and mint mingled with hints of white pepper lead to a polished, pure fruited, vibrant palate and a finish in which saliva-liberating salinity, soothing evocations of herbal essences, and invigorating crunch of berry seeds and piquancy of pits makes for an unexpectedly unforgettable and delectable experience." - Available
2011 Spiral 36: 91 Points
"Cowhorn's 2011 Spiral 36 - a barrel co-fermentation of slightly more Viognier than Marsanne and Roussanne - displays a fine balance of oily richness and palate polish with brightness, Acacia, candied lime peel, and white peach follow from the nose through to a luscious finish in which piquancy of peach kernel, citrus zest, and legume sprouts add delightful and invigorating counterpoint." - Available Now
2011 Marsanne Roussanne: 91 Points
"A barrel-fermented Cowhorn 2011 Marsanne-Roussanne delivers nose-tweaking pungency of exotic flowers and white pepper allied to pineapple and quince, juicily informing a palate suffused with salinity that - along with the effects no doubt of sheer low pH - makes for gushing salivary glands and invigorating bite and ping to this wine's protracted finish." - Release Date: Fall 2012
2010 Viognier: 91 Points
"Classic acacia, honeysuckle and white peach in the nose re-emerge and are joined by lusciously juicy crenshaw melon on a sumptuous, subtly oily, yet persistently juicy palate, with cepage characteristic bitterness well-integrated and in fact adding some sense of invigoration."
Each year, Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer selects his favorite wines of the year.
In the year end issue for 2012, Matt selected our 2011 Spiral 36 as one of his top three wines! Cowhorn is the only domestic producer
selected and is noted for the excellence of all of our wines. As always, thank you for your support of Cowhorn, without which we
would not be here to receive this honor. Matt Kramer:
"Cowhorn Applegate Valley Spiral 36 2011 ($28). This small, biodynamic wine producer is located in a far-off spot in southern Oregon near the California border. Specializing in Rhone varieties, Cowhorn is, in my opinion, creating some of Oregon's finest wines - and yes, that includes the state's much applauded Pinot Noirs.
Spiral 36 is the proprietary name for a seamless dry white wine blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne. More than most such blends, this one emerges as a classic sum-greater than its parts acheivement. Everyone to whom I've served this wine has been astonished at its zingy, refreshing, subtle flavor and texture. It shows, as does Cowhorn's supberb Syrah and excellent Grenache, a true vocation of place for these grapes in southern Oregon." December 31st, 2012
- Matt Kramer
Our 2009 Reserve Syrah was rated 91 Points by the Wine Spectator team! Smooth, rich and focused, with juicy blackberry, plum and earthy spice flavors, hinting at licorice as the finish lingers easily. Has intensity and finesse, showing a sense of completeness. Drink now through 2017. 100 cases made. - Harvey Steiman
“Cowhorn concentrates on Rhone variety grapes, an unusual choice for an Oregon winery. Its substantial blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne gets a spicy lift from several months of aging in French oak barrels.” – Ray Isle
When we first heard the title of Katherine Cole’s new book, we must admit that we did a double take. Due out this summer from OSU Press, Katherine tells us that Voodoo Vintners demystifies Biodynamic winemaking to reveal the science behind the stereotype.
According to OSU Press, the provocatively titled paperback will explore how cowhorns, vortexes and the vision of Rudolf Steiner may hold the key to producing some of the finest wines in the world while simultaneously promoting an agricultural system that can help save it.
» Read more
In a complementary program, the Ashland Food Co-op, Southern Oregon’s first and only Certified Organic retailer, has partnered with COWHORN, the Rogue Wine Region’s first and only Certified Biodynamic® estate winery, to convert used corks into reusable, compostable wine packs guaranteed to contain a minimum of 99% recycled content.
» Read DailyTidings article
Barrels of Fun
From bistro tables to bird houses, used wine barrels offer a super stylish way to reduce, reuse and recycle. Each year we’ve been happy to see about 10 to 15 Cowhorn barrels get a second lease on life at new homes around the Rogue.
As Cowhorn continues to grow, we will have more beautiful old barrels to roll out each year. Currently we have 14 half barrels available for $20 each, or two for $35 each. Such a deal!
Barrels are available on a first come, first serve basis. So if you want one (or two), please let us know ahead of time, so that we can have your barrel ready to go when you arrive.
And if you’re inspired to send us photos of your barrel’s new life as an ice chest or a dog house, we’d love to see them!
