Long before she became the leading proponent of Loire grapes in Oregon, Leah Jorgensen had two “go-to” wines to bring to social gatherings, a Morgon (one of the best appellations in Beaujolais making wine with the Gamay grape) or a Clos Roche Blanche. Clos Roche Blanche was a legendary winery in the Touraine region of the Loire whose bottlings were usually 60% or so Cabernet Franc and 40% or so Gamay. Naturally, the first wine she made in her Loire-inspired Oregon winery in 2011 was an homage to Clos Roche Blanche. The 40% Gamay comes from the Havlin Vineyard in the new Van Duzer Corridor AVA, where the wind effect discussed in the Saxon Brown Carneros Chard is made to look wimpy! The Cabernet Franc comes from the Mae’s Vineyard in the Applegate Valley AVA in Southern Oregon, where, thanks to Leah, Cabernet Franc is making a name for itself on the world stage. Both vineyards are certified sustainable. The Cabernet Franc was crushed lightly (half whole berry, half crushed) for a partial-carbonic fermentation that expresses the fruitier side of Cabernet Franc and tones down the tannins. It was then aged in neutral French oak. The Gamay was given a traditional, fully crushed fermentation to de-emphasize the fruit and maximize the tannins and then aged in neutral French oak for 7 months. The spice, chocolate and bell pepper of Cabernet Franc is present while the Gamay brings its fruit basket of red and black berries. This is the kind of wine that goes with anything and can be served at room temperature or with a slight chill.