Not many Northwest wineries stem their name in the mysterious tongue of the Celts. But with Sheila Nicholas’ Scottish heritage and Nick Nicholas’ California wine country upbringing, Anam Cara, meaning “friend of my soul,” was a natural title for the longtime couple to settle on. The two moved to Newberg, Oregon in 2001 with their two children, purchased a rundown orchard and reinvented it as Nicholas Vineyard and Anam Cara Cellars. The estate, which lies within the Chehalem Mountains AVA and was planted the year the family moved, is on a southeast-facing slope on loess soils spanning 33 acres, six of which are biodynamic and all is certified LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe. From the original plantings comes the 2011 Mark VI Pinot Noir, named for the Nicholas’ son and comprised primarily of the Pommard Pinot Noir clone, as well as clone 777 and Dijon 667.
A cellar selection of sorts, the wine is built on barrels chosen to showcase the most cellarable aspects of the 2011 vintage—one that first marked itself as fickle and has now blossomed into a beautiful butterfly. Mark hits the mark—with aromas of orange peel, gravel, red brambly fruits of herbal currant and crushed cranberry, sun-soaked earth and baking spices. Wrapped around a solid core of similar red fruits (plus raspberry and strawberry), the wine uncoiled with air to reveal fresh acid and herbal, tight tannins that promise good structure for more cellar time.
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