Argyle Pinot Noir 2009

2009 was all about farming to balance Mother Nature's surprises. Argyle's farming culture got the crop level right on. We stripped leaves after the burning sun of August and in time for the Labor Day rains. We also believed September's drying, east wind forecast and put a security of water onto the vines to help them ride out the drying, late season heat with a maximum of ripening—which is the name of the game here in the Willamette Valley. Picking was unusually "segmented" this year. Usually we can say that every 200' rise in elevation can mean 10 days difference in ripening and thus picking. But in 2009 Argyle picked high and low elevation fruit at the same time! We picked all the sparkling fruit, then rested for a couple of days, then all the Chardonnay for still wine, rested another few days then all the red came in. The resulting wines are gorgeous, perky and sexy. I don't know that I have seen a more sensuous expression of flavor and aromas in my 23 years of Willamette Valley winemaking.

The aroma is surprisingly robust. Look for dark fruit aromatics like black berry, black cherry with nice Spice Route spicy complexity. The flavor is rich and robust as well. Black cherry folds nicely into lovely fresh earth on the middle palate. The ending is ripe black cherry and plum fruited.