Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir 2017
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Comprised of 3 clones of pinot noir grapes from our very own Brooks Estate vineyard located in the Eola-Amity Hills. These clones are Pommard, 115, and 777. The vines were planted between 1973 and 1979 in volcanic basalt-nekia soil. Brooks Estate Vineyard is farmed biodynamic.
Rastaban is the name of a star and that star is the eye of a constellation called Draco. This is one of the first and more reserve pinot noir labels Jimi Brooks produced. Jimi’s passion and interests of mythology and astrology often were shown through the creation of his first wines.
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Wine Spectator
Bold and expressive yet maintains a sense of refinement, offering kirsch, orange peel and toasty oak flavors that finish with polished tannins. Drink now through 2024.
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Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.