Winemaker Notes
The 2016 A to Z The Essence of Oregon Pinot Noir is a beautiful dark color, saturated and brilliant all the way through. Classic Oregon Pinot Noir aromas of red and black cherries, blueberries, strawberries, baking spices, cassis, wet stones, and ripe raspberries turn to deeper, more complex notes of violets, smoke, game, coffee and clean earth. The smooth palate is succulent and vibrant presenting abundant fruit and spice flavors reflecting the ripeness of the 2016 vintage. A classic Oregon freshness gives the wine lift and balance as it heads into a long, elegant finish. The 2016 A to Z Wineworks The Essence of Oregon Pinot Noir is drinking very well young and has the richness, balance, structure and intensity to become more complex over the next five years.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Chocolate and cherry on the nose with hints of cinnamon and tart cranberry. A pretty little wine, it’s clean, pure, juicy, and long.
While the Willamette Valley and Pinot Noir are a like a fairy tale match made in heaven, most of Oregon is in fact, a glorious source of Pinot noir. Claiming over half of its total area under vine, Pinot noir also thrives in Southern Oregon’s Umpqua and Rogue Valleys where sedimentary and volcanic soils dominate hillside vineyards and cool temperatures create the perfect environment for Pinot noir. Also, Oregon’s Columbia Gorge is becoming increasingly popular for Pinot noir production. What sets Oregon Pinot noir apart from the Pinot of other regions, both New and Old World, is its innate combination of grace with both power and restraint.