Winemaker Notes
The 2016 A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir highlights the ripeness and concentration of the vintage with an uncommon grace and style. The compelling nose opens with vibrant notes of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, red current, plum, thyme, sage and baking spices. The scents are lifted by lingering rose petal and violet aromas, while deeper notes of graphite, leather, and pipe tobacco bring depth. On the palate, the wine echoes the initial aromatics with juicy flavors of blue and red fruits and hints of secondary flavors like chocolate malt, dulce de leche, coffee and a bit of earthiness. As the wine continues across the palate, it grows in breadth and richness with a density and concentration that is impressive. Supple tannins and refreshing acidity give shape and structure to the weight of the fruit harmonizing nicely and leading to a long finish ending on flavors of blue fruits and spice. Soft, inviting, and light on its feet, the 2016 A to Z Pinot Noir is built for midterm aging and will drink great over the next 5 years.
A pretty, versatile wine that will pair neatly with most proteins cooked in a wide variety of styles, as well as earthy, and rustic vegetables, and bright-red to black fruits like cherry, cranberry, or plum.
Critical Acclaim
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Home of some of the planet’s most amazingly elegant and expressive Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is a pastoral, mixed landscape of green, bucolic rolling hills, dramatic forestlands and small, independent, friendly wine growers. As a leader in environmental stewardship, the valley has some of the nation’s most protective land use policies, with two-thirds of its vineyards farmed sustainably and over half, organically. While the valley claims a cool, continental climate, and is heavily influenced by the cold, moist winds of the Pacific Ocean, its warm and dry summers allow for the steady, even ripening of Pinot noir.
The potential of Willamette Valley Pinot noir continues to attract the investment of serious growers and winemakers both locally and from abroad, as naturally the finished wines bring accolades from professionals and enthusiasts. With a range of styles from delicate dried cherry, raspberry and hibiscus to stronger notes of truffle, mocha, plum and spice, a fine Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a perfect expression of both character and grace.