Winemaker Notes
There’s a mixture of art and science that goes into making the Alchemist wines. Alchemist is an inspiring blend of the very best from our favorite Willamette Valley vineyards and is the small-batch, pinnacle of the Union Wine company portfolio. This vintage is a bold and uncompromising wine crafted to elevate everyday moments to the realm of art.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A deep red to ruby color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is crafted by the same team from Amity Vineyards, led by winemaker Meredith McGough. A bit shy on opening, it offers notes of ripe cherries, fresh spices, and pressed flowers. The palate is elegant and medium-bodied, featuring ripe tannins, balanced acidity, and a clean finish.
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Vinous
The 2022 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley opens with a floral blend of dusty violet and lavender, giving way to crushed blackberries. The palate is supple and soft-textured, with depths of ripe wild berry fruits and sweet spices elevated by a core of zesty acidity. It finishes with admirable length and potency yet remains fresh, leaving a licorice twang to linger.
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.