Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The opulent 2021 Pinot Noir Luxuria is hauntingly dark, slowly evolving in the glass with a rich blend of red plums, raspberry sauce and chalk dust. Juicy within, it offers cool-toned acidity and ripe red and blue fruits, while a nuance of cola embellishes the close. The 2021 leaves a gentle tug of fine tannins yet is only lightly structured as a hint of violet pastille and sweet spice resonate.
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James Suckling
Smooth, soft and spicy, this deceptively full-bodied wine is easy to enjoy. Aromas of red cherries and red plums lead to dark plums, baking spices and baked cherries on a texture that’s light in tannins and gentle in acidity.
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.