Winemaker Notes
The trademark red fruits of Cygnus Block Pinot noir are in good supply this vintage, including the bright sweetness of red currants, Amarena cherries, red plum and a hint of raspberry alongside more savory notes like black tea, bergamot, licorice, and baking spices. The wine wraps-up with bright acidity, lingering juiciness, and a long, elegant finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The Cygnus is 100% Swan clone, and stands out among the 2017s for its exceptional fruit mix of strawberry, raspberry and cherry. The acids bring a twist of lemon, while aging in 28% new French oak adds a streak of caramel and a whiff of toast. Though all of Brittan's 2017s show less of the site's defining minerality, it's evident here in the drying finish.
Editor's Choice
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.