Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Gestalt Block Pinot Noir has a concentrated core of dried blueberry, preserved cherry and cassis, providing a richness on the front palate that is unusual for this block. Hints of crushed herbs and savory spices provide a foil for the wine’s rich, dark fruit. As always with their Gestalt Pinot, substantial tannins are present here, but are well moderated and developed.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pinot Noir Gestalt Block is a stunning Pinot Noir that was reticent and wound in an earlier tasting but has blossomed into a kaleidoscopic beauty. Its perfume is heavenly and changes with each return to the glass: violet and graphite give way to red cherry and pomegranate preserves, which in turn segues to nuances of tobacco leaves, bitter orange and woodsmoke. The palate is equally compelling, its deep core of fruit streaked with touches of iron and haunting floral perfume. It has a frame of powdery tannins, focused acidity and a very long, latent finish with a detailed fan of earthy accents. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind and will be long-lived.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Brooding and dark initially on opening, the 2019 Pinot Noir Gestalt Block is resinous with aromas of black licorice, preserved Amarena cherry, and lavender. The palate reveals a more citrus-driven undercurrent, with ripe and youthfully firm tannins and notes of blood orange propelling the wine forward. It’s structured and grippy but has fantastic nerve and energy. Drink 2024-2034.
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas are brooding, with notes of black cherry, clove and char. The flavors are medium-bodied and juicy, with a lightly grainy feel. Give it some time or decant to see it at its best.
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.