Winemaker Notes
"Claudia's Choice" is named for Broadley Vineyard's co-founder & mother to their principal winemaker, Claudia Broadley. This beautiful & complex pinot noir is produced from an old vine section of their vineyard in Monroe planted in Pommard & Wädenswil clones. The Claudia's Choice always greets you with notes of Raspberry and cherry cola and finishes with polished tannins & spice. These vines usually ripen a bit later and often set smaller clusters. The Claudia’s Choice wines are not meant to be fruit forward—they want to display the big, dark, and complex character that typifies their Claudia’s Choice release.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Pinot Noir Claudia's Choice takes on a deeper red hue, with spiced aromas of clove, blackberry, and wild forest herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it displays on a darker profile on the palate as well, with ripe tannins, a broader structure, and earthy richness in its notes of turned soil. It is going to do well with another 6-12 months in bottle. Drink it over the coming 5-7 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Claudia clearly has great taste. Her selection hits first with dusty blackberry aromas, then notes of orange peel and crunchy fallen oak leaves. A bright cherry flavor is matched by a dollop of orange marmalade, with bits of peel included, saline and black tea. Modest tannins, juicy acidity and a smooth texture await.
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James Suckling
Elegant, fruity and refreshing, with plenty of frozen raspberries, candied cherries and crushed strawberries on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with zesty acidity. Vivid and fruit-driven with a mouthwatering finish.
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.