Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
It’s hard to resist the abundant black cherry and ripe strawberry fruit of this beautifully balanced wine that isn’t demonstrative about its concentration and ample structure. The fine tannins build gently in the very long finish to seal the deal.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bright ruby in the glass, the 2023 Pinot Noir Janus is elegant and refined, with raspberry, pomegranate, rose petal, and dusty earth. This flagship bottling, available in refillable glass bottles, is a blend across multiple sites. It’s medium-bodied and silky, with fine tannins, lively acidity, and a citrus-tinged, clean finish.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Janus offers nuanced notes of rose petal, orange zest and dried strawberries. Cool-toned with silken textures, it shows ripe wild berry fruits lifted by a tinge of sour citrus. A web of fine tannins lingers yet does not get in the way as floral persistence remains, leaving the mouth watering for more.
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.