Winemaker Notes
A guest appearance by Wind Ridge Vineyard out of the Ribbon Ridge AVA enhances the complexity of the 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The typical all red fruit is matched by darker elements from the sedimentary soils leading to a broader Pinot experience...never a bad thing! The color is penetrating garnet…crystalline and bold. Graphite, citrus, anise and mushroom round out the nose which is primarily fixed on ripe red cherry. The mouth is high intensity and mouth-watering. Subtle tannin supports a soft and inviting mouthfeel highlighted by ripe cherry again as well as floral accents. This is a complete wine…dark and light, elegant and powerful.
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.