Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
So much spice is the first impression here, this blended expression is well established as a powerful and complex style of pinot. Fresh red-cherry, potpourri, orange-peel, dried-flower, pomegranate and red and dark-cherry aromas, to name a few. The palate has such concentrated and layered style with dense red-cherry, blueberry and black-cherry flavors, delivered in a seamless build that holds so long. Impressive quality here. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
A generous and poised Pinot Noir with lovely floral aromatics, subtle raspberry and wet earth notes, and finely expressed red fruits.
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Wine Spectator
A deep, brooding Pinot that slowly unfolds with expressive black cherry, dusty mocha, clove and other spice flavors that fan out on the long, savory finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve has a medium ruby-purple color and dark, broody fruits on the nose, laced with classy notes of cardamom, tea leaves and chocolate. The palate is silky, seamlessly fresh and surprisingly layered, suggesting it will improve with some more time in the cellar.
Rating: 93+
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromatically intriguing, this opens with an exotic mix of Asian spices. It's a lightly chocolatey, textured wine, with tart, firm blackberry fruit. Tannins are chewy and bring up more dark flavors of chocolate, licorice and black tea.
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.