Winemaker Notes
The nose jumps out of the glass with concentrated aromas of plum, violet and berries. That lift and concentration carries through as the mixed berries become even more concentrated, while beautifully balanced bright acidity leads to moderate tannins on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
What a beauty! The 2021 Pinot Noir Le Puits Sec blossoms in the glass with a gorgeous mix of dusty violets and roses complemented by autumnal spice, giving way to citrus-tinged wild berries. This sweeps across the palate with finesse, lifted and ethereal, with shades of blue and purple inner florals accentuating dark red fruits. It finishes long and hauntingly floral with a tactile mineral crunch and coating of gently grippy tannins. For lovers of old-school Oregon Pinot, the 2021 is dreamy.
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James Suckling
Scented nose of spiced cherries, wild berries, sweet spices and a touch of bark. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and bright fruit character on the palate. Vivid and pure with a lively finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.