Expression 44 degrees Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2007
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2006-
Robert
Parker
1: an act, process, or instance of representing in a medium
(a): something that manifests, embodies, or symbolizes something else
2: great pinot noir! (see below)
Pinot Noir is notoriously fickle, but can be brilliant when grown in the right terroir. Expression Wines represent a commitment to producing the finest Pinot Noir from the best sub-appellations on the West Coast.
Our vineyards at different latitudes represent different 'Expressions' of great Pinot Noir and our winemaker, Richard Sowalsky, is dedicated to crafting only the best wines from each region. Our winegrowing regions include the Santa Rita Hills (34°), the Sonoma Coast (38°), the Anderson Valley (39°), and the Eola-Amity Hills (44°) of Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Our goal is to showcase both the 'Grand-Cru' vineyards and the terroir of each sub-appellation. Each vintage, we will be bringing to you our finest blends from each latitude as well as small single vineyard designate lots that represent the best of what our vineyards can deliver!
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.