Winemaker Notes
The wine has a deep ruby hue with complex aromas of Chinese five spice, sandalwood and dried rose petal; the framework of the wine’s aromatic profile is dark blueberry and blackberry. Focused aromatics are followed by complex flavors of fresh cherry, berry liqueur, violet pastille, allspice, and juniper. Fine grain tannins shape the persistent, spiced finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Showing earthy, foresty complexity already, this has red cherries and a spicy thread, as well as leafy tones. The palate is quite open and fluid and builds a gently grainy tannin texture at the finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Impressive combination of plush California fruit and savory, tension-filled Oregon structure. Supple and rich raspberry, thyme and stony mineral accents build toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.
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.