Winemaker Notes
Over their 10 and 11 years of age, these vines have gradually inched deeper into the marine sediments of the Ribbon Ridge. Red cherries, black currant, and licorice wind around a core of sweet plum. The mouthfeel shows the classic earthy tannins that define this soil series, yet sappy tannins from the whole cluster give this wine a long and trailing finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sequitur Vineyard was fermented with 33% whole clusters and matured for 11 months in 25% new oak. It has pure scents of wild strawberry, red cherry, bergamot, violet and earthy, autumnal undertones. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated yet nuanced with detailed, citrus-tinged flavors. It’s framed by chalky tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity and has a long, fragrant finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sequitur Vineyard displays a vibrant ruby/magenta hue and opens with a bouquet of blue and red fruit, black raspberry, pine, violets, and forest earth. Medium-bodied, with refined tannins and a graceful structure, it’s both approachable and age-worthy, already showing early notes of sous bois.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sequitur Vineyard is youthfully coy, slowly evolving with a whiff of crushed stone and spice that gives way to mentholated cherries. Juicy to the core, it balances stern minerality with a mix of tart blackberry and ripe cherry, creating a display of contrasts. Licorice and lavender echo as edgy tannins grumble, leaving the palate salivating. This 2023 Pinot Noir demands attention yet also further cellaring to reach its apex.
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.