Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Thea's Selection Pinot noir is a blend of fruit sourced from each of Lemelson's organically farmed estate vineyard sites which span three sub-AVA's of the Willamette Valley. The finished wine is, at its core, a true representative of the vintage as a whole. The nose is inviting with bright cherry and raspberry fruit that is nuanced by subtle notes of dried lavender, black licorice, black tea, cinnamon and graham cracker. The rich, silky tannins give in to a long and robust finish that leaves the taste of black cherries and sweet cocoa powder lingering on the palate.
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
A cuvée from Lemelson's five organic estate sites, this Pinot Noir is savoury and bright-fruited. The Thea's Selection shows red currant, tart cranberry, and roughly chopped mint. The palate stays savoury with pine sap and dried herbs accenting intense pomegranate fruits, dried lavender, and structured black tea and clove notes.
-
Vinous
The 2022 Pinot Noir Thea Selections is a perfumed effort, with dusty rose and lavender tones giving way to peppery wild berries. Silken textures and pleasantly ripe red and blue fruits swirl throughout the round palate. It is medium in length and gently tannic, tapering off perfumed and fresh.
-
Wine Spectator
Snappy and vibrant, with tart cherry, cranberry, green tea and spice flavors that zip along toward sleek tannins. Drink now through 2032.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Pinot Noir Thea's Selection has a bright red hue and is expressive with aromas of spiced cherries, forest herbs, and dried orange peel. It’s bright and medium-bodied, with a snappy freshness, chalky tannins, and a lifted finish.
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.