Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Project M Personify Pinot Noir opens with a slide show of aromas: black cherry, forest floor, vanilla, dried purple flowers...repeat. Ripe black cherries are just sweet enough, subjugating the flavors of herb and bramble to a supporting role. These sit atop an abyss of dark earthy flavors, reminiscent of turned earth, that seem infinite and mysterious. The wine's texture reveals a youthful work in progress. Like a glimpse of the renovation of an old theatre just before a grand opening; a few structural elements are exposed, not yet covered with plush curtains and tapestry. Time will complete the project, yielding a rich wrapping around a firm core of tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Personify Pinot Noir has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and is youthfully shy on the nose, slowly revealing subtle notes of bergamot, dried flowers, potpourri, dusty earth and red and black berries. The palate is light to medium-bodied and elegant, with a core of perfumed fruit, a soft frame and juicy freshness, finishing long and perfumed. 180 cases produced.
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.