Winemaker Notes
The 2015 Zéphirine convinces you immediately with its dark ruby color and abundant aromatics. Violets, fresh strawberries, cacao, cannelle and a touch of vanilla essence emerge from of the glass. Zéphirine has impressive complexity, defined structure and super length. I trust this wine can be enjoyed for at least 7-10 years, if not more.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Incredible aromas of chamomile, hibiscus, fruit tea, lavender, dried strawberries, cherries, lemons and light white chocolate. Medium-bodied but with crazily formed tannins that are like velvety strings and are surrounded by vivacious acidity. A phenomenal, awe-inspiring finish. An indisputably unique wine. Drink from 2020.
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Tasting Panel
The earth/cinnamon nose is highly perfumed. Dreamy notes of gardenia, lanolin, and spice. Long and elegant finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Roserock Zéphirine Pinot Noir delivers notes of warm cherries, raspberry preserves and pomegranate with hints of lavender, rosemary and fallen leaves. Light to medium-bodied with a racy line of refreshing acid lifting the red berry flavors, it has soft, silky tannins and a long fruity finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Still quite young and showing some grapey fruit flavors, this second vintage release is bursting with purple fruit and chocolate malt flavors. Streaks of cola and a mineral-drenched finish add depth and texture.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and refined, featuring violet and dark raspberry aromas elegantly layered with blueberry, stony mineral and spice flavors. Drink now through 2023. 1,794 cases made.
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.