Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A firm and silky red with plum, dried-strawberry and floral undertones. Mushrooms, too. Medium to full body and a flavorful finish. A beauty. Well done for 2013. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Ranch includes 30% whole cluster and was aged for 12 months in 40% new French oak. It has a rather broody bouquet at first - Morello cherry and boysenberry, the whole cluster imparting subtle sous-bois aromas. It just needs some bottle age to open. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp red cherries and fresh strawberry; it has fine tannins and a harmonious, sensual finish that is sophisticated and plain delicious. This is a great Pinot Noir from Soter.
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.