Winemaker Notes
-Wine Spectator
Wow! This is serious Pinot Noir. Incredibly dark ruby in color, it almost stains the glass. The aroma profile is loaded with dark fruit character - black cherry, plum, and black raspberry come to mind, with spice and coffee hiding in the background. When you taste it, a crashing wave of intense fruit, spice and a hint of earth explode upon your palate. The finish lingers on. The wine is perfectly balanced - it has power, but does not overpower. It has great structure, and as a result we feel it will age beautifully for many years to come. This is an "iceberg" wine. As amazing as it already is, there is much more lurking beneath the surface which will only be revealed with time.
Professional Ratings
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.