Pinot Noir 2018

PINOT NOIR
Willamette Valley, Oregon
GRAPE VARIETY
Pinot Noir 100%
TASTING NOTES
Running 120 miles North to South from Portland to Eugene, Oregon’s Willamette Valley AVA is in the Northwest corner of the state. The region is known for producing unique wines that are able to find a balance between New World and Old World expression. Boasting a Mediterranean climate with maritime influence and diverse soil types, it is no surprise that the Willamette Valley is now recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir growing regions in the world. The fruit for this wine is sourced from eight vineyards spread across four sub-appellations of the Willamette Valley. It’s one of the world’s best cool-climate appellations. Overall, 2018 was a balanced growing season. Budbreak came in April, slightly later that pasts seasons, and was followed by a compressed bloom and veraison which put the season back on a typical schedule. Throughout the summer and early fall, conditions were ideal with warm days, cool nights, and a lack of large rainstorms. The fruit was able to reach full flavor development and was brought in at its peak. The grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted in the cool of the morning before being gently de-stemmed with a portion of the fruit side aside for whole cluster fermentation. The wine is cold soaked for three to five days before being inoculated with select yeast strains. During fermentation in open-top tanks, the cap is manipulated with pump-overs or punch downs up to two times a day depending on what the fruit is showing. Post-fermentation, free-run wine was settled for a minimum of two days before racking to new and used French oak barrels. The wine was aged without racking until final blending.