This is a Pinot Noir, and even though Pinot Noir costs so much more than it seems it really should, this one, at $25, at least delivers some of what we have come to expect from a decent Pinot.
APPEARANCE:
Very light in color, it looks a lot like cranberry juice with a little bit of rust.
ON THE NOSE:
Pungent earth mixed with, as Gary Vaynerchuk would say, “classic dirty socks.” The earth aromas are a combination, actually, of rich forest-earth in the lower nose and dry sun-baked crumbly dirt on top of that, higher up the nose. Bok choy is in there, and also present is a soapy smell that is intriguing but not something I would look for again longingly. However, I must also add that I get that familiar whiff of clean, wet laundry, so perhaps that soapy smell belongs.
You know, Darcey and I find it really, really difficult to describe what is in a smell, what the tastes are in the mouth. These tasting-notes are primarily an effort for us to do just that: to force ourselves to describe what we smell and taste. We go to tastings and listen as people – mostly the wine merchants themselves – describe the wines, but half the time we don’t smell or taste what they do. Of course we smell and taste many things, but we’ve learned that this is often a subjective art form.
ON THE PALATE:
Very medium to medium-light body in the mouth, not tannic at all in my opinion, or very light and sweet tannins, but with a fun acidity that is kind of zippy. The earth aromas come through nicely on the mouth, coupled with green vegetables, specifically the bok choy mentioned earlier, and some cherry. A nice classic Pinot, though perhaps a but lighter than I like, but smooth, overall, nice balance, particularly with the subtle but present oak, medium-dry, and a decent finish that indeed lingers and makes you want more. A good effort and worth drinking. Very real.
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating:89
Would we drink it again? 
Yes, if we found this in our cellar again we would smile and open it, sure!
Would we buy it again? 
Nah, we don't think we LOVED this wine enough to buy it again. $25 seems to be an entry price-point for quality North-American Pinot Noir, so we will probably buy others first to try.
Winemaker's notes
An elegant, supple and stylish wine. Vibrant aromas of black cherries, brown sugar, spices, rose petals, vanilla and typical ‘Pinot noir dust’. Initial spicy flavors of nutmeg and barrel toast with ripe flavors of strawberries and cherries and mineral overtones. The mouth feel is soft, round and warm in sensation with and almost sweet and juicy impression of ripe fruit. The finish is long with lingering flavors of spices, well integrated oak, ripe sweet tannins and good acidity.
"Our goal is to make the highest quality Burgundian varietals possible from the Willamette Valley. As native Oregonians, we treasure our environment and use sustainable practices in growing and vinifying our winegrapes."
About the Willamette Region
Natural boundaries and the Willamette River create the 100-mile long, 60-mile wide Willamette Valley, home to more than 300 Oregon wineries and many wine shops. Coolest of Oregon's wine regions, this elongated, "V"-shaped Valley is bordered to the north by the Columbia River, to the south by the Calapooya Mountains (south of Eugene), to the east by the Cascade Mountain foothills, and to the west by Oregon's Coast Range.
Considered to be a cool, marginal wine-growing region, the Willamette Valley's climate is suited to a narrower range of wine grape varieties than many other American wine regions. Its average temperatures are cooler than 75% of Washington's wine growing areas... not surprisingly, since almost all Oregon wineries are located to the west -- the "wet side" -- of the Cascade Mountains, while most Washington wineries are located to the east of the range. The Valley's climate is particularly well matched to the early-ripening Pinot noir grape, for which Oregon wineries in the region are strongly identified.
When the Willamette Valley AVA was first authorized 1984, its geographic description included some 3.3 million acres! Twenty years later, winemakers and wine growers succeeded in submitting applications for approval of six sub-regions within the Willamette Valley, to better describe micro climates proven over the years to be distinctly suited for the growing of wine grapes. McMinnville Foothills, Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, the Yamhill-Carlton District, Eola-Amity Hills District and the Chehalem Mountains were all authorized as official American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in 2005 and 2006.
Most of the wine grapes grown in the Willamette Valley come from vineyards located on bench-land hillsides in the western portion of the Valley. To its north, the Willamette Valley includes Oregon's largest city, the beautiful Portland, Oregon, providing travelers a wide variety of amenities while visiting this beautiful wine country and the many local Oregon wineries.
