PINOT NOIR

Textbook Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with juicy, fresh fruit and berry flavors - think dark cherry, cranberry, blackberry, more cherry. Clove, mocha, blood orange and vanilla accents abound adding complexity. The texture is ripe and plush with a line of acid running through to keep the wine vibrant. The wine is all about focus, electricity, and verve.

The 2019 Cloudline Pinot Noir carries the familiar ruby red color of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, but with a darker shading at its core. On the nose, the fresh aromatics convey the vibrancy of the vintage, and on the palate, there are deep cherry and berry notes ahead of the pleasing finish.

WINERY NOTES - "I learned to make Pinot Noir at the Hirsch Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (read the book), Goldeneye Vineyards in Anderson Valley, and Whitethorn Winery in South Humboldt County."

"The Delmore Central Coast Pinot Noir is from the Santa Rita Hills and Cienega Valley. I blended three dangerously drinkable barrels around late February and bottled this beauty at the end of April. Full of fruit and fauna, infinitely alive, lush, layered and lifted. A delectable distraction to these days, and only 70 cases around."

The 2019 Hartford Court Russian River Valley Pinot Noir comes from a collection of small vineyards located throughout the Russian River Valley AVA, including Hartford Estate, Fog Dance, Hailey's Block, Jennifer's, MacLean's Block and Arrendell. Hartford makes single-vineyard bottlings from all of these, and those wines sell for $60 and above, yet the Hartford family utilizes these vineyards for this amazing Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, and this one sells for less than $30!!

The Russian River Valley is one of THE best places in the world for growing Pinot Noir. The cooling winds from the Pacific Ocean spread throughout the area, and help to moderate the temperatures throughout the day, whereas vineyards just to the east are exceptionally warmer. Also, the soils are a mix of sand, clay, and silt. The clay brings richness to a wine, while the sand brings more flowered aromatics and brightness in the wine. If you ask us, this sounds like the recipe for Pinot Noir perfection!

Winemaker's Comments: "We achieved a higher degree of ripeness in 2019 with Valdiguie, which resulted in exceptional flavor development for the J. Lohr Estates Wildflower. Bright and youthful red hues and profuse brambly fruit aromas are accented by black pepper notes. On the palate, a zesty attack of pomegranate and blueberry leaves crisp, fresh fruit and a touch of spice on the finish."

San Simeon Pinot Noir is a rich, fruit-driven wine with ripe flavors of black cherry and raspberry. The mouth is soft and round with a lingering finish. Aromas of bright red fruit, cinnamon, and oak spice are revealed on the fragrant nose.

Oregon Pinot Noir is on a string of rock star vintages! Oregon Pinot Noir has the potential to stand up to the best wines coming out of California, Burgundy, or New Zealand, and with a wine of this price...earning this score...Oregon may become the best area in the new world to find quality Pinot Noir for not a lot of money!

The Black Family purchased a vineyard in the warm Dundee Hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley as a family retreat. With family and longevity in mind, they immediately changed the farming techniques in the vineyard, and began to employ sustainable farming on the property. Two years later, the family purchased property in the neighboring Yamhill-Carlton District, employing the same sustainable farming practices, and even practicing biodynamic farming on half of the vineyard! This vineyard has been turned into one of the largest experiments of its kind, with 40 acres farmed sustainably through the L.I.V.E. (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) program. Today, The Four Graces combines the fruit from these two properties to make one fantastic Pinot Noir! This wine was aged for nine months in French oak barrels (of which 15% were new).