About This Product
2009 Vintage
After tending our vineyards for the
past 20 years, we have developed some confidence in our ability to predict the
size of the coming harvest, and whether that harvest will be early or
late. 2009 challenged that confidence
and that of our colleagues at surrounding vineyards and wineries. As Spring passed to Summer, the growth of the
vines would surge, and then slow dramatically with extended cool weather. We were sure it would be an early harvest,
and then just as sure that harvest would be late. Yields were just as unpredictable. Excellent pollination of the flowers led us
to thin aggressively to ensure quality.
Then extended dry weather in August had winemakers concerned that the
grapes would dry up and never reach their potential size. Finally, mild weather and some precipitation
in September led to above average berry size, and by the middle of harvest,
winemakers were frantically calling each other looking for spare fermentation
tanks to hold the unexpectedly large harvest.
Our
first bottling from the vintage bears the Willamette Valley appellation. This wine is sold almost exclusively to
restaurants and represents an exceptional value. Most restaurants are seeking a wine that is
ready to be enjoyed immediately, so Winemaker Delphine Gladhart selected
barrels that were particularly precocious: Lush, round, and intense, with fully
developed structure.
Vineyards
This wine was made
exclusively with grapes grown in our Dundee Hills Estate vineyard. South facing,
at an elevation of 525-730 ft, the site is ideal for the production of premium
Pinot Noir. The estate is Certified
Sustainable and SalmonSafe since 1999.
Fermentation and Aging
The Pinot noir grapes used in this wine are
hand-picked early in the morning while the fruit is still cool. After destemming, the fruit is fermented in
small, 1.5 ton open fermenters. By using
small, open tanks, Delphine is able to monitor each batch closely, and make
small adjustments as needed to realize the potential of each wine. After fermentation is complete, the must is
pressed and the wine transferred to barrel for 18 months of aging.
The
2009 Pinot Noir is one of the first of our wines to be offered both in a
traditional bottle and in a refillable
stainless steel keg. The keg is
sealed with Nitrogen gas, preserving the fresh aromas and flavors. For the restaurants that serve our wine, this
means that every glass is perfectly preserved, just as the winemaker created
it. For the environment, each keg means
the elimination of 27 bottles, corks, capsules, and labels that never needed to
be created or transported from the factory to winery to final consumer. We are excited to be making a genuine
reduction in our environmental impact, without any compromise to the quality of
our wines.
Reviews:
Steven Tanzer’s
International Wine Cellar: 90 points ($22) Vivid red. An
intensely perfumed bouquet displays scents of raspberry preserves, potpourri
and incense, with an exotic spicy overlay. Silky and sweet, offering
spicy red berry flavors and a palate-numbing lashing of white pepper.
Juicy and precise on the finish, which leaves red fruit and floral notes
behind. This is flat-out delicious.Issue
157 July/August 2011 Reviewed by Josh Raynolds
$20.00 / Bottle
