This is the second vintage of pinot noir sourced from the La Belle Promenade Vineyard in Oregon. It is a very unique site at high elevation on a southwestern facing slope along the bucolic hills of the Chehalem Mountains. The vineyard is dry farmed organically and is planted to pinot noir, pinot meunier, chardonnay, and mondeuse noir. Although appellation rules do not allow us to label this bottle with its specific provenance (this is because we trucked the grapes from Oregon back to our winery in California), this wine is a pure expression of the La Belle Promenade Vineyard. The 2019 vintage in Oregon was like nothing we had ever experienced as California winemakers. We relied on the experience and expertise of our dear friend Grant Coulter who manages the vineyard and makes wine for both Flaneur and Hundred Suns wineries. Just after verasion, where the grapes soften, the vineyard saw continuous rain for two weeks. We had a window to pull in the fruit before we saw fruit deterioration, although it was at quite low maturity. This wine has to get the award for the most surprising of the vintage. We award this “most surprising” of the vintage – it has exceeded our expectations! We are enamored by its classic Burgundian vibe – think Volnay. The 2019 Oregon Pinot Noir opens up with a nose of cola nut, raspberry, rhubarb, pine needles and hibiscus. The palate is bright in the attach with flavors of raspberry changing to red plum and then boysenberry. It is elegant and lifted with a finish showing the supplest of tannins and fresh acidity. This is a perfect wine for sushi, grilled trout, or other lighter fare. *Natural and Organic
