With a mission to create cool-climate varietals to be sold in the world’s top restaurants and bottle shops, Willamette Valley Vineyards has established a reputation as one of the best Pinot Noir producers in the country. Further draw can be attributed to the cozy fireplace-clad tasting room at the property’s estate as well as tasting rooms in McMinnville and at Tualatin Estate, plus the winery’s collection of luxurious guest suites. In any of these places, guests can delve into the world of Oregon Pinot Noir, with room for respectable whites such as Chardonnay and Pinot Gris and even a selection of Southern Oregon wines from the Griffin Creek label.
One sip of Willamette Valley Vineyards 2014 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir reveals why this ruby red sipper is a noteworthy selection. With a vision to “capture pure Pinot Noir fruit,” the whole grape clusters—stems included—are conveyed into stainless steel tanks that have been filled with CO2 gas and yeast is added to the mix then sealed off. This method of carbonic maceration ferments most of the juice while it is still inside the grape while gravity crushes the grapes at the bottom of the tank to undergo traditional fermentation. The result is one that is softer in tannin, with forward-fruit notes, like the berry flavors of blackberry and cherry in this case. The gentle wine glides onto the palate with a woodsy yet slightly fizzy finish laced with floral aromas.
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