Introducing our 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir
Our 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir is a single barrel select bottling. This premium, craft wine was hand-picked after tasting through the seven barrels of Pinot Noir from the 2021 vintage. At first sip it just sang to me! It is 100% Pommard clone of Pinot Noir from the unique soils of the Tualatin Hills AVA. The wine was harvested at almost 25 Brix and spent 21 months in neutral oak barrels. See below for formal tasting notes from James Wine Specialist and enjoy a tasting video below.
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Tasting Notes
Visual: deep red and purple, nearly opaque.
Nose: pleasant intensity that carries red and blue fruits with vanilla and aged cedar. A rich crushed gravel and light petrichor persist into a subtle and unctuous earthy invitation. Big and sophisticated.
Palate: lovely blueberry and savory mushroom are an immediate, welcoming note. Then, subdued black pepper transitions to light jalapeño in the length. In between, are layers of Rainier cherry and ripe Albion strawberry supporting an array of complex flavors with a bright and lifting acidity. The added time in new oak has been well managed and lends a depth to the finely integrated tannins. A light menthol and sweet tobacco make this Pinot very engaging.
Assessment: this wine is very good.
Review: the darker notes lend to a cuvée-style Pinot. Playfully approachable, this reserve is a very impressive example of how alcohol (at 14.3%), ‘heat’ can be muted with the correct application of oak over time. This wine ‘introduces itself’ and is not shy to tell you where it resides.
Application: ready to drink now (through 2028). Open with 20 minutes to air. Pairing: serve with Mediterranean spiced rack of lamb and creamy polenta.
James Wine Specialist 2023.
These notes are the property of James Wine Specialist and Shumaker Vineyards and are reserved for the expressed purposes therein.
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