Dundee Hills Pinot Noir! I guess this is my first single vineyard Pinot from there. Guys, I am
afraid to say (well, not really afraid, more intriguingly surprised!): I really
like Oregon Pinot Noir! The more bottles I had the better, more chequered and
more intriguing those wines got. Again an absolutely convincing wine! Compared
to the Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008 a totally different style
and vintage. But first things first! Today’s wine is the single vineyard Pinot
Noir Oracle Vineyard from the Westrey Wine Company (sounds like a large
cooperation, but isn’t, just 22 acres) in McMinnville. The company was
established in 1993 by Amy Wesselman and David Autrey. The Oracle Vineyard in
Dundee Hills AVA is with more than 30 years of age the oldest vineyard of the
winery. This wine from 2007 is a blend of 24% 30-year-old own-rooted (!) Pommard
clones, 70% of younger Dijon clones 777 and 6% Dijon clones 115. The
vineyard faces due south and sits at an average of about 650 feet and is L.I.V.E.
(Low Input Viticulture and Enology Inc.) certified. The fermentation took place
in 1500 litre open-top tanks and was aged in mixed, neutral intended, oak.
The colour
of the Oracle Vineyard Pinot looked exceedingly transparent and really bright. Unusual
for an unfiltered and unfined wine with plenty of depot. The rim seemed a bit
watery and already slightly red-brown. The nose showed various autumn scents, a
bit of funk, pickled cucumber, traces of flintiness, quite a lot of tart and
earthy strawberries complemented with some raspberries and a certain floral
character. The latter evolved to an expressive and unpretentious perfume of
violets. Summarized: a full of character, lean, mineral and unobtrusive nose of
a semi bodied Pinot Noir. Right from the start the structure of the wine
appeared rather fresh, lean, eclectic and pretty fruitful (not rich or porky). I
got reserved flavours of tart seeming maraschino cherries, plenty of very ripe
strawberries, fiery earthy and mineral characteristics of flint, rotting wood as
well as a good portion of wet foliage. After one and a half hours the Oracle
showed its whole potential. Besides the already mentioned characteristics the development
tended to a more balanced and accessible Pinot type. I got more and more sweet
(just fruit, no obtrusiveness, no kitsch) fruit of strawberries and
raspberries, hints of cantucci, bright nut chocolate and nice earthed not-so-dark
cherries. No need to mention the acid. Absolutely well pronounced! The finish
was decently long lasting, but to the end a bit drying out quickly. Just a
minor drawback! Overall a very fine, lean, expressive fruitful, life-affirming,
invigorating, yes … almost bewitching Pinot Noir with a structuring mineral backbone!
Really nice experience! One thing is for sure: There is more to come!
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