Description
Mr Whirly says:
” This wine keeps on going, 11 years later its still full of energy and verve. Thats cool climate, Oregon Pinot Noir for you, it last such a long time in the bottle. Still fresh strawberries and cherries on the palate and a long finish. Lovely slightly chilled this summer.”
£42.50
750ml
13.0 % alc vol
Winemakers notes; John Zelko
“The 2009 vintage was an average year for
temperature and grape yields in the Willamette
Valley. The vineyard was in sync from top to bottom
and all 5 clones of Pinot noir were harvested
within 10 days without much drama. A 7 day
cold soak was followed by a native yeast
fermentation. 10 months in barrel with twice a
month stirring added weight and complexity.
A separate lot of whole cluster fermentation
was done and the final blend included 15% of
this. The wine was aged in French oak; 25% of the
barrels were new and the rest split between
once and twice filled.
Blending trials in August led to a final wine using both the free run and some of the press wine (unusual) and was bottled in mid September. The proportion of clones is 115 (25%), 777 (25%), 114 (25%), 667 (12.5%), Pommard (12.5%). The estate blend is from 80% destemmed fruit and 20%
whole cluster fermented fruit.
675 cases produced. 89 points Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
With a little bit of needed bottle aging, this wine is finally opening up and tasting really well. Scents of strawberry and cherry are mixed with spice. The approach is light then builds to an impressive midpalate of sweet fruit, licorice and cloves. The tannic edge present at bottling is fading and
transforming into a complex blend of mineral and spice notes. The finish is long and deceptively soft.”
