2017 Coelho Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Description

2017 Coelho Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

A voluptuous dark cherry nose leaps from the glass with wisps of rose petal, spice, and caramel following. The attack starts with vibrant cherry morphing into cranberry and pomegranate. Cranberry acidity and very fine tannins play into a lengthy spicy finish where you detect the well-integrated oak as hints of caramel riding on the cranberry fruit. An exceptional food wine.

This Pinot was made with minimal intervention. The fruit was destemmed with no cold soaking, fermented at high temperatures with Burgundy yeast, and then underwent an extended maceration of 10-15 days before being pressed. After pressing, the juice was racked to barrels where we left it alone for 20 months, except to top off the barrels as wine evaporated. This Pinot was aged in one-third new and two-thirds neutral French oak barrels.

Coelho Vineyard, about 35 acres of Missoula Flood sedimentary soil in the gently rolling hills south of Amity in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, produces high acid wines with generous fruit. Planted to 13 rows of Dijon 76 Chardonnay, 5 rows of Pinot Gris, and the balance to 50/50 Pommard and Dijon 777 clones of Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir from this vineyard displays notes of red fruit and earth. Chardonnay reveals a lemon core while Pinot Gris always has a wonderful balance of lemon-lime acid and expressive fruit.