The 2018 Estate Pinot Noir expresses the terroir of our three vineyards — the original planting by Founder Jim Bernau at the winery in the Salem Hills, Tualatin Estate planted by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller in the foothills of the Coastal Range and Elton planted by Dick and Betty O'Brien on the east face of the Eola-Amity Hills.
Sourced exclusively from 15 acres of Pinot Noir from the first plantings at the Estate Vineyard, Founder Jim Bernau planted these vines using a Christmas tree planter pulled behind his 33 horsepower tractor. He grafted the French clones 667 and 777 on a portion of the vines when they became available.
Our Tualatin Estate Vineyard rests in the foothills of the Oregon Coast range and is one of the oldest plantings in Oregon. Each vintage, as part of our Single Vineyard Designate Series, we select the finest barrel lots to create a wine that exudes a unique sense of place.
Crafted by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller, Founder of Tualatin Estate Vineyard, using his favorite blocks and traditional techniques. Ruby in color, the wine opens with aromas of ripe red cherries, raspberries, cedar and violets. Medium-bodied, silky textured with bright acidity that carries fresh red fruits, florals, earth and wood spice notes into the palate. The finish is long-lived with integrated tannins.
The bouquet opens with notes of mixed red and black fruits, earth and spice. On the palate, dark fruit flavors of blackberry and plum are accented by barrel-driven characteristics of cigar box, tobacco and baking spices. The wine features a broad palate, velvety tannins, balancing acidity and lingering finish.
An illustration of the art of blending, the Signature Cuvée is selected from the finest barrels sourced from our Estate, Elton and Tualatin Estate Vineyards. It is a wonderfully complex wine that delivers an array of concentrated fruits, earth, game, floral, spice and rich oak accents. On the palate, this wine shows a harmonious balance of structure, weight, and acidity with ripe tannins and a lingering finish. With site driven diversity, we are able to craft this wine to our precise and quality standards.
