prefer the sweeter style . ($ 20 - longshadows . com )
Siduri Pinot Noir , Willamette Valley
Coming up on their third decade making wine , Siduri Wines has made memories for many of us . Up and down the West Coast , they craft just over 10,000 cases of Pinot Noir from vineyards ranging from Oregon ’ s Willamette Valley down to the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Lucia Highlands American Viticulture Areas . Gentle treatment in every location — gravity flow and minimal intervention — helps each bottling reflect the unique “ taste ” of each particular vineyard . Gently barrel-aged fruit and bold acidity qualify their Oregon bottling as a crowdpleaser , while retaining the plum , cola , baking spices and cigar box notes of Oregon ’ s most famous examples . ($ 20 - siduri . com )
Ken Wright Pinot Noir , Willamette Valley
Also expanding north , Ken Wright has created a small empire from crafting wines that evoke the flavors of their place . His single vineyard bottlings now number in the double digits . The functionally transparent pinot noir in the Willamette Valley challenges a winemaker to choose the proper place , so Ken has taken and met the challenge . In a nutshell , he excels in using Pinot Noir to translate both volcanic and marine sediment sites into flavor . The results are remarkably varied and flavorful from this single grape variety and they still accompany a large range of winter menus . His Latchkey Vineyard 2019 makes a particularly well-balanced , evocative example of a single vineyard ($ 65 - kenwrightcellars . com ) while his Willamette Valley bottling 2020 ($ 26 ) blends elements of a variety of vineyard sites to craft one of Oregon ’ s most appealing valley-wide examples . The impressions of the wine include a soft texture and even more subtle intensity between the vibrant acidity and ripe fruit . What is comfortable about Oregon Pinot Noir resides here .
Dobbes Family Pinot Noir Grand Assemblage , Willamette Valley
Of all of Oregon ’ s Pinot Noirs , Joe Dobbes makes the ripest ( and one of the palest ) versions
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