North America | Oregon | Belle Pente | Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard

Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard

VARIETAL
Pinot Noir

NOTES
VINEYARD: Belle Pente Vineyard. The grapes come from 6 of Belle Pente's 8 blocks of Pinot Noir, planted between 1994 and 1999. This year’s rendition leans heavily on the Dijon clones (primarily 115 and 114) with about 25% of the “old school” Wadensvil and Pommard selections. This diversity of elevation, aspect, and selection (along with a high single digit dose - 8% - of whole clusters) contributes nuance and complexity to make this one of the most intriguing renditions or Belle Pente's flagship estate Pinot Noirs to date

VINIFICATION: Hand harvested Sep 8th to 15th , average 24 Brix and 3.6 pH, yield 2.7 tons/acre 92% de-stemmed, 5-7 day cold maceration (40-48F). Fermented with vineyard indigenous and ambient yeasts. Maximum temperature reached during fermentation 92F 1.25 and 3 ton fermenters, punch down by hand twice per day Average total cuvaison 20 days. Free run and light press wine only (directly to barrel). Thirty-three percent new french oak (Remond, Sirugue, Francois Freres); 33% 1-2 year old; 34% 3-6 year old. Eighteen months barrel aging with one racking prior to assemblage. Gravity bottled June 7th, 2018 (unfined and unfiltered).
595 cases produced

TASTING NOTES: The early part of the 2016 growing season was almost a “carbon copy” of 2015 until flowering, which occurred a little earlier and under less ideal conditions, setting the stage for a smaller crop. Overall yields were down 30% from the bumper crop of 2105, resulting in very concentrated wines with great flavor authority. Once again, harvest at our estate vineyard was very early, commencing on September 8th and concluding on the 15th, a week earlier than our normal start date!
As would be expected from a warm year, especially one with a small crop, the 2016 wines offer plenty of intensely concentrated forward fruit flavors and aromas. Yet they somehow retain an underlying freshness and sense of balance. They are ripe, compelling wines that are a delight now, and will gain complexity as they shed their “baby fat” with some time in the cellar.

The warm growing season and low yields produced intensely flavored and concentrated wines that still maintain a sense of balance. True to it’s Yamhill-Carlton appellation, the wine shows ripe blueberry and blackberry flavors and aromas, with a hint of licorice and violets. Delicious now, it will only get better with a few years in the cellar.

PRESS/RATINGS: Deep, bright-rimmed scarlet. Powerful red and blue fruit, floral and exotic spice qualities on the deeply perfumed nose, which is energized by a building mineral flourish. Concentrated yet lively in style, showing fine delineation and spicy lift to the appealingly sweet raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors. The floral note repeats emphatically on a very long, smooth finish framed by smooth, well-judged tannins. -- Josh Raynolds 93 (VINOUS, 8.4.2020)