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B-21 Top Recommendation
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From a year Decanter's Clive Pursehouse calls "a five star vintage for the Willamette Valley," this selection of 21 exceptional 2021 Oregon Pinot Noir offers a comprehensive range of the vintage's top rated wines value priced for lovers and collectors of exceptional Pinot Noir, a vintage filled with high scoring Pinots "worthy of your investment of time and money" according to Jeb Dunnuck whether selecting a few favorites or mixing a case.
After a challenging 2020 vintage of unprecedented wildfires in which many producers did not even produce red wines, Willamette Valley winemakers enjoyed a relatively easy 2021 growing season, starting with warm and dry conditions at the beginning of the vines' dormant season in Fall 2020 and followed by a Winter without any significant damage despite severe snow and ice storms. Following budbreak in mid-April, an early bloom occurred in the first part of June with heavy rains that normally would have been problematic had they not been followed by a record setting "heat dome" when temperatures reached up to an astounding 117.5°F over a three day period across the Pacific Northwest, the wet soil protecting the vines from damage and encouraging healthy growth. The warm and dry remainder of the season prevented any mildew or disease, while cooler temperatures and substantial rain in September allowed the grapes to fully ripen and led to an extended and nearly perfect harvest producing "concentrated Pinot Noirs with fine tannins sure to become age worthy collectables" according to Decanter.
Describing the 2021 Oregon growing season, Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck sums it up as "a stellar vintage, with the wines displaying an outstanding balance of ripeness, depth, and tension" and "equally compelling" as wines from California and Burgundy at a fraction of the price, these exceptional, top rated 2021 Oregon Pinots certain to match a broad array of individual tastes and all over delivering value. |
97D
94WS #56 Top 100
94JS
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No one is naïve about the difficulties and challenges of growing Pinot Noir away from its home in Burgundy (even there, of course, it isn’t easy). Pinot has taken to Oregon’s Willamette Valley with remarkable success, though, and especially to the red-soiled Dundee Hills. This 2021 wine is a fine example of the charm, balance and satisfaction that fine Dundee Hills Pinot can provide. Translucent scarlet in colour, with magnetically attractive raspberry scents, once on the palate the wine is soft-contoured yet energetic, with arresting intensity of fruit. Here the raspberry shades into something more curranty and tenacious, and there are refreshing bitter notes in the finish, too, with a hint of earthiness perhaps derived from the clays of volcanic origin in which the vines grow. The warm edge of cool climate? Perhaps – and it makes for beautiful drinking.
97 points, Decanter (Jun 2023)
A dynamic, generous red, with expressive raspberry and strawberry flavors highlighted by rose petal and orange zest. Builds tension and richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2031. 6,000 cases made.
94 points, Tim Fish, Wine Spectator (Nov 2023)
#56 - Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
This is bright and red-fruited with savory herbs, cocoa powder and nut shell. Medium- to full-bodied with compact, chocolaty tannins and velvety texture. It is plush, long and polished with attractive cocoa-dusted dark cherry and spicy notes to close. Drink or hold.
94 points, James Suckling (Apr 2023)
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