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Crafted by the Willamette Valley winery counted among Oregon’s “elite producers” according to the Wine Enthusiast, the fresh and vibrant 92 pt. 2021 Lemelson Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection boasts a juicy core of fragrant, spiced fruit layered with saline minerality and smooth, subtle tannins on a long, earthy finish, sourced from “a stellar vintage” according to Jeb Dunnuck critic Audrey Frick and an outstanding value for Oregon Pinot fans to enjoy over the next decade.
Planting his first vines in the Northern Willamette Valley on a tiny hillside parcel near his Yamhill County farmhouse, founder Eric Lemelson was inspired to become a leading producer of top quality, sustainably farmed Oregon Pinot Noir in the 1990’s, expanding to more than 30 acres near Carlton within the next few years and crafting the first release of Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir in the estate’s sophisticated, gravity flow winery in 2001. Spanning over 124 acres of organically certified vineyards, Lemelson’s holdings are spread over five sites in three AVA’s including Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains and Yamhill-Carlton, home to some of Oregon's most renowned Pinot Noir vineyards, the Thea’s Selection representing a rich expression of those diverse terroirs and revealing “the complexity and nuanced style” that has earned consistently top scores vintage over vintage according to Vinous critic Neal Martin. Sourced from an outstanding Willamette vintage producing “fantastic freshness, layered depth of fruit, and elegant, spice-driven aromas and flavors” according to Jeb Dunnuck, winemaker Matt Wengel aged the 2021 Lemelson Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection for 15 months in 25% new French oak before bottling it unfiltered and unfined, yielding ripe and dense concentrated fruit with impressive freshness and fine tannins that guarantee longevity.
Describing it as “showing an earthy elegance from the outset,” Decanter’s Clive Pursehouse summed up the appealing 92 pt. 2021 Lemelson Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection as “a tremendous value,” a richly textured and harmonious Pinot Noir embodying the diverse terroir of the Willamette Valley that’s well-priced to become an easy go-to choice for lovers of vineyard-driven Oregon Pinot. |