2022 Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

A beautiful garnet color is the first indication of a dense, concentrated harvest. It’s stunning at first approach with red cherry, black tea and subtle splashes of toasted clove, spices and citrus aromas. The fruit is crunchy and wet at this early stage, but a core of cinnamon spice and light menthol arrive to inter-mingle with these cold- pressed red fruit elements as the wine begins to stretch out. Alert acidity on the front-end gives way to granite, medium-weight tannins. It’s round on the palate, but shifts into a compression of red bush fruits, orange citrus and sandalwood that presses for minutes but still finds a way to maintain an elegant canter so typical of this celebrated cuvée. 25% new French oak. 430 cases produced.

Fruit is sourced from the Dundee Hills (65%), Eola-Amity (22%), Yamhill-Carlton (8%) and the Tualatin Hills AVA (5%) for this 7th rendition of this ever-popular cuvée. Dundee Hills provides an ethereal, red-fruited component, while Eola-Amity brings bright acids and energy. The Yamhill-Carlton appellation, with its porous marine soil and Mediterranean climate contributes power and blue fruits. The new AVA of Tualatin Hills, in the NW corner of the Willamette Valley on its Laurelwood soils, shows why this area has earned its status with its herbs, anise and sweet earth undertones.