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Winery:
Ayoub

$44.40 Regular

$39.96
in any 12 bottle order or Build a Case

Qty.

Review:

The 2011 Brittan may have been made in the land "Where the Wild Things Are." A dark wild berry heart meets a beam of bright acidity. The flavors remind me of a blueberry and blackberry cobbler, mixing in accents of licorice and slate-like minerality. Mo referred to this as a monster and I can see why - intense, juicy, mouthwatering, savory, wild, the Brittan will be ready to pounce when it is cellared for 4-6 years or longer. Mo said he had a bottle open for three weeks and it was still holding up. - Marcus

The 2011 Brittan Vineyard Pinot Noir is an intense, dark, rich yet silky Pinot Noir. On the nose, stony minerality envelops aromas of crushed blueberries, blackberries, dried cherries and allspice. The bright palate is rich with blueberries, cranberry, chocolate covered cherries and licorice. Slate minerality persists on the extremely long finish.

The 2011 Brittan Pinot Noir was aged for 11 month in 30% new and 70% older French oak barrels. It will benefit from time in the cellar and has potential to age for 12+ years. - the winery

158 cases made.

2010 Vintage

2010 Wine Spectator - 91 points - A zingy, tangy style, underlining the cherry, raspberry and wet pebble aromas and flavors with lively acidity. This trips lightly as the finish lingers gently. Drink now through 2018. - H.S.

2010 Wine Advocate - 91 points - The Ayoub 2010 Pinot Noir Brittan Vineyard - from three diverse blocks - reflects an extremely cool, breezy, basaltic site south of McMinnville (for more about which, see my account of the wines that Brittan himself - who also advises Ayoub - makes from his vineyard's other blocks). The high acidity and skin-to-juice ratio of the tiny berries that informed it are very evident in the wine's tart edge and vivacity, accompanied by a relatively dark color. Fresh blackberry and rhubarb are mingled with smoky black tea and saliva-liberating salinity; and amazingly, there is real refinement of tannin despite its being allied to such tartness and despite what one imagines could have proven a lopsided skin-to-juice ratio. This is almost as much like Riesling as Pinot, and Ayoub reports that it was hard to get it to go through malo-lactic conversation given its low pH. A finish of rapier length and goosebump-inducing invigoration invites following for at least several years just to see if or how this striking wine settles down! - David Schildknecht

2009 Wine Advocate - 91 points - The Ayoub 2010 Pinot Noir Brittan Vineyard - from three diverse blocks - reflects an extremely cool, breezy, basaltic site south of McMinnville (for more about which, see my account of the wines that Brittan himself - who also advises Ayoub - makes from his vineyard's other blocks). The high acidity and skin-to-juice ratio of the tiny berries that informed it are very evident in the wine's tart edge and vivacity, accompanied by a relatively dark color. Fresh blackberry and rhubarb are mingled with smoky black tea and saliva-liberating salinity; and amazingly, there is real refinement of tannin despite its being allied to such tartness and despite what one imagines could have proven a lopsided skin-to-juice ratio. This is almost as much like Riesling as Pinot, and Ayoub reports that it was hard to get it to go through malo-lactic conversation given its low pH. A finish of rapier length and goosebump-inducing invigoration invites following for at least several years just to see if or how this striking wine settles down! - David Schildknecht

Ayoub's Brittan Vineyard 2010 is the darkest, most intense of the 4 wines. Putting this into a blind tasting of 2010 Pinots, you'd be see that it'll be one of the stars of the vintage. Very concentrated and dark fruited, the Brittan explodes with crushed blueberries and summer blackberries, with a mouthwatering cherry thread. Slate-like minerality, a Brittan vineyard trait, adds the perfect accent. The finish keeps chugging along for well over a minute. Only 118 cases made.

Ayoub: tiny production wines of extraordinary quality - Pinot collectors treasure them. Mo Ayoub works with tiny vineyards, producing lavishly elegant and refined Pinot noirs. Of the new Oregon Pinot producers, his wines are a must-collect before the world finds out. Mo works with a small selection of vineyards, and lavishes the same attention to detail on each.

Made from fruit sourced from the owner's Estate vineyard in the Dundee Hills. It's a delectable, huge wine that has opened and integrated remarkably int he last six months. Ayoub Pinot Noir is rich with bright red and black fruits, complex earthy notes that the Dundee Hills are known for, and subtle hints of spice and tobacco. This wine demonstrates a robust body, while possessing the texture of fine satin in the mouth. Mo's wines are a labor of love, and all of his wines show his acute attention to detail. The packaging is gorgeous.

Ayoub's Brittan Vineyard Pinot noir 2010 vintage is an intense, dark, rich yet silky Pinot Noir.  On the nose, stony minerality envelops aromas of crushed blueberries, blackberries, dried cherries and allspice.  The bright palate is rich with blueberries, cranberry, chocolate covered cherries and licorice. Slate minerality persists on the extremely long finish.  It will benefit from time in the cellar and has potential to age for 15+ years.

below, Robert Brittan and Mo Ayoub

2009 Vintage