Belle Pente Pinot noir Willamette Valley 07
Belle Pente Pinot noir Willamette Valley 07 - "The 2007 Pinot Noir is unfined and unfiltered and lighter in style for a typical pinot noir with bright garnet colors radiating through the cloudiness. Strong earthy aromas dominate upfront but as the wine opens, red fruit aromas emerge with a subtle spiciness across the nose. Great flavor." - macorkdork.com
"Belle Pente Cellars pinot noir, 2007 (Willamette Valley): Brian and Jill O’Donnell purchased their land in 1992, planted in 1994 and made wine in 1996. Unlike some others who grab a lot of attention from the get-go, Belle Pente has matured over time, and the wines — which are never flashy — are noteworthy. Earthy with berries, coffee, spice and traces of tarragon and anise, it is a bargain for the quality." - SF Examiner 7-09
A strikingly good Pinot, and limited. The nose has earthy, peppery, and ripe cherry notes, and flavors are of red pie cherry, fresh red raspberries, black pepper, cinnamon, and brambly, well integrated tannins. There's bright acidity and lovely balance.
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Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
From the winery: "Our 2004 Willamette Valley blend utilizes fruit from Bella Vida (66%), Murto (11%), and Belle Pente Estate (23%) Vineyards. With the bulk of the fruit coming from vineyards in the Dundee Hills, this wine shows plenty of bright, fresh red fruit. To enable us to capture this in the bottle, we utilized a moderate oak treatment (25% new, with the balance spread equally among 1 to 5 year old barrels) and bottled a little earlier than normal (December vs February). The result is a classic lighter style Willamette Valley Pinot Noir which expresses the best characteristics of the vintage. Around 25% of the production of this wine is allocated to restaurants and wine merchants in New York, where it caused a "feeding frenzy" when it was released there last month. This wine offers terrific "price/performance" for enjoyment now and over the next few years."
