Belle Pente Belle Pente Vineyard Pinot noir 07
A beauty when it was released, the 2007 Belle Pente Vineyard Pinot noir has gotten even better in the last year. The vineyard is now 12 years old and in its prime. The glorious fruit is the envy of Brian's neighbors.
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Brian's style is more Thomas or Cameron than California - like much of the best of Burgundy, he does what we think produces the most character and complexity in Oregon Pinot - he dry farms. It takes much longer for the vines to produce fruit without irrigation, but when they mature, the roots (as much as 20 feet deep) pick up minerals and perfume from the soil, and the tougher conditions stress the vines such that the plant produces very intensely flavored fruit. You can intensify a Pinot in many ways, but dry farming uses nothing but the soil and time to create an unforgettable style, and Brian's are some of Oregon's best. - Jean
A very expressive wine with heady aromas of dark red & blue fruits, accented by herbs and woodsmoke. The plate is focused and long, medium bodied, with good underlying structure and perfect acid/tannin balance. - the winery
This is really a lovely effort that is stylistically understated yet delivers plenty of character. A fresh, pure and elegant nose of primarily red berry fruits where there is just a trace of crushed leaf leads to detailed, layered, balanced and delicious middle weight flavors that dance across the palate while offering fine complexity on the lingering finish. - Burghound 91 points
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
2006 Vintage Tasting Notes
An exceptional Pinot noir in the Burgundian style, Brian continues to offer some of the best priced highest quality Pinots in Oregon.
Tanzer 92 Points! "Vivid red. Sexy aromas of strawberry and raspberry preserves, potpourri and incense. Lithe, finely etched red berry and bitter cherry flavors are impressively precise, gaining in sweetness with aeration. Finishes sweet, with a strong echo of candied rose. Very nicely balanced pinot."
The 2006 vintage was a "defining moment" for our young estate vineyard. The four vineyard blocks planted in 1998, which contribute the majority of the fruit that goes into this bottling, really came into their own in 2006, producing what one of our well known neighboring winemakers described as an "archetypal" Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir!
Although we started producing this wine in 2002, this is the first year that it is really living up to it's potential and delivering on the promise of our terrific site. The nose is deep and complex, with herbal notes of thyme, anise, and lavender accenting the wild black cherry and ripe blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine is smooth and suave, structured yet lively, and impeccably balanced.
As a "typical" 2006, this wine is immensely pleasurable now, and will reveal even more charms after a few years in the cellar. No longer merely a junior version of our Estate Reserve, this bottling has attained it's own identity and character. - the winery
2004 Vintage Tasting Notes
Wine Spectator 89 points: "Light and fragrant, appealing for its delicate cherry and strawberry fruit, lingering softly on the deft finish. Drink now through 2011. 426 cases made." -HS
The winery says: "The wines from this section of the vineyard tend to show flavors and aromas on the "red side" of the black fruit spectrum: cranberry, black raspberry, and plum. This 2004 is quite forward and coats the palate with sweet, silky, sappy fruit. It is absolutely delicious now, but also has sufficient balance for ageing 4-6 years. Although this wine began life as the "little brother" of our Estate Reserve, it has begun to take on an identity of it's own. "
2002 Vintage Tasting Notes
Wine Spectator rating 91 points for 2002 vintage: "Lithe in texture, explosive in flavor, bursting with blackberry, plum, and currant, sending off sparks of pepper, violet and cinnamon as it all cruises through a sleek finish. Drink now through 2012." H.S.
From the winery: "The bulk of the grapes (80%) come from 3 Pinot Noir blocks planted in 1998, with a smattering of older and younger vines. Individual lots were selected for their overall quality and varietal correctness, as well as for their approachability in the near term. The resulting blend has a very moderate 20% new oak and displays deep, dark red & black fruits on the nose and palate with good complexity and concentration. Designed for earlier enjoyment than our Estate Reserve, it still has ample structure for mid-term aging. This wine will be a key part of our line-up from now into the future."
