Brittan Vineyards Pinot noir Basalt Block 09

Powerful yet refined. The nose has notes of bright red cherries, dark berries, herbs, cinnamon and nutmeg. When we took our first sip, we thought "Yum"...and then came more complexity in the form of spice box, creamy cherry pie filling and a long, sweet raspberry finish. - Marcus

Intense spice notes (especially allspice), violets, black cherry, and black raspberry aromas inform the nose of an impeccably balanced, elegant, firm, lengthy Pinot with a vibrant acid backbone. The tension in this wine makes it atypical (but superior) to the easy-going personalities of the vast majority of 2009 Pinots.

2009 Wine Advocate - 92 points - Veteran vigneron Robert Brittan had over 30 vintages under his belt when he decided to move from Napa Valley to Willamette Valley in 2004 to make Pinot Noir. He purchased a rugged mountain site within the cool McMinnville AVA from which he makes two cuvees, one called Gestalt Block coming from the most exposed blocks in the vineyard and the other called Basalt Block from the parts of the vineyard that have the heaviest concentrations of broken basalt. He has succeeded in taming the herbaceousness often present in McMinnville fruit while producing wines with low pH (under 3.3 in these wines) and firm acidity (without sacrificing flavor) sure to send bolts of rapture through lovers of great Burgundy. - Jay Miller

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

Less than 300 cases made.

2008 Wine Spectator - 91 points - Supple, open-textured and distinctive for its tea and orange peel overtones around a seductive core of raspberry and blackberry fruit. Lingers enticingly. Drink now through 2018. - H.S.

Rich flavors of raspberries, blueberries and dark chocolates with a hint of allspice. The soft tannins are perfectly balanced with the acidity and the wine displays a long lingering finish of plums and sweet spice. - the winery

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

The 2007 Basalt Block Pinot is even more aromatic than the 06 and smells of cherry cordial, culinary herbs, raspberries on the vine and vanilla. The palate is bright and true to the nose with a dollop of red cherry thrown in. A sappy rosemary element plays with earth and mint in the finish. - Marcus & Adrienne

The Basalt block comes from the parts of the vineyard that have the heaviest concentration of broken basalt, resulting in low yielding vines that produce intense flavors and layers of complexity. The 2007 vintage in the Willamette Valley was a cool, Oregon vintage resulting in rich, red fruit flavors of black cherry and ripe plums, with underlying hints of cassis and allspice, an elegant texture and weight on the palate, and a long, pleasing finish.

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

The 2006 vintage in the Willamette Valley was consistently warm and dry, resulting in rich, ripe flavors that speak of black cherry, and plums, with hints of sweet spice. The Basalt block comes from the parts of the vineyard that have the heaviest concentration of broken basalt, resulting in low yielding vines that produce intense flavors and layers of complexity.

The Pinot Noir for the Basalt Block consists predominantly of the Pommard selection, blended with clones 777 and 115, planted on Riparia Gloire and 101-14 rootstocks. The fruit for the 2006 vintage was picked in early October and allowed to cold soak for five days before fermentation began. After fermentation, the wine was aged in French Oak barrels, approximately 35% new. The wine went through malo-lactic fermentation in barrel and was aged for 10 months prior to bottling in August 2007. - the winery