Brittan Vineyards Pinot noir Basalt Block 2010

Review:

2010 Wine Advocate - 93 points - Tart blackberry and black raspberry are prominent in Brittan’s 2010 Pinot Noir Basalt Block along with notes of cardamom and fruit pit piquancy, not to mention mineral dimensions suggestive of salt and crushed stone that set up a somehow crystalline, shimmering interaction with vividly fresh fruit such as I would normally only expect from a great white wine. Weighing-in at little more than 13% finished alcohol; this exhibits an uncanny sense of levity. The tannins are evident but ultra-fine, making for a handsome leanness of texture. This finishes with an unforgettably vibrant, sappy, and protracted persistence of the aforementioned fruit and intriguing if ineffable mineral elements. Since the first significant crop from the vines Brittan planted here was in 2008, it’s far too early to do more than speculate as to this wine’s aging potential, but I shall speculate, nonetheless, that it will be worth following for at least a decade. - David Schildknecht

2009 Vintage Tasting Notes

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

2009 Wine Advocate - 94 points - "It’s hard for me to imagine it remaining riveting for any less than another dozen years."

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...sure to send bolts of rapture through lovers of great Burgundy. - Wine Advocate

below, Robert Brittan (left) with Mo Ayoub

2009 Vintage Wine Enthusiast - 94 Points - The fourth vintage for Brittan’s elegant Basalt Block Pinot Noir is arguably the finest yet. Tangy and pure, with an immaculate, expressive cherry flavor, it has great purity, with great depth of flavor and vivid minerality. It’s a beautifully crafted wine, sure to continue to improve over a decade or more. - P.G.

2008 Vintage

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

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

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 & Adrienne

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