Patricia Green Cellars Croft Vineyard Pinot noir 09

Patricia Green Cellars

Croft Vineyard always runs to the darker side of the fruit spectrum than almost anything else in the cellar. Since the wine is 100% from the Pommard block this year the flavors are oriented around pomegranate, black cherry and Asian spices. The tannins are also less noticeable than in previous vintages of this bottling as the tannic core came from the use of old-vine Wadensvil (which was torn out after the 2008 harvest).

This is a brassy, sappy wine with oodles of texture that seems to melt out over the expanse of the palate. The wine is quite dense and rich and provides some of the most immediately pleasurable flavor vies a vies its structure of anything we produced in 2009. There is almost a hedonistic sense to this wine.

From a high of close to 1,000 cases in production this has tapered off to the point where barely 200 cases will be produced and this will likely be our last Croft bottling for awhile as we wait for the younger vines to come into the maturity and quality level that we have become accustom to with the older vines. Snatch it up while you can. - the winery

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

Patricia Green Cellars Croft Vineyard Pinot noir 08 -

From the winery:

A burly, black fruited, masculine, rich, intense wine with a boat load of personality to it.

OK, this is not technically in this appellation but it is right on the outskirts to the south and was likely not included for reasons that have little to do with the nature of this site in relation to the appellation itself. Government is funny that way. We have been more than fortunate to work with two separate blocks out of this terrific vineyard site. In 2004 we were offered sections of what are now 22 year-old Wadensvil and 19-year old Pommard clone Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now a LIVE Certified Organic Vineyard. This wine is technically not organic wine even though the grapes are organic (we are not a certified organic winery). This region of Oregon probably responds better to warm vintages than anywhere else as it is naturally cooled by the Van Duzer corridor which is the low spot in the Coast Range Mountains.

The Pommard clone makes up 75% of the wine and brings the intense boysenberry and highly unique pomegranate juicy fruit that gives the wine loads of fruit and a full mid-palate and the Wadensvil clone, at 25% of the blend, provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile. The wine not only stands up to the 33% new oak, it completely overwhelms it. This is, as with other wines from the vintage, the best bottling of Croft Vineyard we have produced to date. This wine has some serious guts to it and it may take some time for it to completely unwind and release all the pent up goodness that it holds inside. Still it is a burly, black fruited, masculine, rich, intense wine with a boat load of personality to it. As ageable as any wine we produced in 2008. A seriously interesting wine for those with some patience and cellar space. 430 cases produced.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

Patricia Green Cellars Croft Vineyard Pinot noir 07 is a single vineyard Pinot known for its rich, full body and big flavors.

Winery tasting notes:

We have been more than fortunate to work with two separate blocks out of this terrific vineyard site.

In 2004 we were offered sections of what are now 21 year-old Wadensvil and 18-year old Pommard clone Pinot Noir. Over the past few vintages this Eola Hills based site has been steadily working toward improving the management of the site and what we received in 2004 and again in 2006 shows that this commitment to quality has produced results.

The vineyard is now a LIVE Certified Organic Vineyard. This wine is technically not organic wine even though the grapes are organic (we are not a certified organic winery). This region of Oregon probably responds better to warm vintages than anywhere else as it is naturally cooled by the Van Duzer corridor which is the low spot in the Coast Range Mountains.

The Pommard clone makes up 55% of the wine and brings the intense boysenberry and highly unique pomegranate juicy fruit that gives the wine loads of fruit and a full mid-palate and the Wadensvil (45%) provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile.

There are dimensions of ripeness, concentration, intensity and depth that all threaten to pin the needle but at the same time there is acidity and structure afforded by the older vines that provide just enough restraint to make this a terrifically interesting wine. This is serious bang for the buck. 835 cases bottled.

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

The Pommard clone makes up 65% of the wine and brings the intense boysenberry and highly unique pomegranite juicy fruit that gives the wine loads of fruit and a full mid-palate and the Wadensvil (35%) provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile.

The wine not only stands up to the 33% new oak, it completely overwhelms it. This deeply purple wine has a tremendous amount of stuffing that makes is boisterously appealing for the short term but the pure intensity is checked by great natural acidity which will make it something worth sticking in the cellar. This is an extroverted Pinot Noir. There are dimensions of ripeness, concentration, intensity and depth that all threaten to pin the needle but at the same time there is acidity and structure afforded by the older vines that provide just enough restraint to make this a terrifically interesting wine.

2005 Vintage Tasting Notes

The Pommard clone brings the intense boysenberry and highly unique pomegranate juicy fruit that gives the wine loads of fruit and a full mid-palate and the Wadensvil provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile.

2004 TASTING NOTES

If there was a positive aspect to the utter lack of fruit in our vineyards in 2004 it was, in the effort to hunt down quality replacement fruit, the addition of Croft Vineyard Pinot Noir to our repertoire. We have gotten Sauvignon Blanc from here the previous 2 vintages but it was not until we were looking at our beleagured tonnages before we inquired about what they might have to offer us.

Luckily we were in the door early and we were offered a section of 18 year-old Wadensvil and one of 15-year old Pommard. Over the past few vintages this Eola Hills based site has been steadily working toward improving the management of the site and what we received in 2004 shows that this commitment to quality has produced results. To be honest, surprising and stunning results.

The Pommard clone brings the intense boysenberry/blackberry juicy fruit that we find in the Eola Hills and the Wadensvil provides a backbone of tannin and acidity that add dimension, class and complexity to the explosive fruit profile. The wine not only stands up to the 39% new oak it completely overwhelms it.

This deeply purple wine has a tremendous amount of stuffing that makes is boisterously appealing for the short term but the pure intensity is checked by great natural acidity which will make it something worth sticking in the cellar.

Croft Vineyard will become a staple of our cellar over the next several years and we believe you will see some fantastic bottlings on this wine. It may be new to you now but we are pretty sure it is something you will want to get to know.