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Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
Wine Spectator rating 88 points: "Bright and juicy, with a solid core of black cherry, herb and spice flavors on a polished frame. Has a nice zing of citrusy acidity behind it as well. Drink now through 2005. 431 cases made. (HS)
Background - Penta Reserve is the first blended Reserve Pinot noir from Adelsheim Vineyard, and expresses the essence of the glorious but minuscule 1998 vintage in Oregon's northern Willamette Valley. Among the standouts in our cellar were five exceptional lots, each of which was too small (just two barrels, in one case) to be bottled on its own. The question was, what could we do with them? The solution was to bring these five lots together (hence the 'Penta' name) to create a blend which, rather than reflecting the personality of a single vineyard site, instead emphasizes the richness, sweetness and complexity of this great vintage.
Growing Season - The 1998 harvest was the first in a recent series of stellar vintages in Oregon. Cool, wet weather during bloom and a hot, dry summer resulted in greatly reduced crop yields. However, cool October weather extended the growing season and allowed the vines to produce grapes showing exceptional flavor, balance and concentration.
Vineyards - The five Yamhill County vineyards contributing to this Penta Reserve are on three different soils. Corral Creek Vineyard (33% of the blend) is on a wind-blown, clay-loam soil at low elevation, which contributes richness and roundness. Domaine Serene Vineyard (29%) and Bryan Creek Vineyard (9%) are higher elevation, basaltic origin clay-loams, which yield grapes with intense red fruit character. Finally, Ribbon Springs Vineyard (24%) and Calkins Lane Vineyard (5%) are on lower elevation, sedimentary silt-loams producing grapes with great structure and black fruit character. The blend is comprised entirely of the so-called "Pommard" clone, UCD 5.
Winemaking - Production of this Penta Reserve was identical to our single-vineyard wines: gentle destemming, a 4-6-day cold soak for greater flavor and color extraction, and native yeast fermentation in temperature-controlled, open-top fermenters which were punched down 2-3 times per day. The wines underwent malolactic fermentation in small, medium toast French oak barrels (35% new), and were aged in barrel for 9 months. Following a light egg white fining for several of the lots, the wine was assembled and bottled without filtration in August 1999.
The Wine - This Penta Reserve reflects the exceptional concentration of the 1998 vintage, offering a complex bouquet of red fruits, vanilla, black cherry and blackberry. The lush mouthfeel offers abundant raspberry and black cherry fruit complemented by chocolate, spices, and balanced oak. Round, soft tannins will allow the wine to develop beautifully for at least ten years, given proper storage conditions. Suggested food pairings include lamb, grilled salmon, pasta with intense sauces, and chocolate torte.
The Label - The label portrait by Ginny Adelsheim features her childhood friend Connie Kiener. A painter and ceramist specializing in Italian majolica glaze techniques, Connie lived at the Quarter Mile Lane vineyard from 1979-1981 and helped with most of the vineyard work during those years.
There were 5172 750ml bottles and 150 1.5L magnums of the 1998 Penta Reserve produced.
