Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 07
winery: Evesham Wood
Highly recommended, one of the best $20 Pinot noirs anywhere. Russ Raney is one of Oregon's treasures, making finely crafted, Burgundian styled Pinots.
Winemaker's notes: "As has been the case in recent vintages, the “base wine” of this offering is sourced from Temperance Hill Vineyard in the south-central part of the hills, comprising 65% of the blend. The remaining 35% is made from grapes grown at Bryn Mawr Vineyard, just a stone’s through from Temperance Hill.
This wine exhibits the typically restrained and leaner style of these sites, lending an intense earthy and slightly “cedary” component to the wine with overtones of black currant. This is always the firmest of our pinot bottlings with good fruit acid and good potential for aging. The wine was aged in mostly neutral (10% new) French and bottled without fining or filtration. 225 cases produced."
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Oregonian's Matt Kramer says: "Oregon pinot noir insiders have long known that Evesham Wood offers some of the state's best pinot noirs at prices well below what other producers of similar (or even lesser) quality ask. This brand-new release is yet another example of why Evesham Wood is surely one of Oregon's greatest pinot noir producers."
"The 2004 vintage was a tricky year, plagued by spring rains that hindered pollination (no pollinated grape flower, no berry). Yields were reduced, sometimes severely so. Summer was swell, but September, unusually, saw rain. This was not good, as grapes can bulge from excessive water, skins can burst and molds can fester. But then came the sun, along with drying winds, and all was set right. Voila! A terrific vintage. (In winegrowing, as in life, you never know how the day will end.)"
"Owner-winemaker Russ Raney took full advantage in this stellar "Willamette Valley" bottling. Blessed with midpalate density (a sign of low yields), this wine delivers all the classic berryish goodness of pinot noir without any of the swoopy oakiness or flashy fruit preferred by some producers. Evesham Wood pinot noirs are meant to age beautifully -- and they do."
"The price is a bargain in top-drawer Oregon pinot noir. Get it while you can, as Evesham Wood pinots have a passionate following." - Matt Kramer
