Soter Vineyards Pinot Noir "Beacon Hill Vineyard" 2006
winery: Soter Vineyards
Soter's Pinot noir Beacon Vineyard 06 received 92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:"The 2006 Pinot Noir Beacon Hill reveals a touch of eucalyptus in its attractive perfume. Darker, denser, and more structured than its North Valley sibling, this well - balanced, lengthy effort will evolve for 2-3 years and be at its best from 2011 to 2020."
Burghound 92 Points!
“Here the nose closely resembles that of the Soter North Valley Pinot noir as there is that same very subtle note of talcum powder though the overall aromatic profile. The wine is slightly more elegant and refined and with better depth of material that translates into great complexity as well as better overall length. An impressive effort that is cool, balanced, pure and sophisticated. Terrific. 92/2012+”
Tanzer 91 points:
"Brilliant red color. Sexy bouquet of wild strawberry, raspberry, mocha and clove. Pliant red fruit flavors gain weight and power with air, picking up blackberry and anise qualities. Spice notes increase on the long, juicy finish. This flab-free pinot really stains the palate".
MORE INFORMATION
Past Vintage Tasting Notes
2005 Vintage Tasting Notes
Gorgeously complex, toasty nose with wafts of baking spices and dark berries. Fresh raspberries, blackberries, and a streak of blueberry expand on your tongue. Very fine tannins provide the structure for long-term cellaring. Decant now and enjoy with a hearty grilled pork loin. The '05 Beacon Hill reminds us of why Food & Wine magazine named the 2002 Beacon Hill "America's Best Pinot Noir over $20." The 2005 is on par with the 2002. - Marcus
Wine Spectator: "Firm around the edges, this wine has a distinctive personality, offering nicely focused cherry, earth and delicate spices that mingle beautifully against refined tannins, lingering effortlessly. Best from 2009 through 2013. 1,700 cases made." -HS
Burghound says: "An interesting and perfectly ripe nose of cherry liqueur and earth trimmed in a deft touch of spice merges into focused, precise and taut medium full flavors that have both depth and grace, all wrapped in a vibrant finish that displays a bit of youthful asperity that will undoubtedly age out over time."
"This is well balanced and while the tannins are largely invisible at this point due to the ample mid-palate extract, it will be capable of at least a decade's worth of cellar time, perhaps longer. Stylistically, this is built as much in the structure-driven model as the fruit-driven alternative."
"Definitely worth a look for those who like serious, built to age pinot but note that patience will be required. 92/2011+"
No vintage 2004 Beacon Hill was made by Soter.
2003 Vintage Tasting Notes
From the winery:
The 2003 Beacon Hill Pinot Noir is in a riper, perhaps more powerful style than the 2002. With almost Burgundian notes of dry leaves, underbrush, and game, it features bold black cherries, Oregon blackberries, that ever-present cranberry top-note, and a wraith of marzipan. A gentle caress of tannin on the back palate promises a very bright future in the cellar. A wine for grilled lamb and assertive, washed-rind cheeses. 1400 cases produced.
Wines from Beacon Hill typically express themselves with appealing toast and baking spice aromas, highlighting copious dark fruit elements, suggestive of Oregon blackberries and blueberries, with lively top notes of raspberries and cranberries. Beacon Hill Pinot Noir is a structured, dense version of the varietal, built for medium to long-term cellaring. It is the "Grand Vin" of the property, and any lots that do not enhance its stature are declassified, in Burgundian fashion. The wine will pair beautifully with beef and lamb roasts, not to mention hearty game dishes and strong soft cheeses, such as reblochon or epoisses. THE VINEYARD The Beacon Hill Vineyard, first planted in 1988, has emerged in recent years as one of the Northern Willamette Valley's great Pinot Noir vineyards. Tony Soter's highly-informed decisions about clonal selection and rootstocks are truly paying off; the 2002 and 2003 vintages are showing more expressive character than past examples from this vineyard. This bottling is a barrel selection of the finest lots of Pinot Noir to emerge from the Beacon Hill vineyard in any given year. In 2003, 36% of production was declassified in the Burgundian tradition to Soter's 'village wine,' the North Valley Pinot Noir. We treat Beacon Hill like our Grand Cru, and we make no compromises. THE HARVEST Not typical for Oregon, harvest of 2003 was reminiscent of a California vintage, with warm and dry weather prevailing through picking time, thankfully complimented by cool nights. Tony Soter knows something about Californian Pinot Noir harvests; several decisions he made ensured a balanced wine with generous Pinot aromas:̣ Several green harvest passes were made to discard underripe and sunburnt fruit.
̣ This wine was fermented using 30% whole clusters - we know that whole berries not only keep the tannin- laden seeds safely inside the grapes, but their ripe stems also contribute Pinot character.
̣ The grapes were harvested in the cool early morning, loaded directly into refrigerated trucks, and processed within hours of picking. ?L?VAGE The grapes were vinified in small, open-top fermenters with minimal handling. The wine was aged 15 months in 70% new French oak barrels and and 30% neutral French oak barrels, all from Burgundian coopers. We racked the wine only once, directly from the barrel into the bottling tank. Bottled in March, 2005. TASTING NOTE The 2003 Beacon Hill Pinot Noir is in a riper, more overtly powerful style than the 2002. With Burgundian notes of dry leaves, underbrush, and game, it features bold black cherries, Oregon blackberries, that ever-present cranberry top-note, cedar oil (a hallmark of Beacon Hill), and a wraith of marzipan. A gentle caress of tannin on the back palate promises a very bright future in the cellar. GASTRONOMY A robust, structured Pinot Noir, this is a companion for grilled lamb, game birds, and assertive, creamy cheeses such as robiola or reblochon. The wine will be at its best from 2007-2010, and will continue to improve in years beyond. 2002 Vintage review: Wine Advocate 91 points. Tony Soter, winemaker, says: "The 2002 is a luscious wine. This great vintage has graced the wines with both ample structure and appealing opulence. The wine should improve with up to 10 years of cellaring, but the shear decadence of its ripe brambly flavors and seamless balance make it a wine that should not be missed in the interim. Enjoy it today with roasted meats or barbequed Salmon and grilled vegetables." Winery Info The Beacon Hill Vineyard sits at 300 feet elevation and is comprised of two soil types; the Willakenzie soil series and the Carlton soil series. These soils are sedimentary, clay loam, 2-3 feet deep over fractured, siltstone and sandstone. Half of the vineyards Pinot Noir is planted on own rooted Pommard clones that are 16 years old. The remaining sources are six years of age and represent our latest thinking in optimum vine density and clonal selections. These vines are on resistant rootstocks which offer the bonus of enhanced ripening. The wines from Beacon Hill typically express themselves with appealing toast and brown spice aromas highlighting copious dark fruit elements suggestive of Oregon blackberries and blueberries. Here is what Pierre Rovani, Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) has to say about Tony Soter's wines: "Searching for some real garage wines? Tony Soter's Beacon Hill (he refers to it as his family's new "homestead"),as he calls his Oregon property, has produced all the wines listed above (and the 2001) in a genuine garage. An Oregonian by birth and upbringing, Tony Soter has returned to his roots (while continuing to produce wine from California). His dream has been a small Oregon estate specializing in Pinot Noir and sparkling wine." "The 18 acres of existing vineyards, planted in 1988, have been supplemented with an additional 4 acres of high density vines (these young vines bore their first fruit in 2002). For those readers who know the area, the winery and vineyards are located near WillaKenzie Estate."
