WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
The Basalte Pinot Noir is our bedrock bottling from the Willamette Valley. It is sourced from vineyards in two AVAs — Chehalem Mountains and Dundee Hills — that have fairly thin volcanic clay topsoil over fractured basalt. This type of very rocky soil lends itself to full-bodied, firmly structured wines. The Basalte captures this expressive character of the soil, with deep red fruit and a fine tannic structure that maintains the elegant style we are seeking.
TASTING NOTES:
Aromas of red berries, violets and nutmeg. Medium-bodied with bright, driving acidity. Strawberry and red cherry. The fresh fruit is carried by slightly tight tannins. Very energetic.
-James Suckling, 93 pts.
Refined and structured, with savory cherry, crushed stone and black tea flavors that finish with broad-shouldered tannins.
-Wine Spectator, 92 pts.