It’s been a whirl-wind few months being back in Oregon. This fall, we moved two states, finally got into a new apartment, I started a new job, we’ve been searching for wedding venues for next year, and have spent lots of time on Oregon’s highways visiting friends and family. After two months on the go, it felt like I hadn’t spent a weekend in my new home in Hood River. So even though it was the New Year’s long holiday weekend and other people my age may have been out partying the and clinking glasses with friends, I decided to stay close to home – but that doesn’t mean I didn’t pop a cork of my own.
To celebrate the end of 2017, I searched through my small wine collection and pulled out a bottle of Lenné Estate’s Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir. This 2009 wine had moved with me three times since I picked it up at the small winery’s tasting room over a half-decade ago. Hoping it wasn’t pasted its prime, I removed the wax cap and pulled out the cork to accompany a lazy dinner of Papa Murphy’s pizza and movies on the coach.
Luckily, this wine had not lost any of its sparkle. With a balanced of richness and lingering acidity, the Pinot Noir really opened nicely even after 8 years in the bottle. The nose was sweet with vanilla, cocoa and deep red fruit. In the mouth, the wine featured black cherry, pepper, and chocolate covered strawberries. While smooth and light, the wine still had a nice tenacity and pronounced flavor profile that many Pinot Noir of newer vintages can’t compare.
While I may have forgotten about this Pinot Noir in storage, after the first glass it will be one that my palate remembers for a long time.
Lenné Estate is located in the north Willamette Valley near the town of Yamhill, Oregon. Crafting Pinot Noir from their small 20.9-acre vineyard, they describe their winemaking style as minimalist and focused on the profound flavors of their unique vineyard. Visit their tasting room Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Oregon Winette 