Grower/vintner Paul Durant made the call on harvesting this block of clone 114 Pinot Noir on Sept. 20, six days prior to the drenching storm brought across the Pacific Ocean by Typhoon Pabuk. (This vintage also serves a celebration of the Durant family’s 40th anniversary of farming in the Dundee Hills.) The resulting wine carries signs of the Dundee Hills with the theme of high-toned red fruit, beginning with aromas of pie cherry, watermelon, cedar and a touch of earthiness. On the pour, there’s a stream of white strawberry, and watermelon, white tea tannins and a juicy finish of cranberry and Montmorency cherry with a shaving of bittersweet chocolate. These wines can be enjoyed alongside Oregon Olive Mill samples at Durant’s Red Ridge Farms tasting room.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 420 cases
Alcohol: 13.6%
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