Chehalem Mountains grower/winemaker David Specter pays tribute to an operetta by the late Leonard Bernstein with this part of the Bells Up program. Typically, Candide is a Chehalem Mountains project for Specter, but not from the wildfire-plagued 2020 vintage. Instead, he got his hands on a ton of Wädenswil clone Pinot Noir from acclaimed Zenith Vineyard — a site near Salem that benefits from coastal breezes. This bottling is Burgundian with its persistent earthy and saddle leather profile that brings along dark purple fruit akin to Bing cherry and Marionberry, barrel spice, caramel and dried centella leaves. The tannin management is remarkable, making for an impressively balanced frame that shows off the former corporate tax attorney’s talent as a winemaker.
Rating: 90 points — Excellent
Production: 57 cases
Alcohol: 12.4%
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