2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
91 Points & Best Buy - Wine & Spirits Magazine
Tasting Notes:
Our 2022 Willamette Valley shows off beautiful dark ruby tones and bright notes of cherry compote, strawberry, and savory overtones. The palate is juicy with vibrant acidity matched with cherry cola, red plum, and hard spices. The finish is nicely balanced with mainly fruit elements, showcasing great length for the price point!
How we make our Pinot Noir
Pike Road Pinot Noir is hand-sorted and then fermented in small open-top stainless steel tanks. Once pressed off, the wine is aged in a combination of French oak barrels and stainless steel for up to 8 months. Pike Road sources the best grapes from family-owned vineyards and then takes a gentle approach to preserve the inherent qualities of the fruit and showcase the unique personalities of the sites we work with.
The Pike Road Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is made from 100% Northern Willamette Valley fruit, sourced from 15-20 trusted vineyard partners here in the Willamette Valley, plus fruit from our own Estate Vineyards. By integrating fruit from multiple AVAs, soils, elevations, and growers, our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir gains in complexity. This approach keeps a competitive price point that allows us to share a great wine from the Willamette Valley with everyone.
The 2022 Vintage
A year that kept us guessing, 2022 was an unusual vintage in the northern Willamette Valley. April brought one of our latest snows on record, with growers worried about frost damage. Thankfully, most vineyard sites set a generous crop which after a slow spring and required thinning to encourage ripening. Temperatures finally warmed in August and September, but cool nights ensured adequate hangtime and flavor development. A string of sunny October days gave us the final ripening we desperately needed. Nearly every block of fruit was ready over a compressed two-week period, so the fruit arrived at peak ripeness during a very intense harvest season in the cellar. We expect our hard work to be rewarded with complex, fruit-forward wines.