We continue to believe that it is important to offer well-made, artisan Pinot Noirs at attractive entry level
price points. Certainly Pinot Noir has become the “belle of the ball” in recent times and prices have risen
accordingly (and then some), but we are often left wondering how new consumers will ever discover the
joys of Pinot Noir if prices are so stratospheric as to render them unattainable. That is why we are committed
to producing wines such as this one - the 2007 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
The 2007 vintage in the Willamette was a challenging one. The weather turned in mid-September with
rain falling sporadically and yet heavy at times. This wet weather had the possibility of ushering in all
sorts of problems including rot and dilute flavors. Fortunately, due to some diligent work by our growers,
botrytis was not an issue in any of our vineyards. However, the vines did take up a good deal of water
and, to compensate for this, we did a great deal of bleeding off of the juice in hopes of concentrating
the flavors.
We were also very selective in which barrels made the cut for each of the wines. The 2007 Willamette
Valley is a blend of 37% Arbre Vert Vineyard, 37% Muirfield Vineyard, 15% Hawk’s View Vineyard,
and 11% Beran Vineyards Pinot Noir. For those of you interested in numbers, it clocks in at a modest
13.15% alcohol.
Harvey Steinman, of Wine Spectator magazine, wrote a very insightful blog about the 2007 vintage in
Oregon and, specifically, about our Oregon wines. After barrel sampling our 2007 Oregon wines he described
them this way, “their fresh flavors and relatively low alcohol levels bode well for a vintage of
charm and grace.” We couldn’t have said it better, as the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir shows pretty red
cherry and mulberry fruit flavors, with hints of spice and a distinct floral character. We truly believe that
this wine will take on more weight with a few months in the bottle and will be even better after the new
year.
Production: 1782 cases
Release Date: September 2008
Light and juicy, with a nice interplay of delicate red fruits and underlying ripe plum and currant, lingering well on the harmonious finish. Impressive for its delicacy without veering into simplicity. Drink now through 2012.
1,782 cases made
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