Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 90

YEAR'S BEST US PINOT NOIRS
92 | Cristom

$65

2017 Eola-Amity Hills Jessie Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ Like a Highland single malt,
this leads with scents of peat and pepper.
The flavors fall deftly between plum, black
cherry and savor, with a suave texture that
belies a granular intensity, succulent and
energetic for veal marsala. (W&S 12/19; 917
cases) -P.J.C.

dark, sweet plum and blueberry flavors, with
mouthwatering acidity. For game, like quail.
(75 cases) -P.J.C.
520013

92 | Roserock

91 | Bryn Mawr

518179

92 | Lingua Franca

$55

2017 Eola-Amity Hills Estate Pinot Noir ^
Larry Stone's estate pinot balances pretty
cinnamon notes with cherry scents, whisked
together in a suspension such that neither
dominates. The flavors feel lighter and less
ripe than the aromas would suggest, more
cranberry and melon, but the texture gains
heft from the spice and energy of the driving acidity. (W&S 10/19; 800 cases) -P.J.C.
516855

92 | Lumos

$48

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Pumphouse Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ From a
high-elevation parcel planted in Witzel soils,
the rockiest, most impoverished soil series
in the Eola Hills, this muscular wine starts
out smoky and mulled in its dark plum richness. With air, the wine lights up, retaining
a generous core of plum fruit and vine-bark
savor, all the while remaining generous, succulent and remarkably focused, with cedary
tannins and rippling acidity. (W&S 8/19; 45
cases) -P.J.C.
519604

92 | Matzinger-Davies

$50

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir ^ This
brings together fruit from Poco and Three
Trees vineyards in the Eola Hills. Its spice
component frames deep, dark cherry flavor,
becoming more spicy, concentrated and
basaltic with air. The mineral grip may soften
with some cellar time, or serve the wine now
with a lamb tagine. (200 cases) -P.J.C.
519473

92 | Panther Creek

$65

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Carter Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ This quickly sheds its cola and
sassafras notes, becoming all about pure,

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

$35

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ Domaine Drouhin Oregon purchased
Roserock, a vineyard of volcanic soils in
Eola-Amity Hills, in 2013. This vintage starts
off spicy and dark, with a clove-and-cocoa
aroma that lifts with air. It's earthy, lean and
elegant, with plum flavors and hints of beet
greens, and mildly gripping tannins. For
moussaka. -P.J.C.
519741
$50

2017 Eola-Amity Hills Jeffrey's Block
Pinot Noir ^ With cherry-blossom scents
grounded by a walnut-skin savor, this is
plump and red-fruited, taking on a tinge of
orange rind as the tannins sweep across the
palate. (100 cases) -P.J.C.
517491

91 | Bryn Mawr

$50

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Krista's Block
Pinot Noir ^ From the shallowest soils of
Krista's Block, this pinot leads with bright red
fruit that lifts the wine even as its oak frame
grounds it. It has the structure for smoky
grilled char. (W&S 10/19; 125 cases) -P.J.C.
516132

91 | Cherry Hill

$30

91 | Keeler Estate

$38

91 | Lavinea

$75

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir ^ Quiet
and mellow at first go, this has notes of dark
spice and cracked grain to go along with the
strawberry flavors. Pleasingly crunchy and
bright, with lean, lithe tannins, it's a wellpriced pinot for fennel-rubbed pork loin.
(W&S 6/19; 2,331 cases) -P.J.C.
519441
2017 Eola-Amity Hills Estate Pinot Noir
(Best Buy) ^ Scents of pine and woodsmoke
lead in this strapping red. It's firm and muscular, with green notes informing a juicy core
of cherry flavor. Decant it to serve with duck.
(354 cases) -P.J.C.
516764
2016 Eola-Amity Hills Elton Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ From an old-vine site near
Hopewell, in the eastern slopes of the Eola-
Amity Hills, this wine is exceedingly well
built, to the point of feeling a bit distant
when first poured. It takes a day and a decant
to unfurl and, when it does, it's a model of
composure: mildly smoky aromas, scents of
roses, sweet cherry flavors-a quiet, calm
projection of pinot character. (W&S 8/19;
263 cases) -P.J.C.
516771

91 | Lavinea

$75

91 | Lumos

$48

91 | Lumos

$48

91 | Panther Creek

$65

91 | Walter Scott

$65

90 | Iota

$42

2016 Eola-Amity Hills Temperance Hill
Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ From a windswept
site on Temperance Hill, this wine has shy
scents of lavender and cherry blossoms. The
flavors are lean and cinched in the middle,
delineated by fine oak and cherry flavors. It
needs a bit of time to come together. (W&S
8/19; 364 cases) -P.J.C.
516857
2016 Eola-Amity Hills North Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ This block
is exposed to the elements, rising to 850 feet
on the north side of the property. The wine
smells of tea and dried flowers; the flavors are
deep, dark cherry, with a gentle acidity and
fine tannins that will pair beautifully with
smoked trout. (W&S 8/19; 91 cases) -P.J.C.
520021
2017 Eola-Amity Hills The G Temperance
Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ This bottling is
drawn from an outlying shallow-soiled parcel of Temperance Hill. It's intensely mineral, giving the dark violet plum fruit tension
and drive. This needs some months to pull
together. (97 cases) -P.J.C.
519479
2017 Eola-Amity Hills Carter Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ Working with a site planted in
1983, winemaker Tony Rynders teased out
a generous ripeness while leaving the oldvine character intact. The fruit is accented
by notes of clove and mace, and a powdery
mineral texture lends the wine structure and
impressive length. (100 cases) -P.J.C.
517406
2017 Eola-Amity Hills Seven Springs
Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ Raj Parr and Sashi
Moorman dole out a single acre's worth of
fruit to Walter Scott for this bottling. It has
the spiced-earth accents typical of Seven
Springs adorning an elegant, reticent cherry
scent. The flavors stress structure more than
fruit at present, with fine tannins giving the
red fruit a shy, chewy succulence. It's lean
and on point for duck. (W&S 10/19; 275
cases) -P.J.C.
519888
2016 Eola-Amity Hills Pelos Sandberg
Vineyard Pinot Noir ^ A touch smoky at first
pass, with scents of black pepper and plum,
this is powerful and dark, the fruit supple as
velour, with suave tannins. For a lean burger.
(535 cases) -P.J.C.

https://www.linguafranca.wine/product/2017-Estate-Pinot-Noir1?productListName=All%20Wines&position=13

Wine & Spirits - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2020