Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 94

YEAR'S BEST US PINOT NOIRS
90 | David Hill

$24

90 | Lavinea

$65

2017 Willamette Valley Estate Pinot Noir
(Best Buy) ^ From a vineyard in the northern
reaches of the Willamette Valley, this pinot
frames its deep cherry flavors in cool, spicy
scents of tea and tobacco. Fine, gritty tannins
hint at the Laurelwood loess of the property.
(2,690 cases) -P.J.C. 
519642
2017 Willamette Valley Tualatin Estate
Pinot Noir ^ Initial scents of smoke and sawdust frame a lean, dark fruitiness. With air
there's a sneaky advance of flavor, grounded
by cocoa and carob flavors, delivered with a
scudding smoothness like the feel of linen-
the texture for duck. (228 cases) -P.J.C. 
516769

90 | Lavinea

$65

2016 Willamette Valley Tualatin Estate
Pinot Noir ^ A bit of reduction makes this
wine tense, at once savory in its cedary scents,
and forward with flavors of crushed cherries.
It feels firm and well built, just needing time
to settle. (W&S 8/19; 239 cases) -P.J.C. 
520022

90 | Lumos

$25

2017 Willamette Valley Five Blocks
Pinot Noir (Best Buy) ^ Five Blocks typically
includes parcels from Temperance Hill and
Dai Crisp's cooler home vineyard, Wren.
This wine starts off green, with scents of red
cherry, tree bark and pine tips. The flavors
are fine and delicate, a bit austere, though,
with air, the dark weave of its fruit brightens.
For the cellar. (269 cases) -P.J.C. 

a nervous energy in its acidity, and light, firm
tannins that will make a good foil for braised
rabbit. (W&S 10/19) -P.J.C. 

517878

90 | Maison L'Envoyé

$30

2017 Willamette Valley Two Messengers
Pinot Noir ^ A lush scent of warm, crushed
strawberries is framed by a bit of tobacco
savor. The flavors are sleek, with plenty of
fruit freshness, the finish smoky and firmly
tannic; for duck confit. (W&S 10/19)-P.J.C. 
517948

90 | Resonance

$35

2017 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ^ Scents
of dark plum and black cherry have a mild
earthy, silty bass note. The flavors are taut,
delivered with a sleek cherry-lozenge clarity.
(W&S 10/19; 3,275 cases) -P.J.C. 
519542

89 | Duck Pond

$20

2017 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ This smells of walnut skins and smoke.
The wine's savor extends to the cherry flavors, limned with earthy notes, the tannins
fine and chewy; for rotini tossed with eggplant and mushrooms. (5,000 cases) -P.J.C. 
519447

89 | King Estate

$20

2018 Willamette Valley Inscription Pinot
Noir (Best Buy) ^ All structure at the moment,
this has plenty of potential. It starts out with
a scent of rose petals and dried strawberries, then turns elegant, the wine's dark fruit
brought to a close with a pleasing bite of tannins. -P.J.C. 
519290

519461

90 | King Estate

$60

2016 Willamette Valley Croft Vineyard
Pinot Noir ^ This is smoky and a bit lactic
when first poured, but its richness and intensity grounds the extracted flavors, as do the
anise-scented tannins, grippy and firm. For
braised chicken. (500 cases) -P.J.C. 
517879

90 | Maison L'Envoyé

$20

2017 Willamette Valley Straight Shooter
Pinot Noir ^ (Best Buy) With a piecrust-lees
scent and flavors of cherry pie, this wine has
94

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

88 | Anne Amie

$28

88 | Duck Pond

$28

2018 Willamette Valley Winemaker's
Selection Pinot Noir (Best Buy) ^ There's a
strawberry-blossom sweetness to this wine's
scent, followed by tense red-fruit flavors. It's
as sleek as a satin jacket, with lean tannins;
for duck with a sour cherry sauce. -P.J.C. 
519543
2017 Willamette Valley Reserve Pinot
Noir (Best Buy) ^ This wine is a little lean
and distant when first poured, but its savory
umami elements come forward with air,
which brings mushroom flavors and mildly
bitter, smoky tannins. (754 cases) -P.J.C. 
519813

88 | Farmlands

$22

88 | Iris

$24

88 | Ruby

$25

2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ Farmlands is part of the biodynamic
Johan winery. Aged just seven months in oak,
this wine has crushed-berry flavor and a whiff
of earth that give it a Beaujolais feel. Chill it
for duck pâté. (2,009 cases) -P.J.C. 
519665
2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ Woodsy and red-fruited, this wine feels
young and vinous, its juicy red-berry flavors
held in an oaky caramel frame. The mouthwatering acidity will cut into pasta with
mushrooms and crème fraîche. -P.J.C. 
519692
2017 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ Scents of violet and cherry blossom
give this wine a pretty floral persuasion. The
flavors are more prosaic: sour cherries and
black pepper, with a tight grip of tannins for
lean beef. (780 cases) -P.J.C. 

UMPQUA VALLEY
519443

89 | Paul O'Brien

$28

88 | Brandborg

$22

2017 Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir (Best
Buy) ^ A savory, sanguine scent leads in this
warm, supple red. With air, flavors of crushed
cherries emerge, the texture slick and succulent, with broad tannins. For grilled chicken
breast. (465 cases) -P.J.C. 
520049
2017 Umpqua Valley Bench Lands Pinot
Noir (Best Buy) ^ A scent of the sea joins
green-peppercorn top notes in this pinot,
that salinity adorning flavors of cranberries
and cherry cobbler, with plenty of vanillascented oak. Well priced for afternoon sipping. (2,500 cases) -P.J.C. 

OREGON AVA
520063

89 | A to Z

$20

88 | Paul O'Brien

$18

2016 Oregon Pinot Noir (Best Buy) ^
Another crowd-pleaser from A to Z, this
pinot leads with bright fruit-blossom scents
and a hint of caramel. It's broad, lively and
red-fruited, the flavors delivered in a frame of
lean, nutty oak. Generous but balanced, and
priced to drink midweek. -P.J.C. 
519442
2016 Oregon Oregon Territory Pinot Noir
(Best Buy)   ^ This earthy pinot leads with
scents of loamy soil and crushed berries; it
follows with a pleasantly lean cherry flavor,
balanced for smoked trout. -P.J.C. n
https://www.maisonlenvoye.com/wines/Oregon/Two-Messengers https://store.kingestate.com/product?productid=958B378C-6C9A-44C4-9FEE-2E65F4060F75
Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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