 |
|
Wine Details
Price:
Description:
Our first vintage from the steep hillside vineyard we call The Upper Terrace is unquestionably one of the richest, most complex and dramatic pinot noirs ever made in the United States ... or elsewhere. Our first crop, in 2002, was a measly 1.52 tons of fruit per acre. It was a great year for Oregon pinot noir, although the industrial number crunchers must be disappointed with the tiny yields. Our 2002 Upper Terrace is an extravagantly rich wine that literally has to be tasted to be believed. Unctuously textured, dense ruby/black in color, and representing the essence of pinot noir, it is a modern day version of our monumental 1994. Very fullbodied as well as enormously endowed, it offers a smoky, floral, blackberry liqueur bouquet followed by similar flavors that persist for close to 50 seconds. It was treated identically as our Beaux Frères Vineyard cuvée, moved to tank after 12 months of aging in 80% new oak (never racked, and kept on its lees the entire period), and held in tank for two months prior to bottling without fining or filtration. We believe the 2002 Upper Terrace has unlimited potential. Anticipated maturity: 2007-17.
|
|
Varietal Definition
Pinot Noir:
The name is derived from the French words for ‘pine’ and ‘black’ alluding to the varietals' tightly clustered dark purple pine cone shaped bunches of fruit. Pinot Noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. By volume most Pinot Noir in America is grown in California with Oregon coming in second. Other regions are Washington State and New York.During 2004 and the beginning of 2005, Pinot Noir became considerably more popular amongst consumers in the United States, possibly because of the movie Sideways. Being lighter in style, it has benefited from a trend toward more restrained, less alcoholic wines. It is the delicate, subtle, complex and elegant nature of this wine that encourages growers and winemakers to cultivate this difficult grape. Robert Parker has described Pinot Noir: "When it's great, Pinot Noir produces the most complex, hedonistic, and remarkably thrilling red wine in the world."
|
|