PINOT NOIR
"WILLAMETTE IS THE BURGUNDY OF AMERICA"

"Earthy" is a term (of endearment!) often applied to pinot noir from France's Burgundy region—which, by the way, is the gold standard of all the pinot noir on Earth. How do Oregon wines taste so much like Burgundy's? It's all thanks to the climates of the two wine-producing regions being incredibly similar. Both are defined by their year-round mild conditions, where winters are cool and wet and summers are warm and dry. Neither places get too warm (the temperature inches above the unfriendly wine growing mark of 90 °F only a few days each year), which is an environment where Pinot Noir thrives.

Epicurious, April 2015
The vineyard is in a sweet spot in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA (not indicated on the label), and its fruit brings lush and bright raspberry and cherry hard candy flavors. It has the hard shell and lasting impact of sucking on a cherry Life Savers (I mean this as a positive), which carries on through the extended finish. Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast

Pairing Suggestions: Salmon, veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit, any game bird, filets of beef or pork, lamb, and a well-drained duck; Pasta with pesto or lighter tomato cream sauces, mushrooms sautéed with red wine; Brie, Camembert, herbed crèmes, cheddars, Havarti and jack cheeses; tomatoes, beets, carrots, caramelized onions and bell peppers.

Accolades:
2022 Wine Enthusiast: 92 Points
2022 McMinnville Wine Classic Gold Medal
2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Silver Medal
2022 LA Invitational Wine Challenge Gold Medal/90 Points
2022 Savor NW Wine Competition Bronze Medal
Prince of Pinot: 90 Points
2022 Great NW Wines Platinum Awards Platinum Medal
2023 Cascadia Wine Awards Bronze Medal

Notes
Clone Info: 50% Pommard; 50% 777; 20% New Oak

Maker Name
Winemakers Neil and Sue Shay/Asst. Winemaker Nick Cheatham

Vineyard/Orchard Name
Zenith