2018 Vincent Pinot Noir Armstrong Vineyard- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge (3/29/2021)
Prompted by an online discussion about the potential of Oregon versus Burgundy (I know…but cut us some slack, it’s the 700th week of pandemic quarantine), I had opened a 2018 Bourgogne last night, and opened this lovely number tonight. High toned aromatics surprised me at first. It was as if an orange peel had been rubbed on the rim of the glass. The fruit showed ripe sweet - a cherry ready to eat when picked off the tree. Nothing sugary, just ripe goodness. Ninety minutes open, and an earthy bass note emerged, grounding the wine. It’s got enough friendly richness now that it’s easy to quaff if you don’t feel like thinking about it. A few sips in I wanted to think. The shape shifted from angular, slightly prickly (from a little trapped CO2) to contoured yet still acute, flashing some acidity like a sun beam glinting off a polished surface. There’s a lot to unpack with this wine. If I had the chance to do it over again I would have bought six bottles to offer more opportunities to assess it over a longer period of time.
Thanks for the note, glad you liked it. I do have some cases of this still, just released in November and yes, still a puppy. Someone emailed me recently asking for drinking windows for my wines and I go back and forth. It’s hard to know when people will like things best - the tension of youth, the breadth of maturity? But I like David’s simple advice - couple hours in the decanter or hold for five years. Ideally do both, no harm in sacrificing one for earlier drinking to see what you got. Cheers!
Finishing up the direct compare between this and the 2018 Hudelot-Noellat Bourgogne, and the Vincent has better mid-palate density. That’s the only qualitative advantage I have been able to suss out after finishing both bottles.
My brother sent me six Vincent wines. Tried one and really liked it.
2018 Vincent Pinot Noir Zenith Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (5/13/2020)
Day 1: Always cool to be the first to post a wine on tracker. Wow! Mild funk along with strawberries, bramble, smoked meat and floral notes. Good acidity and medium plus finish. Really impressed on the pop and pour on day 1. 92+ points
Day 2: Nice funk again. Reminds me a bit of the 2007 St. Innocent White Rose. Bramble, smoked meats, floral, earth and strawberry. Medium plus finish and holding form on day 2. Really nice Pinot. 92+ points
Recommendation: While benefit from some aging. Drink 2023 to 2030. (92 points)
Tim and Kari Ramey are the owners of Zenith. The vineyard is a mile or so from the Bethel Heights estate vineyards. IIRC it was developed ~15 years ago as a joint venture with Mark Vlossak who made the St Innocent wines on the site (along with the Zenith branded wines) until he departed to his own location/vineyard a couple years ago. The facility was developed jointly as a winemaking and event space. Zenith winemaker now Ehren Jordan. I’m sure Vincent will chime in with more details/specifics about how he and others work with the proprietors to farm their blocks and correct any info I’ve erred on.