Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Over the Hill?

As you have not provided specifics, I’ll respond with generalities. I believe there is a large group of producers that are making dry farmed, terroir driven, wines that can age as long as you want to hold them. This makes up the bulk of the wine that is discussed on this forum and includes (but is not limited to) producers like Eyrie, Goodfellow, Walter Scott, PGC, Vincent, Brick house, etc. When to open is a function of how much age you want on your pinot, but I believe the general concensus for drinking windows on these wines are decades too short. I know it’s a burgundy thread, but I can’t help but thinking it applies to the older vine wines from WV as well, Ageability of Burgundy.

I’ve had enough 20ish year old Oregon pinot this year to realize they were mostly still primary wines with no risk of falling apart. I’ve also had enough 21 OR pinot to think these wines will last forever, e.g. PGC wind ridge (I derive serious pleasure from expecting what this will taste like in 25 years).

When you get outside of producers in this vein of winemaking all bets are off. There is a lot of rich, low-acid wines that I’m sure won’t age well. By volumne this may even be the norm for OR pinot, but among the producers we discuss here, 5-8 years is a floor not a ceiling.

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