(2024) Last time I tasted this wine was the 2014 vintage and indeed, the wine was not made again until the 2019 vintage when Ian could once again access the fruit. Pale in colour and featherweight with 11% alcohol, there's a definite rose-hip and redcurrant lightness to the aromas and on the palate. A little creamy and vanilla nuance from old barrel ageing is way in the background. Firm, small and savoury red fruits with a herbal nuance on the palate dominate in this savoury, dry and light wine with very fine tannins and sour cherry acidity to balance.
(2023) Lovely pale and semi-transparent colour to this organic-certified wine. Delightfully fragrant nose, a meadow full of delicate spring flowers and elegant cherry fruit underpinned by a little exotic spice. The oak is of good, fragrant, rather than over-powering quality. In the mouth that very caressing and gentle picture continues, the fruit crisp and in the red fruit spectrum, the tannins mellow but present, and the acid clearly defining the long finish where once again oak supports but does not dominate.
(2022) From a band of limestone soil hillsides on the slopes of Mount Baldo, vines grow at an altitude of around 450- to 600 metres. Fruit is destemmed, vinified in stainless steel, then matured in French oak barriques for 20 months. A slightly muddy edge to the colour here, but clear cherry and herb-infused fruit on the nose, then a cool, firm palate, the oak adding a bit of polish to spicy and dark fruit flavours, with a refreshing liquorice twist in the finish.
(2020) This Pinot comes from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, now towards the south of Willamette Valley, harvesting around two to three weeks later than Dundee Hills for example. Biodynamically farmed since 2007, this vineyard is planted on its own roots and the wine sees around 25% whole bunches in the ferment. An interesting nose here, not nearly so buoyant and expressive as some, with a savoury, iodine, almost seaweed-herby character. The black fruit quality comes through on the palate - still savoury and dark, a little roasted chestnut note, firm and taut tannins and a cherry skin bite to the really quite salty, sour orange acidity, though a sweeter cherry flesh fruitiness does begin to assert, the whole picture structured, savoury and multi-faceted.
(2020) Quite an obvious wild yeast influence on this again, giving breadth and spices and a deep luscious nectarine and star fruit, deliciously racy too, and a terrific example of Gris, flowing with fruit and a touch of grippy texture in the finish. Price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.
