2015 Chehalem Reserve Pinot Noir 375mL

Please note these are 375mL bottles

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

The nose is pretty and elegant, with hints of mineral, earth, red fruit and a touch of tar and coffee, adding richness and weight. The palate enters with moderate acid and a complex array of floral notes, cherry cola and mulling spices. Juicy dark red fruit and marmalade pith round out the mid-palate. The finish is supple and continually evolving with lovely long-chain silk nap tannins.

VINTAGE OVERVIEW

The 2015 vintage was slightly different in early growing season timing from 2014, but the final effect was the same, big heat, big crop and big expectations. The acids are down, the alcohols are hovering around 14% and the work we did to minimize overextraction resulted in more elegant wines than a hot vintage deserves. Similar to 2014, the fruit was impeccably clean and devoid of disease. We focused on restraint in 2015, and it rewarded us with incredible Pinot Noirs with density but not heaviness, nicely polished velour-like tannins and reasonable acidity. Four progressively warmer vintages, we will just learn to count higher—more heat, more fruit, more, more!

94 Points - Vinous
92 Points - James Suckling
91 Points - Wine Advocate
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast