Pinot Noir

Yamhill-Carlton AVA - Willamette Valley - Oregon

2008 - Hailed by many as the “best vintage of the last 20 years,” Oregon’s 2008 started with a very late bud break—almost a full month late. It rained just enough in September to keep the vines working steadily. The weather throughout October was perfect: moderate temperatures during the day and cool nights allowed fruit to ripen slowly and evenly, with no real disease pressure. Surprisingly, the vintage ended with very low accumulated Degree Days—a mere 1976. Extremely well-balanced wines were produced with complex fruit flavors, excellent acidity, well-developed tannins and moderate alcohols. The downside was very low yields and small quantities of wine.