Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

About

Montinore Estate was established in 1982 and is one of the largest producers of certified estate wines made from Biodynamic grapes in the country. Their estate vineyard is planted on an east-facing slope along the Coastal Range foothills and encompasses 200 acres in the Willamette Valley, ¾ of which is planted to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Riesling, Muller-Thurgau and Gewurztraminer make up the majority of the remaining acreage. The Tidalstar Vineyard, which was planted in 1999 and acquired by Montinore in 2017 is a 30-acre vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and is planted almost 100% to Pinot Noir. Whereas the Estate Vineyard is Demeter Certified, Tidalstar is LIVE certified and in the process of being converted to a fully biodynamic property.

Partner and Chief Viticulturist, Rudy Marchesi, is a New Jersey native but moved to Oregon in 1998. Rudy started as a consultant at Montinore and initiated its transition to Biodynamic farming in 2003, before ultimately becoming its proprietor in 2005. By 2008, Montinore Estate had achieved Demeter and Stellar Certification, ensuring their quality wines were simultaneously approachable and environmentally conscious. He is a recognized leader in Biodynamic viticulture and was appointed Chairman of Demeter USA and was named Oregon Wine Person of the Year in 2018.

Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a carefully constructed blend of wines produced from different geographical area and soils from within the Willamette Valley appellation. Predominantly Laurelwood soils, this wine also includes grapes grown in volcanic and marine sedimentary soils. The estate utilizes mostly French and Hungarian oak storage vessels for maturation and development, 21% of which is new.

Aromas of raspberry, black cherry, red currant, eucalyptus and fresh tobacco. This medium-bodied wine has a bright and silky palate with lush flavors of ripe Bing cherry, cranberry sauce, plum and a hint of chocolate and star anise.