
2015 Devona Freedom Hill Pinot noir
Freedom Hill Vineyard
Willamette Valley
Oregon
13.4% alcohol
Cork closure
If you’re at all familiar with the Willamette Valley, you’ve likely heard of Freedom Hill Vineyard. Located near Monmouth, it’s a large 140 acre vineyard with almost 100 acres planted in grapevines. The grape growers sell high quality fruit to some of the top winemakers in the Northwest, including Devona’s John Abbott.
Once John got his hands on these Pinot noir grapes, he used a combination of new and 1, 2 and 3 year old French oak barrels both to add texture and enhance the aromas and flavors in this wine. Extra time in barrel allowed the wine to integrate nicely, resulting in a Pinot noir that is elegant, tart, and all around lovely to drink! We drank this wine slightly chilled on a hot day and it was great!
Color:
Transparent brick red
Bouquet:
Tart cranberries, ripe raspberries, blueberries and black cherries mingled nicely with earthy notes of mushroom and cedar with just a whiff of mocha.
Palate:
Layers of tart red fruit tastes of cranberries, raspberries and tayberries were then followed by red plums and pomegranates. But don’t let all those fruit flavors think this wine is jammy because it most certainly is not! The acidity really plays well with those notes, creating a very food-friendly wine. This Pinot had an almost silty texture (imagine super-fine sugar but without the sweetness) that finished with fruity and savory flavors of raspberry jam (with the seeds).
Food pairing suggestions:
Grilled mushroom and chicken skewers, roasted cabbage steaks with fresh herbs, Moroccan vegetable tagine.
SRP $50
Devona wines have limited availability in Oregon and Washington but you can always order wines directly from their website. Sign up for their email list so you can make your purchase.
The winery just moved and is now located at 700 C Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Devona plans to open another location in Oregon’s Willamette Valley at some point in the future.
Be sure to read our Why Wine? interview with Devona owner/winemaker John Abbott
Don’t miss our tasting notes on other Devona wines:
2017 Devona Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay
2017 Devona Washington state Chardonnay
Be sure to follow Devona on social media too: