Willamette Valley AVA
Oregon
85 cases produced

Owner/Winemaker Joe Williams has spent most of his life in the food and wine business so it makes sense that his wines are very food-friendly. He’s rather unconventional– relying heavily on his intuition and nose while making wine, at times to the chagrin of his fellow winemakers in the space he shares at Southeast Portland’s Urban Crush Winery. But the finished products are approachable, delicate, low alcohol wines that are very pleasing to the palate!

Comprised of fruit from across the Willamette Valley, this Pinot noir was a beautiful bing cherry red color in our glasses. On the nose, we smelled ripe black cherries and spice notes of black pepper and cinnamon. And when we sipped this wine, it was love at first taste!

Light and playful in the mouth, the D’Anu Wine Maker’s Reserve Pinot noir was the perfect harmony of tannins, acid and mineral notes. We tasted black cherries with savory flavors of eucalyptus and bay leaves that finished with just the right amount of black pepper spice. Somehow Joe managed to keep this wine restrained when most of the 2012 vintage from Oregon’s Willamette Valley is definitely not subtle.

We think this Pinot would be complementary with a wide variety of foods including grilled salmon, lemongrass chicken banh mi sandwiches or winter vegetable couscous drizzled with white truffle oil.

SRP $30.

www.danuwines.org (wine geeks in particular will love all his notes)