2015 Winderlea Vineyard Imprint Pinot noir

Winderlea Vineyards
Dundee Hills
Willamette Valley
Oregon

As you can imagine, the Winerabblers taste a lot of wine, especially wines made in Oregon. So when a bottle of Pinot noir this good crosses our palates, we feel the need to shout from the rooftop, “Drink this wine! This is one not to miss!”

I’m not sure if it’s because Winderlea follows biodynamic farming practices or because they relied solely on native yeast to get these Pinot grapes started down the wine path. Maybe it was the whole cluster fermentation (the grape clusters are allowed to ferment with stems intact) or even their use of “pigeage” (the french term for punch down, and in this case, likely stomped by foot)? Regardless, the combination resulted in an elegant, complex Pinot noir!

According to the back label, Imprint leaves a mark or impression, meaning both to be affected by and to affect something. “This wine speaks directly to our desire to tread lightly on this vineyard and to allow the unique character of this site to show through.” And show through it does!

Ruby red in our Pinot noir glasses, we smelled notes of forest floor, red plums, white pepper, combined with a wild brambliness. Upon deeper whiffing, we found baking spices, mocha and even blackberry syrup as we swirled this wine. Once in our mouths, we tasted tart notes of red cherries and rhubarb, nicely balanced with plum pie and a silky, delicate mouthfeel. We often find that whole cluster Pinot noirs are very jammy but one could never describe this wine like that.

Layered and supple with great acidity and a long finish, Imprint is a perfect wine to have on your Thanksgiving table. We promise it will complement all of the flavors of your holiday meal!

SRP $45

www.winderlea.com