Brittan Vineyards
Estate Pinot Noir 2018
McMinville
Winemaker Robert Brittan, a wine industry veteran with the experience of over 45 harvests, has always had a passion for Pinot noir; a love affair that began in the 1980’s when he made several vintages under his Britt Hill label with fruit from Carneros. In 2004, Robert decided to leave Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa and start a Pinot noir project in the cool climate of the northern Willamette Valley.
Vineyard
The Brittan Estate Vineyard lies just 12 miles southwest of McMinnville, tucked into the foothills of the Coast Range. The original 18 acres were planted in 2001, but due to the challenging nature of this site and limited topsoil, only eight acres survived. Since 2004 when Robert and Ellen purchased the vineyard, it has been an ongoing rehabilitation project: replanting, retraining, and learning the unique landscape that has become Brittan Vineyard.
Winemaking
The aim at Brittan Vineyards is to remove the hand of the winemaker during wine production. With this, minimal fuss and movement are trademarks of Robert’s style, producing wines of varietal complexity and nuance. After whole cluster pressing, the must ferments in barrel. Elevage occurs over 15 months in 15% new French oak.
Vintage
The 2019 vintage was the coolest since 2015: warm during the main part of the growing season but cooling significantly towards harvest. We achieved ripe flavors and fruit maturity without the concentrated sugars and higher alcohols associated with late season heat events. These cooler, longer maturing vintages often give us more finesse in flavor and structure and more complexity in aromatics.
Tasting Note
Quickly becoming the benchmark of the McMinnville AVA, the third vintage of our Estate Pinot Noir offers aromas of red plum, blood orange zest, white raspberry, cedar, fermented tobacco, wet stones and forest floor. The lush plum and dark, rich cherry in the early- to mid-palate is held in balance by a crisp and savory finish.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Appellation
McMinville
Farming
Practicing Organic
Alcohol
13.2%
Suggested Retail Price
$45
