Brittan Vineyards

Gestalt Block Pinot Noir 2017

McMinville

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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.

Planted in the Wetsern-most part of the estate, a dense layer of basalt soil greatly diminishes yields, resulting in black fruited wines with high structure and complexity.

Vineyard

The Gestalt Block, a two-acre parcel planted primarily to Pinot noir selection 115, occupies the southwest flank of our hillside. The vines here are planted in shallow topsoil underpinned by a young, dense layer of intrusion basalt, and yield less than one ton of fruit per acre. The small, thick-skinned berries (a product of the Van Duzer winds) produce wines with a dark fruit core and pronounced phenolic intensity that showcase the essence of the vintage.

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 12 months in 27% new French oak.

Vintage

Akin to the prior three vintages, 2017 provided a consistently warm growing season for the vines at our estate vineyard, resulting in generous (for us) average yields approaching two tons per acre. Springtime flowering and fruit set, while delayed by a cool and wet winter, were even across the blocks and dry conditions at harvest meant little to no pressure from disease. The resulting wines are full bodied yet retain the mineral notes and taut core of acidity that have become the hallmarks of Brittan Vineyards.

Tasting Note

In typical fashion, the 2017 Gestalt Block Pinot noir fully expresses the savory side of Brittan Vineyards. Tobacco, pea shoots, five-spice, licorice, gunpowder and flint show up alongside rich black plum, blackberry, dark cherry and black currant. This is a phenolic, tannindriven wine with a long, complex and savory finish.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Pinot Noir

Appellation

McMinville

Farming

Practicing Organic

Alcohol

13.1%

Suggested Retail Price

$60

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer