2016 PINOT NOIR, Hope Well Vineyard, Lingua Franca. Oregon, USA

Oregon is the relatively cool-climate northern neighbour of California; a green and beautiful environment well suited for the demands of fickle Pinot Noir.
The fruit for this wine come from Mimi Casteel (daughter of the owners of Bethel Heights; proprietor of ‘Hope Well’ vineyard; renowned advocate of sustainable, responsible and intelligent viticulture). The vineyard is in the Eola-Amity Hills, not far from the Lingua Franca Estate.

Pinot Noir, half fermented as whole bunches, matured for a year in French oak (20% new wood).

A collaboration (since 2015) between Oregon’s own Larry Stone and Burgundy’s Dominique Lafon.
The vineyards are worked organically but the wine is not certified organic as in California this would mean no SO2, which would be silly (of course). It’s organic by European standards, so we have categorised it as such.

Delicacy, elegance, savouriness. They don’t like it to be compared to Burgundy, but it certainly can be – at the highest level.