2012 CHEHALEM Ridgecrest Vineyards Ribbon Ridge Willamette Valley Reserve Pinot Noir

14.0% alc., pH 3.65, TA 0.65, 463 cases, $80, screwcap. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 42% new and 42% once used. This is the winery’s top-of-the-line wine and is the first vintage Wynne was responsible making in total. Ridgecrest’s 28th harvest. A rare hailstorm in the spring on Ribbon Ridge clipped the crop short to half normal and helped to concentrate the wine even more. · Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Penetrating aromas of black cherry syrup with a compliment of nutty oak. A robust mid weight plus wine that offers both power and elegance. Very soft in the mouth, with an intense charge of well-ripened boysenberry, blueberry and pomegranate fruits and a touch of cedary oak in the background. The finish has impressive staying power and there is enough structural tannin to predict a long life ahead. Score: 92. Reviewed September 29, 2015

Winery: Chehalem Winery
From article: Willamette Valley’s 50th Anniversary: A New Look at the Old Guard