2013 La Quercia Block Pinot Noir - Formaglini Vineyards

Tart cranberry, raw mushroom, pure red cherry. Fresh rhubarb, pine cone, barely-ripe pomegranate. Crushed sage and rosemary, powdered nutmeg and anise. Lavender & dried violet combine with smoldering cedar & red earth to shape an intricate display resting gently above raspberries and sour red plums. Damp moss and deer pelt round out a tremendously Burgundian profile. This 2013 La Quercia Block Pinot Noir by Formaglini Vineyards is captivating classically styled Oregon Pinot.

It's been firmly established that Oregon's Willamette Valley produces some of the most restrained old world styled Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy itself. A cool climate, adequate precipitation, and complex sedimentary & volcanic soils combine here to provide ideal conditions for this fickle and thin-skinned grape. This bottling, crafted by Formaglini Vineyards, takes fruit from the moderate 2013 vintage and shapes it into a wine that could be confused as hailing from the Côte De Beaune. It was constructed from fruit pulled from Formaglini's La Quercia block in the Chehalem Mountains AVA and adequately captures the magic of this famed sub region. Sitting at only 12.8% ABV this stuff is delicate, bright, and structured with wonderful finesse. Unfortunately there are very few of us in this world that are blessed enough to drink high quality Burgundy on a regular basis, but if you love classically styled Pinot that doesn't cost you a kidney you must check out Formaglini. Count us impressed here.