Fresh cranberry, ground cardamom, tart black raspberry. Wild strawberry, green tea leaf, underripe plum. A tremendously bright and high-toned procession of dark cherry, currants, and rhubarb lead an expressive yet delightfully edgy display laden with gorgeous floral aromatics of blooming rose, lavender, and carnations. Hints of undergrowth, pine cone, tree bark, and mint gently emerge to reveal a range of clean whole cluster-influenced natural notes as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg simultaneously complicate the presentation with a dusting of pretty spices. Impressions of iron and loamy soil playfully impart nicely understated earthiness that is just starting to emerge behind the tightly-wound and youthful fruit. Impressively refined, complex, and lifted on the nose with a palate that is delicate and weightless yet quite structured and nervy; exhibiting a irresistibly classic and serious profile that prioritizes finesse and restraint over raw concentration or power. Medium bodied with soft yet elevated tannin backed by shimmering acidity. This 2018 "Apocrypha" Pinot Noir by Holocene Wines is an elegant and alluring red from the Willamette Valley.

Over the past half-century Oregon's Willamette Valley has earned a reputation as one of the planet's greatest terroirs for Pinot Noir, and producers today continue to prove that the quality and character of Pinot from this legendary region is still among the world's best. This bottling, crafted by Holocene Wines using Pinot Noir sourced from the Antiquum Farm Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, is an outstanding example of the tension, elegance, and depth that great Oregon Pinot can uniquely express. This wine masterfully presents an expressive yet perfectly weightless dark and red fruited profile complicated by lifted floral perfume, pleasant forest notes, restrained oak spice, and distinct earthiness. Although still quite young this is already drinking spectacularly today, but will surely benefit from at least 3-5 years of additional aging to allow for further tertiary development. Outstanding.