Dried Bing cherry, Chinese five spice, blood orange peel. Wild black raspberry, peat moss, rhubarb purée. An incredibly high-toned and expressive array of tart blueberry, cranberry cocktail, and pomegranate dances with deep and nicely developing complexity while beautiful layers of dried rose petal, cherry blossom, and potpourri radiating a range of haunting floral perfume. Notes of forest floor, oyster mushroom, and dried pine needle playfully emit stunning organic character while coriander, cinnamon, and anise enhance aromatics with waves of beautiful exotic spices. Hints of iron and tilled soil gently expose wonderful earthiness that has integrated perfectly with intriguing impressions of pleasant tertiary charm. Impressively ethereal and lifted on the nose while remaining brilliantly finesse-driven and well balanced on the palate; exhibiting an astoundingly pretty and Burgudian profile that is delicate yet highly cerebral and thought-provoking. Medium bodied with elevated yet soft tannin backed by fresh acidity. This 2012 "Parsons' Ridge" Pinot Noir by Montinore Estate is an elegant and enchanting aged red from the Willamette Valley.

Although most Pinot Noir produced in the United States is consumed within 3-5 years from its vintage date, the best examples of this legendary grape can easily age and improve in the cellar for a decade or more. This bottling, crafted by Montinore Estate using Pinot Noir sourced from the Parsons' Ridge block of their biodynamic estate vineyard in Oregon's Willamette Valley, proves that great domestic Pinot can age just as well as its old world counterparts. This wine delicately yet expressively dances in the glass with a range of tart red and dark fruits while layers of pretty forest tones, lifted spices, aromatic florals, and gorgeous earthiness brilliantly complicate the display. This is now about fully mature and is perfectly ready to be enjoyed right away, but it should continue to hold well for another 5 years or more. Outstanding.