Fleshy red cherry, autumn forest floor, rhubarb preserves. Barely-ripe strawberry, dried rose petal, tart red plum. Breathtakingly aromatic wafts of cranberry, wild raspberry, and red currants flutter with incredibly ethereal elegance while intricately intertwined with complex forest tones of fallen leaves, pine cone, tree bark, and chanterelle mushroom. Captivating hints of soy sauce, game, and dried seaweed advance delicious umami-laden nuances while vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander gracefully lead a barrage of lifted baking spices. Sweet floral notes of peonies, cherry blossom, and crushed lavender further enhance the incredible fragrance while suggestions of iron and loamy soil showcase gentle underlying earthiness. Marvelously expressive and high-toned on the nose while remaining dainty, smooth, and silky on the palate; exhibiting unbelievable complexity, precision, and balance within a display that is delicate yet oh so cerebral. Medium in body with soft tannin carried by bright acidity. This 2016 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot Noir by Winderlea Vineyard & Winery is an absolutely outstanding red from Oregon's Dundee Hills.

Located in the northern Willamette Valley in the rolling slopes just east of the town of Newberg, the Dundee Hills are home to some of Oregon's oldest Pinot Noir vineyards and has thus become arguably the region's most famous sub-AVA. This bottling, crafted by Winderlea Vineyard & Winery using Pinot Noir sourced from their biodynamic old vine estate vineyard, brilliantly captures the characterful complexity that makes this zone a beacon of high quality Oregon viticulture. This wine effortlessly radiates an incredible range of weightless red berry fruits laced with captivating forest tones, pretty spices, sweet floral notes, and enticing umami. At 5 years of age this is drinking absolutely perfectly today, although it still has room to develop further over at least the next 3-5 years. Wow.