Haven't had all too many Pinots from Oregon lately! I guess it's about time to have my probably first veritable Natural Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Not quite sure it is, however thinking of this, not so much is all too sure about this wine-sub-category anyway. Today my tongue is off to an old Christmas tree farm in Gaston in the northern part of the Willamette Valley. Actually not too far away from Portland. Just a hop south-west. In the mid 2000/2010s - took a while - Joseph Swick, a native Oregonian, moved back to the Willamette Valley to start a wine business after working in wine retail and working several harvests around the globe. With help – mostly fruity help - from Ken Cancilla from Cancilla Vineyards Joe produced his first vinatge in 2008. Cancilla Vineyards plantings are mostly located in the elevated northern Patton Valley (500 – 600 ft.) on Melbourne soils - which is a very deep, well drained soil formation in residuum and colluvium weathered from siltstone and sandstone. The rather young vines (planted between: 1999-2005) for the 2019 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir have been cultivated in a wild mix of clones on very - not Mosel steep, but respectably steep - steep slopes. Now, I fear I might stress your attention with far too many details which I hardly - maybe a bit - understand myself, therefore only numbers: 667, 777, 114, 115 (Wädenswil) and 3309 as well as some 101-14 (Pommard). Okay, that was certainly enough stress … let's give it a go!
The colour of the Willmette Valley Pinot Noir 2019 from Swick Wines showed plenty of vivid bright garnet refelxes. An overall quite youthful impression with a mild, however undeniable murkey natural shroud. Its nose promised a very vital Oregon Funk experience right from the beginning. I got forests full of foilage, slightly moist floor, few mushrooms, some boar fart, black pepper, juniper, vital dark cherrries, charcoal and shy mint. Pretty expressive potpurri of fragrances one might search for in an Oregon Pinot Noir. Could be rather Yamhill- Carlton'ish – just a slight geek insertion; not sure, because I don't really know to which AVA Cancilla Vineyard exactly belongs to. Aaaanyway, the taste was super juicy, showed tons of sappy dark cherries, perhaps some red currant with very cool and lean character and a hint of a raspberry infusion – which seemed slightly sherbety. A very cristal clear fruit impression with surprisingly not so much foilage and other funky flavours! Therefore more pimento pepper, strong cloves and mild charcoal. And above all a really really very crisp - really good – but very crisp, if not almost sauvage, acid. Wonderfully heftily gherkin'ish acid with a lot of fun and maybe even life potentia!!! Perhaps not a super subtle Pinot – however certainly very diverse delight. Doubtlessly a still very decent***** Pinot! I think it might beneficial to have a capable tummy though!
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