We are in love with a new Pinot Noir from Willamette, made from our friend, Tom Fitzpatrick. Tom is extremely well respected in the world of high end Pinot's- classically educated at UC Davis, trained with Hubert Lignier in Burgundy, followed by several grower and winemaking vintages in New Zealand and Napa, before finally realizing the dream of working with his own vines in Willamette beginning in 2007.  We are thrilled to be able to work with him on his latest project, from his Forest Laboratory - the 2021 Oxygen Pinot Noir.

The passion and love for drawing out the complexity and nuance of great Pinot (undoubtedly, the most thin skinned and temperamental grape of them all) is evidenced in every aspect of this wine. Sourced and blended from four of his very best vineyard sites, night harvested at each block's peak, meticulously sorted and destemmed followed by a 7 day cold soak, inoculated with native yeasts and matured for 18 months in French Oak (23% new). The twist was oxidative racking done at 11 months to give it a bit more exposure to air and draw out more of the secondary flavors and nuance - and wow! What a wine!

The nose is incredibly fresh, with a potpourri of cherry, cinnamon and clove, hints of dark chocolate, cedar cigar box and bay leaf. So nuanced, and the flavors follow all the way through it's medium body, lively acidity, and a very broad, velvety texture. It's perfectly balanced, with a beautiful, bright, lingering finish. It's a perfect pairing wine for so many cheeses and everything else - turkey, duck, lamb, salmon, you name it. In fact, i recommend sipping on a glass when you are in the kitchen for added inspiration. It's sooo good!

Vineyard sites:

Dundee Hills - 33%

Chehalem Mountains - 35%

Eola-Amity Hills - 29%

McMinnville - 3%

All LIVE & IOBC Certified Sustainable and Certified Salmon Safe