Oswego Hills Wines

Vineyard Wines

PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties used in winemaking. It can be traced back to the Ancient Roman Empire of the first century AD when they made wine with this grape known as Helvenacia Minor. Pinot Noir is grown worldwide in countries such as Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the U.S. and has several known alias names as well as a genetic instability that makes ampelographers go crazy. There are an estimated 500-11000 clones or mutations of Pinot Noir. We have four clones in our vineyard: Pommard, 115, 667 and Wadensvil. A grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon has only 12 known clones. Pinot Noir is an extremely difficult grape to grow dependent upon all the right conditions in relation to temperature, orientation, soil, nutrition, disease, and bird control. Difficulties can plague pinot noir for every step of the fermentation to bottling process.

One slight variation or affliction can make the difference in a neutral, muted wine to an aromatic, great pinot noir that makes a lasting impression on its drinker. The goal with pinot noir is full-bodied and rich, but not too heavy wine, an equal balance of acid to tannin leading to a velvet soft texture, and a wine with substantial fruit flavor that remains delicate and elegant to the palate. Descriptors such as black cherry, liquid silk, spice, smoke, toast, mushroom, and violets are terms describing quality pinot noirs. The reputation that has given pinot noir so much worldwide attention is owed to the wines of Burgundy, France. This two-mile wide, thirty-mile-long stretch of hills is known as the Cote d’OR or “slope of gold”. The French have coined the term “terroir” and have produced consistent premium pinot noir year after year. Oregon has set lofty goals making every attempt to achieve this success.

We have our own “terroir” and go to great lengths to produce a consistent premium pinot noir year after year. Our industry has gained a worldwide reputation and the bar has been set at a high mark. As a consumer, we are sure you can understand Oregon’s steady romance for this alluring yet fickle grape.

Oswego Hills Pinot Noir

As this vintage came to a close, we were dealing with top quality fruit, but in extremely low yields. We had high hopes along with a calculated optimism that this was a truly special year. After a year of barrel aging in a program consisting of 80% new oak and 20% 1 year old barrels, the finished product lived up to the hype. This wine has layers upon layers of gorgeous cherry, blackberry, plum and blueberry integrated with a silky texture, a hint of smoke and a long refined finish. Rich, ripe, and distinctive best describe this polished, well-rounded, opulent wine. Our vineyard is now well established since its initial planting in 1997 and the grapes have really started to hit their stride.The talk with Pinot Noir is structure and layers of aroma, flavor and finish. Pinot is revered in terms of having more depth and nuance then any other type of wine in the world. If you stay with it, Pinot will reward you. We've stuck with it and we are proud to offer this wonderful wine to you. Pinot is best served with salmon, beef, mushrooms, cheeseburgers, pizza, and about anything else you can think of.

  • $30 per bottle |
  • $153.00 per 6-pack |
  • $288.00 per case |
  • 165 cases produced

Oswego Hills Wine Store