Winery: Willamette Valley Vineyards
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon

A few weeks ago, I received several bottles of wine from Willamette Valley Vineyards. I decided to sample two of the bottles of Pinot Noir at similar price point and compare them. I used the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir (selling for $25.00 from the winery) and the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir (selling for $19.00 from the winery).

 

First the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir, appeared almost silky when poured into the glass. It was light and transparent, showing a cherry red color. The nose on this wine was gorgeous, showing bright cherries, jam, toast and earth. Jonathan also noticed some vanilla. After getting a whiff of this wine, I couldn’t wait to taste it. The palate was full of raspberries, tart cherries, vanilla and spice. Jonathan also noticed cherry cola flavors. And wow, the finish was incredibly long. For me, it was the best feature of the wine! I haven’t had a wine in some time with such an impressive finish.

 

Next up, we tasted the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. Again, the wine appeared light, transparent and cherry colored. There weren’t many differences in the appearance of the two wines. The nose featured bright strawberries, cola and other red fruits. The nose reminded me a lot of a Beaujolais Nouveau. On the palate, there was lots of juicy fruits, including strawberries and cherries. Overall, the wine was light and the finish was quick, reminding me again of a Beaujolais Nouveau. Initially, I wasn’t much of a fan of this wine after tasting the previous Pinot Noir. However, the longer this wine was open the spice and body really came out, and I found it more enjoyable.

 

Overall, I prefer the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir much more than the 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. And for only $6 more, it’s well worth the investment. Now, keep in mind these wines are from different vintages and the fermentation process did vary.

 

Willamette Valley Vineyards is the dream of Jim Bernau. In 1983, he purchased the estate, cleared the land and began planting grapevines. Bernau hand watered the baby grapevines with garden hoses because there was no irrigation system. He honed his winemaking skills with classes at UC Davis and seminars around the world and soon his dream was a reality. Willamette Valley Vineyards manages 300 acres of vines, all certified sustainable, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.

 

*These wines were received as samples.