One of my favorite things about Oregon Pinot Noir is the diversity of terroir throughout the valley. Some Pinots are made with salty undertones from the marine soils while others show great volcanic terroir. Some show bright red fruits or dark fruits while others focus on earthy, non-fruit tones. Many years ago I was introduced to the amazing wines of Brittan Vineyards and the talented Robert Brittan, who was the former winemaker at Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa. Robert is a graduate of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program and founded Brittan Vineyards in 2004, acquiring a 128-acre hillside property with soils that are a mixture of glacial deposits and volcanic material, with a predominant presence of broken basalt. The volcanic material brings out a terrific stony quality in the Pinot Noirs. In addition to the Pinot Noir, Robert has 4 acres of Chardonnay and 1.5 acres of Syrah have been planted. In addition to his own wines, Robert serves as consulting winemaker for several other brands, including Winderlea, Fairsing, deLancellotti, Youngberg Hill, Ayoub and Shea
Occasionally I will open older bottles of Brittan Vineyards and I have been very impressed with their 2013 releases recently. The wines have seriously good aging potential and are made to embody vibrant acidity and a serious vein of tension that runs through the core of the wines. I absolutely loved the new wines by Robert. Check out his 2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which has an awesome, strony terroir and shows insanely good range. Just as good was the 2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Cygnus Block’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which has awesome umami tones with the wet stone character and bright acidity. These are tremendous wines for any serious collector of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Learn more about the great wines of Brittan Vineyards at http://www.brittanvineyards.com Here are the brilliant Pinot Noir releases by Brittan Vineyards.
2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir-The Gestalt Block is located on a western facing hillside that is set on broken basalt. Showing a deep core, the 2017 ‘Gestalt Block’ by Brittan opens with layers of rose water and pretty red fruits that are woven together with suggestions of cinnamon and cloves, alongside some damp stone tones on the nose. The palate has wonderful bright acidity and a silky texture that truly entices. Deep red fruits dance with citrus rind accents, peat moss and the stony terroir on the palate. Truly gratifying to enjoy in its youth, the gorgeous, 2017 ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir will cellar well for decades to come. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir- Truly impressive, the 2017 ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir was sourced from south facing Pinot Noir vines set in fractured basalt. The stony terroir becomes evident on the nose, as a light dusting of salinity combines with bright red fruits, kumquat and shades of huckleberry on this impressive bouquet. The palate shows great tension and a seamless texture that makes this effortlessly glide across the mid—palate. Wet stone and cran-cherry combine with shades of clove, peat moss and blood orange zest flavors. Truly brilliant now to enjoy, the ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir will cellar well for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Cygnus Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2014 Cygnus Block is an exceptional Pinot Noir sourced from a block that is set on intrusion basalt and is sloped east, planted to Pinot Noir clone Swan selection, 420A. Pretty red raspberry aromatics meld with wet stone and shades of cran-orange on this evocative nose. The palate is both rich and elegant with layers of pomegranate seed and teaberry that brilliantly combine with wet stone and mineral tones. Showing brilliant terroir, this lithe and delicately textured Pinot Noir will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2017 Brittan Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- A new wine to their collection, the ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir is selected from various sites across his vineyard, set on broken Basalt. The dusting of volcanic earth really entices aromatically, as layers of red and dark fruits combine with the citrus rind and damp earthy undertones of the wine. The palate has a silky texture with a light salinity that runs through the core of red cherry, pomegranate seed and orange rind flavors. Really good at this stage in its development, the ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir will enjoy another ten to fifteen years in the cellar. Drink 2020-2033- 93