One of the outstanding producers of Oregon wine, Holocene is the brainchild of superstar winemaker Todd Alexander. While In Napa Todd focused on producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon and moving to Washington he continued that voyage by partnering with Force Majeure Vineyards. But he had a yearning to do something very different and produce Oregon Pinot Noir from diverse sites in the Willamette Valley. This winery was launched in 2015 and the new releases are from the 2018 vintage.
I haven’t had a chance to review these wines for several years but the most recent releases were truly beautiful and very different. Todd sourced from the ‘Monksgate Vineyard’ and the ‘Antiquam Farm Vineyard’ which are completely different sites with very different soil types. Several ,months back I had the chance to taste with Todd and talk about his special Oregon project. The wines come from the warm 2018 vintage which was a challenge for some producers to maintain a high degree of tension in Pinot Noir. The Holocene wines from this vintage have a really nice veil of acidity alongside the ripe core of red and dark fruits. The terroir expressed in each wine were really divergent and nothing short of awesome. I found both wines to be equally good in my mind, as I rated both of these wines 94 points — truly some of the great Oregon Pinot Noirs that I have tasted over the past year. For serious collectors of Oregon Pinot Noir, these are a must purchase. Learn more about this awesome Oregon outpost at http://holocenewines.com Here are the beautiful new release wines by Holocene.
2018 Holocene ‘Memorialis’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Memorialis’ was 100% whole cluster fermentated sourced from the Monksgate Vineyard which is set on WillaKenzie soils. The wine was nearly entirely aged in natural oak prior to bottling. The wine is high-toned with pretty red raspberry and rose petal tones that all come together. Thew freshness and trdxtrure of the wine is truly outstanding. Layers of bright red fruits with red cherry candy, pomegranate seed and first floor tones that all come together beautifully. This has a great sense of mouthfeel, salinity and texture. Gorgeous now in its youth, this beautiful wine will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2034- 94
2018 Holocene ‘Apocryptha’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the ‘Antiquam Farm Vineyard,’the wine is a blend of 113 and 115 Dijon clones. Sour kirsch with shades of Mandarin orange rind and a dusting of volcanic earth all come together on the nose. The mouthfeel and texture of the wine are both really wonderful. Layers of wild blackberry and rose water combine with shades of blood orange zest and Umami flavors which all meld together. The length of the wine beautifully accentuates this gorgeous wine. Drink 2020-2035- 94