I love boutique Oregon wineries that focus on great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founded by Paul and Kendall de Lancellotti, who were both early partners of Bergstrom Wines in 1999, they chose to plant their own vineyard in 2001 which was 16 acre Chehalem Mountain parcel focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Flash forward several years, de Lancellotti Family Vineyards was founded in 2005 focusing on producing high quality Pinot Noir that showcases specific terroir and vineyards.
Legendary Oregon winemaker Robert Brittan continues to serve as consulting winemaker as he does for many other producers throughout the Willamette Valley. De Lancellotti continue to be well-served with his expertise as the wines show good aging potential and finesse which was at times challenging in 2018 — a vintage that saw massive heat spikes during the summner. I really enjoyed the new 2018 de Lancellotti releases. Look to the outstanding 2018 de Lancellotti ‘Le Mie Figlie’ Chardonnay (WWB, 91) which shows the good ripeness of the vintage with a nice veil of tension. I loved the 2018 de Lancellotti ‘Famiglia’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which has awesome volcanic terroir and a great core of red fruits with good acidity. Learn more about these great wines at http://www.delancellottifamilyvineyards.com/ Here are the great new wines by de Lancellotti.
2018 de Lancellotti ‘La Sorella’ Chardonnay- Sourced from a host of Willamette Valley vineyards, the ‘La Sorella’ Chardonnay has kiwi and wild mushroom tones alongside the core of baked apple and pear tones. The palate has a soft texture as this shows nice length with a light dusting of salinity across starfruit, poached pear and Challah bread flavors. Drink 2020-2027- 90
2018 de Lancellotti ‘La Mie Figlie’ Chardonnay- This wine is a tribute to de Lancellotti daughters. Layers of melon, baking spices and toasty oak collide on the nose. The palate is soft and generous with a great sense of mouthfeel. Vanilla cream flavors mingle with minerals, ripe banana, kiwi and shades of nectarine on the palate. With good length, this beautiful wine will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 91
2018 de Lancellotti ‘La Sorella’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘La Sorella’ sourced from three separate vineyards from Calkins Lane in Newberg, Oregon. Sour red fruits take the lead with shades of cinnamon and cloves on the palate, as earthy undertones also mingle. Enjoy this solid effort in the short-term. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2018 de Lancellotti ‘Famiglia’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Famiglia’ Pinot Noir is entirely sourced from the Chelahem Mountains AVA and is a blend of Pommard, 828, 777 and 115 clonal selections. Cran-ornage and shades of pomegranate seed with dusty terroir all fill the nose. The palate is smooth with a great sense of mouthfeel and light dusting of salinity. Layers of bright and sour red fruits collide with Mandarin orange zest and shades of peat moss on the palate. Delightful to enjoy in its youth, this outstanding wine will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2018 de Lancellotti ‘Arlyn Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, the ‘Arlyn Vineyard’ utilizes Mount Eden, and Dijon 667 clones. The mouthfeel is fantastic as this shows great weight and freshness. Very pretty red fruits and rose water tones dance with blood orange, damp earth and shades of cloves on the palate. Generous and round, the 2018 ‘Arlyn Vineyard’ Pinot Noir will enjoy another fifteen years of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2018 de Lancellotti ‘La Corsia’ Pinot Noir- The ‘La Corsia’ s a barrel select wine from the Arlyan and Lachini Vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. A light dusting off salinity falls on the core of bright red fruits with pomegranate seed and baking spices on the palate. The peat moss undertones also round out this complex wine that shows off a downright sexy mouthfeel. Finishing strong with good length, the delicious ‘La Corsia’ will cellar well over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2020-2033- 92
2018 de Lancellotti ‘Ornelia’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 de Lancellotti ‘Ornelia’ Pinot Noir was sourced from the Dundee Hills AVA. Ripe red currants and wild blackberry tones dance with exotic spices, and forest floor tones on the nose. The feeling of tension and mouthfeel is really great as a light salinity melds into the core of red and dark fruits, with shades of wild mushroom and peat moss on the palate. WIth great length, the 2018 ‘Ornelia’ will cellar well over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2020-2033- 92