One of the exciting new Oregon Pinot Noir houses, SUNU was created by Betz Family Wines and their love for Oregon wines. I was quite exited about this project when I first heard about it, as SUNU not only solely produces Pinot Noir but makes their Pinots from one region, utilizing vineyards throughout the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. SUNU refers to the French statement which means emphasis on vineyard as the primary engine of wine quality and character, “Sous Nous,” which means “under us.” Louis Skinner of Betz fame crafts his wines from some outstanding vineyards in the Willamette Valley including two wines from the famed Shea Vineyard. Each site has its individual expression of Pinot Noir. Unabashedly a Burgundy lover, I know how passionate Louis is with these wines. Considering that he has not made Pinot Noir very long, I am really impressed what he can do with this varietal.
I am slowly starting to taste through the 2019 Oregon Pinot Noirs and no doubt wines made from this vintage will vary considerably, due to the difficult harvest conditions. The 2019 SUNU wines are well-structured and lighter than the 2018s but are extremely well-made and delicious across the board. The 2019 SUNU ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 91) has a terrific sense of texture and mouthfeel. Even better was their 2019 SUNU ‘Shea Vineyard East Hill’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which showed a great dark fruit profile and beautiful finesse. Bravo to the winemaking team with creating such a great range of Oregon Pinot Noirs from this challenging vintage. Learn more about this exciting new Oregon project at https://www.sunuwines.com Here are the beautiful new Pinot Noir wines by SUNU.
2019 SUNU ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- This shows good finesse with bright red fruits that dance with minerals, smoke and damp earth tones. Soft on the mouth, enjoy this excellent effort over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2028- 91
2019 SUNU ‘Lonesome Rock’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Lonesome Rock’ Pinot Noir shows off pretty saline drenched red fruits with tobacco leaf and leather, alongside shades of citrus rind aromatically. The palate is fresh and finesse driven, with light to medium-bodied red fruits, giving this a pretty profile, with shades of orange water and damp earth. Drink 2021-2029- 92
2019 SUNU ‘Lazy River’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Lazy River’ Pinot Noir impresses with its great core of red fruits and salty tones on the palate. The red floral tones add to the enjoyment. Medium-bodied, with good length, and a soft texture, this has some good cellaring potential. Drink 2021-2029- 92
2019 SUNU ‘Matteri’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Matteri’ Pinot Noir is cut from a different cloth, showing more dark fruits than red fruits, with boysenberry and even huckleberry aromatics, alongside pine needle undertones. The palate is very silky, showing ai great sense of mouthfeel. This comes off slightly more gratifying than the other bottlings, with ripe red and dark fruits, showing a nice air of salinity and forest floor tones. This is very refined stuff that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 SUNU ‘Saffron Fields’ Pinot Noir- A relatively new site set on marine sedimentary soils, this ‘Saffron Fields Vineyard’ Pinot Noir evokes ripe cranberry and teaberry tones alongside salted meats and peat moss tones that all meld in the glass. The palate reveals ripe red cherry and red raspberry with lighter herbal and damp earth tones, as the wine finishes with good length. Drink 2021-2029- 92
2019 SUNU ‘Shea Vineyard West’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the famed ‘Shea Vineyard’ this wine shows off very pretty red florals with exotic spices, Bing cherry and damp, salty earth aromatics. The palate is very fresh and gratifying with its seamless texture. Layers of cran-pomegranate, blood orange rind, tobacco and damp earth all wonderfully combine on the palate. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 SUNU ‘Shea Vineyard East’ Pinot Noir- I love the 2019 SUNU ‘Shea Vineyard East’ Pinot Noir. The black fruit profile on the palate and bouquet really impress, as this wine has a good feeling of poise and weight. Wild blackberry and huckleberry tones combine with smoky minerals, damp earth and even shades of menthol. Beautifully textured, this outstanding new wine will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93