Brittan Vineyards
For many years I have admired the wines by Robert Brittan, 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.
I love terroir in the glass and this stony material brings out wonderful rocky tones in the wines that he makes, making them truly novel to the region. 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 the winemaker for several other brands, including Bacus Vineyards, de Lancellotti Family Vineyards, Fairsing Vineyard and Winderlea Vineyard & Winery.
I adored the new 2021 Brittan Vineyards ‘Estate’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which shows seriously good richness and stony character. I am not enamored by Willamette Valley Syrah by any means but this new 2018 Brittan ‘Estate’ Syrah (OB, 93) is up there with the finest that I have ever tasted from the valley. This is not lean and herbal but has great stuffing and varietal character, with a stony essence. Finally, the coup de gras in their lineup is one of the outstanding wines from Oregon that I have tasted all year. The 2016 Brittan Vineyards ‘Puncheon’ Pinot Noir (OB, 96) is a wine that was aged significantly in barrel. It is round, generous and utterly fabulous with its seamless texture and marvelous weight and length. Learn more about the great wines of Brittan Vineyards at http://www.brittanvineyards.com Here are the brilliant releases by Brittan Vineyards.
2021 Brittan Vineyards ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- The outstanding 2021 Brittan Vineyards Chardonnay comes from their estate vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. This comes off wonderfully stony with wet rock character alongside yellow plum, mango and shades of Pink Lady apple on the palate. Really good now, showing good length, weight and underlying tension, enjoy over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2023-2033- 94
2018 Brittan Vineyads ‘Estate’ Syrah- This is not your typical Syrah from Oregon, as this was sourced from a warm vintage in the Willamette Valley. Showing a dark core, this reveals a dusting of white pepper alongside brisket, dark cherry and shades of licorice on the nose. The palate is fresh and fragrant with a soft mouthfeel and loads of dark fruits with bright acidity and stony character. This is one of the great Willamette Valley Syrahs I have ever tasted. Drink 2023-2030- 93
2016 Brittan Vineyards ‘Puncheon’ Pinot Noir- The 2016 ‘Puncheon’ is a single barrel bottling made from Robert Britain’s Estate Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. It is one of the great Pinot Noirs that I have tasted in the past year out of Oregon. The nose comes off sensationally well with red currants, tobacco leaf, freshly tilled rocky soils and shades of cardamom. The palate is silky and downright ethereal with serious length and a finish that just won’t quit. This wonderfully displays the rocky profile of this site, with salty undertones an an ebullient core of bright and tart red fruits. A world-class wine, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2023-2033- 96