Today we share one of the greats in Oregon wine. Holocene is the brainchild of superstar winemaker Todd Alexander who was formerly with Bryant Family before taking over as winemaker at Force Majeure. We all know how he took that wine program by storm. For years Todd 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 come from the warm 2021 vintage.
He makes two single vineyard Pinot Noirs which come from entirely different areas of the Willamette Valley, as well as diverse soils. These mirror those that were made in 2018 as the wines show a good core of freshness as well as very fleshy, nicely textured character throughout the drinking experience. They are not for the weary. I adored the new 2021 Holocene ‘Memoralis’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is very fresh and lithe, with a brilliant core of red fruits. 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 2021 release wines by Holocene.
2021 Holocene ‘Memorialis’ Pinot Noir- This come from the Monk’s Gate Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, which is a small, 18 acre site set on Willakenzie soils. Coming from vines [planted back in the 1990s, this offers teaberry and ripe raspberry on the nose alongside shades of cardamom dusted hazelnut. This comes off rich and very polished on the mouth, with great weight and a deep concentration of red fruits. Enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2023-2038- 95
2021 Holocene ‘Apocrypha’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2021 Holocene ‘Apocrypha’ comes from the Antiquam Farm Vineyard as the wine underwent 100% whole cluster fermentation. The wine shows rich dark fruits on the nose with spicebox and salty soils. The palate is dense and shows a seamless texture on the mouth, with lovely bright acidity holding things up. The weight here is seriously good, as the combination of freshness and stuffing suggests this will age gracefully for fifteen plus years. Drink 2023-2038- 95