2016 Chestnut Hill Vineyard Pinot noir
Pinot noir - 92 pts

92 points, James Suckling
"A fragrant edge to the nose here with a wealth of ripe red cherries and light, herbal nuances. The palate is quite succulent and has plenty of rich, dark-fruit flavors and delivers a fluid, long, dark-fruited finish. Drink now."
92 points, Josh Raynolds/ Vinous Media
"Deep, bright-hued red. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red berries, cola, vanilla and candied rose, along with a hint of allspice that emerges with aeration. Juicy, expansive raspberry and bitter cherry flavors become sweeter with air and pick up a touch of smokiness. Shows a suave blend of richness and energy on a persistent finish that's framed by harmonious, fine-grained tannins. (made with de-stemmed fruit and raised in French oak barrels, 50% of them new)"
WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
An unusually warm spring kicked off another record early grape harvest for 2016. Unlike 2015, which was equally early, 2016 had a much more moderate summer with fewer heat spikes than either 2014 or 2015. A small heat spike during bloom lead to a smaller fruit set with smaller berries. A slightly warmer than usual August shepherded the modest crop loads to full ripeness in record time. As a result, the 2016 wines show stunning concentration and balance when compared to other warm vintages with similarly pristine, ripe fruit. 2016 marks the 3rd consecutive stellar vintage in the northern Willamette.