Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir 2022 750ml, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

The property now known as Bethel Heights Vineyard was originally platted in 1909 and recorded under the name Bethel Heights Walnut Groves. A number of the original walnut trees are still flourishing around the edges of the vineyard. Bethel Heights is located on an independent hill chain in the center of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Here the climate is dominated by more direct access to cool ocean winds than other parts of the Willamette Valley, and the volcanic soils are characteristically shallower and rockier, and therefore better drained. Pinot noir can safely ripen on the vines long into October, come heat or rain, reaching full flavor potential without losing the bright acidity and fine-grain tannins that give it its structure and balance. This wine blends fruit from all the different sections of the 70-acre estate vineyard. The fruit was gently destemmed, cold soaked at 45 degrees for 5-7 days, then gradually allowed to warm up prior to yeast inoculation. The fruit was punched down twice per day at the onset of fermentation, 3 times per day at peak temperature (1-2 days) and then pumped over twice per day until dryness. It was barrel aged 11 months in French oak, 35% new.