Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Aeolian 2022, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Gnarly old vines, geologically complex hillside soils, and direct impact from Æolian winds, all conspire to create highly energized wines with firm backbones, depth of character, and distinctive personalities. “Named for the wind that defines our Eola Amity Hills AVA, the Æolian Pinot Noir is our vehicle to explore the dynamic evolving landscape that we farm. The Æolian has evolved in the eight vintages since we started making this wine, beginning as a means of expressing the ever-changing nature of our younger blocks and now settling in, as most things do at Bethel Heights, as a wine defined by place. Three blocks planted in 2002 high above the rest of the vineyard continue to make up a large portion of this wine, but in 2022 we decided to include a small amount (20%) of fruit from Justice Vineyard as well. The 2022 Aeolian presents both purity and power; aromas of red cherry, rhubarb, and raspberry, tremendous tension through the mid palate, and delicate fine grain tannins through the finish.