Montinore Estate, Reserve Pinot Noir

88 points Wine Spectator/89 points Cellar Tracker

Made with Demeter-Certified Biodynamic Grapes. Certified Organic by Stellar Certification
Willamette Valley, Oregon, United States
Each vintage, the Reserve Pinot is a curated barrel selection from the best growing sites of that year. These blocks are fermented and aged separately, and then assembled after maturation through rigorous blending trials. From this process, the winemaking team creates a cuvee worthy of the "reserve" distinction. Lashings of dark fruit characterize this gratifying Reserve cuvee, including aromas of marionberry jam (marionberry is a blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University is a cross between the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' blackberries), black cherry, cedar, baking spice and a hint of smoke that introduce the rich palate of black plum, a hint of meatiness, freshly tilled earth and a continuation of baking spice. The spirited finish is a result of lithe tannin and balanced acidity.