2016 Lemelson Vineyards Cuvee X Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 750 ml

Since we discovered Lemelson Vineyards ten vintages ago, this Willamette Valley star has become one of our members’ all-time favorites—proven by last fall’s fast sellout and dozens of 5-star reviews. This deal is tough to beat for a crowd-pleasing red.

With its purple and red flowers, juicy dark cherries, wild raspberries, and gorgeous holiday spice note that vibrates through the mouthwatering finish, this Cuvée X bottles everything we love about Willamette Pinot.

Miraculously, despite the Willamette Valley’s growing fame and rising prices, Lemelson somehow continues to deliver the goods for prices that make their wines drinkable on a random Tuesday... not just on special occasions. They also manage to do it without sacrificing quality, as the Cuvée X embodies perfectly with its impeccably balanced aromas of cherries, wild raspberries, and fresh-cut roses. 

Lemelson Vineyards worked their magic again in 2016, imbuing the Cuvée X with the grace, elegance, and the extra je ne sais quoi we’re used to seeing in $60+ bottles. Derived from a selection of individual barrels, the 2016 Cuvée X is a unique blend highlighting Willamette Valley’s exciting Pinot terroir. 

Around halfway through the 15-month aging process of their flagship Pinot, the Lemelson team tastes through the wines and identifies the ones whose fruit and earth character is in such perfect harmony that they no longer need to spend time in oak. From there they head to the tank, and then on to bottling. 

We always think of the Cuvée X as the purest expression of Pinot Noir that Lemelson releases, which makes it remarkable that we were able to get enough to offer it at all. We don’t expect Lemelson’s elusive X factor to last long.