2016 Omen Pinot Noir 750 ml

A French Winemaker on an Oregon Mission

As a consultant for Atlas Wine Company, Alexandre Remy has hired out his considerable talents to a who’s who of big-name Napa Valley and Sonoma County wineries — including Opus One, Chalone Group, and Jackson Family Wines. When he set out to produce his own Pinot Noir, the Normandy-born and Bordeaux-trained vigneron looked to a hidden gem single-vineyard in Oregon’s Applegate Valley, a sub-appellation in the wild and scenic Rogue River Valley. His 2016 Omen is a terrific wine, which hits all the marks at half the price you’d expect to pay.

Tasting with Remy at Wine Access HQ, he explained how vineyards in southern Oregon like the Wooldridge Creek site — the source of his Pinot for Omen — offer “a tremendous value of fruit.” Add to that a “dazzling natural acidity,” he told us.

This rockstar winemaker employs what he calls “zero winemaking manipulation” — his Pinot Noir sees only 30% new French oak, but reveals a delicious, full-bodied, rich wine that simply put, over-delivers for the price.