2016 White Rose Estate Pinot Noir The Convivial Feast Willamette Valley 750 ml

Parker: “One of the premier producers of American Pinot Noir"

Today, we’re bringing back an old favorite: “One of the premier producers of American Pinot Noir,” as described by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, back in issue 197. While not among the marquis names of the region, having tasted their wines two weeks ago in a lineup of Oregon Pinot Noir, we can tell you not much has changed—owner Greg Sanders still produces uniquely rich, powerful, and finesse-driven Pinots. As for the Wine Advocate, many issues later, reviewer Neal Martin confirmed: “Greg is certainly a passionate proprietor with strong principles that I nor anyone else will change. And looking around his winery, there is not a spot of dirt to be seen. I liked the style of the wines,” he said. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. The 2016 White Rose Estate “The Convivial Feast” Pinot Noir earned 93 points from Vinous, which found it “silky, spicy and lithe on the palate,” to which we’ll add, juicy and expansive, with layers of black cherry, wild plum, and forest floor, finishing with great energy and tension. 

If you’ve never visited Oregon, plan a trip for next summer. Spend your days winery-hopping, tasting luscious Pinot Noirs from the ultra-ripe 2014 and 2015 vintages, the just-released 2016s, and soon-to-be-released 2017 vintages in tasting rooms that, as in Burgundy, are often manned by the same family members who tend to the vines and the cellar.

For the splashiest setting, head to the Dundee Hills and Domaine Serene. For the sheer beauty of Oregon’s rolling hills, don’t miss Bernie Lacroute’s WillaKenzie Estate. And if you’re on the lookout for what the critics believe to be the Willamette Valley’s most exquisite old-vine Pinot Noir, do NOT miss the beautiful tasting room at White Rose Estate. You may never go home again.

In the summer of 2000, Greg Sanders knocked on the door of an old farmhouse perched at the top of the Dundee Hills, just up the road from Domaine Serene. His 10-acre White Rose Vineyard has become an Oregon mainstay. One other estate site, the 3.6-acre Guillén Vineyard was rooted in 2001 to Dijon Cline 115 and surrounds the winery in Dundee Hills. The Pinot Noir off of this site, which is rich in those ancient volcanic Jory soils, delivers concentration, fully ripe flavors and mature tannins in “The Convivial Feast.”

Sanders also sources grapes from Vista Hill Vineyard just up the way from the estate, and two Chehalem Mountains AVA sites: Lia’s Vineyard and Luciole Vineyard—both also rooted in rich Jory soils giving up minuscule yields of just 1.2-1.9 tons per acre and fruit that is packed with flavor.

Harvested between September 14 and 25, all lots were hand-sorted and 100 percent whole-cluster fermented with the stems included—Sanders’ signature move, which creates layers of spice in his Pinots. The skins remained in contact an impressive 12-17 days for maximizing color and tannin extraction. Pump-overs and gentle punch downs commenced before gentle pressing using old-school wooden, ratchet-style presses, before spending 12 months in French oak barrels, of which only a fraction is new. Together these techniques give the wine a rich, silky mouthfeel and impressive balance, allowing it to pair well with a variety of foods, from salmon en papillote to roasted quail.