2017 State of Mind LS Vineyard Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 750 ml

Described by Vinous as “one of the prime sites for Pinot Noir in the New World,” the Willamette Valley site that supplied the 2017 State of Mind LS Vineyard Pinot Noir is the one that managed to inspire renowned Master Sommelier Larry Stone—and our early bet on this terroir is paying off big time for Wine Access Pinot lovers today. We’ve got exclusive access to the effusive, ruby-hued 2017 State of Mind.

LS Vineyard is named for Larry Stone, the pioneering Master Sommelier who blazed the wine trail long before his namesake vineyard’s $100 Lingua Franca co-starred in the movie Somm 3 as one of the blind new world Pinot Noirs that was mistaken for Burgundy. 

After curating one of San Francisco’s all-time, mythical wine lists at Rubicon, we got to know Larry as the estate director at member-favorite Quintessa before he eventually followed his Pinot Noir obsession to Oregon. Fast forward to a few years ago, when one of the Willamette Valley’s best as-yet-unplanted parcels of vineyard land became available right next to Seven Springs Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills. Larry swooped in, and suddenly the global wine industry’s eyes were on this spectacular site. 

But Larry didn’t stop there. He brought on famed Burgundian Dominique Lafon to consult and organic vineyard guru Mimi Casteel as viticulturalist. Developing LS Vineyard from the ground up allowed his all-star team to plant organically and dry farm from the outset—the two most important factors in Burgundy’s most respected and cherished vineyards, which Pinot lovers credit for the wines’ resulting verve. 

After tasting this gorgeous 2017 State of Mind LS Vineyard, we were blown away by just how much our bet had (clearly) paid off. An elegant, soft, ruby core gives way to a beautiful red rose bush and lilac perfume that makes room for sumptuous red and dark fruit and winter spice aromas. Its fragrant nose is only eclipsed by the palate’s incredible depth, where dark plum and pomegranate intermingle with vibrant acidity and layers of spice that continue through a long, generous finish. 

The 2017 State of Mind Pinot Noir comes solely from that very LS Vineyard site, toward the coolest, east end of the AVA and abutting the legendary Seven Springs Vineyard. Here, the shallow volcanic soils run up to five feet deep, under a layer of large gravel that imparts extra energy to the vines, creating more complex and intense flavors, while retaining the wine’s fresh balance.

In the cellar, these perfectly raised grapes are translated by Forbes 30 Under 30 rock star winemaker Michael Kennedy, another former sommelier whose winemaking talents have since earned him the title of “wine impresario” by Barron’s. Michael uses 20% whole clusters and vinifies the wine in a combination of vessels (concrete, French oak puncheon, and oak fermenters) to create a layered, diversely textured wine that’s beautiful to drink young, though it’s clearly built to last. 

But last in our inventory, this wine will not. With its Master Sommelier vineyard provenance, future vintages are surely destined almost exclusively for America’s top restaurants. We got the early hot tip on the 2017 State of Mind LS Vineyard Pinot based on our close Quintessa connection to Larry, but as soon as the word gets out on this Lingua Franca look-alike at half the price, we’re betting it will become just as hot a commodity as its sibling.