2009 Pinot Noir Emery

TASTING NOTES

The 2009 Emery is a darker ruby red shade than the Kiana, and with a dramatically different nose. It offers silky, black fruit along with cassis, dusty rose and graham crackers. Distinguished by a more concentrated style, although restrained at first, the growing structure leads to coffee and caramel tones on the finish. We recommend holding 1-2 years before opening, but if you can’t wait, decant 1 hour prior to serving.

Pairs wells with braised beef or oxtail, or rabbit stew.

 

VINTAGE
The 2009 vintage started with a slightly delayed budbreak in the third week of April. After swift canopy growth from mid-May to June, full bloom ensued by June 18th, resulting in a healthy fruit set. By July, summer heat spells hastened fruit development and seed hardening. By executing a strategic leaf pulling program, we were able to delay exposing the fruit, despite the potential for sunburn damage, which was minimal compared to other sites in the valley where pulling was heavy and early. The growing season provided ample vegetative growth with a focus on maintaining a contained canopy, guiding the plant from green growth to fruit growth. Our clusters were abundant in number and plump with the start of veraison, from August 5th, onward. With appropriate hedging and fruit thinning, we managed to keep our target yields. The fruit matured progressively with very little fruit rot and increasingly lower yield, as dehydration set in. Harvest began on September 21st with Terres Basses and ended on October 12th. The overall quality of the fruit was exceptional with full, heavy clusters, good color, and an ideal balance of sugars and acids.

 

VINEYARDS

The Emery vineyard is named after owner Bernard Lacroute’s grandfather and was planted in 1998. It is situated on a southfacing bench ranging in elevation from 580 to 720 feet. The layers of topsoil are deeper than in the rest of the Estate vineyards resulting in more vigorous plants. We planted a mix of new Dijon clones, primarily 777 and some of the oldest
selections of Pinot Noir in Oregon, including Pommard propagated by Coury and Wädenswil propagated by Erath. The various clones are harvested and fermented together to reflect the characteristics of the site.

Yield:  2.3 tons/acre — Brix: 24.8° — pH: 3.5 – TA: 6.3

 

WINEMAKING
In our gravity-fed winery, this 2009 Emery was handcrafted to achieve a fully extracted and complex style. A cool maceration preceded the open-top, Burgundian style fermentation for a total of 27 days of skin contact and daily punch downs by ‘Bigfoot’, our pneumatic punch down device. The wine was then gravity fed directly to barrels where it underwent 100% malolactic fermentation during the next 6 months. The wine spent a total of 15 months in 60% new French oak from a selection of coopers and was bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Alcohol :  14.4% — pH:  3.75 — TA:  5.5

 

REVIEWS
2008 Vintage 

WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Emery 2008 Review by WINEREVIEWONLINE.COM

July 12, 2011
“WillaKenzie bottles several vineyard designated Pinot Noir each year. For some wineries, vineyard designation is simply a marketing tool. Not for WillaKenzie. Their single vineyard wines are distinctive and unique. Slightly more power and concentration sets WillaKenzie’s Emery Vineyard bottling apart from their Aliette bottling (previously reviewed). Complementing the concentration are gamey nuances and an exotic wildness. Lovely now, it will unfold nicely over the next several years.” – Michael Apstein

ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2008 Pinot Noir Emery spent 15 months in 60% new French oak. It displays more herbal notes and darker fruit. In the glass it sports a velvety texture with underlying structure that suggests another 2-3 years of cellaring will be beneficial.  Drink it from 2013 to 2020+.”    - Jay Miller

 

STEPHEN TANZER’S INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
“Vivid ruby-red. Aromas of cherry and dark berries, with complicating cola and violet nuances and a hint of toasty oak. Dense and fresh, with tangy acidity giving spine to the sappy flavors of blackberry and bitter cherry. Nicely plump on the finish, which features soft tannins and a late note of dark chocolate.” - Josh Raynolds

 

 

 

See past reviews of WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Emery

To see tasting notes from previous vintages please visit our Trade Toolkit