2010 Estate Grown Pinot Blanc

TASTING NOTES
This wine is a pale straw color with a sweet nose of melon and lemon zest. It is smooth on the palate and altogether gorgeously lush. Pink grapefruit, orange blossom, star fruit and lemon grass hit first with secondary notes of pineapple and papaya. Its freshness goes a long way in pleasing the palate, displaying delightful complexity and a long finish. It is the perfect balance of fruit and mineral with a touch of sweetness. Serve chilled.

Enjoy this wine by itself as an aperitif, or pair it with Thai food.

 

VINTAGE
The 2010 vintage caused much anxiety in Oregon although it featured a relatively warm winter, especially February.  Spring, however, was cold and wet, with May and June temperatures 8-10 degrees below average on most days.  Budbreak occurred in the third week of April, but very little growth took place in the following weeks.  Veraison was one of the latest on record, beginning at the end of August and completing in mid-September.  The vintage was saved by a sunny and fairly dry October, contributing to good phenolic maturity, albeit at a lower than usual Brix level.  Harvest started on October 19 with Terres Basses and finished on November 1 just before the rainy season began.  These wines are balanced with a lower level of alcohol, typically around 13.8 ABV, and they exhibit an excellent fruit profile.

 

VINEYARDS
WillaKenzie Estate has seven acres of Pinot Blanc, planted in 1992, 1993, and 1995.  The vines are planted at 1200 vines/acre, running north to south to allow for maximum sun exposure.  All the vineyards are planted on Willakenzie soil, known for its excellent drainage.  The clones used are true Pinot Blanc clones from the Alsace region of France.  The plants are grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock and trained into an upright, double-guyot trellising system.  Pinot Blanc requires leaf removal around the fruit zone on both sides of the canopy to allow for good air circulation and exposure of the fruit to sunlight.

Yield:  3.8 tons per acre / Brix:  22.5° / pH:  3.2 / TA:  8.0

WINEMAKING
We timed our harvest based on taste and physiological maturity.  Our goal is to let the vines fully express the fruit qualities that are characteristic of this varietal.  In our gravity-fed winery, we made the 2010 Pinot Blanc in a rich and complex Alsatian style.  We pressed whole clusters, and after cold settling of the juice, inoculated with yeast from the Alsace region, chosen to enhance the fruit’s aromatics.  We fermented in stainless steel tanks slowly and at low temperatures to retain the freshness and subtlety of the fruit.

Alcohol:  13.5% / Residual Sugar:  0.2% / pH:  3.3 / TA:  7.5

 

 

To see tasting notes and reviews for previous vintages please visit our Trade Toolkit