2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet in color, the wine features aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum and holiday spices. An inviting, juicy palate with fruit-forward flavors are accented by dark chocolate and toasted oak over a medium-bodied frame with integrated tannins and balanced acidity. Peak drinkability 2021 - 2026
Winemaking Notes
The stylistic vision is pure Pinot Noir fruit with a juicy mouthfeel, balanced oak and soft, sweet, ripe tannins. The methodology includes attention to detail from vineyard to bottle. Picked at peak ripeness, the fruit was gently destemmed, with approximately 90% of the berries remaining intact for intra-berry fermentation, which adds lively fruit forward characteristics.
Prior to fermentation, the must underwent a seven day pre-fermentation cold soak which provides complexity, color and mouthfeel. On the seventh day, the must was inoculated with commercial yeast. After 8-12 days of fermentation in small fermenters, punched down by hand, the must was pressed out and allowed to settle in the tank overnight. The new wine was barreled with light, fluffy lees where it underwent malolactic fermentation.
About the Wine
A relatively mild early winter in 2018 was followed by a cold and wet second half of winter in 2019 and then a wet, but warm spring. The growing season saw a few mild frosts during late April, but started off warmer than average, moderating through mid-vintage with fewer than average heat spikes. The vintage will be remembered for the early rains in September and rapid cool down into October which challenged harvesting decisions. Degree-day totals for 2019 ended up similar to 2012 and 2018, marked by the lowest heat accumulation experienced in September and October since 2007.
Phenological timing and interval lengths were similar to observations in 2018 averaging April 16th for bud break, June 8th for bloom, August 14th for véraison, and September 27th for harvest. The cool vintage came largely from substantially lower maximum temperatures while minimum temperatures were near average to slightly above average. Courtesy of Gregory V. Jones, Linfield College Evenstad Center for Wine Education.
Specs
Vintage 2019
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, Pommard and Wädenswil
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Barrel Regime: 9 months in barrel, 25% New oak, 75% Neutral
Alcohol: 13.5%
Soil Type: Jory (iron-rich volcanic), Nekia, Laurelwood (windblown, glacial loess) including Pisolites and Missoula
Flood sediment
Harvest Date: Sep. 29 - Oct. 17, 2019
Harvest Statistics:
Brix: 23.8°
Titratable acidity: 6.50 g/L
pH: 3.23
Finished Wine Statistics
Alcohol: 13.5%
Titratable acidity: 6.31 g/L
pH: 3.40
Fermentation: Small bins
Bottling Date: June 2020
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Case:
12x 2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
“Our mission in growing cool-climate varietals is to create elegant, classic Oregon wines from the Willamette Valley Appellation. As native Oregonians, we treasure our environment and use sustainable practices in growing and vinifying our wine grapes.” Jim Bernau, Founder/Winegrower
Founded in 1983 by Oregon native Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir
3 bottles for $79.99 $26.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@StingingJ Do go on… Of course shipping is going to be a big consideration, but where are you to chime in on every other offering that could be had cheaper elsewhere???
I am not trying to be rude, but it would be an easy sell to kill my VMP and purchase when needed if I could buy the same wines cheaper elsewhere.
Spicy cranberry fruit has a sharp tone and some phenolic bite. It’s young and tight, with focused blueberry fruit wrapped in a frame of earthy skin flavors. Aged nine months in one-quarter new French oak, this should benefit from another year or two of bottle age. PG 10/1/21
Last minute labrat reporting for duty! Got the email from Alice yesterday at 5pm EST and had the bottle in my hands 20hr later! On pop-n-pour the wine is a light magenta, nearly the color of some Spanish Rosado I consumed a couple of years ago. The nose is all raspberry and dried cherry, smells very fresh. Very light on the palate, barely there. Thinner than I want it to be. On second sip the acidity comes out and a delicate… yeah I don’t know what it is. Not fruit. Maybe earth. I mean there’s something beguiling there, just can’t put my finger on it. This wine is kinda like Camus. You think you know what you’re going to get, and you kind of do, but the twist isn’t as satisfying as you expect, yet you keep reading and you’re not exactly disappointed.
Until yesterday, all I was thinking about was the Big Ten Championship game and feeding my kids while my wife celebrates her birthday with friends. She doesn’t eat beef, so I saw an opportunity to make boeuf bourguignon to prep for watching the Wolverines. And that was before the surprise wine that knocked on my door. Must be fate*. I’ll check back later with tasting notes on the quintessential Pinot Noir pairing.
*If you followed all that, you must be @DrHellKnow.
Well, with some air the wine really fills out. It was just really wound up in it’s youth. Not quite as full as the Keller Estate pinot noir (or the Nysa, though those were much longer aged and different for other reasons) but has sufficient body and heft for the varietal. More pronounced fruit flavors on the palate, but it is still a melange. The ample acidity makes it better with food, but it doesn’t have quite enough weight to stand up to the beef/bacon/mushroom depth of the boeuf bourguignon. With some time and air some lovely herbal flavors come out. No perceptible oak or tannin.
Overall, it is a nuanced, varietally correct Pinot noir that tastes exceptionally youthful at the moment. Thanks a ton to Alice and the whole WCC crew for getting this wine to me on such short notice. Sorry for the stream of consciousness notes, this was a bit of a different experience for me too. Salut!
I got really lucky with this bottle as the friendly fellows in Brown left it at my door despite my not being around this morning (Saturday). After it delivered, I drove the thirty-ish minutes back home to grab the bottle and then returned to the pre-scheduled day.
Observationally, the bottle is quite nice, and the label is finely printed in high quality and there’s a section labeled “technical” that I almost wish more wines had, and it includes a suggested “peak drinkability” (2021-2026 for this one). It feels like a quality cork, but in contrast to my preference there’s a ton of ink (W on top/bottom) and several imprints along the body as well.
I don’t get to have enough Pinot in my life due to my wife’s general observation that it all “tastes like grapes” so any time I get to have some it’s generally a good day.
Anyway—I popped open this bottle (after sampling my friend’s Aldi Advent Pinot Noir from today which was measurably light in color and tone and… flavor) and poured a short glass. Color is surprisingly dark/dense garnet. The nose isn’t very complex, but has hints of hot cherries and plum, maybe a hint of cedar-like-but-not-quite-cedar wood. The taste was not what I was expecting; it’s something very unique that I can’t seem to pin down. There’s white cherries and maybe something blue berry-ish, too, but only hints. A punch of cranberry-like-but-not-flavored acidity is pleasant but not quite expected.
I’m going to drop the cork in this and try more again later this evening or tomorrow as the schedule allows. Will try and follow up.
@drhellknow Thanks, that’s quite interesting. I haven’t tasted this wine specifically but I find your taste descriptions (that you said you didn’t expect for a PN) actually consistent with what i would wish for in a good Oregon PN. Likely quite different from a California PN or even one of the lower-priced Oregon offerings which tend to be more light, cherry-fruit focused, often not much else.
@netcommsyn And, I’ll reiterate, there’s shipping costs that make it more expensive than this offer. And even more so for those who pay for free shipping here. And, this comment is out of place.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir - $60 = 18.74%
2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
About the Wine
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$459/Case at Willamette Valley Vineyards for 12x 2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 30 - Tuesday, Jan 4
Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir
3 bottles for $79.99 $26.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Founders’ Reserve Pinot Noir
Check meh.com tonight too
@jaybird came to say this!
@jaybird Thanks for the heads up!
/giphy enjoyable-ancient-snowglobe
@jaybird
Pedroncelli!
Look at me posting on casemates two days in a row. I know they are trying to expand the customer base, but we also need to keep the natives happy.
@jaybird You can buy 3 cases on Meh!
@jaybird Thanks for the notice. I bought a case again this year to give out to people at work, and a half case for the father-in-law.
@jaybird Is that Ed St. John in a Santa suit? @pedroncellifam
Is the case price correct? This is a first for me to see a casemates wine cheaper (with free shipping) on wine searcher at another vendor.
@StingingJ
It’s usually in the contract.
Are you sure it’s the exact same wine (vintage, name, etc.)??
@StingingJ Right?!
@MarkDaSpark @StingingJ appears to be the same. They also have the 2018 available at $28.xx
@StingingJ Looks like it is not one of their free shipping items. They’ll charge me $22.04 to ship a couple of counties over.
@StingingJ Do go on… Of course shipping is going to be a big consideration, but where are you to chime in on every other offering that could be had cheaper elsewhere???
I am not trying to be rude, but it would be an easy sell to kill my VMP and purchase when needed if I could buy the same wines cheaper elsewhere.
@deadlyapp @MarkDaSpark @StingingJ Is it the Founders’? They do make a bottling just labeled “Estate” at a $32 msrp. ???
@KNmeh7 just clarifying I said this is the FIRST time i had seen it cheaper else where, also was just an innocent question.
That WE review:
Spicy cranberry fruit has a sharp tone and some phenolic bite. It’s young and tight, with focused blueberry fruit wrapped in a frame of earthy skin flavors. Aged nine months in one-quarter new French oak, this should benefit from another year or two of bottle age. PG 10/1/21
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/willamette-valley-vineyards-2019-founders-reserve-pinot-noir-willamette-valley/
fwiw
This sounds pretty delicious to me. In for a case@
/giphy thankful-tranquil-punch
La cheeserie
@thelecroy eventful-candlelit-tidings how fitting
Last minute labrat reporting for duty! Got the email from Alice yesterday at 5pm EST and had the bottle in my hands 20hr later! On pop-n-pour the wine is a light magenta, nearly the color of some Spanish Rosado I consumed a couple of years ago. The nose is all raspberry and dried cherry, smells very fresh. Very light on the palate, barely there. Thinner than I want it to be. On second sip the acidity comes out and a delicate… yeah I don’t know what it is. Not fruit. Maybe earth. I mean there’s something beguiling there, just can’t put my finger on it. This wine is kinda like Camus. You think you know what you’re going to get, and you kind of do, but the twist isn’t as satisfying as you expect, yet you keep reading and you’re not exactly disappointed.
Until yesterday, all I was thinking about was the Big Ten Championship game and feeding my kids while my wife celebrates her birthday with friends. She doesn’t eat beef, so I saw an opportunity to make boeuf bourguignon to prep for watching the Wolverines. And that was before the surprise wine that knocked on my door. Must be fate*. I’ll check back later with tasting notes on the quintessential Pinot Noir pairing.
*If you followed all that, you must be @DrHellKnow.
Well, with some air the wine really fills out. It was just really wound up in it’s youth. Not quite as full as the Keller Estate pinot noir (or the Nysa, though those were much longer aged and different for other reasons) but has sufficient body and heft for the varietal. More pronounced fruit flavors on the palate, but it is still a melange. The ample acidity makes it better with food, but it doesn’t have quite enough weight to stand up to the beef/bacon/mushroom depth of the boeuf bourguignon. With some time and air some lovely herbal flavors come out. No perceptible oak or tannin.
Overall, it is a nuanced, varietally correct Pinot noir that tastes exceptionally youthful at the moment. Thanks a ton to Alice and the whole WCC crew for getting this wine to me on such short notice. Sorry for the stream of consciousness notes, this was a bit of a different experience for me too. Salut!
I got really lucky with this bottle as the friendly fellows in Brown left it at my door despite my not being around this morning (Saturday). After it delivered, I drove the thirty-ish minutes back home to grab the bottle and then returned to the pre-scheduled day.
Observationally, the bottle is quite nice, and the label is finely printed in high quality and there’s a section labeled “technical” that I almost wish more wines had, and it includes a suggested “peak drinkability” (2021-2026 for this one). It feels like a quality cork, but in contrast to my preference there’s a ton of ink (W on top/bottom) and several imprints along the body as well.
I don’t get to have enough Pinot in my life due to my wife’s general observation that it all “tastes like grapes” so any time I get to have some it’s generally a good day.
Anyway—I popped open this bottle (after sampling my friend’s Aldi Advent Pinot Noir from today which was measurably light in color and tone and… flavor) and poured a short glass. Color is surprisingly dark/dense garnet. The nose isn’t very complex, but has hints of hot cherries and plum, maybe a hint of cedar-like-but-not-quite-cedar wood. The taste was not what I was expecting; it’s something very unique that I can’t seem to pin down. There’s white cherries and maybe something blue berry-ish, too, but only hints. A punch of cranberry-like-but-not-flavored acidity is pleasant but not quite expected.
I’m going to drop the cork in this and try more again later this evening or tomorrow as the schedule allows. Will try and follow up.
@drhellknow Thanks, that’s quite interesting. I haven’t tasted this wine specifically but I find your taste descriptions (that you said you didn’t expect for a PN) actually consistent with what i would wish for in a good Oregon PN. Likely quite different from a California PN or even one of the lower-priced Oregon offerings which tend to be more light, cherry-fruit focused, often not much else.
WVV is an automatic case buy for me. Great faithful Oregon Pinot.
Available for about $20, same label as advertised “Founders Reserve”.
@netcommsyn And, I’ll reiterate, there’s shipping costs that make it more expensive than this offer. And even more so for those who pay for free shipping here. And, this comment is out of place.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir - $60 = 18.74%