Our Oregon Pinot Noir to Drink now list includes some of the best wines from the area that are ready to be enjoyed in 2021 and 2022. Wine is like a fruit, it tastes best when it’s perfectly ripe.
Since the 1990s, the Willamette Valley of Oregon established a reputation as one of the wine regions producing world-class Pinot Noir. Since then, its popularity has only grown, and new wineries are popping up every year.
The success of Oregon wines attracted many talented young and established winemakers from premier regions of the world to this new wine frontier where innovation and experience come together to create better wines. Nowadays, over a dozen French winemakers and renowned winemaking families established themselves in Willamette Valley, amping the game.
12 Great Oregon Pinot Noirs to Drink Now
Domaine Divio Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2014
Domaine Divio’s 2014 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir comes from Bruno Corneaux, the third-generation Burgundy winemaker. After producing wine around the world, Bruno settled in Willamette Valley with his wife Isabelle (co-owner) and kids.
While he worked for other wineries as a winemaker, 2014 was the inaugural vintage under his label, and Bruno couldn’t pick a better year to start. After a few challenging vintages in a row, 2014 was a warm record-breaking year that resulted in powerful age-worthy wines.
As the name implies, the grapes for this wine came from Ribbon Ridge AVA that Bruno believes is one of the best places to grow Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley.
2014 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir in a glass reflects its place and vintage with a ripe fruit character of Morello cherry, raspberry, red plum, and rose water. The long aftertaste is defined by dried cherries and prune.
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De Ponte Cellars Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2017
De Ponte Cellars Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2017 is a wine made by Isabelle Dutartre, another expatriate Burgundian winemaker with extensive experience. Isabelle is the head winemaker for De Ponte Cellars and “1789”, her own boutique wine label.
De Ponte Pinot Noir 2017 made with the fruit from the most prized Willamette Valley AVA – Dundee Hills. After three hot years in a row, 2017 started with a challenging rainy spring and late blooming. Yet, the summer was warm and dry, providing ample sunlight for grapes to ripen. Cooler weather and a bit of rain a couple of weeks before the harvest helped the grapes to retain bright acidity.
De Ponte Pinot Noir 2017 has a red fruit character with notes of strawberry, cherry caramel, Maraschino cherry, and a light touch of vanilla and cedar. The bright acidity balances the fruit and refreshes the palate.
De Ponte Butcher’s Block 2016
Compare it with De Ponte Butcher’s Block Pinot Noir 2016 with grapes from Lonesome Rock Ranch Vineyard. One of the warmest vintages on record resulted in powerful wine with aroma and flavors of cherry cola and black cherry, strawberry, and ripe sour cherry. While fruit-forward, it still had forest floor notes, the region is known for.
The most exciting wine swinging activity is comparing wines, especially when they come from the same regions or producers or vintages or all of the above.
Bergström Cumberland Reserve 2017
In the case of Bergström Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir 2017, it would be fun drinking it side-by-side with De Ponte Dundee Hills because they are both from the same vintage.
Bergström earned a formidable reputation for the quality of its wines and raked multiple 90+ ratings from wine critics. Although the winemaker Josh Bergström is American of Swedish descent, he trained in Burgundy and practices the French winemaking philosophy of low intervention.
While De Ponte and Bergström are both 2017 vintage, the fun part is that Bergström Cumberland Reserve is a blend of Pinot Noir from multiple sites in Willamette Valley and shows off the blending skill of the winemaker.
True to its origin, the aroma combines fruity black cherry with mushrooms and autumn leaves. On the palate, the wine is rounded and balanced with flavors of raspberry and cherry with a dried apricot aftertaste.
Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir 2017
Comparing it to De Ponte Dundee Hill Pinot is a perfect opportunity to taste how much of a difference the source of the grapes makes because both wines are the same vintage and made by French winemakers. Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir 2017 comes from a world-renown winemaking family from Bourgogne. Drouhin family was among the first French winemakers who set the snobbery aside and recognized the potential of Oregon wines in the 1980s.
The grapes for Roserock Pinot from the estate property in Eola-Amity Hills AVA, located just a bit south of Dundee Hills.
Roserock is a layered wine with aromas and flavors of fresh blueberries, violets, dark cherry, boysenberry, and earthy notes. Just like other Pinot Noir on this list, it can age well for 5-8 years.
Twomey Dundee Hills 2018
Would you like to take it another notch up? Add Twomey Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2018 made with grapes from the same AVA as De Ponte Dundee Hills Pinot. Different vintages, but grapes came from the same part of Willamette Valley.
Comparing these two is a clash of more than different producers but different vintages and winemaking philosophies.
Twomey Winery is also an ex-pat from California with winemaking history stretching back almost half a century.
Twomey’s philosophy might be different from French winemakers, yet what unites them is the terroir of Willamette Valley. Twomey Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2018 was among the first wines we tried from this producer, and you can find complete tasting notes here.
Roco Private Stash No. 12 2014
Roco Private Stash No. 12 Pinot Noir 2014 was probably the most distinct of the bunch. It came from Rolin Soles, the veteran winemaker with over 35-year experience producing Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley.
Grapes for Private Stash No. 12 came from the estate Wits’ End Vineyard in Chehalem Mountain AVA. Only select and rarest barrels from the estate are used in the production of Private Stash, just as the name implies.
The production is small and comes down to the personal preference of the winemaker when he tastes wine from each barrel and picks a few for a final blend.
Private Stash scent was unlike any other Pinot from this list. The aromas were hard to define because they blended so well together. It felt familiar and elusive at the same time and made us think of Beaujolais Nouveau. We smelled crushed marionberry and fresh-cut red apple, autumn leaves after the rain, dried red rose, and herbal Amaro notes.
The palate was equally balanced with black cherry and a pleasant bitter note of cherry pith, red apple skin and dried apricot, a hint of red plum, and a touch of Chinato-Amaro flavors.
It would make a fascinating side-by-side tasting with Domaine Divio Ribbon Ridge 2014. They are of the same vintage but different AVAs. And to add a little spice, Rollin is from Texas – American-born and trained, and Bruno is from Bourgogne.
More Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
A few other really good Pinot Noirs to consider:
- Archery Summit Looney Vineyard 2011
- Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve 2012
- Ken Wright Savoya Vineyard 2017
- Roco’s Stalker 2017
- J Christopher Volcanique 2017
It is hardly a complete list of superb Oregon Pinots to drink now, but we think it is perfect for making you a fan of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Cheers!
