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2001 Pinot Blanc
Freedom Hill Vineyard Release Date: 9/1/2002 Retail Price $: 16.00 Production: 536 cases Production Notes Freedom Hill Vineyard is located in the foot hills of the coast range 10 miles south west of Sa lem, Oregon. The vine yard was plant ed in 1993 on a well drained silty clay loam. It has a southwest exposure at an elevation of 475' and benefits from heat rising off the valley floor. We produced this Pinot blanc in a style to accentuate texture and ripe fruit flavors. The must was fermented half each in barrel and tank, aged for eight months on the lees, and lightly filtered. |
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Winemaker's Notes
Pinot blanc and Pinot gris are closely related to Pinot noir. Both are the result of natural mutations of Pinot noir. They ripen beautifully in Oregon because our climate is perfectly suited to all three varieties. The result is wines with a lovely balance of flavors.
I like Pinot blanc because it smells much better than most Chardonnay. A complexity of pomme (apple and pear) and tropical fruit carries onto the palate and the wine has enough acidity to work with food. Pinot blanc produces a wine that is balanced and supple without too much oak and can be sold for a very fair price.
Half of our Pinot blanc is fermented in tank, the other half in mostly older barrels. The tank fermented wine retains the purity of fruit and the barreled wine adds a nice textural component that extends into the finish. I like the 2001 Pinot blanc even better that the 2000. The percent of new wood was reduced from 15 to 10 and the balance has shifted toward being more fruit-forward.
Tasting Notes
Ripe pear, peach, apple, and nuances of tropical fruit aromas dominate the nose. Layered sweet fruit flavors fill your mouth with hints of spice and sweet oak. It has a lovely mouth filling texture, but is not heavy, or thick. All foods go well with this wine. Try it with shellfish, especially steamed mussels, for a great match.