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2002 Pinot Blanc
Freedom Hill Vineyard Release Date: 9/1/2003 Retail Price $: 16.00 Production: 581 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. The entire Pinot family ripens beautifully in Oregon because our climate is perfectly suited to their needs. The resulting wines are blessed with ripe fruit and balanced acidity.
Pinot blanc has a complexity of pomme (apple and pear) and tropical fruit aromas that carry onto your palate. I believe Pinot blanc works differently with food than either Pinot gris or Chardonnay. It matches extremely well with shellfish and fatty fish dishes. It is especially good with mussels and tuna tartar. Pinot gris is a great match with leaner fish and other white meats.
Sixty percent of our Pinot blanc is fermented in tank, forty percent in mostly older barrels. Ten percent of the wood is new. 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 balance of texture to fruit in the 2002 wine better than in any previous vintage.
Tasting Notes
Ripe pear, peach, apple, and nuances of white tropical fruit aromas dominate the nose. Layered sweet fruit flavors move across your palate with hints of spice. It has a lovely mouth filling texture, but is not heavy, or thick. The fruit and textural nuances linger into the finish.