2018 Patton Valley 'Fu-Mei' Pinot Noir Blanc Oregon

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Our Pinot Noir Blanc is named to celebrate the mother of Dave Chen, one of our owners. Fu-Mei is Chinese for “rich and beautiful”, and is an apt description of both the wine and the lady. Fruit sourced from our Barn Block and our oldest vines in the 10 Acre Block are hand picked, quickly and gently pressed, and then barrel fermented in the tradition of fine white Burgundy. Malolactic fermentation starts, but does not finish, giving the wine breadth without sacrificing brightness.

Man, what a wine! Taste after taste this delivers a wide open range of brightness, richness, complexity, and depth. It truly is spectacular. The nose starts with a cedar spice, green tea, rose petals, and satsuma kind of razzmatazz, and becomes more citrus driven as it persists. Is that a Dreamsicle? Yes, yes it is, and more. The palate is first juicy, and then bright and lively, and finally a kind of baritone note at the end of a libretto that holds and holds. There’s apricot, apple, tangerine, ginger, and something like a salted caramel cookie here, and a refreshing saline finish. It sounds like a lot, and it is. Best enjoyed over the course of a long evening now, or for the next 11 years.