2016 Pinot Noir

Make room in your cellar for wines that are simply stellar

Bradley Vineyards 2016 Reserve Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Elkton

Cozy and warmly spiced with a nose of sweet cigar box spices, vanilla, whole nutmeg and cinnamon stick, this wine calls for curling up with a blanket and staying in. Sticky purple plum and blackberry, with a tickle of tarragon, round out the aromas. On the palate, savory, sweet and spice intermingle with bramble berries, dark plum, cooling mint and spiced vanilla-almond cookie. Tangerine and tannin linger on the finish.
$35; 25 cases

Red Hills Cellars 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Defined by dried fruits and spice, this wine presents as mature for its age and well integrated. Milk chocolate-tinged brewed coffee and the spiced tang of tomato jam, plus whole clove and allspice, create a complex nose that piques curiosity. The palate delivers with dried cherries, concentrated cranberry and spiced cola notes.
$55; 60 cases

Pinot Envy 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

With a quiet nose, the wine urges you to lean in, eventually whispering marzipan, cherry, cinnamon, vanilla and toast. The more pronounced palate presents in three acts. Act 1 leads with strawberry. Orange, clove and black pepper join the show in Act 2. The finale leaves a lasting impression of anise and tart blackberry. Subdued alcohol makes this a fine choice for food pairing.
$25; 2,000 cases

Stave & Stone 2016 Broken Boulder Vineyard Dukes Valley Block Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge

The extravagant magenta hue predicts something saturated and fun. Lively fruit aromas of maraschino cherry, raspberry and plum get a light squeeze of refreshing clementine citrus, a wisp of rose parfum and the sweetness of vanilla. A juicy palate combines strawberry, hibiscus, raspberry and a bit of cola. Blackberry black tea adds some complexity with an orange peel sharpness on the long finish. $42; 195 cases

Panache Cellars 2016 One Heart Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Yummy aromas of sweet marzipan, blueberry, dense prunes and clove lead to flavors perfect for autumn. Mulled spices, tangy, sweet fig spread, baked shortbread and concentrated stewed red berries flow into a bright finish that sets up the next sip.
$29; 80 cases

Burner Wines 2016 Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton

Raspberry and dark chocolate blend with notes of floral spice and hints of black pepper for a sophisticated nose. Bright, refreshing tart cherry continually lifts the textured tannin and lightens the mood all the way to a blueberry-toned finish.
$40; 100 cases

Pfeiffer 2016 Blue Dot Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Herbaceous, fresh and mostly green aromas leap from the glass with lime leaf, bay, green tea and a hint of cooling eucalyptus sweetened with blueberry. Elegantly light in body with delicate flavors of orange blossom, plum, tart cranberry and a tangelo zest tannic bite on the finish. $88
(limited pre-release)

King Estate 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Rich, earthy and seductive with red tea, savory blackberry and cinnamon spice aromas. Smoothly textured with the elusively sweet fruit flavors of lingonberry and green apple cider. Black tea intermingles and grounds with earthy floral spice. A splash of juicy citrus and blueberry make a lively finish.
$29; 25,680 cases

David Hill 2016 Blackjack Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

White pepper spice tickles the nose while bay leaf adds fresh complexity, cinnamon sticks warm the spice profile, and red fruit ties it all together. Velvet in texture and richly flavored, yet freshly presented with sharp orange zest, warm clove, concentrated cherry and tart blackberry.
$55; 182 cases

Apolloni Vineyards 2016 Pinot Noir Cuvée, Willamette Valley

Sweetly handsome smells of milk chocolate, vanilla and cherry pipe tobacco repeat as perfectly inviting flavors, supported by substantial tannin and a blueberry, chocolate cherry goodness that blossoms across the finish.
$26; 2,192 cases

Eola Hills Wine Cellars 2016 Barrel Select Reserve Pinot Noir, Oregon

The sweet-savory combination of light tayberry, spicy cinnamon and brewed tea with sassafras creates an inviting, titillating aroma. Flavors range from light and tart — rhubarb and anise — to sweet, dark Bing cherry. White pepper makes a tingly finish. Intensely yet evenly structured.
$36; 1,254 cases

Reustle Prayer Rock 2016 Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Umpqua Valley

Dark, concentrated aromatics of toasted oak smoke, almonds, dried currant and ripe raspberry predict a warm, enveloping palate. Cherry cola and dark chocolate flavors carry on cocoa powder tannins that grip and then release to a brighter taste teaser of orange peel and black pepper on the finish.
$42; 350 cases

Foris 2016 Estate-Grown Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley

Dried fruit leather with concentrated strawberry, smoked paprika, sweet and fresh culinary herbs, and a mixture of spices — cinnamon, mace, coriander, clove — create a layered, complex nose. Darkly ripe fruit flavors of cola, raspberry, cherry and tomato are unified by a medley of spices and carried through to a pleasantly leather-flavored tannic finish.
$20; 6,167 cases

Knudsen Vineyards 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills

Pretty blueberry and floral aromas combine with more savory darker tones of toasted cinnamon stick and caramelized meat glaze. Blueberry reappears on the palate, which is concentrated and rich with a soft finish and a return of baking spices. Young for a “reserve style,” we expect more layers of fruit to reveal with a little time.
$70; 250 cases