Willamette Valley | Dundee Hills

2017 Knudsen Vineyards Pinot noir

This fresh-faced Pinot noir from the Dundee Hills of Oregon is a bright ruby red, fading to a gentle salmon pink. Red raspberry, spiced cherry, and blood orange emerge from the glass, followed by gentle notes of cola. The body is light and linear with a good balance of youthful fruit and complex spices with a whisper of oak in the background. The fruit is pleasant on the palate with suggestions of orange blossom and allspice, supported by crisp acidity and a pleasantly long finish.

photo of bottle with wine label reading knudsen vineyards pinot noir 2017
front label image for knudsen vineyards pinot nor willamette valley dundee hills 2017
back label image for knudsen vineyards pinot nor willamette valley dundee hills 2017

FAMILY SERIES

Estate Grown

LIVE Certified

Salmon Safe

ACCOLADES

93 – Wine Spectator
92 – Wine Enthusiast
91 – Wine & Spirits
Double Gold – SavorNW Wine Awards
more

Tech Sheet

Appellation Oregon | Willamette Valley | Dundee Hills
 Alcohol 14.2%
Soil Jory Brix 23.6
Oak French, 23%, 16 mos.
pH 3.56
TA 5.5
Cases 375

map of knudsen vineyards illustrating the various vineyard blocks by grape varietyBlock 13 | 30%
Rootstock | 3309
Clone | 667
Planted | 2012
Elevation | 700-775 ft
Exposure | E
Spacing | 5×5 ft

Block 16 | 70%
Rootstock | 3309
Clone | 777
Plated | 2001
Elevation | 660-770 ft
Exposure | S
Spacing | 5×5 ft

93 points
Wine Spectator, featured in Insider Weekly October 6
“Expressive, with lovely raspberry and rose petal aromas that lead to supple and refined cherry and toasty cinnamon flavors that fan out on a supple finish.”

92 points 
Wine Enthusiast

DOUBLE GOLD –  SavorNW Wine Awards

91 POINTS
Vinous
“Shimmering red. Spice-accented red berries, candied flowers, incense and baking spices on the highly perfumed nose. A core of juicy acidity underscores sappy, mineral-driven raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that slowly turn sweeter with air. Shows fine definition on the persistent finish, which is framed by smooth, discreet tannins.”

91 POINTS
Wine & Spirits
“Scents of rye and cherry lead in this red. It’s tethered by turf-like tannins, lean and focused. Ideal for smoked trout.”

91 POINTS
James Suckling
“Aromatic and earthy nose of wild mushrooms, dried flowers, currants and spiced cherries. It’s medium-to full-bodied with sleek tannins and rich, spicy character.”

91 POINTS
Christy Canterbury, MW
“The forward, youthful aromas lead with sweet red cherries and tangy red currants. The flavors follows through with the same and give the palate a cheeky, lifted vibrancy. The tannins are nicely managed through the juicy mid-palate then show their lightly bracing, Dundee Hills pedigree in the structured and pleasantly drying finish. Drinking well now, this will please lots of palates. It also has the layers of nuance (especially in its leather and tobacco tones) to transform nicely in bottle.”

A relatively cool and wet spring with a near-normal bud break in mid-April. Late May was characterized by record heat that initiated flowering which produced a very good fruit set with more and larger clusters than previous years.  June saw a cool-down, while the heat ramped up through July moving the fruit rapidly to véraison. August was one of the warmest on record. Early September was warm, which accelerated fruit development but was slowed by a cooling period mid-month, leading to a relatively slow and steady harvest. 2017 ended up with near average to slightly higher than average sugar and acid levels.