A Clay Court performance worthy of Rafael Dadal. Dark strawberry and raspberry aromas are joined by the fresh smell of clean, lemony sheets hanging on the laundry line. Cranberry and raspberry flavors provide a nice sweet/tart combination to go along with the saline and crunch of Marcona almonds.
“This wine is beautifully balanced with velvety tannins and the silkiest texture this side of sateen bed sheets and spider webs. A strawberry lemonade aroma makes a nice one-two-three pinch with blackberries and talc. Dark cherry and dark chocolate flavors are flanked by rosemary and a meaty note similar to grilled steaks.”
“Blackberries, fresh-cut grass and orange peel aromas are joined by a full-on earthy, rocky post-rain petrichor/geosmin experience. Rain and fruit—talk about quintessentially Oregon. The wine’s fuller-bodied flavors include black cherries, basil and grilled beets. Crisp texture, with tangy acidity and firm tannins. Editors’ Choice.”
Our 2019 Roosevelt Pinot Noir has been honored with a 93-point score from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The full review will post in…
“The 2019 vintage for Elk Cove’s reserve is astounding. Black-cherry and blackcap raspberry aromas dance an intense tango with notes of basil and caramel. Berry flavors—both black and blue—glide across the smooth palate. With such brisk acidity and sturdy tannins, enjoy this pinot noir until 2034.”
Our 2021 Pinot Noir Reserve has been honored with a 96-point score and “Cellar Selection” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
“The aromas are generous, with notes of apple, pear, star fruit and candle wax. The palate is flavorful, medium bodied but deft, with a mixture of tree and tropical fruit.”
The aromas start out light, with notes of herb, pear, star fruit and other tropical fruits. Broad-feeling flavors follow, showing depth and layering. There’s pleasing balance to it all.
Cranberry, blackberry and black cherry ring loud and clear, with appealing wet-stone minerality in the background. The fruit flavors are so front loaded and intense that it’s easy to miss the inherent angularity and overall finesse of the wine. It’s structured and fine-tuned for aging.
“The Clay Court Vineyard sits atop Parrett Mountain and offers up pie cherry fruit with a backing of tart orange. At first it seems a little thinner than the other 2019 single vineyard selections from Elk Cove, with more lemony citrus flavors. With ample aeration the aromas build and the palate expands nicely with balanced acidity. Some wines need a bit of extra time after bottling and this seems to be one of them.”
2019 is an excellent vintage for Elk Cove, despite whatever fire-related weather and smoke issues the Willamette Valley was suffering. Perhaps the northwest corner location was spared the smoke; in any event the estate-grown Pinots are fruit-driven, beautifully ripened, clean and textured and immediately delicious. The Mount Richmond adds a touch of leather to its blackberry fruit, along with refreshing minerality and a neat streak of espresso. Trailing out the finish is a note of clean straw. Drink now and through the middle of the decade.
Fresh and fragrant in blueberry and blackberry fruit, it’s nicely layered and balanced across the palate. Along with the fresh berries are touches of savory Italian herbs and even a hint of dill. The tannins, though earthy and firm, are ripe and proportionate. This wine is sure to please immediately.
92 Points and Editors Choice
“This cool climate wine is tart and pungent and has a touch of the flavor of Sauvignon Blanc, with that same piercing green pepper note. Not that it isn’t sufficiently ripe; it is, and also brings crisp apple and green melon fruit along with some lip-smacking acidity.” – Paul Gregutt
“Elk Cove, under the winemaking direction of Adam Campbell, has become one of Oregon’s premier wineries, making sublime single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and also this peachy, crisp Pinot Gris. It’s a perfect, sustainably-made summer white.”