With heaps of bright red raspberry and ripe cherry, this wine’s freshness extends to a juicy palate. Sappy and bright, the red fruit sings alongside fine-grained tannins, iron, five-spice and rosemary.
“Deep ruby color, silky texture, lush and tangy black cherry and spice with hints of toasted oak and vanilla, balanced and long.”
– Anthony Dias Blue (March, 2020)
“A complex bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, exotic spices, cola and succulent herbs, and a hint of smokiness builds in the glass. Densely packed yet lively, offering intense black raspberry, boysenberry, candied rose and cola flavors that turn sweeter through the midpalate. Finishes very long and smooth, with sneaky tannins framing lingering dark berry preserve and floral pastille notes.”
– Vinous (August, 2020)
“Aromas of fresh earth and ripe, red cherries and plums here with some undergrowth and wild-herb notes…”
– James Suckling (Jan, 2020)
VINTAGE 2018’s growing season started hot and dry through spring and summer, but relief was just around the corner. A hearty rain weeks before harvest and cool temperatures in September and October slowed ripening and gave the fruit additional hang-time. Harvest came late with small, intensely flavored berries with a high skin-to-juice ratio. After a slow start, the second half of harvest saw the simultaneous ripening of multiple blocks and a veritable “crush” in the fermentation hall. Once again, we were thankful for the added capacity of our 2013 cellar expansion and a crew of seasoned pros in the vineyard and the cellar.
These are wines of ample flavors and high maturity levels. The Pinot Noirs are bold and fruit-forward with higher than average tannins. In the white wines, expect more tropical fruit aromas in addition to the classic stone-fruit aromas. This is a great vintage for those who appreciate boldness in cool-climate varietals. 2018 wines are highly intriguing, their intense richness balanced by lifted tones, coming from a warm growing season that thankfully concluded in a cool autumn.
Clay Court sits atop a picturesque hillside in the Parrett Mountain zone of the Chehalem Mountains AVA. This 15 acre all-Pinot-Noir vineyard was planted in 2001 with the classic Pommard and modern Dijon 115 and 777 clones of Pinot Noir. Clay Court was purchased by Elk Cove in 2009 and is the home of founders Joe and Pat Campbell – and their beloved tennis court! With gentle east-facing slopes, dark red Jory clay soils, and a proven track-record for producing high-quality Pinot Noirs, Clay Court Vineyard was immediately a great addition to Elk Cove’s estate vineyards.
All of Elk Cove’s delicate Pinot Noir fruit undergoes the same gentle handling through our gravity flow system. This allows us to achieve the elegance, texture and luscious quality that are the hallmarks of exquisite Pinot Noir.
Clay Court Pinot Noir fruit is fermented in small, temperature controlled steel tanks, hand punched down twice daily then aged for ten months in 31% new French oak. Our winemaking team then carefully blends the barrels most representative of the spicy flavors and concentrated red cherry fruit that characterizes this vineyard.
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