2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Bright cherry and raspberry aromas complement notes of cinnamon and delicate violet, while the palate strikes a balance between juicy plum and boysenberry and complex, earthy cola and leather, finishing with chalky tannins and hints of crème brulée.

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“The 2021 Pinot Noir, made with about 15% whole clusters, has a medium ruby-purple color and pure scents of cranberries, baked rhubarb and allspice with wafts of forest floor, charcuterie and orange zest. The palate is light on its feet with generous, floral fruit, refreshing acidity and a soft, approachable frame, and it has a satisfying, spicy finish.”

– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (May 2023)

“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.”

– Wine Enthusiast (June, 2023)

“A solid appellation wine, the dark ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is ripe and sunny with aromas of blackberry, scorched earth, and violets. Full-bodied, with a silky texture, a stony mouthfeel, and notes of toasted cedar on the finish, it’s supple and attractive now and will drink well over the next 3-5 years.”
– Jeb Dunnuck (September, 2023)

A dynamic red, with vivacious cherry and cranberry flavors highlighted by rose petal, orange peel and forest floor accents, which glide on the long, sleek finish.
– winespectator.com (August 14, 2023)

Elk Cove winemaker Adam Campbell, son of founders Pat and Joe Campbell, makes a range of Pinot Noirs, but his dynamic Willamette Valley bottling is the most accessible in terms of price, case production and taste. It offers vivacious cranberry flavors with floral and citrus highlights. Campbell used grapes only from Elk Cove’s six estate vineyards and fermented the 2021 in small, open-top steel tanks before aging it for ten months in French oak.
– winespectator.com (August 14, 2023)

“This draws from all six estate vineyards, and one sniff erases all the smoke and angst of the 2020 vintage. It’s fresh and fragrant with mixed berries, particularly flavors of just-picked marionberries, and lively with minerally acids. It spent 10 months in barrel, just long enough to pull itself together and add a gentle touch of caramel to the finish.”

– Paul Gregutt (March 2023)

“The hottest brand in the U.S. wine industry is Oregon pinot noir, and no one does it as well at such scale — 20,000 cases — as the Campbell family. Think of a slice of cherry pie sprinkled with allspice, and layers beyond.”
– The Seattle Times (November, 2022)

Our 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley was awarded a Double Gold by the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition!
– Great Northwest Wine (October, 2022)

Vintage

VINTAGE 2021 was an outstanding year at Elk Cove. Cool weather during bloom and moderate temperatures during most of the growing season brought forth an ample harvest of intensely concentrated fruit.

The timing of weather events was key to our success in 2021. Rainfall during bloom raised expectations for a small, high-quality crop. Then a once-in-a millennium heat dome event brought worrying temperatures to the Pacific Northwest. This was thankfully during the most resilient stage of the growing season and our old vines survived without signs of serious stress or sunburn. Growth resumed normally once temperatures cooled with average heat from July through September bringing even ripening to the plentiful small, loose clusters. Our vines made it through the rain and the heat in fine condition with lots of variable-sized berries, known as hens and chicks.

Harvest 2021 was not only of high quality but also surprisingly bountiful. Low levels of dehydration combined with the numerous small clusters and several acres of young vines coming into maturity meant a record tonnage for Elk Cove. For red Pinot Noirs, expect intense color and flavors bursting out of the glass, while white wines and rosés are fruit-forward with great acidity and balance.

Vineyard

Our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is made with 100% estate grown fruit from all six of our vineyard sites: The Winery Estate, Mount Richmond, Five Mountain, Clay Court, Goodrich and Windhill. These sites are comprised of both Pommard and Dijon plant material, with multiple clones represented.

Because we draw from vineyards representing all three of the major Willamette Valley soil types, we are able to pick and choose for different flavor components to make the best possible blend each year for our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Some people call this making wine “spice rack” style, we usually just call it delicious. Our goal is the perfect version of what we believe a Willamette Valley Pinot should be: a wine with freshness of fruit, well-integrated alcohol, and great concentration of flavor.

Winemaking

To make our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, fruit from each vineyard block is fermented separately in small, temperature controlled steel tanks, hand punched down twice daily, and barreled in french oak barrels. After 10 months of aging in French oak, the wine we choose for our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is carefully blended to produce the most approachable, well-balanced Pinot Noir we make.

Viticultural & Enological Data

Vine Age 7-45
Harvest Sugars 23.5 brix
pH 3.52
Vatting Fermentation in small open top fermentors. 10 months in French oak.
Cases Produced 20,000

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