This expansive wine begins with a walk through the forest: cedar and huckleberry are followed by candied orange, coffee and fennel. After a succulent entry, seamless layers demand attention with big cherry, raspberry and currant complemented by a savory seam of dark chocolate and tea.
“The 2017 Pinot Noir Roosevelt has a pale to medium ruby color and a nose of garrigue, licorice, red currant, cured meats and forest floor with nuances of blackberries and savory herbs. It’s medium-bodied with intense, spicy fruits, a firm, grainy frame and great freshness, finishing long and spicy. 400 cases produced.”
– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (April 23, 2020))
VINTAGE 2017 was a classic Oregon vintage with plenty of sunny days and refreshingly cool nights. It was also the first year since our wines were 100% estate grown, created entirely from grapes we own and farm. We now have full control as we care for our vineyards and soils for generations to come. “Estate Grown” is now proudly displayed on each of our labels.
After three early harvests in a row, 2017 brought us back to what many consider “classic Oregon weather.” A wet, cool spring led to a late start to the growing season with an early June bloom. Dry, hot weather in July and August meant great ripening as we thinned clusters to protect quality. Worries of smoke taint during the Columbia Gorge fires proved unfounded in our area, but hazy skies slowed September ripening slightly.
We began bringing in fruit in mid-September, but were interrupted by rain a few times in late September and mid-October. With 40+ vintages under our belts and hillside vineyards at diverse elevations we were able to choose the right windows to pick beautifully ripe fruit from each block. Sometimes this meant pulling long hours: in fact October 9th was our biggest day on record, with 110 tons landing on the crush-pad. Expect ripe tannins, fully developed flavors and classic cool climate freshness in these 2017 vintage wines.
Roosevelt vineyard was planted in 1993 and has quickly become Elk Cove’s most prized vineyard site. A four-acre high-density (2100 vines per acre) planting situated just south of the winery on Willakenzie soils, Roosevelt’s south-facing hillside slopes to a steep precipice overlooking the magnificent Williams Canyon.
Roosevelt undergoes extensive pruning and cluster thinning to limit yields and maximize ripening to concentrate the fruit and is managed using completely organic practices. All of these elements combine to consistently produce one of Oregon’s finest Pinot Noirs.
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.
This reserve level pinot noir is produced exclusively from grapes from our Roosevelt Vineyard. The wine is fermented in 53% new oak and only the best barrels are selected to create what many consider Elk Cove’s finest Pinot Noir.
Review Roosevelt Magnum (1.5L).