“The 2019 Pinot Noir Clay Court has a pale ruby-purple color and vert pretty scents of raspberry and blueberry preserves, aniseed, gravel dust and lavender. The light-bodied palate is soft and refreshing with surprisingly exuberant fruit and a long, spicy finish.” -Erin Brooks
“2019 Elk Cove ‘Clay Court’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 Elk Cove ‘Clay Court’ Pinot Noir is from vines set on a hillside in the Parrett Mountain region of the Chehalem Mountains AVA. The wine is crafted from Dijon clonal selections 115, 777 as well as Pommard clone Pinot Noir. A soft entry greets you with tart red fruits and citrus embers alongside shades of peat moss on the palate. Enjoy this great new wine over the next decade.”
Intensely perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, cherry cola, candied rose and baking spices carry a smoky mineral overtone. Concentrated yet lively on the palate, offering appealingly sweet, smoke-tinged raspberry, cherry liqueur, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that spread out slowly with air. Conveys an appealing blend of power and finesse and finishes with steadily building tannins and floral-driven persistence.
“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.”
“Aromas of fresh earth and ripe, red cherries and plums here with some undergrowth and wild-herb notes. The palate has a smooth, juicy texture with layered, ripe red-cherry flavors…”