Hartford Court 2015 Pinot Noir, Warrior Princess, Zena Crown Vyd., Willamette Valley

The 2015 Warrior Princess Pinot Noir is Hartford Court's second release from the Willamette Valley and is sourced from Oregon’s renowned Zena Crown Vineyard, which is situated near the Oregon ghost town of Zena, in the hills between Eola and Amity, Oregon. Their blocks are planted to several clones, including Pommard, Dijon 667 and 777. The soils are predominantly basalt-based Jory series, which is volcanic in origin, mixed with marine sedimentary rocks and alluvial material. This soil tends to produce wines characterized by high tone blue and black fruits, with earth, allspice and tea components both in aroma and flavor. The wines have a firm tannin structure with density and weight. The wines retain good acidity because of the influence of the Van Duzer corridor, which allows cool afternoon breezes to reach the Eola-Amity hills from the Pacific Ocean. This wine aged 16 months in 30% new French oak barrels. 


The Wine Advocate scored this 94+ saying "This is only the second vintage produced of this wine. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Warrior Princess opens with warm red currants, black cherries and violets notes with touches of black soil, stewed tea, garrigue and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, with a refreshing backbone supporting the intense earthy/savory flavors, finishing long. 385 cases produced."