Redgate 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

We've been following Redgate Vineyard now for several vintages. It's a tiny 5 acre estate in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley started by a husband and wife who were born and raised in the Valley. Retired from their day jobs they now focus entirely on growing grapes and producing small quantities of high quality wine. Now 2016 has come along as yet another incredible vintage with the Oregon Wine Board saying "Similar to the last two vintages, the 2016 growing season continued to push the envelope for defining the new normal in Oregon... the fruit produced throughout the state resulted in wonderful concentration and complexity with characteristic natural acidity." and Dick Shea of Shea Vineyards saying "Oregon has never had three consecutive vintages like this" and the Wine Spectator saying "A warm—but not hot—growing season has produced the third straight year of potentially outstanding wines." The tiny Redgate vineyard yielded enough first class Pinot Noir to produce just under 350 cases of this estate wine and we managed once again to grab a limited quantity. The wine was aged in oak for 10 months and bottled unfiltered. It shows the bright, mouthwatering acidity that is the signature of Willamette Valley Pinots but it also has the distinctive cherry and strawberry notes with earthy undertones that are the hallmarks of fine Pinot Noir. With such limited production you'd expect the price on this gem to be sky high...but you'd be wrong. Once again this looks like it'll be our value  Willamette Valley Pinot of the year!!! Don't miss it!