Tasting - Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Wine Tasting #2
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Name: Willamette Valley Vineyards
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $21.99 (Kroger UCB)

Wine Critic Review:
      "Partially carbonic macerated (think Beaujolais), this bright and fruity wine has extra complexity in this new vintage. An interesting whiff of funk leads to forward and appealing cherry and plum fruit flavors. This is a great bottle to pop with a grilled salmon." Critique from Wine Enthusiast.

Personal Review:
     To date, this is my favorite pinot noir I have tasted. I thoroughly enjoyed the large bodied grape flavor. Using the whole cluster allows the drinker to experience and appreciate the grape more than the other flavors, like oak or earthy tones. It has a fruity aroma but a very floral and slight cherry taste, giving this wine a particularly unique flavor compared to the typical Pinot Noir. This wine is very enjoyable to drink by itself, but I recommend a nice steak to complement the sweetness of this wine.

Personal Score: VG (4.5/5)

Dabbling in the Sciences:
   Did you know that Pinot Noir generally has low concentrations of tannins? Tannins are polyphenolic, secondary metabolites produced by many plants. These tannins demonstrate astringent properties which helps pin point their role in plant defense mechanisms, and plant growth. To us humans, the polyphenolic compounds give a bitterness to the wine. The Pinot Noir absorbs this metabolite from the wooden barrels it ferments in.