Bjornson Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 Red Wine

Bjornson Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 

Willamette Valley, OR

750 ml

94 pts. James Suckling:

"A well-balanced, full-bodied red that stays nicely fresh on the palate and finish. Aromas of cranberries, red tea and baked cherries give way to nicely tangy orange zest, black cherries and cloves on the palate. Good concentration and moderate tannins for structure. Drink now or hold."

92 pts. Wine Spectator:

"Tight with tension, this Pinot offers a lively backbone of acidity and tannins framed by blueberry, raspberry, forest floor and dusky spice flavors. Finishes with broad-shouldered tannins. Drink now through 2032. 640 cases made."

This Willamette Valley Pinot really impresses us. It's like a happy marriage of Burgundy and Oregon. The wine is a blend of grapes from the best blocks of the Bjornson estate vineyard, which sits in volcanic soil. The site is very windy, which results in small berries with highly concentrated flavor. Light-bodied but with so many layers of complexity! And as an added bonus, the finish lingers and lingers. Extremely food-friendly. Oh what a lovely, delicious wine! - Wine Factor

FROM THE WINERY

Björnson Vineyard is part of a scenic 107-acre farm, located in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley. We are committed to generating renewable energy, farming sustainably, and making wine with minimal handling, so that each bottle fully expresses our exceptional terroir.

The Grapes for this wine come from our 28-acre Björnson Estate vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The vineyard is situated on a primarily southwest aspect at an elevation ranging between 450’-550’ with predominantly rocky Nekia volcanic soils.

The Wine is blend of estate fruit is designed to accompany and expand your culinary experience. The structure, depth, and complexity found in this barrel selection are indicative of our estate fruit. The aroma and palate are full of spice alongside notes of cranberry and ripe strawberry. Uplifting acidity moves to a full mid-palate and finishes generously, yet softly with spice reminiscent of festive fare during the holiday season.

The 2022 Vintage was full of surprises. It started with an early spring bud-break which was followed by a severe frost event. There was a lot of concern around the valley as to how much damage occurred; fortunately, our estate vineyard was unharmed. The unusually cool spring did delay our ripening but we had a very nice, long, warm fall and our fruit ripened just in time before the rains. Our harvest crew was splendid! They worked so hard and maintained a great spirit as we crushed our largest harvest to-date. The white wines are fresh and stunning and the reds are contemplative and elegant. We also made quite a bit of sparkling wine that we cannot wait to taste as they age in tirage. Our thanks to everyone involved. Cheers!

Vinification: The fruit was hand-picked, sorted, and de- stemmed without crushing to maintain whole berries during fermentation including 8% whole cluster. A diverse program of yeast was used including non-saccharomyces during cold soak. Gentle pump-overs were performed at the beginning and end of fermentation with punch-downs being implemented during peak fermentation to break up the cap.

Oxygen was introduced during peak fermentation to promote yeast health and limit off flavors. Malo-lactic conversion finished naturally in barrel with sur-lie aging for 10 months in 30% new French oak.

Harvested: Oct 13-22, 2022, 22.5-24 Brix

Finished Wine: Alc. 13.9%, pH 3.64, TA 4.9 g/L

Bottled: August 25, 2023, 640 cases