In a way, this extraordinary Willamette Valley Pinot Noir sees the convergence of the two paths of superstar winemaker Ehren Jordan.
His first head winemaking job was for Bruce Neyers, the former sales manager for Kermit Lynch, who wanted a much more “French” style of wines: lower in alcohol, more balanced and food friendly. But in his second stint at Turley, Jordan helped popularize the full-throttle, super-ripe and rich (and quite high alcohol), very much “California” style of reds.
In his own winery, Failla, Jordan is back to making mainly Chardonnays, Pinots and Syrahs in the lower alcohol, more cutting-edge style. Of course, they are some of the most coveted in California.
Naturally, in pursuit of this style, Jordan has expanded to Oregon. But while I expected this Pinot Noir to be somewhat lighter and more elegant, it is anything but.
In fact, it’s VERY deep and dark, and even has quite a bit of sediment at this early age. Yet it’s also beautifully rendered and detailed.
I guess the fact that it’s from four top vineyards, including Seven Springs and Chehalem Mountain, explains why this is SO much richer and more substantial than expected.
