{"product_id":"elk-cove-pinot-blanc-2021-750ml","title":"Elk Cove - Pinot Blanc 2023 (750ml)","description":"\u003cp\u003eVINEYARD: The fruit for this Pinot Blanc is all hand-harvested from our own es-\u003cbr\u003etate-grown hillside vines at our Five Mountain and Mount Richmond Vineyards.\u003cbr\u003eWINEMAKING: The Willamette Valley has an ideal climate for Pinot Blanc,\u003cbr\u003ea delicate grape variety–enough sunlight and warmth for ripening, with cooler night\u003cbr\u003etemperatures that help retain varietal character. To preserve the freshness, our Pinot\u003cbr\u003eBlanc is whole-cluster pressed then fermented at very cool temperatures in small\u003cbr\u003estainless steel tanks, all of which accentuates aromatics and enhances the richness\u003cbr\u003eand viscosity of the wine.\u003cbr\u003e2023 Pinot Blanc\u003cbr\u003eVITICULTURE \u0026amp; ENOLOGY:\u003cbr\u003eVine Age: 9-29 years\u003cbr\u003eHarvest Sugars: 23 brix\u003cbr\u003eVatting: Whole-cluster pressed and cold\u003cbr\u003efermented in small stainless steel tanks.\u003cbr\u003eAlc: 13.5% v\/v\u003cbr\u003eCases Produced: 2,939\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVINTAGE 2023 required experience and patience that was rewarded with essential\u003cbr\u003ehang-time and ripening.\u003cbr\u003eThe growing season started cool, then May sunshine brought an average bloom\u003cbr\u003ein mid-June followed by a glorious summer. We enjoyed many classic 80-degree\u003cbr\u003eWillamette Valley days, with nighttime highs staying down in the 50s even in August,\u003cbr\u003etypically the warmest month here in Oregon. The only exception to these consistent\u003cbr\u003ediurnal swings was a single big heat spike in mid-August. We anticipated picking\u003cbr\u003ein early September. However, some fortuitous rain events allowed us to push back\u003cbr\u003eharvest and we were thankful for the additional hang time.\u003cbr\u003eHarvest came early, but not too early. We brought in beautiful fruit and we were\u003cbr\u003epleased to still be picking Pinot noir into early October. When you have fast\u003cbr\u003eaccumulation of fruit sugars, cool weather can be a welcome respite with even small\u003cbr\u003eamounts of rain helping the grapevines regulate and slow ripening. One of the reasons\u003cbr\u003ewhy Oregon Pinot Noir is so prized is for its freshness of fruit, and you can only get\u003cbr\u003ethat vibrancy when it’s under 50 degrees during picking.\u003cbr\u003e2023 brought amazing fruit quality, but our production was down, especially on cool-\u003cbr\u003eclimate white wines like Pinot Gris. Being an estate grown winery, we must follow\u003cbr\u003eMother Nature’s lead as we cannot buy fruit to increase production. Smaller yields do\u003cbr\u003emean a smaller crop and less wine, but we embrace vintage variation. Another great\u003cbr\u003ebenefit of being estate grown is that it’s our decision exactly when to pick. Rather than\u003cbr\u003erushing to bring fruit into the cellar, in 2023 were able to play the odds and wait out\u003cbr\u003ethe rain on blocks that needed additional hang time to get the flavor development we\u003cbr\u003eneeded.\u003cbr\u003eREVIEWS:\u003cbr\u003e92 Points - Decanter (June 2024)\u003cbr\u003e90 Points - Wine Enthusiast (Nov. 2024)\u003cbr\u003e“The slightly sweet aromas of ripe melon and cinnamon are joined by traces\u003cbr\u003eof fresh-cut hay and wet slate. A brisk, crisp mouthfeel unites in lively fashion\u003cbr\u003ewith flavors like honeydew melon, apple pectin, lemon and tonic water. I look\u003cbr\u003eforward to pouring this with a softball-sized burrata.” — Michael Alberty\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elk Cove","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43199161663712,"sku":"112120","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/products\/elk-cove-pinot-blanc_1.jpg?v=1663886682","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/elk-cove-pinot-blanc-2021-750ml","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}