Wine Maker: Patricia Green Cellars

Vintage: 2017

Wine Name/Vineyard: Patty Green Commemorative

Wine Category: Pinot Noir

Grape blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Willamette Valley

State or country: Oregon

Price: $60.00

ABV: 13.9%

Cases produced: N/A

The Barrel Cellar Score:  93 points

Review date: April 30, 2021

About the Winemaker: Taken from the bottle as it introduces this wine far better that I could aspire to. “This bottling was made to commemorate the life of Patty Green, who is the namesake of, and inspiration to this winery. In late October 2017, Patty passed away unexpectedly leaving not just a winery and vineyard in her wake, but a community of people who work here or at one point worked here that were in many ways her true family. This wine, from the 2017 vintage was sourced from 8 different vineyards and specifically from 25 individual barrels. Each barrel represents one of the vintages she worked as a winemaker in the Willamette Valley from 1993-2017. The photo on the front was taken during the 2016 harvest. It is a picture of her boots, shovel, and beer.”

Color:  Deep Burgundy

Nose: Wild Mushrooms, cherry syrup, baking spice, and dark fruit.

Taste: Earth, oak, dark fruit, and cloves.

Assessment: This is a world class wine. It’s fantastic, and I fear I will sell it sort. I’ll start with the nose. It offers the best of what you would expect from an Oregon Pinot Noir, lots of earth and forest floor, this one also has just a touch of sweetness. The wine itself has a full body, and has more weight than a typical Pinot Noir. Along side the weight, the wine has plentiful tannins and just enough acidity to create a nice balance. The earthy and rustic nature of this wine conjures images of an overcast and temperate Oregon day, with a mist hanging over the beautiful mountainside.

The wine is an absolute pleasure to drink. The Barrel Cellar Rating 93 points.

Pairing recommendation: Beef Bourguignon, with lightly toasted French bread and butter.