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Walter Scott, Pinot Noir “La Combe Vert”

Oregon, United States 2016 (750mL)
$29.00
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Walter Scott, Pinot Noir “La Combe Vert”

When the SommSelect team decamped to the Willamette Valley a few months ago, we were already convinced that the best-value Pinot Noirs on earth are being produced there. We didn’t go up there to confirm this, but rather to bring back as many examples as possible to share with you here. Quality-to-price is always important when evaluating any wine, but we all know that Pinot Noir is graded on a different scale than many grapes.
As it is so fragile and difficult to grow, Pinot Noir tends to have a higher price of entry than most other varieties, and we as consumers have accepted this reality and adjusted our expectations accordingly. How much do you think you need to spend to get a Pinot Noir with genuine character? I’m willing to bet you’re not thinking $29, but think again: Walter Scott’s 2016 “La Combe Verte” is an ‘entry-level’ wine with higher ambitions, since the winemaker blends together wines which could easily be bottled as single vineyards and sold at a much higher price. And while a wine of this depth, structure, and elegance would be an outlier at this price in California or Burgundy, it’s not as much of a surprise in the Willamette Valley. If you love Pinot Noir, this is one you must not miss!
As you may recall from our recent offer of their bright, Burgundian-styled Chardonnay a few weeks back, Walter Scott Wines is run by husband-and-wife team Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow. Although the project itself is just shy of a decade old, their experience goes far beyond. Ken has been exposed to nearly a quarter-century of winemaking, starting in 1994 at St. Innocent, followed by stretches with Patricia Green Cellars and Evening Land Vineyards, the latter two responsible for the creation of his own brand: Walter Scott. The winery combines the given names of Ken’s late grandfather, Walter, and nephew, Scott. Both served as the impetus and philosophy for the wine we are proudly presenting today.

Ken’s wife, Erica, handles the management side of the business and was the driving force behind the Walter Scott Wine label. After a couple years of crafting their own wines at the Patricia Green and Evening Land facilities, they leased out their own winery in 2012, located in the heart of Eola-Amity Hills. Their production has steadily increased as a result, but is still very small. 

“La Combe Verte” is sourced from five different vineyards within Willamette, three of those coming from their home base in Eola-Amity Hills, one in northerly Chehalem Mountain, and the other in the sweeping Willamette Valley AVA; all of which range from loamy to volcanic clay to stony soils. After harvest, the grapes were carefully sorted and underwent a 15% whole cluster fermentation with native yeasts. It was then aged for ten months in just 30% new oak and released in September.

In the glass, “La Combe Verte” shows a dark ruby core leading out to bright red and slight pink reflections on the rim. On the nose, the wine is very savory and teems with an assortment of wild berries: blueberry, strawberry, huckleberry, followed by damp flowers, rose candy, mushrooms, leather, forest floor and a touch of exotic baking spice. The palate confirms the sweet core of fruit while providing incredible tension. Waves of layered, wild fruit intermixed with subtle earthy undertones carry the wine into a long finish. This is a good example of why people can miss Oregon Pinot Noir in a blind tasting and call it Burgundy, because this has a lot of Old World traits. Although drinking this now will provide immediate returns, I foresee it peaking in the next 3-5 years. However, if you were to approach me in a decade with a bottle, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was still singing. When consuming, do so after a brief half-hour decant in large Burgundy stems. For this bottle, serve it around 60 degrees and prepare yourself for a silky, high-energy ride. My mind immediately jumped to an herbed pork loin (not to be confused with pork tenderloin) for the pairing. Two quick notes: don’t be afraid to experiment with different herbs and make sure to monitor the baking process, as you want this to remain a tender dish. Cheers and bon appétit!
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Country
United States
Region
Oregon
Sub-Region
United StatesWillamette Valley
Soil
Marine Sedimentary
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
30% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2020
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Roast Pork Loin w/ Garlic & Rosemary

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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