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Winderlea Estate, Dundee Hills, “Imprint”

Other, United States 2015 (750mL)
$39.00
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Winderlea Estate, Dundee Hills, “Imprint”

“Imprint” offers the classic balance and harmony we search for in the greatest examples of Oregon Pinot Noir—and it’s hard to comprehend that Winderlea, barely on their its vintage, is already competing with Burgundian producers that have existed and thrived for generations.
But if we dig deeper, the reasons become unmistakably clear: Winderlea Estate Vineyard is a famous Oregonian site—it was one of the first planted in the entire valley, and, before its purchase, was a source for many of Willamette Valley’s premium labels. From budbreak to bottling, “Imprint ”is handcrafted organically and biodynamically and according to traditional Burgundian methods. It’s highly perfumed, irrevocably elegant, and its firm structure will age right alongside the best of Burgundy. This, however, has been a small-production wine from the start and will remain that way in future vintages—so now’s your chance to snag this new release before it disappears. For an unassuming $39, “Imprint” will offer breathtaking sophistication that mirrors triple-digit Burgundy after a bit more bottle age—it’s a perfect cellar selection that will exponentially impress you over the next decade!
Winderlea—a marriage of “Wind,” and “Lea,” meaning meadow, or pasture—was formed when Bill Sweat and Donna Morris, two married East Coasters, purchased one of Oregon’s original, time-honored sites (previously known as Goldschmidt Vineyard) in 2006. This wasn’t happenstance either; they were determined to locate one of the finest terroirs, as Bill recounts: “We spent fourteen months walking thousands of acres of vineyards and tasting hundreds of wines from those vineyards to find sites we believe will produce the elegant, sensuous and balanced wines we want to create.” Today, Winderlea produces myriad wines from various vineyards, but they hold their 100% Pinot Noir Winderlea Estate Vineyard the closest. To up the ante, they’ve farmed organically from the start and as of 2016 achieved biodynamic certification. 

The complexity of Oregon’s Willamette Valley is many millennia in the making. Thanks to an ancient lava eruption, the Missoula Floods, and the shifting of tectonic plates over the Willamette Valley’s history, the complex geology in this pocket of the world is inimitable. The Dundee Hills appellation, within Willamette Valley, arguably has the most soil complexity in the entire valley. The primary soil here is referred to as “Jory,” which boasts myriad elements, but is predominantly volcanic red clay loam. The terroir of Dundee Hills is capable of yielding reds with a tantalizing elegance that can, on occasion, rival the great wines of Burgundy. Further, the latitude of the region is similar to that of Burgundy, which delivers a climate that forces Pinot Noir to struggle and consequently achieve its most classic expression.

Winderlea honors the Pinot Noir’s Burgundian roots in their organically and biodynamically farmed vineyard. In the cellar, small lot, vineyard-specific wines are individually crafted and ”Imprint” is the only wine from Winderlea’s estate vineyard that is produced in-house. They follow traditional winemaking techniques: Natural fermentation occurs with whole clusters and then the wine ages in neutral French oak 19 months. Less than 300 cases were produced. 

Winderlea’s 2016 “Imprint” shows a hazy dark ruby color with a garnet and pink rim. It’s soft and elegant appearance is contrasted by constant waves of highly perfumed aromas, with an array of purple and red flowers at the immediate fore. Following, are notes of preserved strawberry, red plum, black cherry, cola nut, cocoa dust, orange zest, grape stems, rosehip, whole cloves, underbrush, and crushed stones. The palate is surprisingly firm and structured, with fine-grained tannins and a healthy dose of lifted freshness toward the silky finish. Make sure to give “Imprint” proper air by either decanting for 30-60 minutes or opening the bottle 2-3 hours before drinking. Serve in large Burgundy stems around 60 degrees and enjoy watching the wine evolve as hours pass by. Be sure to stow many bottles away because this will be an exciting wine to track over the next decade! Travel to your local international market to locate the ingredients in the attached Peking duck recipe and be sure to share your succulent pairing with friends and family. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesDundee Hills AVA
Soil
Volcanic (Jory)
Farming
Organic w/ Biodynamic Practices
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Neutral French Barrels
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
One Hour
Pairing
Peking Duck w/ Plum Sauce

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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