Placeholder Image

Evesham Wood, “Illahe Vineyard” Pinot Noir

Oregon, United States 2016 (750mL)
$32.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Evesham Wood, “Illahe Vineyard” Pinot Noir

At this very moment, we are witnessing the evolution of a world-class terroir in Willamette Valley. Like Burgundy, the elite producers here handcraft varietal bottlings of Pinot Noir that shine with distinction and nobility. What Evesham Wood accomplishes in their remarkable, fair-priced wines is indicative of why Oregon is truly special, but today’s “Illahe Vineyard” chisels it in stone.


What you’re getting in this distinguished bottling is naturally farmed Pinot Noir, an outstanding single-vineyard site, and a mere 200-case production in the acclaimed 2016 vintage. It’s a lot to take in for one bottle of affordable wine, but one thing that rings loud and clear is that it doesn’t seem feasible, nor does it seem fair, for these low prices to remain steady. Winemaking sensation Erin Nuccio of Evesham Wood constantly delivers one of the great values in the world of Pinot Noir, and its pleasures are only magnified for those who are Burgundy aficionados. It perfectly evokes soil character, mineral tension, and compacted layers of brambly fruit (especially in ‘16) that can go 12 rounds with fine Premier Cru Burgundy, be it in the glass now or preserving in the cellar for later. Taste it, you’ll see.


[*NOTE: Today's allocation represents the very last of their stock!]

Nuccio’s backstory is by now well-known to SommSelect subscribers: He started his career in wine at a retail shop in Washington, DC; moved west with his wife to attend enology school and apprentice at wineries; then landed a job with Evesham Wood founder Russ Raney, whose vineyard, first planted in 1986, was (and is) a model of sustainability and small-scale perfectionism. Over the years, Nuccio became winemaker at Evesham Wood while also launching Haden Fig (a SommSelect’s subscriber favorite), and in 2010 Nuccio and his wife, Jordan, purchased Evesham Wood outright. In addition to bottling wines from Evesham Wood’s jewel-box estate vineyard, “Le Puits Sec” (“The Dry Well”), Nuccio continues the Raney tradition of crafting single-vineyard bottlings from sustainably farmed sites across the Willamette Valley.



Just west of Salem, the “Illahe” Vineyard is a sprawling, south-facing slope planted to roughly 50 acres of Pinot Noir. The site as a whole is generally regarded as a warm area by Willamette Valley standards—although it does take advantage of cooling winds funneled from the Pacific through the Van Duzer Corridor. The soils are a mix of marine sedimentary types with patches of volcanic “jory,” with elevations ranging from about 250-450 feet. It’s a gently rising slope with a full-south aspect, so it tends to bud and flower earlier than most vineyards in the region. Even in warm vintages, Nuccio remains true to form (without utilizing irrigation) by harvesting at the exact perfect time and coaxing out finesse and balance in the winery. 



With the passion and dedication of their predecessors to fuel them, Erin and Jordan strive to maintain the consistency of quality in the same manner of Russ Raney by successfully allowing the vineyard to speak for itself. As with all the Evesham Wood wines, this minuscule-production, vineyard-designate wine was made entirely by hand: It’s farmed, harvested, and “punched down” (pushing the cap of skins into the juice during fermentation) manually. The wine was then funneled into eight barrels, only 10% new, for 18 months of maturation. After bottling in late 2018, they remained undisturbed until we claimed our stake last week!



When blind-tasting this wine, my friend (a Master of Wine) and I were torn between Burgundy and Willamette, but the additional lift of lush, pure fruit brought us back to the latter—though our predicted price point was way over the one you see today. Above all, Evesham always delivers a perfectly ripe core of fruit at the heart of their wines, with freshness, balance, and fine-grained tannins giving it terrific lift and body on the palate. Their stellar 2016 release, thanks to a warm growing season, amplifies that polish and richness all while staying true to their signature elegance. Baskets of plush, bramble fruit and black cherries leap out of the glass with mouthwatering appeal before melding with more savory components of damp herbs, underbrush, petrichor, rose petals, and turned soil. The silky, medium-bodied texture delivers just the right amount of spice and mineral verve on the finish. It’s a remarkably delicious terroir wine that has so much to say. This will continue evolving over the next 5+ years, but it’s fully ready to drink now after a 30-minute decant. Serve this around 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems and relish in this affordable, world-class Pinot Noir. Cheers.




Placeholder Image
Country
United States
Region
Oregon
Sub-Region
United StatesWillamette Valley / Illahe Vineyard
Soil
Marine Sediment w/ Some Volcanic
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
10% New French Barrels
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2026+
Decanting
30-60 Minutes
Pairing
Pan-Seared Salmon w/ Apple-Cranberry 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.

Others We Love