When I come across an Oregon Pinot Noir of this quality, my first instinct is to compare it to something analogous from Burgundy. In the case of today’s 2016 from Trisaetum, I’m reminded of some big-ticket Premier Cru reds from Vosne-Romanée and Morey-Saint-Denis, but I realize that, to some readers, that might not really mean anything. So, let me approach the Trisaetum wine another way: It is a thorough accounting of everything people love about Pinot Noir.
It is beguilingly fragrant and finely tuned, boasting loads of depth and structure without any excess weight. In a relatively ‘young’ wine region like the Willamette Valley, where Pinot Noir only goes back to about the 1960s, it’s high praise to compare a wine to a red Burgundy. But I’ll take it a step further in this instance and say that there are many Burgundian producers who’d be thrilled to get the result Trisaetum got from their Ribbon Ridge Estate Vineyard in 2016. In true Oregonian fashion, this wine dramatically over-delivers for the price; in fact, if I were asked to offer proof of Willamette Valley’s capacity for producing truly world-class Pinot Noir, this is a wine I would confidently bring to the table.
The word I keep coming back to when I think of Trisaetum’s 2016 is “grace.” It is such a refined, beautifully balanced wine at this young age I can only imagine what 3-5 years in the cellar will do for it. James Frey notes that in the warm, dry 2016 vintage, he incorporated more whole grape clusters in his fermentations than in previous years, in order to maintain energy and focus. The wine aged a little over a year in a mix of new and used French oak barrels, and the oak component is already very well integrated. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby with hints of magenta and pink at the rim, with a seductive nose of ripe black cherries, plums, pomegranate, damp violets, black tea, wild herbs, and underbrush. The real standout quality of this wine is its texture—silky and lush but also firm and fresh, with ultra-fine-grained tannins and a terrific snap of freshness on the finish. It is medium-plus in body and incredibly precise and detailed—a complete Pinot Noir experience. Though I believe it will continue to evolve beautifully over the next 5-7 years, it’s a compelling wine to enjoy now: Simply pull the cork about 15 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems and watch it evolve in the glass over the course of a great meal. There’s enough depth and structure here to give it the full Burgundy treatment with boeuf bourguignon or the like. It’s a ‘next-level’ Oregon wine!