00 Wines 'VGR' Very Good Red Pinot Noir, Oregon, USA 2022

00 Wines (Double Zero) has set out to produce the next great American Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley. Using the premier cool climate Chardonnay fruit in the US, and time honored artisanal white Burgundy techniques, 00 Wines has created something rare that is being set in a class alongside the greatest white wines in the world.

As a decade’s long White Burgundy lover, 00 Wines owner Chris Hermann’s dream after many years of drinking wines from the greatest producers up and down the Cote d’Or and Chablis, is to “produce extraordinarily intense, distinctive, Coche Dury like, statement Chardonnays in Oregon.”

The reds are no less interesting and rare. Sourcing fruit from iconic vineyards like Shea and Hyland, the Pinot noirs begin with a painstaking process of hand clipping berries from the cluster as opposed to more traditional destemming. This process leaves the pedicels (the piece of the stem that attaches to the berry) intact and gives fragrance and spice to the resulting wine. Once destemmed, the berries are fermented in small amphora (terra cotta fermenters used in ancient times for winemaking): an uncommon practice that, in tandem with the hand-destemming, creates wines that have fragrance and texture not achievable through contemporary techniques.

"The 2022 Pinot Noir VGR is youthfully flinty to begin, requiring plenty of air to reveal blackberry, rhubarb, cinnamon stick and woodsy undertones. The medium-bodied palate offers expansive, layered flavors. It’s balanced by juicy acidity and has a long, nuanced finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years in the cellar or some time in a decanter." Wine Advocate 93