Winderlea Murto Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2016

Winderlea — pronounced Win-dur-lee — is a made up word with a little bit of history. Winderlea is the name of a Vermont property Bill Sweat & Donna Morris purchased in 2001. The 1860s property was named by the Gerard Family, who owned, loved and nurtured the land and the house for over 60 years. As former owner Jim Gerard explained, the word Winderlea was crafted by his parents combining the word, “Wind,” with the word “Lea,” meaning meadow or pasture. Combined, the words create Winderlea, a word evoking the meaning “Wind in the Meadow.” Winderlea was an idyllic place for the Gerard family. As they searched for a name for the vineyard and winery, Winderlea is the name we kept coming back to. We believe that it evokes an idyllic place and the graceful wines they are making.

This dark ruby colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a smoky oak and boysenberry bouquet with hints of licorice. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and savory. The flavor profile is a smoky oak influenced plum with notes of mild blackberry, cardamom and a hint of clove. The finish is dry and its flavors and moderate spicy tannins linger and last for a while. This very good Pinot would pair well with seafood.

Winemaker Notes: Aromas of freshly baked marionberry pie introduce the 2016 Murto Vineyard Pinot Noir. The dense scent of lingonberry is steeped in tarragon and French lavender followed by a mélange of fresh and dried roses. The palate is structured and dark with cocoa and leather underscoring sharp red fruits and spicy black pepper.