Best Case Scenario: Atticus Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2010

The 2010 vintage Oregon Pinot Noirs are absolutely showing beautifully right now. In the past week, I’ve tasted a few incredible ’10 Pinots, like one from Biggio Hamina that I recently wrote about.  In my Best Case Scenario series, where I received a case of select Oregon Pinot Noir (many from the 2010 vintage), I’ve been highlighting one wine from the case every few weeks.  So far, I’ve popped the corks on Pinots from Carabella, Johan Vineyards and Brooks Winery, and each were distinctively elegant. Both the Brooks and Carabella were vintage 2010, showcasing similar qualities which I’ve found in almost every 2010 from the Willamette Valley: lush, juicy and smooth.

There was no exception with the Atticus 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, it was indeed, lush, juicy and smooth.  Dark cherries and berries on the nose were highlighted by smoke and spice. Beautifully balanced on the palate with juicy berry flavors and silky tannins, I especially loved the zippy white pepper nuances on the lingering finish. It was outstanding.

Two families, each with distinctly different heritages, left the steamy beaches of South Florida for the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley where Atticus became a dream come true. All coming from different backgrounds, Irish, Grecian, Asian and Peruvian, the Insley-Orrego Family and the Porter Family combined their passion for wine to create Atticus.  Located in Yamhill, these two families shared a dream, ” to establish a family owned winery embracing Oregon’s values of nurturing the land and the future.” 

Atticus winemaker, Ximena Orrego, has a passion for elegant Pinot Noirs that also express a certain power and intensity.

What is your winemaking philosophy?  “Showcase the vineyard and vintage as best as possible always trying to strike a balance between elegance and power. Keep intervention at the winery at a minimum but ensuring the wine can reach its full potential.”

How has your style evolved over the last 5-10 years?  “I have always loved elegant Pinot noirs but now I have a deeper appreciation for the balance between elegance and intensity. I have learned that they are not mutually exclusive. So my goal now is to continue producing wines that are feminine and elegant but that also have something powerful to say.”

What do you love about Oregon Pinot Noir? What makes it unique?  “I love that every vintage can be so different; the anticipation and the challenges it can bring is part of the fun. I also love that there is so much energy and passion from growers and winemakers to make the best possible product and that more established producers are eager to help the newer guard. This is also one of the things that I think makes Oregon unique.”

Tell us about this wine.  “Our 2010 Atticus Willamette Valley is a blend of 80% Atticus Vineyard Pommard and 20% Atticus Vineyard Dijon 777. We picked our vineyard on 2 different dates that vintage. On October 13th we picked our Pommard blocks and on October 18th we picked our 777 block. The wine was raised in less than 20% new French oak for 9 months and after racking and blending spent a further 2 months in the same barrels. A majority of the oak was in the format of larger barrels called Puncheons. Red cherries and plums enveloped by sweet baking spices perfume the nose. On the palate, the wine is elegant, balanced and framed with well integrated tannins and a bright, juicy acidity.”

What is one non-flavor descriptor to describe this wine?  “A modern woman – individual, intelligent and influential, while still subtle, elegant and complex.”

For the wine geeks, like me:

• AVA: Yamhill-Carlton
• Cases produced: 230
• Alcohol: 13.6%
• pH: 3.55
• Acidity: 6.7
• 20% new French oak, with 1/3 being raised in large scale barrels called Puncheons

US Markets/Distributors: Florida, Michigan, Washington, Oregon

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If you would like to join in on this tasting by purchasing a bottle of your own, please leave any comments below and/or tweet about it on Twitter using hashtag #BCSAtticus. I will add your comments and photos into the article and share your thoughts on this wine!