In The Glass: Hawks View Cellars Pinot Noir 2010

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 4th of July: family, friends, BBQ, fireworks and a stellar bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir.  As soon as the sun set behind the trees and the booms started echoing through the neighborhood, I popped the cork on a bottle of Hawks View Cellars 2010 Oregon Pinot Noir to share with friends – the perfect wine to sip while kicking-back, relaxing, and watching the night sky light up in celebration of America’s Independence Day.

Hawks View Cellars is a small family-owned winery located in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains AVA ( a sub-ava of the Willamette Valley).  Crafting limited production Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from their sustainably farmed 50 acre estate vineyard, as well as sourcing some top California and Washington fruit for some non-estate wines, Hawk’s View Vineyard and tasting room with gorgeous views is located just about 30 minutes from Portland.

The Hawks View Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir is absolutely outstanding.  Aromas of ripe blackberries, toffee and hints of white pepper flow onto the palate with additional flavors of raspberries, cherries and fall spices.  The mouthfeel is lush and velvety, and the elegant tannins and soft acidic backbone round out the fruit to perfection.  The lusciousness of this Pinot is what really captured me – it was completely palate pleasing, and we all truly enjoyed every sip.  This is an elegant Pinot and such an excellent example of why Oregon’s Willamette Valley is known for having some of the best Pinot Noir in the world.