From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste: The wine shows typical intense red cherry aromas with a subtle nuance of sweet raspberry and herbs, adding interest to the aromatic profile. It is a gently structured wine that is very approachable with silky texture and a finish that is long on finesse. The fruit for this wine hails from the perfectly situated three-acre Speegle-Crawford Vineyard sitting at 700 feet in elevation on classic, volcanic Jory soils. The site is certified Organic and shows great promise as it continues to mature.
Pairing: Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs are fantastic dinner companions, as they’re extremely versatile and food-friendly (not to mention downright delicious). Some classic pairings include poultry, pork, mushrooms, and duck. Some examples for inspiration are roasted poultry, roasted pork with a cranberry glaze, pork chops, mushroom ragù with pasta, gnocchi and mushrooms, duck confit, or a duck and cherry combination, you get the idea. We’ve also loved BBQ alongside Oregon Pinot’s; the fruit and acidity of the wine complements and cuts through the richness of BBQ without weighing you down. And, last but not least, the winery has shared their own pairing for this wine, please check it out below!
Hazelnut Gremolata
This nutty condiment is the perfect accompaniment to the fruit-forward Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. We enjoyed this with warm, freshly pulled mozzarella and couldn’t get enough!
Ingredients
1 C. Hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
2 Tbsp. Carrot tops, chopped
1 C. Extra virgin olive oil
½ C. Flake salt, like Jacobsen Salt Co.
Preparation
Mix all ingredients. Use to garnish grilled meats and veggies, pasta dishes, or house made mozzarella!
Tony Soter’s name is an iconic one within the context of North American Pinot Noir production. He probably made his name as the founder of Étude wines in California, but has also been involved in the winemaking of a whole host of wineries such as Viader (qv), Spottswoode, Araujo, Dalle Valle, and Shafer to mention but a few. California may be where he made his name but Soter Vineyards represents a kind of homecoming for him and his wife, Michelle: Oregonians both.
About. Soter Vineyards began in 1997 when Tony and Michelle Soter bought the Beacon Hill vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton district of the Willamette Valley. This was the source of their first Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. Since then, Soter Wines has become established at the Mineral Springs Ranch near Carlton, a 240 acre property of savanna-like woodland and grazing land that includes a 30 acre planting of vineyard: it is home to 500 sheep and 50,000 vines.
The wines are made in a refurbished barn that dates back to 1943. All tirage, riddling and dégorgement of the sparkling wines takes place here. There are underground caves in the hillside next to the barn which serve as the winery’s barrel room and a recently constructed fermentation room completes the winemaking facilities.
While in the Napa Valley Tony Soter was a leader in organic farming and instrumental in establishing vineyards for his clients that were based on those principles. This philosophy remains at the heart of his winemaking. All vineyards farmed for his wines are certified by LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe standards of vineyard practices. The winemaking facility is also certified carbon neutral. No insecticides or persistent herbicides are ever employed in the vineyards to protect local flora, fauna, and watersheds. Biodiversity is maintained by cataloguing all plant and animal species, augmented by planting wild flowers and diverse varieties of other plants. This nurtures populations of insects and fungi that compete biologically with vineyard pests.
James Cahill, winemaker at Soter is the veteran of fifteen harvests in Oregon including five years as assistant winemaker and operations manager at their “esteemed neighbour”, Beaux Frères (qv), as well as two years as vineyard manager and co-winemaker at Elk Cove Vineyards. Alongside what they describe as “respectful stewardship” of the land they own and maintain, the stated aim of Soter Vineyards is to produce Pinot Noir that is “thrilling, complex, balanced and age-worthy”.
There are three distinct labels produced by Soter:
1. SOTER VINEYARDS ... Illustrious estate-grown wines from Eola Amity, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill Carlton (where the Mineral Springs vineyard, farm, and winery are).
2. ORIGIN SERIES ... Limited single-appellation bottlings showcasing each AVA's unique microclimate, geographical features, and growing conditions.
3. PLANET OREGON ... affordable, delicious, organically-grown wines from the Willamette Valley, ready to drink tonight.
Wines of the Origin Series are a reflection of the unique climates, geographical features, and growing conditions that embody each distinctive region where we source our grapes. Preservation of place is essential to our winemaking philosophy, and in accordance with our environmental principles, all of the vineyards we work with are at a minimum certified sustainable.
Historically significant in the Northern Willamette Valley, this area's Jory soils are red-hued, iron-rich clam loam of volcanic origins. Pinot noirs from the Dundee Hills showcase bright red fruits, perfumed aromatics, opulent texture and fine acidity.
This wine.
• Certified Organic
• 100% Pinot Noir
• Sourced from the Speegle Vineyard (Dundee Hills AVA)
• Jory Soils: Iron-rich, volcanic clay-loam
• Traditional vinification in small, open-top fermenters
• 20% whole-cluster
• Aged 10 months in French oak (35% new)
• 350 cases produced
• 13.6% abv