2020 Norris Estate Norris McKinley Vineyard Pinot Noir

Responsibly Farmed
Hidden Gem
Classic in Style

The 2020 Norris Estate Pinot Noir is an extremely rare single vineyard Pinot Noir which is from one of the most exclusive clubs of the Willamette Valley, the Ribbon Ridge AVA. It’s a magical strip of land that is well suited for the cultivation of high-end Pinot Noir. This has 30% whole cluster fermentation and was aged for 12 months in French oak barrel.

Organic farming practices and only 477 cases produced annually.

Red
  • Tasting Notes bramble, bing cherry, black tea, wild violets, lilac, licorice, dark cherry cola, exotic spices
  • Variety Pinot Noir
  • Region United States, California, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  • Volume 750ml
  • Alcohol Volume 13%
  • Table Talk Robert (winemaker) has a black lab named Zeus that follows him around winery and patrols the vineyards.

$40.00

Out of stock

A Southern California native, Robert Mckinley fell in love with wine while traveling in Europe at a young age. His family purchased property on Ribbon Ridge almost 20 years ago, though he never imagined he’d be farming vines and making wine there one day. Robert graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in wine and viticulture, then worked in vineyards, cellars, and tasting rooms at Williams Selyem, Jonata/The Hilt, Trisaetum, Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand), and Torbreck (Barossa Valley, Australia).

Although Robert has worked on his family’s property for over 15 years, 2020 marked the inaugural vintage of Norris, which featured 213 cases of Riesling and 650 cases of Pinot Noir. All vineyards are farmed using organic practices and a meticulous attention to detail is used in the cellar. The resulting bottles are bright, sophisticated, and truly embody what it means to make artisanal wine.

PINOT NOIR
This elusive and delicate light-bodied grape is a winegrowers dream, but can be difficult to achieve. Stubborn, yet flirtatious, Pinot Noir is tantalizing creating a beautiful dance between the grape and the winemaker. The resulting light red wine can be nothing short of spectacular. Loved for its red fruit and spicy characteristics, its also a great food partner. Look for notable regions including Burgundy, France, Central Coast or Sonoma in CA, Willamette Valley in Oregon, and Pfalz or Baden in Germany as well as many other regions around the world in New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and Argentina.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON
The Willamette Valley AVA lies to the west of the Cascade Mountains south of the city, Portland in Oregon. Stretching into Southern Oregon, this region has the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards. With cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean, dry, long sunny days, and cool nights, Willamette Valley is prime territory for growing Burgundian grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With the first planting’s back in the 1960’s, this region has grown slowly, but significantly, producing top quality and world-renown wines from mostly small wineries.