2023 Domaine St. Laurent Estate Pinot Noir
$45
Deep garnet in color and captivating from the first swirl, our 2023 Estate Pinot Noir is a study in elegance and balance. Layers of ripe red cherry and black plum mingle with hints of baking spice and forest floor. Silky tannins and vibrant acidity carry the palate through a long, mineral-driven finish, reflecting the distinctive terroir of our Rogue Valley vineyard. This wine is wonderful now but will be perfect with 2 - 5 years of cellaring.
James Suckling: 91 Points
Sean Ludford’s BevX: 93 Points
Wine Enthusiast: 91 Points (‘22)
Technical Details
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Deep ruby in color and seductively aromatic on the nose, our 2022 Estate Pinot Noir is a triumph. On the palate, a distinctive combination of bright cherries and blackberries backed by notes of caramel and underlayed by a deep meaty richness. This medium-bodied wine shows zestful acidity and firm tannins.
The wine is 50% Pommard Clone, 25% 777 Clone, and 25% 115 Clone. During vinification, destemmed and whole berries were gently gravity-transferred to small fermenters where we used specially selected yeast strains from Burgundy, France for fermentation. Then, freshly pressed wine was transferred to French oak for aging 18 months prior to bottling. This vintage was 25% New French barrels, 25% once-filled French, and 50% neutral French oak.
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Our Estate Pinot Noir is best savored slightly cooler than room temperature, ideally around 55°F. Cooler temperatures accentuate the aromatic profile of the wine and allow a fantastic unveiling of new flavors and aromatics as the wine warms in the glass.
The bright red fruits on display lend themselves to a wide variety of pairings. Everything from light salmon to gamey elk can pair nicely. A particularly delightful pairing that we’ve enjoyed is with fatty pan-roasted duck with wild mushrooms. The acidity of this vintage cuts through the richness of the duck fat while the earthiness of the mushrooms highlights the brightness of the fruit.
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Block One is predominantly Agate-Winlo soil, an extremely coarse sandy loam soil complex with neutral pH (6.6pH). Block One has an average elevation of 1575 ft, but ranges 125 ft over its ~14 acre extent (1525-1650 ft). Cool climate for the area with big temperature swings between night and day.