Walnut City WineWorks Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2003

An intriguing bouquet of ripe black cherry fruit, strawberry, and the subtlety of spice, seeps indefatigably from the regally robed 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir. On the palate, this Côte de Nuits Burgundian style Pinot Noir opens slowly and unfolds propitiously to reveal textured ripe fruit, oriental spice, and just a hint of smoke that adds a note of complexity. Moreover, this WineWorks Pinot Noir has sufficient underpinning and a zesty finish, so there is no wimp in this wine. With aeration, this youthful Oregon Pinot Noir becomes rich, smooth, and long on the palate. Although beautiful now, the 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir has additional ageing potential, providing you can exercise enough discipline to lay down a few bottles We suggest serving this lovely Oregon Pinot Noir at approximately 65? F. For optimum enjoyment, provide at least twenty minutes of aeration before consuming. Enjoy!

Given the distinctly Burgundian profile of the 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir, traditional Burgundian classics such as Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon offer enviable, if not familiar, company. But whether it is traditional French country fare, Piedmontese Risotto, or a succulent Veal Chop, the 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir seems best suited for savory somewhat sophisticated preparations. Nonetheless, pork tenderloin, lamb, and even Prime Rib provide exemplary complements as well, especially if attention is given to a garnish or sauce. On a lighter note, marinated grilled salmon filets, with a lingering touch of ginger and soy, or even a slightly piquant Asian Tuna Salad offer other outstanding complements to this wine. In addition, any cream or truffle based sauce bring out all the latent goodness in this lovely Pinot Noir. In fact, the 2003 Walnut City WineWorks Pinot Noir is fairly versatile and will complement most menus, simple or supreme, but it seems to us a shame to pair this fine Pinot Noir with pedestrian fare, so why not treat yourself and the wine, too? After all, who is better than you?

Walnut City WineWorks is the dream of John Davidson and John Gilpin, two Oregon farmers, nurserymen, and winemakers who have planted more than a million vines throughout Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the past two decades. The two met back in 1984 at one of Yamhill County’s first wineries. From the beginning the two shared a love for Pinot Noir and a desire to establish Oregon’s Willamette Valley as one of the world’s premier producers of Pinot Noir. Over the years, that dream has grown to include Pinot Gris, Oregon’s response or rebuke, if you will, to Chardonnay. Walnut City WineWorks opened its doors in 1999 in the original Willamette Valley Walnut Company building in the heart of historic McMinnville. After an extreme interior make-over, Davidson and Gilpin, along with winemaker Zac Spence, have set about fashioning a bevy of clean, tasty Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines from two hundred acres of Willamette vines they either own or manage. Davidson and Gilpin’s own work is bottled under the Walnut City WineWorks label; the rest is made and bottled for other producers. Walnut City WineWorks also functions as a custom crush facility for a number of small growers, who share Walnut City WineWorks’ like minded passion and joy for wine.