2008 WildAire Cellars Timothy Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.3% alc., $20. Proprietor and winemaker Matt Driscoll crafts his wines at Illahe Vineyards in the Polk County Hills between Dallas and Monmouth. He sources grapes from several AVAs including Chehalem Mountains, McMinnville and the Rogue Valley. Matt and his wife Jean have a tasting room in Carlton. The name, WildAire, is from a family estate in Roanoke, Virginia. The name was found while hiking the Appalachian Trail carved into a granite fireplace mantle in a Ranger Station. The wine is dedicated to Matt’s father who loved to hike. · Vivid and nuanced nose sporting aromas of spiced dark stone fruits, pine pitch, exotic woods and menthol. Generous core of plum, dried cherry and cranberry fruit with notes of pine sap and grass. Grainy dry tannins lend a velvety texture to the wine. Picks up aromatic and flavor intensity and interest in the glass over time. Good (+). Reviewed June 22, 2010

Winery: WildAire Cellars
From article: More Sips of Noiregon Pinot