The grapes for the 2007 Kings Ridge Oregon Pinot Noir come from vineyards in the renowned Willamette Valley and the Umpqua Valley. Each of these regions imparts its own distinctive style, and through our blending of these two regions, we make distinctively “Oregon” Pinot Noir. Our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is grown in a cool climate with beautiful raspberry, cherry and floral flavors. Our Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir vineyards are warm by day and cool by night due to the marine influence, which gives the wines blueberry and plum flavors with firm acidity. The combination of cool and warm climates found in these regions produces wine stacked with intense flavors and aromas. The 2007 Pinot Noir grapes were fermented in vessels from 1.5-ton boxes to 20-ton closed-top tanks. They were punched down or pumped over three times per day and pressed at dryness. The wine was aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels for nine months, then blended and bottled. The 2007 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir has classic Pinot Noir cranberry, raspberry and currants on the nose and palate. The acidity from the 2007 vintage gives freshness and definition to the palate. The character of the 2007 vintage was defined by cooler weather in late summer through the fall, producing wines with balanced alcohol and great acidity levels. We saw very little rain during flowering, and in early June the conditions were right for a good fruit set. Summer brought with it numerous warm days, but as we headed into late August, we still were not making up for the cool spring. Things were shaping up for a late harvest. In late September, the weather turned to rain. This harvest became a test of wills—the winegrower versus Mother Nature. Our growers maneuvered around the early October rains, pushing the crop to its limits in order to achieve maximum ripeness. One defining point of the 2007 vintage will be the decisions made about when to pick. There will be those who picked before the rains, those who picked during the rains, and those who waited until they thought that the crop could not take another shower, or felt they had finally reached the flavors and balance they were looking for in their fruit. We were in the last camp, and our Pinot Noir benefited from the additional hang time. Flavors concentrated, seeds matured, and tannins softened, creating this elegant 2007 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir.

Rating

2007 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 88 Points - Wine Spectator "Light and fragrant, with pretty rose petal overtones to the currant and berry fruit, finishing with delicate grip. Drink now through 2014." 2007 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 87 Points – Wine Enthusiast "Kings Ridge is one of the handful of volume producers offering soundly made Oregon Pinot Noir below $20. This fine effort mixes spicy red fruits, suggestions of root beer and black cherry cola, and lightly herbal tannins, but does not load in the sweet vanilla flavors that are often used to makes off-flavors. Quite dry, balanced and clean, it’s a fine go-to everyday domestic Pinot."