2022 Corrine Vineyard, Anklebreaker Block Pinot Noir

97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

Site History: This vineyard was originally a portion of a larger vineyard known as Jacob-Hart Vineyard. This was owned and planted by Jan Jacobsen and Paul Hart, the founder and owners of Rex Hill Winery. In 1988 they began planting this vineyard off of Kings Grade Rd. After they sold Rex Hill in the early 2000s to A to Z Winery they still retained ownership of the vineyard. In the mid-2000s they began selling off the larger site as smaller, individual sections of vineyard. In 2007 John Olenik purchased the lower portion of the site. In 2009 I visited the vineyard with him in February while Patty was on a work trip. We were initially offered and took the 2.7 acre block of Wadensvil that is at the top portion of the site. I told John it looked okay and when Patty got back I would talk it over with her and get back to him. Upon returning to the winery I called her and said, “You are not going to believe the section of vineyard we just got offered!” John expanded the vineyard, nearly doubling the planted ground acreage. After the 2018 vintage, at the behest of his wife, he sold the vineyard to Cooper Mountain Winery.

Site Characteristics: Just outside of the Ribbon Ridge Appellation to the east is a contoured hillside that has a bit of a banana belt characteristic to it that separates and distinguishes it from most of the rest of the large Chehalem Mountain AVA. Olenik Vineyard sits nearly smack dab in the middle of this south facing hillside. The vineyard sits on the same type of thin marine soil as our Estate Vineyard. The west-facing and relatively exposed vineyard lies below Lia’s Vineyard and near sites such as Adams and J. Christopher Estate. The vineyard cascades down the hillside but has undulating folds to it that creates contour and gives unique characteristics to small sections within the 25-acre site. The initial block we received fruit from was 100% Wadensvil clone planted in 1991. We also receive a block toward the bottom of the vineyard known to us as The Anklebreaker Block, which is a 2007 planting of Pommard in a uniquely rocky section of the vineyard. The entire vineyard is incredibly diverse in terms of aspect, elevation and soil type with the amount of ancient flood and landslide deposited rock. This vineyard while just outside of Ribbon Ridge to the east sits in a little bit of a banana-belt that gets decidedly warmer and more consistently still than our Estate site just a few miles to the west. This site has a stillness and quietness to it that are quite enjoyable and palpable and it seems to resonate in the wines as they tend toward full, solid, dense wines that are more thought provoking than provocative.

The Block: This block carries the most unique name we use on a bottle because it is a truly unique section of vineyard. At some point in the distant geological past the upper hillside on which this vineyard sites experienced a violent landslide, cascading untold tons of rocks down the slope. By whatever quirk of topography this particular block was the end recipient of the largest portion of the basalt landslide. It is strewn, both on the surface and deep into the soil, with brick sized rocks. This makes for a particularly troublesome walk through the vines (hence the name)! However, the impacts are beyond sprained ankles, scuffed knees and wounded pride. The rocks create a difficult growing environment. In the 12 vintages we have had this section we have seen the vines deal with the hardscrabble in which they are planted. For four vintages (2013-2016) we did not bottle this wine due to the stress factor that was impacting the plants and the wine. A second aspect is that the rocks hold solar energy to a far greater degree than would bare dirt, grass or a cover crop. Therefore, this block has a higher ambient temperature than even blocks adjacent to it due to the rocks putting out rising heat during the night. This is a truly tricky and unique ground in which to grow Pinot Noir!

This vineyard was significantly impacted by the April frosts with resulting tonnages well off of historical norms. Recovery was largely based upon secondary buds coming out in May and allowing for a successful harvest.

Farming Practices: Corrine Vineyard was purchased by Cooper Mountain Vineyard in 2019. They have aggressively moved from sustainable farming to biodynamic principles with a stop in between of normal organic level farming which is where we are at right now. All Patricia Green Cellars sites are dry farmed.

Picking Dates, Tonnages, Tons/Acre: October 9th; 5.08 tons (2.21 tons/acre).

Vinification: All three 1.75 ton, open-top fermenters were done with 60% whole clusters. All Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noirs in 2022 were fermented with their native yeasts unless otherwise noted.

Winemaking: Fermentations were managed exclusively by pigeages to ensure gentle handling, extraction and delicate tannin construction in a situation where tannin largesse is the norm. Over the years we have learned to lean into the Anklebreaker Block and embrace it for what it is. All three 1.75 tons fermenters were filled with 60% whole clusters. Full fermentation from beginning to pressing was 16-17 days. 48 hour settling prior to being racked to barrel. All wines on full lees until assemblage for bottling. Bottled without fining or filtration.

Barrels: This 10-barrel bottling consists entirely of neutral barrels with the exception of 3 new barrels (25%).

Notes: In a cellar where “place” is paramount this bottling is perhaps the Pinot Noir the best shows the attributes of from where it lives. This is not an easy wine and it is very likely not a wine either for everybody or even a majority of people. This is a dark and savory Pinot Noir with the sort of tannin structure one would expect from vines growing in something akin to a quarry. That is, however, why it is glorious for those that want something tougher, wilder and completely different than the vast majority of Pinot Noirs made anywhere in the world.

This finished with a TA of 5.7, a pH of 3.54 and was bottled with under 30 ppm free SO2 and less than 85 ppm total SO2.

Tasting Notes: Please be aware that I am loathe to write tasting notes on our wines. Each person has an individual palate and therefore unique experiences with every wine. Also, what a person has tasted in their life and what they enjoy informs them on what a wine is like. If I tell you a wine tastes like cherries and you either have never had a cherry or don’t like cherries what I am saying is irrelevant information. That being said I have been asked to include my thoughts on each wine (since we have so many).

The 2022 Corrine Vineyard, Anklebreaker Block Pinot Noir is once again a unicorn in a lineup of 34 different Pinot Noirs. In a vintage where red fruit rules the roost this wine is black from the tip of its nose to the very last drop on the back of its uniquely powerful tannic structure. While this is still firmly Pinot Noir because of the incredible acidic infrastructure it possesses this is a unique Oregon Pinot Noir. The dark notes will evoke smoked meat, high percentage cacao dark chocolate, quarry rock, brisket crust and salted licorice. This is a savory-sweet Pinot Noir that is dense, firm and utterly unapologetic about what the source of its powers bring to its table. Few American Pinot Noirs combine its fruit intensity, savory flavors, acidity and tannic structure. Make of it what you will. Maybe its not that its too much for you, but that you are not enough for it.