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Atticus Wine 2020 Rockstar Pinot Noir
On vacation, they decided to stay...
Who hasn’t been on vacation and dreamed of chucking it all and staying right there? Well, that’s exactly what Ximena Orrego and Guy Insley did in 2004.
After tasting a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir at a restaurant in Florida, they decided to travel to the Willamette Valley for vacation. On a lark, they asked a realtor to show them some land. One thing led to another, and soon they were planting vines just outside of Yamhill, Oregon.
It was just another adventure for a couple that’s led a global life. Ximena is from Peru and has lived in Venezuela and British Columbia. Guy was born in Hong Kong, raised in France (and served in the French army), and lived in Scotland.
By 2007, the vines were maturing, and they moved to Oregon with their two young children in tow. Ximena took winemaking classes at Chemeketa Community College and interned at Raptor Ridge under the watchful eye of winemaker Scott Shull.
Today, Atticus is growing deliberately slowly, with an intentional approach that’s winning over fans that discover their wines. Now it’s your turn!
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Atticus Wine, Yamhill, Oregon
2020 Rockstar Pinot Noir
I know what you’re going to say. You thought we were done with the 2020 vintage.
Yes, that was the year of the wildfires here in Oregon. But if you’ve learned anything from me, you’ll know that I believe you can’t write off an entire vintage from an entire state!
And this 2020 Pinot Noir from Atticus proves my point. It is the only wine they made during that difficult year.
They put all of their best barrels into this blend and it shows! You’ll get flavors of black tea and earthy brambles and hints of red plums, raspberries, graham crackers and Asian spices.
So good. A rockstar indeed!
A Cellar 503 selection in May 2023, Women In Wine Yamhill-Carlton | Pinot Noir
