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Eola Hills 2022 "Lucent" White Pinot Noir
Legacy Estate Vineyard
In the early 1980’s, Oregonian Tom Huggins found himself intrigued by the notion of creating great regional wines in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Tom’s dream was rooted in facts. Through his occupation as an agricultural insurance specialist in the 1970’s, he knew what to look for in potential vineyard sites. Tom convinced a handful of close friends and family members to invest with him in purchasing a 35 acre wheat field on Oak Grove Road, just a few miles west of Salem, on a site he felt was ideal for growing grapes.
These young Oregonians didn’t just bring their savings to the table. They prepared the site and planted the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines themselves. They learned to stake and train vines, harvest, sort, and crush the grapes that became the winery’s first 1,500 cases in 1986. It was hard work, it was fun, and the wine was terrific.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Eola Hills, Salem, Oregon
2022 "Lucent" White Pinot Noir
Steve Anderson, Head Winemaker
At the age of thirteen, Steve began his wine making career with a neighbor’s grapes, a 5-gallon bucket, and that neighbor’s tales of homemade wine. Steve’s project soon became the delight of his parents, who gladly partook in the results of his experiment and further encouraged his education.
Two years into his Horticultural degree at Oregon State University, he ran out of funds and joined the U.S. Army in order to receive the Army College Fund. After three years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, he graduated from OSU with plans to become a nurseryman.
In 1993, Eola Hills Wine Cellars brought Steve aboard as a harvest season cellar rat. Within weeks, he was promoted to Assistant Winemaker, where he cultivated his techniques for five years. Another winery and a couple of years later, Steve was invited to serve as Eola’s head winemaker and has been producing beautiful wines for us ever since. This selection is our way of honoring visionaries and the multiple decades worth of effort invested in showcasing one very special vineyard.
FOOD PAIRING
This rich white wine is the perfect accompaniment to earthy mushroom dishes with cream-based sauces or lightly dressed maritime meals featuring shellfish, lobster, or crab. Try this. vintage with seared scallops with a white wine reduction served over carbonara or with baked brie, served with sliced apples and honey.
WINEMAKERS TASTING NOTE
Our "Lucent" White Pinot Noir reveals aromas of ripe yellow apples, white peaches and a hint of honeycomb. Smooth on the palate, it is complemented by vibrant stone fruit notes and a touch of minerality. Hand plucked from our estate vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, we harvest this Pinot Noir a bit earlier and treat it the same way we craft white wine. Grapes are gently pressed to avoid color extraction while free run juice is collected. to go through a slow, cold fermentation to preserve aromatics. Through limited contact with the skins and fining techniques, the finished wine is like white gold.
CHARACTERISTICS
Color: Linden Flower
Aroma: Floral, Ripe Yellow Apples, Minerality
Taste: White Peach, Apricots, Honeydew, Jasmine
Body: Complex, Light, Lively
TECHNICAL
Brix At Harvest: 22.8
Alcohol: 12.7%
Residual Sugar: < 0.2 g/L
TA: 5.6 g/L
PH: 3.25
A Cellar 503 selection in September 2023, Vineyard Expressions Eola-Amity Hills | Pinot Noir
