L'UMAMI WILLAMETTE PINOT NOIR 2021

This Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was made by Laurent Montalieu, who has been making wine in the area since 1987. Among other projects, he founded the NW Wine Company in 2003 as the first fully dedicated custom crush facility in the Willamette Valley. Since then, NW Wine Company has become one of Oregon’s largest land-holding wineries. Over the years, Laurent has dialed in his unique style. A focus on growing the highest quality fruit to achieve balanced and terroir-driven wines with freshness, depth, and structure are marks of his real-world education.

The grapes for l’Umami Pinot Noir were carefully sorted to ensure only the highest fruit quality was used. The grapes underwent a two-day soak before fermentation for 21 days of skin contact. The wine aged for nine months in French oak barrels from various coopers before release.

Aromas of plums, bramble, black cherry, pomegranates, and subtle oak lead to a fresh, clean palate that’s juicy with notes of red cherry and red currant. Tones of earthy, savory spice shine through, and the finish lingers with a balance of minerality and fruit.

Unsurprisingly, umami is the name of the game when pairing this wine with food. Some ideas include wild mushroom risotto, seared crispy skin duck breast, roasted cauliflower with parmesan, mushroom burgers.