12 Jul 93 Points from The Prince of Pinot
2014 WildAire Timothy Yamhill-Carlton Oregon Pinot Noir – The Pinotfile
14.5% alc., pH 3.71, 293 cases, $35. Released April 2016. Named to honor Matt Driscoll’s father. The wine is composed of the cellar’s best barrels and varies from year to year. Sourced from Yates Conwill Vineyard (Pommard and 777) and Beacon Hill Vineyard (Pommard). Harvest Brix 25.0º. 100% de-stemmed, 10-day cold soak, both native and inoculated yeasts, 25 days on the skins, aged 14 months in 33% new French oak barrels.·Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Very shy aromas of cherry, woodland and spice. Much more expressive in the mouth, with an explosion of blueberry, pomegranate and marionberry fruit flavors that invade and saturate the palate. Accents of oak-driven spice and vanilla add interest. Toned tannins and spot-on acidity hold the fruit in check, creating a seamless impression. The finish is immense in this joyful wine.Score:92. Reviewed July 9, 2016
2014 WildAire Beacon Hill Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton Oregon Pinot Noir – The Pinotfile
14.5% alc., pH 3.71, 97 cases, $45. Released April 2016. The Beacon Hill Vineyard is located southeast of Gaston and certified LIVE. 29- acres are planted to multiple clones of Pinot Noir in marine sedimentary soils. This wine comes from an own-rooted block of Pommard clone that was planted in 1988. Harvest Brix 25º. 100% de-stemmed, 10-day cold soak, more than 22 days on the skins, aged 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. · Moderately light cherry red color in the glass. Outstanding nose with bright aromas of cherry, strawberry and herb field. This mid weight wine is primarily red fruited, offering seductive flavors of cherry and strawberry accented with savory herbs, baking spice and smoky, toasty oak. Impeccable balanced, with fine-grain tannins, juicy acidity and a persistent finish. When tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, the oak overlay had lessened and one can expect this to occur with more time in the bottle as this is a young wine. Score: 92. Reviewed July 9, 2016
2014 WildAire Yates Conwill Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton Oregon Pinot Noir – The Pinotfile
14.5% alc., pH 3.79, 99 cases, $45. Released April 2016. This LIVE certified vineyard is located just west of Carlton and shares a fence line with the famed Resonance Vineyard. 13 acres of high density plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Willakenzie soils. Pommard and 777 clones. 100% de-stemmed, 10-day cold soak, inoculated with several types of yeasts, more than 28 days on the skins, and aged 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. This wine is blessed with plenty of luscious black raspberry, blackberry and purple grape aromas and flavors with just the right compliment of oak-driven vanilla and spice. Haunting and fruit-laden, with a velveteen mouthfeel, and supportive tannins, all adding up to one seductive Pinot Noir. Score: 93. Reviewed July 9, 2016