Illahe’s estate Pinot offers solid value in a Willamette Valley wine. Rosy but with earthy bass notes, its fragrance suggests sundried tomato, dried cranberries, and raspberry. The fruit carries through to the palate, too, but the wine shies from over-ripeness, the sense more dusty than plump. Tannins are modest, while solid acidity pins it to the ground.
Many good elements are in place here: fruit, earth, refreshment, and something extra, something savory, that makes the wine greater than the sum of its parts.
2016 Illahe Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
14.5% abv | $22 (sample)
Illahe Vineyards
