2022 Violin - Polk County Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (750ml)

Violin is a small Oregon producer started in 2013 by Will Hamilton, who came to the Willamette Valley for the 2005 harvest and worked at several wineries, including Erath, before launching his own label. Based in the Eola-Amity Hills near Amity, Violin makes about 2,000 cases a year, focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that prize freshness, precision and elegance. Hamilton runs the business alongside his wife, Hyland.

The 2022 Violin Pinot Noir Polk County Cuvée showcases the southern Eola-Amity Hills, where an outcropping of fractured basalt known as the Eola Bench shapes the fruit. It is blended entirely from mature vines, including Justice, Temperance Hill, Witness Tree and Sojeau vineyards. Hamilton favors a nearly perfect ripe pick to keep tension in the wine. Fermentation takes place in open-top vats with native yeast and no commercial additions, and the wine typically rests on lees for 14 to 16 months before a short stay in stainless steel ahead of bottling.

Dark cherry and red fruit lead, with savory depth from the old-vine sites. The palate is brisk and solidly framed rather than plush, a classic, structured style of Pinot Noir with fresh acidity and a lingering finish. Youthful now, it has the poise to develop over several years.