2023 Torii Mor - Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (750ml)

Torii Mor Winery was founded in 1993 by retired neurosurgeon Dr. Donald Olson as a tribute to his late son, Leif, and as an outlet for his lifelong love of French Burgundy. Olson purchased the Olson Estate Vineyard in the Dundee Hills, planted in 1972 by an earlier grape growing family with clones sourced from Oregon pioneers Dick Erath and David Lett, and built a winery around it named for the Japanese torii gates and the Scandinavian word for earth found throughout the property's gardens. Burgundian born winemaker Jacques Tardy has led production since 2004, working from a LEED certified gravity flow winery completed in 2007.

This Pinot Noir is sourced from vineyards across the greater Willamette Valley, many of which also supply Torii Mor's more limited reserve bottlings, giving the wine a family resemblance to the winery's higher end wines in a lighter, more approachable style. The valley's cool climate and varied volcanic soils, including the Jory clay found on the estate, allow Pinot Noir to develop complexity while retaining fresh acidity. The 2023 vintage was aged for about ten months in a combination of French and Hungarian oak, a blend chosen to build structure without masking the fruit.

This Pinot Noir shows aromas of cola, root beer, and green tea, with underlying notes of grilled meat and molasses. On the palate, red cherry and dark berry flavors meet fine, structured tannins through a smooth, unhurried finish. It pairs well with grilled salmon, herb roasted chicken, or mushroom risotto.