2024 Elk Cove - Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (750ml)

Elk Cove Vineyards was founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell and was among the first wineries established in what is now the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, at a time when the entire state had only a couple hundred acres of vines planted. The estate is named for a herd of Roosevelt elk that migrates through the property's sheltered valley each spring. Joe made the wine for two decades before handing the reins to his son Adam Campbell, a fifth-generation Oregon farmer who has led the winery since 1997 and continues to draw entirely on the family's own estate vineyards.

This bottling is crafted from one hundred percent estate-grown fruit sourced across all six of Elk Cove's vineyard sites in the northern Willamette Valley, including the Winery Estate, Mount Richmond, Five Mountain, Clay Court, Goodrich, and Windhill blocks. These sites span all three of the region's major soil types and carry a mix of Pommard and Dijon plant material, giving Adam a wide palette of flavor components to blend each vintage. Grapes from each block are fermented separately in small, temperature-controlled steel tanks, hand punched down twice daily, then aged for about ten months in French oak. The 2024 growing season brought a mild, well-paced summer that many in the valley consider a benchmark vintage.

The wine shows bright cherry and raspberry aromas alongside cinnamon and delicate violet. On the palate, juicy plum and boysenberry meet earthier notes of cola and leather, finishing with chalky tannins and a hint of crème brûlée. Its silky texture and balance make it a fine companion to roasted duck, grilled salmon, or a simple plate of aged cheddar.