2019 Hyland Vineyard Coury Clone Pinot Noir
96 Points - Vinous
Vivid ruby-red. A highly perfumed, complex bouquet evokes red and dark berry preserves, potpourri, licorice and smoky minerals. Alluringly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering concentrated cherry cola, Chambord, lavender, mocha and spicecake flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Melds power and finesse with a sure hand and finishes extremely long, smooth and subtly tannic, with resonating florality and emphatic, spicy thrust. 20% new French oak.
Description: This is one of the most historically revered and iconic vineyards in Oregon. Originally planted in 1973 on a steep hillside above Muddy River Rd. southwest of McMinnville, this vineyard was daring for its pitch, elevation and for the fact that it was well outside of the Dundee Hills where the vast majority of quality vineyards were being planted at the time. We dumb-lucked our way into the vineyard in 2017 and this is now our 3rd vintage with Hyland. If the 3rd time is a charm, then this should be a real charmer! The 2017 and 2018 were among our finest efforts in both vintages. This wine is a rare combination of intensity from 30+ year-old vines, the unique flavor of Coury Clone paired with the texture of volcanic soil and structure commonly found in the McMinnville AVA. While the high elevation portends at a wine that will be lacy, red-fruited and silky the coast range proximity brings in weather patterns that create darker fruit profiles at lower brix and toughened skins lending both pigmentation and heightened levels of back-palate tannins. This is a serious and substantial wine from one of Oregon’s amazing, old vineyard sites. We are only just getting started here and have already found a special touch with this wine. This wine is the backbone of a healthy and deep wine cellar.
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This wine’s stature comes from the combination of site characteristics and clone that are extremely rare in Oregon. The way they present themselves set them apart from all of our other wines. We strive to find unique places so that we can craft a large number of wines that are all very distinct. In this case we have found a block within a large site that offers us the ability to have a wine that feints at both being lean, austere, demure and tightly wound as well as being rich, broad-shouldered, structured, dense and provocative. At least in its youth that is the vibe it is giving off and the type of elasticity that it has. Few wines bring such an ability to move from both sides of the spectrum effortlessly with intent.
Site Characteristics: Hyland Vineyard is an isolated vineyard well out on the southern fringe of the McMinnville AVA. It’s an amazing old vineyard and the idea that someone either was crazy enough or had the temerity to plant a vineyard this far out in the middle of nowhere in 1973 is spellbinding. Many great vineyards in the world don’t look like they’re great vineyards. Some of the most notable vineyards look entirely ordinary. Hyland is not one of those. It is a towering amphitheater that opens to the east and the whole bowl is lined with vines that date back as far as the original plantings. Raptors soar through the trees that line the site and there are constant screeches from them as they hone in on their prey. The air is noticeably cooler up here on hot days, there is a consistent breeze but the sun feels more radiant here than in other sites. It is a unique and special place. The vineyard is farmed, at the very least, organically and every effort is taken to ensure the volcanic soil has incredible looseness and vibrancy to it. There is no question that this is one of Oregon’s standouts.
VINIFICATION: One 1.75 ton open-top fermenter 100% de-stemmed and one 2.5 ton open-top fermenter with 33% whole clusters.
PICKING DATE: September 16
TONS/ACRE: 1.3
AVA: McMinnville
LOCATION: Vineyard Ln.
ELEVATION: 650’
SOIL TYPE: Jory
YEAR PLANTED: 1989
CLONAL MATERIAL: 100% Coury
VINEYARD SIZE: 135-acre vineyard, 1.4-acre PGC block
OWNERS: Laurent Montalieu
