Oregon's 2000 vintage

Already considered by many to be the third in a string of excellent Oregon vintages, 2000 followed the typical pattern for a nice and easy Oregon vintage. Bloom in mid-June under sunny skies set a large crop that had to be thinned aggressively. Sunny weather persisted through the summer, and a shot of rain in early September kept the vines healthy through a long slow ripening period. We enjoyed a beautiful harvest in mid-October with no rain in sight.

"Oregon's Willamette Valley has produced four outstanding vintages (1998 through 2001) and has emerged as the de facto - and affordable - Pinot Noir capital of the New World." Anthony Dias Blue Bon Appetit (April '02)

"All that Oregon has needed to merit recognition as one of the world's great wine-growing regions is an unbroken string of excellent vintages... Now - at last - Oregon has just such a string to its credit. The 1998, 1999, and 2000 harvests have all produced excellent wines, and early indications are that 2001 may do so as well." Michael Franz The Washington Post (Jan '02)

Harvest date: October 8, 2000
Grapes at harvest: Brix: 23.1, pH: 3.33, TA: 7.0 gr/liter
Barrel aged 10 months in Center of France oak, 30% new
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.1%, pH: 3.5, TA: 6.0 gr/liter

Bottled unfiltered in September 2001
356 Cases Produced
Suggested Retail $ 18

Winemaker notes: By the numbers, the most unusual feature of the 2000 vintage was extraordinarily high sugars at harvest, with no loss of natural acidity. This may be the ripest vintage we've ever seen at Bethel Heights in terms of physiological maturity of the fruit at harvest - sugar content, sugar/acid balance, flavors on the ripe end of the pinot fruit spectrum. The wines are very fruit forward, with a noticeable sweetness on the palate.

The 2000 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is our house antidote to the recession blues. We selected our most immediately appealing, forwardly fruity Pinot noir barrels of the vintage (some from Lewman Vineyard, some from Bethel Heights) and blended them into a wine that's meant to be enjoyed while it's young, saving us all the expense of cellaring it while giving plenty of immediate gratification.

Food recommendations: Try this with grilled duck breast in a marionberry sauce.