Cellar 503 Tasting Notes

Violin, Amity, Oregon
2023 Pinot Noir

The latest edition of our flagship bottling includes two vineyards that were new to our program: Bracken, the uphill neighbor to Sojeau, and Freedom Hill, the iconic property in the coast range foothills outside of Dallas, some fifteen minutes drive Southwest of the Eola Hills in the newly minted Mt. Pisgah, Polk County AVA. Sojeau (40%), Bracken (17%), Freedom Hill (27%) make up the core of the wine, with smaller percentages of Witness Tree (6%), Temperance Hill (3%), and for the eleventh straight year, our Monopole in the North, First Man Vineyard (7%). After open top fermentation, the wines were aged on lees in tight grain French Oak from mid October to mid December of 2024, allowing for barrel aging of nearly 14 months before spending six weeks coming together as a blend in stainless steel.

Punchy and powerful, with aromatic pop and red fruit galore. The nose moves from pomegranate and cherry to flowers and soil, showing significant depth and range. The mild crunchiness on entry quickly evolves into creamy, well rounded tannin, pushing the red fruits and spiced earth gracefully from back to front. The definition of medium bodied, where the tannin construction and weight give lift off to wonderful movement against the chewy, well structured frame. 13.2% Alcohol

Achieving balance, distinction, and elegance remains the overall goal with our Pinot Noir. Our vineyard partners share our dedication to sustainable wine-growing, and we are fortunate to exclusively dry farm our sites using organic inputs. The scale of our vineyards, delicacy of our varieties, and fickle nature of our climate necessitate the use of human labor for all pruning and most foliar management, and we practice mechanical techniques for in-row cultivation. Building a healthy farm is at the core of what our partnerships hope to achieve, as we believe it will produce the healthiest and most expressive grapes, fermentations, and resulting wines. Astute management of appropriate yields cannot be overstated as a crucial aspect for achieving balance in the vines, the fruit they produce, and the eventual beverage time capsules we craft.

The retention of natural acidity, flavor of juice, and conditions in the canopy and fruiting zone are the key factors in determining ripeness and the correct moment to begin the winemaking process. Style is most prominently influenced by this decision: what constitutes “ripe.” We have grown to prefer the almost perfectly ripe pick, and rely on the tension this can bring to balance the beautiful and opulent array of Willamette Valley fruit and savory characters. We celebrate the variation and reflection of the growing season within the wines we produce, while tirelessly guiding the process toward balance, purity, and gracefulness.

Pinot noir fermentations occur in open top, one-to-one ratio vats between 1.5 and 3 ton volumes, instigated after several days by vigorous juice “pumpover” and an increase in temperature, with no additions of commercial yeasts or nutrients. During peak fermentation we will occasionally foot tread (“pigeage”) to help homogenize the skins and juice. All Pinots undergo 15-25 day skin contact, with certain lots including 15-20% as whole clusters. The wines age on lees for 14-16 months before being assembled, spending 4-6 weeks in stainless tanks to homogenize and “come together” before bottling. Barrels are 100% French from several cooperages, with the majority of the wines in impactful, lightly used barrels, augmented by small percentages (10-15%) of both new and once-filled versions. The relationship between oak and wine feels best around 12-15 months, and “over-vintaging” the wines has helped in broadening and integrating textures, extending length, and supporting the wine aromas, flavors, and structural elements to best allow site and regional expression to shine.

A Cellar 503 selection in July 2026, Side Hustles & Backyard Bistros Willamette Valley | Pinot Noir