2020 Candide – SOLD OUT
Zenith Vineyard ∞ Eola-Amity Hills AVA Reserve Pinot Noir
57 cases produced. $56 *SOLD OUT*
Named for Leonard Bernstein’s operetta of the same name (which was based on the 1759 novella by Voltaire), we lucked into a micro planting of heritage clone Wadenswil from a 1.4-acre block in the prestigious Zenith Vineyard in Salem, Oregon. The 2020 Candide is comprised of 95% Wadenswil (13-year-old vines) planted on Chehulpum Silt Loam on a gentle slope. Just 5% Pommard from our estate vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA was added to the final blend, planted at 550 feet in elevation on volcanic Jory soil that accentuates brighter fruit flavors. The 2020 Candide aged for 12 months in French oak. This wine showcases the richer mouthfeel and spicier characteristics of Wadenswil, made more pronounced by its source in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA.
TECHNICAL NOTESNOSE: Vanilla, blueberry, black cherry, blackberry.
PALATE: Balanced and complex with a long finish. Hints of blueberry, baking spices, black pepper, vanilla, forest floor.
Winerabble Review: On the nose and palate cranberry, dark chocolate, sandalwood, maple syrup, wisps of campfire smoke, and red cherry.
Great Northwest Wine Review: This bottling is Burgundian with its persistent earthy and saddle leather profile that brings along dark purple fruit akin to Bing cherry and Marionberry, barrel spice, caramel and dried centella leaves. The tannin management is remarkable, making for an impressively balanced frame that shows off the former corporate tax attorney’s talent as a winemaker. 90 points — Excellent
