2021 Windblown Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes:

Our inaugural release of the Soil Series shows off Laurelwood's signature unctuous core of deep blueberry and boysenberry with brighter pomegranate overtones and floral layers. Waves of fruit and spice hit your palate with notes of cocoa powder and subtle earth. 200 cases made

Our Soil Series Pinot Noir

Here in the Willamette Valley, we are blessed with an ideal combination of exciting soils and a perfect climate for growing Pinot Noir. The cool climate creates an ideal situation for Pinot Noir to showcase the uniqueness of our impressive array of soils found throughout the valley. Each year we’ll pick one soil type out and blend multiple vineyards of the same soil together to create a delicious, small-production SOIL SERIES Pinot Noir.

Our inaugural release is called “Windblown,” named for a soil called Loess, which is a windblown silt found only in the far northerly end of the Willamette Valley. It accumulated in very specific areas that were exposed to the powerful winds that blew during the last ice age. These areas, namely the Laurelwood AVA and Tualatin Hills AVA, caught all the volcanic dust and fine silts that were picked up by the strong winds and deposited over a bedrock of ancient basalt, producing beautifully spiced wines packed with loads of blue fruit characteristics, such as blueberry, plum, and boysenberry.

Pike Road Pinot Noir is hand-picked and hand-sorted then fermented in small open-top stainless steel tanks. Our Soil Series Pinot Noir is barrel-aged for 9 months in 100% neutral French oak barrels to highlight the soil's impact on the wine. 

The 2021 Vintage

The 2021 vintage was an exceptional year. The timing of weather events was key to our success in 2021. We experienced a bit of rainfall during bloom which helped to lower yields by producing some hens and chicks (variable-sized berries). Then a historic heat event happened during late June which brought worrisome temperatures at a time that luckily did not result in any damage to our grape crop. Growth resumed normally once temperatures cooled with average heat from July through September bringing even ripening to the plentiful small, loose clusters. For Pinot Noirs, expect intense color and flavors bursting out of the glass, while white wines and rosés are fruit-forward with great acidity and balance.