Forager Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2023
Low-yielding, mature sites across the Willamette Valley, classic low intervention winemaking and careful maturation captures the typicity of these sites and the purity of this noble grape variety. FORAGER speaks to how growing, gathering, and judiciously blending small lots of delicious Pinot Noir can deliver serious flavor and interest.
In addition to LIVE Certified and other well-managed vineyards, we have adopted carbon-neutral, Forest Stewardship Council-certified and biodegradable natural corks because cork forests sequester about one ton of carbon per year. A well-farmed natural vineyard will also sequester about 1⁄2 ton of carbon per year.
FSC-certified recycled post-consumer paper labels incorporate compostable inks. We also moved to a lighter weight (490 grams) recycled glass bottle.
| Country | America |
|---|---|
| Region | Oregon |
| Appellation | Willamette Valley |
| Winery | Forager |
| Vintage(s) | 2023 |
| Color | Red |
| Grapes | Pinot Noir |
Low-yielding, mature sites across the Willamette Valley, classic low intervention winemaking and careful maturation captures the typicity of these sites and the purity of this noble grape variety. FORAGER speaks to how growing, gathering, and judiciously blending small lots of delicious Pinot Noir can deliver serious flavor and interest.
In addition to LIVE Certified and other well-managed vineyards, we have adopted carbon-neutral, Forest Stewardship Council-certified and biodegradable natural corks because cork forests sequester about one ton of carbon per year. A well-farmed natural vineyard will also sequester about 1⁄2 ton of carbon per year.
FSC-certified recycled post-consumer paper labels incorporate compostable inks. We also moved to a lighter weight (490 grams) recycled glass bottle.
| Country | America |
|---|---|
| Region | Oregon |
| Appellation | Willamette Valley |
| Winery | Forager |
| Vintage(s) | 2023 |
| Color | Red |
| Grapes | Pinot Noir |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
|---|---|
| Volume | 750ml |
| Alcohol | 12.4% |
| Product Code | 4116223 |
| UPC | 7-98304-37805-4 |
Tasting notes
Our new label features a vintage Polaroid of Oregon’s bounty; foraged chanterelle mushrooms. This gorgeous Pinot Noir opens with aromas of ripe cherries and hints of delicate roses. The youthful, complex palate offers ripe blood orange, tamarind and cola. The soft, velvety tannins and what we call “crunchy” acidity come together in a generously textured way, bringing it home with an incredibly long, savory finish. Yum. This is a small-lot handmade wine and thus may throw a harmless natural deposit.
Terroir
The depth of our 2021 Pinot Noir comes from two Pinot Noir selections grown in two Willamette Valley locales. The 1st is at 500’ altitude, LIVE Certified and dry-farmed in Jory (red volcanic) soils. The 2nd is a site in Tualatins’ rolling hills with Willakenzie (sedimentary) soils. Both sites were hand-pruned and picked.
Regional Composition: 100% Willamette Valley AVA (Yamhill-Carlton AVA 58%, Tualatin Hills AVA 42%)
Vintage Notes
The 2023 vintage in the Willamette Valley started with a cool spring with warming and flowering starting in Mid-may. Warm and dry weather throughout the growing season meant low to zero issues with mold or mildew and near perfect clusters of grapes with minimal intervention. Steady ripening led to greater textural density and aromatic complexity.
Viticulture
Pinot Noir
Vinification
Hand-harvested between September 14 and October 9, the compact Pinot Noir bunches were handled with a very light touch in cellar and hand-sorted with about 40% in whole clusters, then crushed, and cold macerated in 5-ton open-top fermenters. A very light dash of natural sulfur was added at the crusher and fermentation began with prevailing, “local” natural yeasts. Moderate fermentation temperature (85°F) and 1 pigeage per day helped build structure. After a gentle press (<1 bar), ML took place in barrel followed by 11 months maturation which contributed spiciness and a velvety mouthfeel. 10% new French oak plays a supporting role. After a light “polish” filtration, 39 barrels (~979 cases) were bottled in September 2024.
Winery Description
Jonathan Pey, who was enchanted by the beauty of wine during his teenage years while living with his family in Paris, France, returned to the United States to obtain a bachelor's degree in agronomy. He then worked as a French wine importer, further deepening his knowledge of wine. Through the opportunity to collaborate with Robert Mondavi, he delved deeply into Napa Cabernet and founded TEXTBOOK in Napa Valley in 2004. This wine quickly earned praise from critics and garnered enthusiastic fans. Although it was sold to an international wine group in 2019, he still serves as their advisor.
FORAGER
ORAGER began amidst the confusion of the 2008 financial crisis when a nearby winery canceled a grape contract with a contracted farmer one week before harvest. Despite not knowing what to do with the finished wine, FORAGER agreed to purchase the grapes to assist the struggling farmers. Today, they aim to produce delicious wines that maximize the uniqueness of the land and focus on small-batch production.