X Novo, Eola Amity Hills, Pinot Noir, 2021

2021 is a classic vintage at Walter Scott, where husband and wife team Ken and Erica continue to turn the dial in their efforts to produce great Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. “With the exception of the heat dome that hit right around flowering time, this was a vintage that was dry and warm and relatively straightforward” Ken explained. “We started picking on August 21st and continued for 5 weeks. September was stress free, we could harvest at our leisure, plus there was no wine from the 2020s, so you had all the time you wanted AND all the space you needed in winery. Some cuvees were barrelled down before others were picked”.

The wines, as a result, have a measure of precision we’ve perhaps not seen before, with crunchy ripe fruit, fresh acids and plenty of succulence. They bear none of the hallmarks of a warm vintage, and all of the nuance and drive we’ve come to expect from this excellent outfit.

Tweaks in the winery saw all whites being crushed prior to pressing, no sulphur in the press pans, and more solids than ever before taken to tank to enhance the texture and grip of the Chardonnays.

The reds are bittersweet, perfumed and high definition, largely red fruited, with complex mineral undertones and plenty of torque and detail.