Brittan 10 Basalt (1)

WIL L AMET T E

VA LL E Y

     2010
“Basalt
Block”
Pinot
Noir


Willamette
Valley
‐
McMinnville
AVA



 

 This
is
the
fifth
vintage
of
Brittan
Vineyards
Pinot
Noir
by
Winemaker
Robert
Brittan,
a
 wine
industry
veteran
with
39
harvests
under
his
belt.

Robert
has
always
had
a
passion
 for
Pinot
Noir;
a
love
affair
that
began
in
the
80’s
when
he
made
several
vintages
under
 his
Britt
Hill
label.

In
2004,
Robert
decided
to
leave
Stags’
Leap
Winery
in
Napa
and
start
 a
Pinot
Noir
project
in
the
cool
climate
of
the
North
Willamette
Valley.

After
a
long
 search,
he
and
his
wife
Ellen
purchased
a
128‐acre
parcel
Southwest
of
McMinnville.

 Robert
selected
this
mountain
site
for
its
rugged,
broken
basalt,
glacial
deposits
and
 volcanic
soils
on
the
edge
of
the
Coastal
Range
in
the
McMinnville
AVA,
convinced
that
 from
this
site
he
would
be
able
to
make
wines
that
speak
of
this
unique
place.
 

 The
Basalt
block
comes
from
the
parts
of
the
vineyard
that
have
the
heaviest
 concentration
of
broken
sub‐marine
basalts,
resulting
in
low
yielding
vines
that
produce
 intense
flavors
and
layers
of
complexity.
The
2010
vintage
in
the
Willamette
Valley
was
 a
cool
and
late
ripening
vintage
that
produced
wines
with
vibrant
flavors
of
raspberries,
 boysenberries
and
exotic
spice
notes
of
anise
and
cardamom,
with
undertones
of
 minerality,
gunpowder
and
gravel
dust.

The
clarity
of
the
fruit
is
immediate
on
the
 palette,
with
bright
acid
leading
into
a
supple
but
deeply
structured
mid‐palate.

The
 acid‐driven
core
rounded
by
soft
tannins
carry
through
purposefully
yet
lithely,
giving
 way
to
a
lengthy
and
elegant
finish
of
dark
raspberry
and
plum.
 

 The
Pinot
Noir
for
the
Basalt
Block
consists
predominantly
of
the
Pommard
selection,
 blended
with
clonal
selections
667,
777
and
115.

The
vines
are
planted
on
Riparia
 Gloire,
3309
and
101‐14
rootstocks.

The
fruit
for
the
2010
vintage
was
picked
in
late
 October
and
allowed
to
cold
soak
for
five
days
before
fermentation
began.

After
 fermentation,
the
wine
was
aged
in
French
Oak
barrels,
approximately
25%
new.

The
 wine
went
through
malo‐lactic
fermentation
in
barrel
and
was
aged
for
9
months
prior
 to
bottling.
 

 Production:
850
cases
 Bottled:

September
2011
  

P.O. BOX 12 2 5 • MCM IN N VIL L E , O R 971 2 8 •

5 0 3 98 9 250 7 •

B R I T TA N V I N E YA R D S . C O M