Division Pinot Noir ‘Un’ Willamette Valley 2017

Story

We used the terms “power” and “grace” to describe the Division Pinot Noir ‘Un’ Willamette Valley 2017 as it’s truly that. The aromatics are electric and airy at the same time, with deep spicy earthy tones and strawberry and an almost iron notes. The palate is full, but not heavy, with a serious amount of ethereal length for a base level Pinot. It’s dominated by wild and brambly strawberry flavours and dark mineral layers. This is the only Pinot Noir that features multiple vineyard sites. Division view this wine as an opportunity to make a vintage character wine in their lighter, finesse-driven style. All the fruit comes from Willamette Valley, the majority from Eola-Amity hills. 75% of the fruit is farmed organically and/or biodynamically. Fermented using pied de cuve. Division aged the wine in mostly French oak and a small amount of Austrian Oak, approximately 15% in new barrels and puncheons, for 10 months without any racking before bottling. They made only two very small sulfite additions during the Spring and again just before bottling.

Division Winemaking Co. is a Portland, Oregon based winery founded in 2010 by Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe. Inspired by the wineries of the Loire, Beaujolais, Burgundy and the Northern Rhone where they first learned winemaking and viticulture, the urban winery creates Oregon and Washington wines including Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay, Rosés of multiple varietals , Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Côt, Syrah, and Grenache. Determined to make approachable and balanced wines through minimal manipulation, Kate and Tom have a passion to work with well farmed terroir expressive vineyards, many of which are organic and/or Biodynamic, celebrating the varietals they as winemakers love to drink.

Division Winemaking Co. includes the flagship Division label, the more approachable Division-Villages label, the Gamine brand inspired by the Rhone Valley and a personal expression of co-founder Kate Norris’ love of the region, as well as the experimental Tripod Project label, a collaboration between co-winemaker Tom Monroe, Barnaby Tuttle of Teutonic Wine and Jesse Skiles of Fausse Piste. Division Winemaking Company is also a member of the PDX Urban Wineries Association. They represent a new generation of winemakers that are looking beyond the status quo to create unique styles of wine, with a purpose, a story and without barriers.
Both Tom and Kate have been passionate about wine for most of their lives, for Tom it was when he started an entry level sommelier course in college, for Kate is was spending time at her family home in the Loire Valley, France. They both decided to trade cubicles for winery cellars and France proved to be a perfect place for their immersion into viticulture and enology.

Starting with no grape farming or production experience, they crafted Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay at Domaine Sauvat during the 2009 season and harvest, followed by internships in Beaujolais and Burgundy. They each completed an intensive eight-month private viticulture and enology program with both classroom and field study in the vineyards and wineries of Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Northern Rhone.

The Division Winemaking Co Pinot Noir ‘Un’ Willamette Valley 2017 is created to be drunk up now or in a few months, years, etc., but don’t miss this one!

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