2014 Pinot Noir, Artist Series, One 1.5L

From Winemaker, John Abbott:

Who doesn’t like a big bottle of good wine? This first Artist Series bottling is a traditional, old-school Oregon wine. It’s a classic combination of the Wädenswil clone, which came from Switzerland, and the Pommard clone, which originated in France. These two clones, usually blended together, put Oregon on the Pinot map in the mid 1980’s. Together, they reflect the style I remember tasting in the late 1980’s when I was a student at Oregon State University. The 2014 vintage was also the beginning of our relationship with Mt. Richmond Vineyard, and, combined with Freedom Hill Vineyard, it gave us two completely different world-class vineyards to work with. Because our focus at Devona is on reflecting the uniqueness of each vineyard site, we don't normally show them together in a blend, but for this wine we did, which makes this bottling a little extra special.

Back in our early days in Washington State, we made a wine called Christmas Cuvée. It came out right before the holidays and was always a wine that was well suited for a wide audience. For each new vintage we made a new artist label. Those labels were all created by John’s sister, Kerrie, and so teaming up with her for our first Devona Artist Label was a given. Working with her is always a pleasure, and her talent is wide-ranging and versatile. Her idea was to explore a particular image from our label in greater depth. The colored pencil and the style are inspired by vintage botanical plant identification drawings. This particular image studies The Western White Ginger (Asarum caudatum), a wild, edible plant found in the forests of Oregon. It is a favorite of ours for its beauty and culinary properties.

As for the wine, the 2014 Artist Series Pinot Noir has a nose of fresh rose petals, silky black raspberries, and wild mountain strawberries. I also find an aroma like an elderberry pie I once had. Plenty of that old-school, stony mineral character combines with lush layers of red fruit and spice. It has great balance and elegance that will continue to develop with additional cellaring, but you could also enjoy it this holiday season!

Please pair this wine with some artist-inspired tunes. I am thinking David Bowie’s Andy Warhol, Nat King Cole’s Mona Lisa, Paul McCartney and Wings’ Picasso’s Last Words, and, because it is a magnum, finish with The Best of The Art of Noise. We have featured them before with their song Peter Gunn, but be sure to catch their cover of Prince’s Kiss, featuring the very talented Tom Jones. Enjoy!

Enjoy!