This includes grapes from the winery's Jerusalem Hill vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, in addition to the Dundee Hills sites, hence the more general Willamette Valley designation. It was aged in 65% new French oak for 16 months. It's open and generous, offering bright berry, cherry and red currant fruit matched to defining acids, all set in a fine-tuned frame of new oak. Re-tasted 24 hours after being opened, it remained fresh, dense and satisfying.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve was picked from late summer after one of the driest on record. There was better heat accumulation, according to Erik Kramer, but he does not regard it has a hot vintage. It was a low yield at around 1.7 and 1.8 tons per acre, partly due to a preflowering cluster removal. The skin-to-pulp ratio was very high and it was raised in 65% new oak over 16 months. It has a deep garnet color. The bouquet is in stark contrast with strawberry pastille and raspberry coulis, hints of iodine developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe red berry fruit interlaced with sea salt and white pepper. There is an undercurrent of gaminess to this 2012 that lends intrigue toward the finish that gently grips the mouth. Not as opulent as other 2012 Pinot Noirs that I have tasted, but clearly very well crafted by winemaker Erik Kramer and with a prosperous future ahead.- NM

Focused, vital, ripe and distinctive, with a coppery note weaving through the strawberry and raspberry flavors. Hints at clove and root beer as the finish persists impressively against velvety tannins. Drink now through 2022. 7,900 cases made. — HS

This is also notably expressive with a pretty note of Maraschino cherry adding a sense of elegance to the broad-ranging and overtly spicy nose of various red berries, plum and violet. There is once again good verve to the focused and concentrated medium-bodied flavors that possess a textured mouth feel, all wrapped in a dusty and notably firm finale. This is also really quite good with excellent depth and persistence that should only improve with additional time in bottle. 2021+