Pale ruby color; black cherry, blueberry, raspberry, plum on the nose; cherry, strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, cherry cola, earthy notes on the palate.
Dry; medium body; after some air, relaxed tannins, certainly on the initial attack. Very smooth, easy drinker; black cherry, leather, and last kick of tannins and spice emerge during long finish. Nicely done effort. Smooth and fruit-forward. A good expression of Willamette Valley’s Burgundian style pinot noir.
Grapes come from estate owned by Dick and Deirdre Shea in Yamhill-Carlton District, one of the holy grail locations in the Northwest wine country. Wild yeast fermentation in open-top French oak for 14-21 days with pump overs in the early stage, then moving to two punch-downs a day. Spent 12 months in barrel, 30% new French oak, balance in neutral oak.
The Broadleys believe the open-top, wooden fermentation vessels impart richer and deeper complexity. They also use whole clusters in the fermentation to add more intensity, structure, and character to the wine. They also train their vines using the lyre trellis system, which splits the canopy into two walls of grapes to give more sun exposure and air flow.
Craig and Claudia Broadley founded the vineyard and winery in 1981 when their son, Morgan, was 11 years old. It remains a family business today with Morgan as the principal winemaker and vineyard manager today. Morgan’s focus is on meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard using sustainable practices. Their website explains: “Our estate vineyard is farmed using sustainable farming practices including using sheep to mow our vineyard’s ground cover & weeds when appropriate. We also use organic material to promote healthy growth in our vines. Sustainability is a part of our daily life and we believe it is essential for our future.”
To round out the family-focus of the winery, Morgan’s wife, Jessica, manages social media, the winery website, club program, and events. Morgan and Jessica’s two children, Savanna and Olivia, will make their own decisions about continuing in the family business when the time comes, but they already have given their names to two of the winery’s labels.
Broadley Vineyards Shea Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 is great example of Burgundian-style Willamette Valley pinot noir. Smooth easy drinker with good fruit and balance. Pair with roast chicken or guineafowl; roast pork loin; pot pie; quail, duck; baked salmon; roast or grilled lobster; mushroom risotto. $37-50
