Medium ruby color; Bing cherry, raspberry, plum, black tea, dark chocolate, clove, spice, vanilla on the nose and palate.
Dry; velvety tannins adroitly balanced with discreet acidity. Good complexity with graceful vibrancy. Light-medium body. Smooth and engaging; wonderful plush texture in the mouth. Pleasant, pleasing nose. Balanced with good length. An impressive Willamette Valley pinot. 13.5% ABV
The wine’s name honors Patricia Dobbes, the founder’s wife. The goal is a food-friendly wine fashioned with selected barrels of wine from the estate’s best vineyards. The website notes this is the maker’s most sought after wine. A taste quickly explains why.
Joe Dobbes established his Oregon vineyard and winery in 2002, the original brand was “Wine by Joe Dobbes.” Dobbes notes on his website: “After working in the business for others internationally and in Oregon, I started Wine By Joe with a small amount of money in my back pocket, a lot of experience and passion, and a sufficient ignorance of what I was up against. Today, our multi-faceted wine company is one of the largest in the state. We own 214 acres of vineyard and benefit from the work of more than 30 full-time, dedicated employees, as well as dozens of part-time and seasonal workers”
Sarah Pearson is the CEO of Dobbes Family Estate and Wine by Joe. She has been a senior brand manager at Freixenet USA, brand manager at Constellation Brands, and director of marketing for Hess Collection Winery. She joined Dobbes Family Estate as vice president of marketing and sales, then became the CEO in 2021. Travis Proctor was the director of winemaking operations for this vintage. Derrick Einberger is the winemaker at Dobbes Family Estate today. Since 2011, Dobbes Family Estate has been co-owned by Joe Dobbes and Bacchus Capital.
Dobbes is Oregon’s third-largest wine producer; the winery is located in Dundee, southwest of Portland. Oregon has the strictest winemaking regulations in the United States, prohibiting manipulation with additives and mystery ingredients. The result is Oregon now produces the best pinot noir in the U.S., capturing the etherial deliciousness that heavier handed efforts in California often fail to find. If you want big body cab, buy Napa/Sonoma. If you want pinot noir elegance and sophistication, buy Willamette Valley.
Dobbes Family Estate Patricia’s Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 is a rich, opulent, hedonistic delight with excellent fruit, impressive complexity, and wonderful texture and mouthfeel. Dobbes’s premier offering delivers all you yearn for in a Willamette Valley pinot noir. A real winner, especially at its reasonable price point for a pinot of this quality. Pair with turkey; chicken—boneless breasts; Miso chicken dishes; seafood—salmon, tuna; lighter beef dishes, steal tartare; veal; mushroom risotto; charcuterie board. Cheese—brie, camembert, gruyère, comté, roquefort. $60
