Medium ruby color; black cherry, blackcurrant, cranberry, plum, black tea, forest floor, leather, savory spice, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; fine-grained, amiable tannins; refreshing acidity (3.68 pH). Medium body. The wine is 100% estate grown pinot noir from the Van Duzer Corridor. Fermented in open-top oak fermenters. Wine aged 13 months in 55% new French oak and 45% neutral oak. Sweet, fruity texture. 13.2% ABV
The Left Coast Latitude 45 Vineyard is directly intersected by the 45th parallel, the same as many of the great vineyards in France. It was planted in 2002 with pinot noir Dijon clones; this was made with Dijons 115 and 667 grafted onto 101-14 and SO4 rootstocks. The vineyard is gravity-fed irrigated with water from spring-fed Lake Suzuki. Roses are planted at the end of every third row for health of the vines. Yields are deliberately low to emphasize quality.
Suzanne and Robert Pfaff purchased bucolic acreage in 2003 with a vision is establishing a winery committed to quality, sustainable farming, and attention to producing wine that reflected the terroir of the Willamette Valley. They brought it in lead viticulturist and general manager Luke McCollum from Napa Valley, then winemaker Joe Wright. It worked out well.
In 2016, the Pfaff’s son, Taylor Pfaff, became CEO. He brought experience of six harvests and an MBA in Wine and Spirits from the Kedge Business School of the University of Bordeaux. Daughter Cali is a licensed landscape architect. Daughter-in-law Christina is earning her master’s in hydrology and watershed management at Portland State and is involved in Left Coast’s oak savanna restoration and other restoration and preservation projects at Left Coast.
It is unclear on the website, but it appears Left Coast has jettisoned “Cellars” from their brand name and replaced it with “Estate”, although their wine labels state only “Left Coast” and their company remains “Left Coast Cellars.” Their website landing page is “Left Coast Estate.” Watch this space.
With an estate of 350 acres, 150 acres under vine, Left Coast Cellars Estate is one of the largest contiguous vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The cellar’s website notes: “There is not one terroir at Left Coast Cellars but many, allowing our wines to showcase multiple personalities of Willamette Valley wines, bound together through the thoughtful work of Luke McCollum in the vineyard and Joe Wright in the cellar. Left Coast Cellars is known for its cooler micro-climate, owing to its location at the head of the Van Duzer Corridor, an east-west valley that creates a break in the coast range of mountains that shields most of the Willamette Valley from the Pacific Ocean.”
The winery is certified LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe. It participates in the Salud program that guarantees basic healthcare to seasonal field workers. The winery and vineyard are 90% solar powered, the second-largest agricultural solar operation in Oregon.
Left Coast Cellars Latitude 45º Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Oregon 2021 is high quality effort from a high quality producer. Black cherry and blackcurrant fruits delivery a savory experience with depth and complexity. Pair with roasted pork loin; pizza; braised short ribs; grilled salmon or tuna; mushroom risotto, sautéed mushrooms; duck, wild turkey. Cheese—brie, goat cheese, camemberet, gruyère, smoked cheese. $50-55
