Small and family-owned? Check.  Belief in the importance of terroir? Check.  Biodynamic certified?  Check.  Humble, friendly and welcoming? Check, check, check.

When we visited this winery in 2013 because we found it mentioned in a Jancis Robinson footnote, Hanna Momtazi and her father Moe weren’t even aware they’d been mentioned in American Wine.  The property was a little difficult to find, even with the GPS, in among the rolling hills and hazelnut groves common to McMinnville.  But when we did…

This bottle came back across the border with us and waited until a dinner with wild salmon, salad and brown rice was on the menu.  We decanted it 30 minutes prior to devouring.

Clean and bright, medium garnet with deep legs, on the nose the wine has medium plus intense and developing aromas of cedar, deep damson plum, black cherry and blackberry with fresh, over-turned earth.  You know when you put a spade into the garden plot and …yup, just like that.

The palate is dry with medium plus acidity, medium plus alcohol and ripe, silky tannins.  The medium plus flavours show more plum, rosemary and sage, and deep dark fruit that is common to McMinnville Pinot Noirs – black cherry, persimmon and blackberry.  Earth and kid leather notes compliment the fruit and there’s some clove and nutmeg on the medium plus finish.

WSET Outstanding and with lots of life left yet.  If you are fortunate enough to still have a bottle, drink now or hold for up to 5 more years; the deep fruit and acidity will enable ageing.  Balanced, complex, layered and delicious.