Elk Cove - Pinot Blanc 2023 (750ml)

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Price: $30.99

3+ Price: $28.88 / btl

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Producer	Elk Cove
Country	United States
Region	Willamette Valley
Varietal	Pinot Blanc
Vintage	2023
Sku	112120
Size	750ml
ABV	13.50%

Elk Cove Description

VINEYARD: The fruit for this Pinot Blanc is all hand-harvested from our own es-
tate-grown hillside vines at our Five Mountain and Mount Richmond Vineyards.
WINEMAKING: The Willamette Valley has an ideal climate for Pinot Blanc,
a delicate grape variety–enough sunlight and warmth for ripening, with cooler night
temperatures that help retain varietal character. To preserve the freshness, our Pinot
Blanc is whole-cluster pressed then fermented at very cool temperatures in small
stainless steel tanks, all of which accentuates aromatics and enhances the richness
and viscosity of the wine.
2023 Pinot Blanc
VITICULTURE & ENOLOGY:
Vine Age: 9-29 years
Harvest Sugars: 23 brix
Vatting: Whole-cluster pressed and cold
fermented in small stainless steel tanks.
Alc: 13.5% v/v
Cases Produced: 2,939

VINTAGE 2023 required experience and patience that was rewarded with essential
hang-time and ripening.
The growing season started cool, then May sunshine brought an average bloom
in mid-June followed by a glorious summer. We enjoyed many classic 80-degree
Willamette Valley days, with nighttime highs staying down in the 50s even in August,
typically the warmest month here in Oregon. The only exception to these consistent
diurnal swings was a single big heat spike in mid-August. We anticipated picking
in early September. However, some fortuitous rain events allowed us to push back
harvest and we were thankful for the additional hang time.
Harvest came early, but not too early. We brought in beautiful fruit and we were
pleased to still be picking Pinot noir into early October. When you have fast
accumulation of fruit sugars, cool weather can be a welcome respite with even small
amounts of rain helping the grapevines regulate and slow ripening. One of the reasons
why Oregon Pinot Noir is so prized is for its freshness of fruit, and you can only get
that vibrancy when it’s under 50 degrees during picking.
2023 brought amazing fruit quality, but our production was down, especially on cool-
climate white wines like Pinot Gris. Being an estate grown winery, we must follow
Mother Nature’s lead as we cannot buy fruit to increase production. Smaller yields do
mean a smaller crop and less wine, but we embrace vintage variation. Another great
benefit of being estate grown is that it’s our decision exactly when to pick. Rather than
rushing to bring fruit into the cellar, in 2023 were able to play the odds and wait out
the rain on blocks that needed additional hang time to get the flavor development we
needed.
REVIEWS:
92 Points - Decanter (June 2024)
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast (Nov. 2024)
“The slightly sweet aromas of ripe melon and cinnamon are joined by traces
of fresh-cut hay and wet slate. A brisk, crisp mouthfeel unites in lively fashion
with flavors like honeydew melon, apple pectin, lemon and tonic water. I look
forward to pouring this with a softball-sized burrata.” — Michael Alberty

Accolades

90 Points

Fragrant and very pretty, with delicate flavors of lemon blossoms, nectarine and honeydew that sail on the supple finish. Drink now.
– Wine Spectator (February 2025)

90 Points

The slightly sweet aromas of ripe melon and cinnamon are joined by traces of fresh-cut hay and wet slate. A brisk, crisp mouthfeel unites in lively fashion with flavors like honeydew melon, apple pectin, lemon and tonic water. I look forward to pouring this with a softball-sized burrata.
– Wine Enthusiast (November 2024)

92 Points

“A Pinot Blanc blended across six northern Willamette Valley vineyard sites. Whole cluster pressed, this wine is floral and full of aromatics: green mangoes and ripe golden peaches against a note of sweet clover honey. The palate is medium-bodied, with rich, creamy citrus notes of mandarin and Meyer lemon pulp followed by savoury hints of thyme, green tea and a touch of cardamom.”
– Decanter (June 2024)