Gimme More Wine had the wonderful opportunity to taste five Pinot Noirs by Seufert Winery in Oregon. The interesting part of this tasting was that four of the five Pinot Noirs were from the same vintage (2007) made by the same winery. The difference between these wines is where the grapes were grown. The same grape, Pinot Noir, was used from vineyards merely miles apart. Characteristics of the soil and lay of the land play a large part in how the grapes develop. It is amazing to discover how different these wines can turn out simply as a result of vineyards so close together. To make things interesting, we tasted these blind as a group! We loved every minute of it.
2007 Seufert Vista Hills Pinot Noir
A great pale brick red color, this Pinot noir started our tasting off! We got a lot of currants and earthiness on the nose--nice aromas! We tasted those same currants and earth along with some figs. The tannins were delicate and acidity was slight, but there was a little heat. This medium bodied red was good, but simple. At its $30 price point, we would expect better balance without the heat from alcohol.
2007 Seufert Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir
Similar in color to the Vista Hills, this offered stronger aromatics. Blackberries and black cherries were accompanied by spice and a surprisingly present gravel note! This was more fruit forward than the last with ripe black fruits, spices, and a little green pepper. Great balance of medium body, with tight tannins and precise acidity. The layered flavors in this Pinot were more complex, scoring a bit higher than the last.
2007 Seufert Coleman Vineyard Pinot Noir
The color was much more vibrant than the other Pinots! It was struggling to be aromatic, though we were able to pick up soil, basement, and earthy notes, which we love! We wished it opened up a little more in the glass. The flavors of earth and basement (even a little driftwood and leather) were there, though the mid-palate and finish were short. The tannins were nice and tight, something we've found in each of the wines. The flavors seemed a little one-dimensional, which held us back a little.
2007 Seufert Williamette Valley Cuvee Pinot Noir
Very vibrant ruby in color! Awesome nose! A lot of that earthy basement we love in Pinot Noirs. We even got a little bacon and blackberries. Gripping, yet delicate, tannins were led by wonderful earthiness and juicy plums. This Pinot Noir had very hood balance of both mouthfeel and flavors. Excellent wine!!
2009 Seufert Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir
This had a good mix of earthiness, spices, and even prunes and figs on the nose. The mouthfeel was nice--it was the fullest bodied of the bunch. Ironically it had more mature wine characteristics than the others: deep earth flavors and dark musty basement. There was a touch of heat present, but it is overwhelmed by its great flavors.
As you may have noticed, many of the flavor types were present in all of these wines: a lot of earthiness and a little fruit. The differences were mainly in mouthfeel, complexity, length, and balance. Each wine had its own forte, making this tasting super interesting!
We urge you to check out
Seufert Winery. They are a detect example of why Oregon is capable of making some exceptionally good Pinot Noirs! Cheers!
