2022 'Joie' Pinot Noir

Throughout the Willamette Valley, the growing season of 2022 was considered somewhat challenging, both in terms of an unusual spring frost which caused some sporadic crop losses, and in terms of colder and wetter than normal weather conditions that lingered through the end of June. Overall though, despite these early setbacks, the months of July, August and September proved glorious and helped us achieve lovely and balanced wines all around, with a later than normal start of harvest into the first half of October. The later and cooler ripening season was welcomed by most, as in itself was reminiscent of the glorious 2012 vintage, where naturally low yields, combined with a cool long autumn really helped provide complexity of flavors while finishing tannins nicely and rewarding us with glorious flavors, fresh acid levels, fine textures and distinctive wines. We had been missing these later and cooler vintages in recent years, and they can produce truly amazing wines. We picked from October 4st to October 15th at Anahata Vineyard, in beautiful weather conditions where we hand harvested some exceptional grapes indeed, while keeping overall alcohols low.