Coelho Pinot Noir 2022

Fresh Blackberry, Liqourice, Red Plum

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"Dave and Deolinda Coelho did not originally set out to make wine but, as fate would have it, winemaking ran in their blood on both sides. Dave’s grandfather, a dairy farmer from Portugal, made red wine as a passion project, which fascinated Dave from a young age. Deolinda’s grandfather, also from Portugal, was a carpenter who produced red wine in his basement wine cellar. Therefore, when the couple moved from California to Oregon in the 1990s, they took inspiration from their grandfathers and traded vegetable farming for grape growing. Today, the couple farm three single vineyards, both in the Van Duzer Corridor and Eola-Amity AVAs, with an emphasis on hands-on farming and sustainable practices.

The “Bunny Cuvee” is aptly named, for “Coelho” which means “rabbit” in Portuguese. This line of wines offers an affordable look at the family’s winemaking style and is typically sourced from multiple vineyards on the property, with the bulk of the fruit coming from the 26-acre Coelho Vineyard. The marine sedimentary soils here offer a depth of minerality common to the Van Duzer Corridor, perfectly suited for Pinot Noir production. As a “minimal intervention” winery, all fruit is harvested and destemmed by hand. This Pinot Noir ferments at high temperatures in stainless steel and spends 15 days on the skins before pressing, which contributes additional color and tannin. After pressing, the juice is racked to French oak barrels, predominantly used, where it rests for 20 months before bottling." - JP Donnelly Davis