Stunning White Pinot Noir from Yamhill-Carlton AVA Earns Maxim’s Wine of the Week
Tendril Wines 2018 White Pinot Noir, Prerender
The Willamette Valley has long been equated with exceptional Pinot Noir. The prevalence of the grape has not only allowed vineyards to excel in the area, but has also let Oregon wineries experiment with different iterations of the famous variety, including white Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir is incredibly versatile when done right. Yamhill-Carlton AVA is at the forefront of producing some of these wonderfully unique offerings.
“The Yamhill-Carlton AVA is somewhat of a mecca for pinot noir, with dozens of wineries making their own unique expressions of the heartbreak grape. Depending on style, terroir and weather, styles can range from delicate and silky to more powerful and full of depth to crisp white and beautifully aromatic.”
You may have noticed an uptick of white Pinot Noir hitting the market as a result of wildfires in 2020.
“Recently, west coast winemakers have been leaning on (white pinot noir) to salvage red grapes kissed by smoke in the wake of early-season wildfires. Beauty, out of necessity.”
Tony Rynders of Tendril Wine Cellars has long been known for his white Pinot Noir.
“..you could call Oregon’s Tony Rynders somewhat of the king of the new school of the style.. Vintages will come with variations in the style, though all will have wild depth and nerdy, buy-a-whole-case characteristics. Off the top, it’s hard to characterize as anything but itself, pulling cues from the region’s adept handling of both chardonnay and pinot noir.”
This earned the Yamhill-Carlton AVA winery Maxim’s Wine of the Week with their 2018 vintage of Pretender White Pinot Noir.
“2018’s vintage was lush and aromatic, with notes of fuzzy peach and slight honeysuckle.”
The Pretender white Pinot Noir has an exotic nose of peach, candied cherry, freshly baked lemon tart and a hint of ginger. The palate is soft and voluptuous with notes of pear, tangerine and quince. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft with an enduring finish.
You can grab a bottle of this outstanding offering here for $68.
