2021 Gemini Vineyard WV Pinot

Red is red is red

A Story: Making this wine is always a bit of a ruckus. It’s the kid who jumps off the second story roof with a sheet as a parachute … and lands it.

The Cliff Notes: The color is translucent garnet red. Cherry-raspberry red esters present on the nose followed by floral, white pepper, graham and grilled meat. The attack enters all high tone raspberry and peach with vibrant acid and a whispered grip, swirling wildly across your palate. In totality it reveals as light red plus, and the finish is long. It’s fine support for the argument that color is not flavor.

The Building of: The four best barrels are here: wild-yeast fermented in stainless steel, 100% barrel aged for 14 months in French oak (one new, one once-filled, two neutral), selected and assembled as the best of the best. Bottled unfiltered in December 2022.

Ageability: We absolutely recommend that you consider decanting to get it some air within its first three years. This wine should easily climb in complexity beyond ten years.

Vineyards: The Laurelwood soil of Gemini Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA is a rich, wind-blown loess that contributes vigor to the plants and good acid to the wines made from these grapes, which are grafted, 29-year-old, Scott Henry–trained, Pommard clone Pinot noir.

— Jim Prosser, owner/winemaker