2015 Pinot Noir (Yamhill-Carlton)

Jill and Brian O’Donnell’s wines are always made with a light touch. Their 2015 Pinot Noirs are finely detailed, as usual, with an extra measure of heft that’s a hallmark of the vintage. That was also the case with their outstanding 2014s, from another hot year. There’s never more than 25% new oak used for the Pinots, the normal average is closer to 20%, Brian O’Donnell told me. In 2015 he believes that it was possible to make wines that deliver “the ability to age but be accessible as well.” By the way, since Belle Pente is always a late-releasing winery, those 2014s can still be found, with some effort, and they are definitely worth the hunt.

In Brian O'Donnell's opinion, the 2014 Pinots that will ultimately be the most successful "are the ones that came from high-altitude vineyards" that enjoyed overall cooler conditions during the hot growing season, "which helped to preserve their natural acidity and will keep them in balance." It's an impressive vintage, for sure, he added, with the minor caveat that "the key question is, will the ripe ones – and there are a lot – develop over time or will they be better on the young side for their opulence?" The Belle Pente style has always favored freshness and a light touch and, for a ripe vintage, these are notably lively and red-fruited in character, which was also the case with O'Donnell's 2012s, another uncommonly warm vintage.