2018 Pinot Noir

Veronique Drouhin and her long-time assistant winemaker Aaron Bell (who is entering his twentieth year in that role) did an admirable job of dodging the pitfalls of a hot vintage in 2018. There is real energy to the wines, as well as sharp definition and bright fruit that bodes well for ageworthiness as well as providing surprising upfront appeal. Long experience with this iconic winery’s Pinots tells me that these can be cellared with confidence, and I suspect that my drinking windows for them might be overly conservative. Unlike the wines of many of Drouhin’s colleagues, these bottlings are made in large enough quantities to make them widely available in markets around the world. As such, they are highly regarded ambassadors for Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) and have developed an admirable following in Europe as well as Asia. The high-end bottlings here are reliably in the upper tier of New World Pinot Noir, for my money, and the 2018s unquestionably maintain that high standard. I would definitely hold these for a while.