2018 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard

Followers of Oregon Pinot Noir won’t be surprised to hear that Mark Vlossak was able to coax elegance out of the 2017 and 2018 vintages. After all, Vlossak has pretty much seen this and done that, now that he’s into his fifth decade of making wine here. The last few years have been a bit tumultuous, as Vlossak has been establishing his own winemaking facility in the bustling urban jungle of Jefferson (having left the more tranquil environs of suburban Salem in 2018). These judiciously oaked Pinots, which in this case do not show like the spawn of hot years, are consistently in the upper tier of New World Pinot Noir, especially if one favors elegance over power. Vlossak’s pricing regimen is also truly Old World in its fairness, which deserves a tip of the hat.