Great Northwest Wine Reviews Panther Creek Cellars 2017 Maverick Vineyard Pinot Noir

This youthful, 19-acre site in the North Willamette Valley’s Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area was established in 2013, the same year Bacchus Capital Management purchased Panther Creek Cellars and installed Tony Rynders of Domaine Serene fame as its winemaker. Not only is this a new vineyard-designate Pinot Noir for Panther Creek, but it’s one also devoted to Dijon clone 943. There’s a fair bit of fascination among Pinot Noir producers in the U.S., surrounding this low-yielding clone, native to Côte-d’Or, and Rynders shows why. Its sensual nose of black cherry, plum, allspice, tobacco and forest floor transition to rich flavors of cherries, cassis and cinnamon powder, framed by silky smooth tannins and a long finish of Craisin, President plum and pomegranate.

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