Aromas of fresh cooked peaches and lush apricot alongside a touch of citrus and crème brulee .On the palate the aromas turn into flavors with the addition of green apple and crisp minerality. It is medium-plus in body with medium-plus acidity and a long finish.
WINE INFORMATION
Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu, both veterans of the Oregon wine industry, bought an 80-acre estate to commemorate their marriage in 2000. They launched Soléna by bottling their first vintage of Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir in 2002. They explored winemaking with varieties in neighboring AVAs while their young vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA matured. In 2007 they added another vineyard to their estate holdings, the now famous Hyland Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. The estate’s name combines French soleil with Spanish luna, the sun and the moon, and is the name of their daughter. Their focus is on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, though they also make Pinot Gris, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Syrah, and Late Harvest Riesling.
2018 marked the fifth consecutive favorable vintage for the Willamette Valley, supported by perfect ripening in October that allowed for a slow and focused harvest. After a suitably wet winter, the spring and summer of 2018 rolled around into what has been regarded as the driest summer period in a while. After a later than usual bud-break, bloom was followed by high temperatures not as severe as they had been in the previous three vintages. While not extremely hot, the consistent heat and lack of rain led to early veraison and quick ripening of the fruit. Just as we were preparing for another fast and early harvest, cooler fall weather arrived, bringing with it a welcome dose of moisture to the valley. This provided the vines with the perfect segue from high sugars into lush phenolic ripeness backed by gentle acidity.
Grapes were harvested by blocks to ensure optimum level of ripeness. The wine was aged for 10 months in oak, 20% new.
Cheese, Chicken/Turkey, Cream Sauce Pasta, Fish-full flavored (salmon/tuna), Ham, Lobster & Crab, Pork