2011 Seven Of Hearts Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon

Nestled in downtown Carlton Oregon you will find the tasting room of Byron and Dana Dooley owners of Seven of Hearts Winery. The wines produced reflect the terroir....vintage, site soil and clone. Each year the wines will change the vintage will be unique to grapes and vineyard. The goal is to never make the same wine twice.

The story is one I have seen many times before. Introduced at an early age while in college, eventually a love for a style and many trips were planned around tasting adventures and premier wine regions. They chose the Howell Mountain appellation where Byron planted a small vineyard and Dana launched her chocolate business. When school was complete along with his internship at Williams Selyem, the time had come to establish roots in an area where Byron could create delicious wines and Dana could expand her chocolate business. How cool that their adventure took them to Oregon and The Willamette Valley where earlier they had tasted and fell in love with the wines and region.

2006 Byron created his first Oregon wine and the limited production portfolio was born. He works closely with growers to ensure each bottle expresses the growing condition of the region. Dana as well has a successful chocolate business Honest Choclates  and has developed a line of wine tasting chocolates you will find in the tasting room. What a wonderful story and my sources tell me they are the nicest people too.

The nose is full of ripe harvest cherry, sliced strawberry with hints of cinnamon and clove. As the wine opens some subtle earthy character shows nicely but this wine really expresses the fruit. Both bottles were so pleasing to the nose and felt like I was standing in the vineyard among the hanging fruit.

Beautiful mouth with fresh strawberry and cranberry. Hints of red raspberry and cherry with a perfect spicy finish. The layers are complex and flavors decadent. Each glass made me want more and the bottle did not last nearly as long as it should :) Byron this is some of my all time favorite Pinot. A steal under $25 and I'll need to stop by my local wine store to grab more before Traci sells out.

Stop by the tasting room located at 217 West Main Street Carlton OR open Thursday through Monday 11am-5pm. I think you will agree it's wine you will thoroughly enjoy.

Cheers
Dan