Description
Freja, Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir
If the old phrase “pennies from heaven” rings true, then today’s epic library release from Freja is a jackpot from Oregon. This marvelous discovery came right as we were feeling confident in our knowledge of Willamette Valley’s greatest values, and, ironically enough, we didn’t have to search for it. An Oregon Pinot veteran with 40+ years of experience uncorked this mesmerizing 2015 right in my backyard and proceeded to reveal a piece of information that had my jaw hanging dangerously close to the tabletop: “It’s only $28.”
Sourced from a tiny estate vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains, and now approaching seven years old, this soars with deep aromas, gorgeously supple layers, and a terroir-infused crunch; straddling the divide between old world and new with absolute grace. Ultimately, when it comes to complex, savory Pinot Noir with seven years of age, the Willamette Valley is chockful of names. But for $28? Give me paper and pencil, lock me in a room for an entire week, and I’ll emerge with just one name: Freja. Grab what you can because (a) we’re currently the only ones in the country with access and (b) this smoking 2015 will reach its 10th birthday without a wrinkle or blemish.
After earning his Master’s in Chemical Engineering and exploring Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, Willy Gianopulos, fueled by his passion for Pinot Noir and his family’s long winemaking history in Greece’s Peloponnese, secured his own piece of land in faraway Oregon. He chose the Chehalem Mountains and began planting vines here in 1988, a full 18 years before it received its coveted AVA status. After letting the vines mature for a decade, Willy opened up shop in 1998 and began quietly crafting elegant, long-lived, Burgundian-esque Pinots. “Quietly” is the operating word here. We had no idea these gorgeous gems existed until last month!
His vines sit on a steep slope and are rooted in Chehalem’s special “Laurelwood series” soil—a deep, well-drained clayey loam that sits above fragmented basalt. For today’s cuvée, Willy wrapped up the 2015 harvest at his estate vineyard on September 19th. After completing fermentation, the resulting wine matured in a combination of barrels (10% new) from Hungary, Oregon, and Burgundy. After one year, the Pinot Noir was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Today’s 2015 Pinot Noir is one of the best examples I can give to illustrate both the “Old World” sensibility and nuanced complexity that informs so many of the Willamette Valley’s mature Pinot Noirs. It’s a wonderfully pure, complex wine that commands your attention, but by the same token, it is ridiculously enjoyable. After 15-30 minutes of decanting, the wine pours a deep ruby moving out to a translucent magenta and reveals a structured, earthy nose with accents of blue and black berry fruit, spiced cherry, clove, crushed rock, and savory herbs. The medium-bodied palate delivers resounding energy and silkiness with echoes of button mushroom, loose tea, and underbrush adding further complexities. This is a brilliant seven-year-old Oregon Pinot that, amazingly, still has another seven years in the tank. And never forget, as you uncork and savor bottles in the coming years, you paid just $28 for it. Simply incredible!
