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| Stephen Lutz, Owner, Lenné. |
Is there a difference between good wine and great wine? There is, there is. Compare a great wine besides a good wine and the good wine may be bitter ashes in your mouth. The 2010 Lenné Estate Pinot Noir is a great wine my friends. Seek this wine out and savor the beauty of great Oregon wine.
"It was almost 5 years before we knew we'd make great Pinots."
- Stephen Lutz
The Wednesday, 09 April 2014 #Winechat twitter wine tasting featured the 2010 Lenné Estate Pinot Noir. Stephen Lutz, Owner of Lenné tweeted from Oregon as a group of us from the East and West coasts opened and savored his 2010 Estate Pinot Noir. There were smiles in the twitterverse from coast to coast.
My first experience meeting Steve Lutz and sampling his Oregon wines was in 2012 at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon. I was impressed then by the great depth and character of his Pinot Noir. Truly some of the biggest and most complex Pinot Noir I have enjoyed. I knew I was in for a treat when I received his 2010 Lenné Estate Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Burgundy, darker than expected.
Nose: Rich, dark, raspberry, strawberry and cherry. Spicy tar notes. After 25 minutes nose was deeper, mocha appeared. At 40 Minutes candied fruit, rich earth. At 45 minutes strawberry and balsamic reduction. Intense nose. Herbal/grassy notes faded in and out, along with coconut and vanilla. Almost like going for a stroll in wine country with a delicious glass of wine.
Palate: Creamy mouth, dark fruit, solid dark tannin, scrumptious finish. Rich finish at 25 minutes with mocha. Tannin more present on teeth and gums at 45 minutes with mocha, strawberry, balsamic reduction finish. Super focused at 55 minutes, a true pleasure. At 75 minutes fantastic.
Palate: Creamy mouth, dark fruit, solid dark tannin, scrumptious finish. Rich finish at 25 minutes with mocha. Tannin more present on teeth and gums at 45 minutes with mocha, strawberry, balsamic reduction finish. Super focused at 55 minutes, a true pleasure. At 75 minutes fantastic.
Day Two: Nose just as intense with mocha, sarsaparilla, cherry, dark java with black pepper. Mocha dominant, red fruit notes. Silky smooth with black cherry finish.
Thoughts: Refined Pinot Noir, silky drinker at opening, great depth and a wine that will surprise you at how big it drinks. This is one of the best Oregon Pinot Noirs I've enjoyed. At 40 minutes it had a super sexy nose. You can tell I enjoyed and savored this wine. Ready to drink today and over the next 5 years. I have little self control with great wines. I'd likely drink it all this year. Pair with mushroom risotto or Chicken Marsala. Steve recommends mac and cheese with good cheese. Discover what a great Pinot Noir tastes like - Strongly Recommended.
Cold soaked 5 days; aged for 11 months French oak barrels
Closure: Natural cork
ABV: 14%
SRP: $45
Production: 225 cases
Sample provided by the winery.
http://www.lenneestate.com
Visit Lenné Estate
Open Saturday and Sunday from 12-5,
Usually there Thursday and Friday from 1-5,
Please verify by email to STEVE@LENNEESTATE.COM
Lenné ~ 18760 NE Laughlin Road ~ Yamhill, OR 97148 ~ 503-956-2256
About Lenné Estate:
Cool vintages like 2010 take time to reveal and are best with patience. Many producers in 2010 lost up to 50% of their crop yield, due to cool weather and bird pressure. Patience rewarded - this wine is a stellar vintage for Lenné.
Lenné was born in 2000 when Steve and Karen Lutz bought a 21 acre site near the town of Yamhill, Oregon. Steve planted 15 acres of Pinot Noir on the site beginning in 2001. The vineyard is managed and farmed by Steve and the wine is made by Steve at Owen Roe with the help of their crew. Lenné takes its name from Karen’s late father Lenny, an Englishman and farmer whose spirit lives on at Lenné.
Lenné Estate 20 acre vineyard is on sedimentary or Willakenzie soils called "Peavine" which is considered the poorest soil type in the WillametteValley. The Lenné vineyard shares a ridge with Willakenzie Estate, Deux Vert, Shea, Solena, Roots and Penner-Ash. The vineyard was planted between 2001-2004 at an elevation of 375-575 feet, with 2084 vines per acre. Clones Pommard, 115, 114, 777 and 667.
Steve shared that when he first tasted his bottled Lenné in 2004, he told his wife "Don't worry we are going to be okay." More than okay Stephen, well done, bravo!
Cheers!
Thoughts: Refined Pinot Noir, silky drinker at opening, great depth and a wine that will surprise you at how big it drinks. This is one of the best Oregon Pinot Noirs I've enjoyed. At 40 minutes it had a super sexy nose. You can tell I enjoyed and savored this wine. Ready to drink today and over the next 5 years. I have little self control with great wines. I'd likely drink it all this year. Pair with mushroom risotto or Chicken Marsala. Steve recommends mac and cheese with good cheese. Discover what a great Pinot Noir tastes like - Strongly Recommended.
Cold soaked 5 days; aged for 11 months French oak barrels
Closure: Natural cork
ABV: 14%
SRP: $45
Production: 225 cases
Sample provided by the winery.
http://www.lenneestate.com
Visit Lenné Estate
Open Saturday and Sunday from 12-5,
Usually there Thursday and Friday from 1-5,
Please verify by email to STEVE@LENNEESTATE.COM
Lenné ~ 18760 NE Laughlin Road ~ Yamhill, OR 97148 ~ 503-956-2256
Cool vintages like 2010 take time to reveal and are best with patience. Many producers in 2010 lost up to 50% of their crop yield, due to cool weather and bird pressure. Patience rewarded - this wine is a stellar vintage for Lenné.
Lenné was born in 2000 when Steve and Karen Lutz bought a 21 acre site near the town of Yamhill, Oregon. Steve planted 15 acres of Pinot Noir on the site beginning in 2001. The vineyard is managed and farmed by Steve and the wine is made by Steve at Owen Roe with the help of their crew. Lenné takes its name from Karen’s late father Lenny, an Englishman and farmer whose spirit lives on at Lenné.
Lenné Estate 20 acre vineyard is on sedimentary or Willakenzie soils called "Peavine" which is considered the poorest soil type in the WillametteValley. The Lenné vineyard shares a ridge with Willakenzie Estate, Deux Vert, Shea, Solena, Roots and Penner-Ash. The vineyard was planted between 2001-2004 at an elevation of 375-575 feet, with 2084 vines per acre. Clones Pommard, 115, 114, 777 and 667.
Steve shared that when he first tasted his bottled Lenné in 2004, he told his wife "Don't worry we are going to be okay." More than okay Stephen, well done, bravo!
Cheers!