Day Wines Pinot Noir Johan Vineyard Van Duzer Corridor 2021 750ml

Expert Reviews - VintagE 2021

93 Points The Wine Enthusiast by Michael Alberty | Made with certified biodynamic fruit from Johan Vineyard, the wine opens up with a beautiful perfume of dried rose petals, jasmine, lavender and boysenberries. Firm tannins and electric fence acidity corral flavors of tart cherries, blood orange segments and balsa wood. Enjoy now until 2036. 

James Suckling 93 Points | Crisp and bright, this Oregon pinot has stacks of sour cherry fruit with a touch of half-ripe strawberries. That fits well with the restrained, moderately dry tannins and the lively acidity that stays this light on its feet on the medium-bodied palate. Long, positively grainy finish.

94 Points Decanter, Clive Pursehouse: Well done, indeed. From the Demeter-certified biodynamic site in the Willamette Valley, south of McMinnville, Johan Vineyard comes a classically Oregon Pinot Noir. Rich umami-driven aromas of turned earth, smoky violets, and ripe stewed strawberries are lifted by notes of evergreen tips and mint. The palate shows fresh red and black bramble fruits, a touch of grip, savory chicory root, and a finish that shows black tea and wild anise.

Vinous 90 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir Johan Vineyard is nuanced and delicate in the glass, wafting up with hints of dried black cherries, sage and dusty rose. This is cool-toned and racy within, with sleek textures and ripe red berry fruits that swirl across a stream of lively acidity. It finishes on a savory note, leaving saline minerals and darkening hints of brown spice to linger through the medium-length finale.

Winemaker Notes

Johan Vineyard is an 85-acre, Demeter-certified biodynamic site in the Willamette Valley, south of McMinnville and west of Salem. This site is almost always our last Pinot pick of harvest. Although it's a relatively low-elevation site, due to its proximity to the coast and the winds that howl through the Van Duzer Corridor every summer afternoon, the fruit here tends to ripen later than in our other vineyards. It is primarily marine sediment soils, and the benefit of biodynamic farming is completely apparent when one stands in this healthy and alive place. Our Johan Pinot Noir always displays a lovely, deep red berry core allied to a beguiling spice component that makes for a classic southern Willamette profile. The tannins and acids in this wine are typically strident in their youth, indicating a long and fulfilling life in the cellar. 

• The Van Duzer Corridor 💨: The surprising geological feature that brings Pacific Ocean winds into the vineyard and what that does to the grape flavors.

• Biodynamic Farming 🌱: The core principles of the certified-Biodynamic Johan Vineyard and why Day Wines chooses this method.

• Whole-Cluster Fermentation: 🍇 The specific winemaking technique used here (around 40% whole-cluster) and how it adds savory, "stemmy" complexity to the Pinot Noir.