Seven of Hearts wines is the love child of Byron and Dana Dooley who became enamoured with the Willamette area after first discovering the Oregon wine scene early in the 1980s. Byron has a passion for pinot that cannot be denied and in particular, Bourgogne style pinot.

This vintage of the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has seen the wine become more conscious of its provenance and it is the first vintage of this specific wine to be sourced from a single vineyard.  That being the Luminous Hills estate which also produces his Luminous Hills range of wines. Here, Bryon has selected barrels from grapes from different parts of the vineyard from his Pommard, 667, 777 and 115 clones, that have been fermented with native yeasts and matured in mostly seasoned French oak.

Bryon has created a fuller bodied wine that is very amiable to drink and enjoy now.  The spicy cherry, raspberry fruit has a chocolatey nuance which becomes a little more toasty on the palate and moves to a caramel spice on the finish. It is a fuller bodied red that is all pinot with a soft tannin pull that supports the swirl of silkily textured fruit.

While their other Pinot’s offer more of everything, this one cannot be denied for the value that it offers. The label serves as a reminder that if you see this wine, grab it as only 397 cases have been made. It will be short supply.

Quickie review «With ripe red fruits, enriched by some fine oak, this is undeniably a pinot that is made for sinking into now (or later if you change your mind).»

Country of Origin: Luminous Hills, Oregon, USA
Tasting Date: September 2018
Price:  US $28 | UK £27.5
Drink: now – 5+ years
Needs food: no
Source: tasting