2016 Torii Mor La Colina Pinot Noir

Torii Mor in the Dundee Hills was established in 1993 with its first release of 1,000 cases of Pinot Noir. The fruit came from Olson Estate, a mature vineyard purchased by Donald Olson, a long-time admirer of Burgundian wines. Olson named his winery in homage to the terroir of his vineyards. In Japanese “torii” refers to the ornate gates that often lead to exquisite gardens, and “mor” means “earth.” Though the Olson Estate Vineyard is still the source of much of Torii Mor’s fruit, the winery now produces more than 10,000 cases a year and also sources fruit from throughout the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue Valleys. The eight-acre Olson Estate Vineyard is planted to several clones of Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Jacques Tardy, a native of Burgundy, has been winemaker since 2004. Trained at the prestigious Lycee Viticole de Beaune, Tardy worked in California before moving to Oregon. Though best known for Pinot Noir, Torii Mor also produces Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Blanc and Rosé.

Dundee Hills AVA is in Yamhill County, and it is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s best known appellation. Dundee Hills is about 30 miles southwest of Portland, and has 1,300 vineyard acres. It was awarded AVA status in 2004 and, like much of Oregon, is known for Pinot Noir. Several of Oregon’s 20th century wine pioneers established their vineyards and wineries in Dundee Hills, adding to its status as a region long-recognized for producing high quality, iconic Oregon wines. Eyrie Vineyards, Erath Winery and Sokol Blosser remain some of Oregon’s most celebrated producers, and all were founded in what is now Dundee Hills in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.