Wine of the Week: Belle Pente Pinot Noir Estate Reserve 2008

There is a reason why Belle Pente won us over as one of the only domestic wines that we have in our book.  The wines produced by this vineyard are excellent, and the Estate Reserve is the crème de la crème.  Husband and wife Brian and Jill O’Donnell began making wine over 20 years ago in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  They aptly named their gorgeous 75-acre vineyard Belle Pente, which translates to “Beautiful Slope.”  Striving to create small, premium-run productions, and following both organic and biodynamic principles in their farming techniques, this couple has mastered their craft.  The 2008 Estate Reserve is bright ruby red.  Its nose is accented with spice, red fruits, and flowers.  It is complex and offers sweet raspberry and mulberry flavors along with spice-cake and candied rose.  It is given character by its fine-grained tannins.   Kept in a good cellar, this wine can last for many, many years.