LAVINEA Elton Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2018
(Willamette Valley, Oregon) - [WS 94] [VM 93] [JS 93] [WE 91]

About the Winery:
Founded in 2014, Lavinea is committed to becoming a benchmark producer of wines of place in the Willamette Valley, crafting wines that represent the purest voice of site-specific terroir from each of our vineyards.

About the Winemaker:
A native of Quebec, Isabelle studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Dijon and in New Zealand at Lincoln University before cutting her winemaking teeth in Burgundy, under the watch of fellow French-Canadian Pascal Marchand at Domaine de la Vougeraie, and at New Zealand’s Felton Road, with Blair Walter.

Marchand recommended her to Dominique Lafon to oversee winemaking at his then-new Oregon consulting project, Evening Land, in 2007. Isabelle quickly became one of Oregon’s most acclaimed winemakers. Her wines were selected for the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of the Year from 2009 through 2015, including producing the highest rated Oregon Pinot Noir and highest rated Oregon Chardonnay ever, culminating in WS recognizing her 2012 ‘La Source’ Pinot Noir as the #3 wine in the world in 2015.

Recognition for her wines has continued with the inaugural release of LAVINIA’s 2014 vintage. Josh Raynolds of Vinous recently proclaimed “…I’m betting that LAVINEA will, in short order, be widely considered among Oregon’s elite producers.”

About the Wine:
Brilliant yet darker ruby color. Very youthful and a bit closed aromatically. With air, scents of cola, black cherry, Provencal herbs, and a hint of white pepper emerge. The entry is round, almost lush but with a sleek texture. A medium weight palate offers sweet cherry and marionberry flavors enhanced by exotic spices. A very focused core of fruit is framed by firm but polished tannins that carry the wine to an enduring finish, while the palate remains enchanting with the striking mix of flavors that linger and linger. Slow to reveal itself, this is a wine that will provide great pleasure given time.

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Savory and elegantly dynamic, with a handsome structure to the layers of raspberry and black cherry flavors accented by forest floor and dusky spice, finishing with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030. " - Tim Fish

93 Points - Vinous Media:
"Vivid ruby-red. Spice-accented red fruit and floral scents take on hints of cola and woodsmoke with air. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, red currant and candied rose flavors that deepen through the back half. Dusty tannins firm a long, spicy finish that leaves bitter cherry and fruitcake notes behind. (Drink between 2023-2034)." - Josh Reynolds (Feb 2022)

93 Points - James Suckling:
"This has a bold and exuberant nose with sappy red-berry and darker-cherry aromas, set across bracken and some gently earthy tones. The palate has a gently grainy tannin texture and layers up to an assertive and powerful finish. Try from 2023." (June 2021)

91 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Still young and somewhat inscrutable, this hints at tart but still generic red berry fruit, lightly peppery and backed with moderate acidity. Rolling on through the midpalate it seems a bit diffuse, and lacks concentration as it fades. Nonetheless it's a well-balanced wine, with good potential and a drinking window now through the late 2020s." - Paul Gregutt (July 2021)