A great wine from an often misunderstood vintage!

Russ Rainey always seems to impress me with his outstanding wines at more than reasonable prices and this Cuvee J bottling is no exception. Situated just on the skirts of Salem in the Eola Hills AVA, Russ and his family planted their vineyard in 1986. In 2000, the family was proud to obtain their organic certification for both the vineyard and the winery from the Oregon Tilth association. The 2007 Cuvee J is sourced exclusively from the estate vineyard, with the majority of the fruit coming from the oldest planted vines. A small amount came from the younger Pommard and Dijon clones that were planted in the SW portion of the vineyard in the 1990’s. We are pouring this wine on our guest wine flight this week and I could hardly wait to pop open a bottle of this new vintage and see what Russ had for offer. My first impression wowed me and had me thinking white pepper with soft background floral notes of gardenia and violets. I found it very reminiscent of a Gamay Noir but with more depth and body. The fruit is round and silky on the palate and the finish is long and braced with an earthy structure. The Cuvee J is Russ’s flagship wine- a small barrel selection of less than 150 cases and priced at only $45! We have a tiny amount left here at the wine bar so grab it while you can!

Evesham Wood Cuvee J Pinot Noir 2007