Red

Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir

Eola-Amity Hills · Willamette Valley · United States

Fact sheet

duck · lamb · mushrooms · game hen · truffle pasta · soft cheeses

201494 pts

The defining characteristic of Carter seems to be a taste of steel or gun metal running through the spine. It's here again, with compact fruit and drying tannins. That fruit has a dark core, and it's polished and textural, with lightly herbal highlights. This is a wine to track…
201294 pts

A spine of steel runs through the core of this wine, supporting spicy fruit flavors of cranberry, pomegranate and raspberry. Details of black tea contribute to the length, while the balanced tannins and underlying minerality give it still more structural support.
201189 pts

Among all the 2011 single vineyard Pinots from Ken Wright, the Carter was the most difficult to assess. It showed reductive scents and remained stubbornly closed despite all efforts to give it a chance to open. Tight cranberry and cherry fruit peeked through a hard shell.
201090 pts

Though just 12% alcohol, this wine is ripe and vibrant, with a thrilling bouquet of violets, cranberries and fresh herbs. Light and delicate, perfectly balanced and complex, with a whiff of chocolate in the finish.