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The Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022 is a wine I found selling on sale for $16.99, it is Wine Enthusiast’s #1 Top Rated Wine under $20 for 2024.
This is a wine from King Estate (founded in Willamette Valley in 1991). They have long practiced organic farming and production methods and are the first winery in the Willamette Valley to be certified biodynamic. The Inscription Pinot Noir does not seem to be either organic or biodynamic.
King Estate has a full line-up of wines most selling above $50 and their wines are highly rated. I am always pleased when a high-end winery also produces excellent value-priced wine.
The Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022 was sourced from vineyards from different parts of the Willamette Valley. The technical notes indicate that the grapes were purchased from long-term contracted vineyards.
The was fermented in small lots with some lots being whole clusters (stems and seeds) which is thought to add flavor. A small amount of juice was bled off in the Saignée Method, intensifying the juice. The wine was then aged in French oak barrels for 8 months.
This is a quality production for a value-priced wine, they used several high-end processes. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is a see-through garnet red. The nose is interesting and smoky, with herbs, cherry, spice, vanilla, mushroom, plum, and violets. The Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022 is subtle, balanced, and shows great length.
This Pinot Noir tastes like cherry, a little spice, and faint strawberry cough syrup, licorice, black pepper, and soft plum. The mid-palate brings orange zest, cranberry, chewy spice, a slap of vanilla, and nectarine.
The tannins are soft and the acidity is excellent, well-controlled giving the flavors the structure they need.
The Summary
- The Inscription Willamette Pinot Noir 2022 is a really good Pinot Noir.
- Value-priced Pinot Noir is excellent but it is usually different from expensive Pinot Noir.
- The Inscription Pinot Noir bridges the differences between Value-priced and expensive Pinot Noir.
