Robert Brittan's wines first came to my attention with the 2011 and 2012 vintages of his Basalt Block and Gestalt Block Pinot Noirs. Reading through my notes I am struck today by some of the descriptions:

“A steely minerality underscores the taut, tart berry fruit from this estate vineyard, located in the foothills of the Coastal Range in Oregon's McMinnville AVA. High in acid, it remains implacably tight and acidic, almost as if it had just recently come out of the fermenting vat. The structure and gravitas suggest a wine that will age along the lines of an Eyrie.”

“Here is a fine expression of the particular characteristics of wines from the McMinnville AVA—a steely, peppery, gun metal streak that runs up and down the spine; with tight, compact blue and black fruits, ripping acidity, firm tannins and a light suggestion of root beer. It's all in place in a wine that seems destined for a life of two decades or longer.”

“One can't help but taste rock when sipping this wine. The minerality is palpable, underscoring a compact frame of earthy tannins, savory herbs and brambly cranberry fruit. It's a particular expression of a unique place.”

“The aromatics immediately capture your attention, mixing baking spices with fennel, wet rock, and ginger cake. Compact, young, fresh fruit flavors suggest pomegranate, wild raspberry and very tart cherries; this is an acid-lover's wine, with the structure to age for decades.”

In virtually every single vintage since, those same characteristics have come through – the austere yet engaging minerality; the compact and focused structure, the clear ability to age. Robert and Ellen Brittan had already carved out successful careers in the Napa Valley wine community when they decided to move to Oregon almost 20 years ago and purchased 128 acres atop a hillside in the heart of the McMinnville AVA.

Today their winery makes a half dozen Pinot Noirs, a Chardonnay and a Syrah, all from estate-grown fruit. Nearing a half century as a winemaker, Robert Brittan's enthusiasm and energy are undimmed. His creative vision and ability to make exceptional wines has been proven over and over, and never more than in the limited production 2019 wines profiled here.

Among the four Pinots I tasted this month was one from a recently-planted block new to me. The Heritage Block wine is sourced from a 3.5 acre parcel on the small southeast facing ridge above Gestalt. It's planted to the Calera, Mt. Eden, Swan, Pommard and Wädenswil selections of Pinot Noir, which Brittan calls the ‘heritage’ selections of California and Oregon. The shallow volcanic soils sit atop ancient basalts and, at higher elevations, a thin layer of compacted marine sediments. 

"The idea," Brittan explains, "was to plant some of my favorite selections of Pinot Noir that had a history on the west coast and were not the latest importation. While doing research on the origins of Chardonnay, Syrah and Durif in California, I became aware of some early importations of Pinot Noir into California, some dating from the 1850s. I like to think of these selections as a representative of the heritage of Pinot in California. While they show similarities to the more recent importations of Pinot from France and other countries, they do offer differences and perhaps a look at earlier versions of the grape.

"In the process of identifying a selection of a grape variety, they are most often named for the winemaker or winery that has made the selection. Hence three of my personal choices in Pinot from the California group are the Calera, Mt Eden, and Swan selections.

"I have added the two other selections brought from California by David Lett to start his original planting of Pinot in the Willamette Valley. Both Pommard and Wädenswil were early importations into the California collection of Pinot and are still the backbone of much of the wine produced in Oregon. So the Heritage Block of Pinot Noir is a mixed planting of heritage selections from California and Oregon. The vines are more protected from the Van Duzer winds than the Basalt Block, and should enjoy additional hours of ripening as well. While still early in the block’s evolution, we expect profound, generous wines full of rich, dark fruit."

PG:  In many of my past reviews of Brittan wines I noted their ageworthiness, labeling them Cellar Selections on more than a few occasions. With changes to my reviewing methodology enabled by my exclusive focus on this website, I am able to spend many more hours and days evaluating exceptional wines such as these. In fact I tasted and re-tasted the four new Brittan Pinots over a five day period, and they actually gained in complexity for the first three and held after that with only a hint of fading by the end of day five. I asked Robert Brittan to share his thoughts on how this is achieved. Here is his response.

"Tasting the wines that I have made over the past 40+ years has led me to an appreciation for wines with some age to them, as well as somewhat of an obsession to understand why some wines age better than others. Without going into all that, let me suggest that why the Brittan wines last for as long as they do after opening and perhaps grow in depth and complexity has mostly to do with where the grapes are grown.

"When I went looking for a site in Oregon on which to grow Pinot I was looking for a place where the grape root could reach base, or parent, geology and the geophysical complexities would offer the opportunity to grow unique wines. I was also focused on a site that would produce low pH wines with a concentration of complex phenolics. This quest led me to the McMinnville AVA in the Coast Range of the Willamette Valley and a very challenging site that I believe has the ability to produce long-lived Pinot Noirs.

"I complement the site with a traditional winemaking approach that is sensitive to when and how the must and wine are exposed to oxygen. This combination of winemaking philosophy and site produce a youthful wine that holds the promise of extended development into a complex and nuanced wine.

"I often leave a small amount of wine in a bottle overnight in order to judge the ability of the wine to age for a longer time in my cellar. I have found that one can enjoy these Brittan wines for several nights, and have long abandoned the thought that one must consume them all in one sitting. Just return the cork and leave the wine in a cool place out of the sun – absolutely do not put them in the refrigerator! – and enjoy them as they evolve over the course of several days."

PG:  This is exactly my own process, and I totally agree with this method for assessing the aging potential of young wines. Once open replace the cork, keep the wine away from heat and direct sunlight and out of the refrigerator, which has low humidity and can shorten the shelf life as well as kill the aromas. This is also why the all-too-common practice among reviewers of lining up dozens of wines for blind slam-bang tastings gives the wines no chance to show complexity, detail, depth and ageability. It's simply a rather lazy way to quickly gauge flavor volume and reward ripeness over elegance. Only by carefully tasting and re-tasting over many hours and days can anyone thoroughly evaluate a young wine.

On the Brittan Vineyards website you will find many back vintages and collections being offered. I give these wines my most enthusiastic endorsement.

Brittan Vineyards 2019 Heritage Block Pinot Noir

This is the first vintage for this wine from a block planted with heritage clones from Calera, Mt. Eden, Swan, Pommard and Wadenswil. I know of no other site in the country with such a mix. It's the youngest block on the estate, and holds great potential. This first young release only hints at that, but it's a forward, lovely wine with tart marionberries, pie cherries, balanced acids and a solid mineral-infused frame. Still delicious on the fourth day.

77 cases; 13.2%; $65 (McMinnville)

Brittan Vineyards 2019 Basalt Block Pinot Noir

Savory and mineral-driven is how winemaker Robert Brittan describes this wine, which fits it perfectly. Along with that are lively flavors of tart pomegranate, cranberries, raspberries and sour plums, all buoyed with ample acidity. The wine was aged in one quarter new French oak for 15 months, adding subtle touches of toast and baking spices. It's aromatic, elegant and built to cellar beautifully. Drink now and into mid-2030s.

140 cases; 13.1%; $65 (McMinnville)

Brittan Vineyards 2019 Gestalt Block Pinot Noir

The wines from this low-yielding site are often my favorite from Brittan's outstanding lineup of estate-grown Pinots. Here the strong Van Duzer winds thicken the skins and punch up the tannins. The tart black fruits have a brambly character, textural and gravelly, with dense tannins providing a solid, earthy backstop. It lingers and glides into a drying finish with highlights of lemon peel, dark chocolate and black tea. Drinking just fine after being open for four days (no preservation system being used).

147 cases; 13.2%; $65 (McMinnville)

Brittan Vineyards 2019 Cygnus Block Pinot Noir

The Cygnus designation, a nod to the swan in Greek mythology, is also a sly reference to the (Joseph) Swan clone of Pinot Noir featured here. Brightly fruity with raspberries, blueberries and cherries most prominent, it opens with the forward flavors of tangy red and blue fruits, then continues into deeper layers highlighted with espresso, wet stone, clean earth and savory herbs. The tannins are substantial, polished and firmed up from aging in 28% new French oak. Decant this for near term drinking; age this for up to 15 years.

136 cases; 13.3%; $65 (McMinnville)

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More Recommendations From Recent Tastings

Arenness Cellars 2020 Pinot Noir

This outstanding wine recalls some of my favorite Patty Green wines from this AVA. Big, juicy fruit flavors mingle cherries and berries. The acids are proportionate and the tannins very well- managed, yet for the moment it's the fruit that shines the brightest, with touches of blood orange, sea salt chocolate and coffee grounds as lighter notes. Interesting fact – the final blend includes two percent Syrah.

25 cases; 13.6%; $36 (Ribbon Ridge)

DeLille 2021 Rosé

The blend is principally Mourvèdre and Grenache, with a splash of Cinsault. A pretty copper rose hue, it's a big, rich, substantial style with suggestions of aging in some new oak. The barrel accents fit the strawberry fruit nicely, adding an expansive frame of toasted almonds, hints of peanut butter and a finishing touch of Nutella.

1000 cases; 14.5%; $32 (Columbia Valley)

DeLille 2021 Roussanne

Sourced from the Ciel du Cheval vineyard, this pure varietal Roussanne is aromatically inviting with chamomile tea, lemongrass, pineapple and honeydew melon in the mix. The wine is fresh and crisp on the palate, with juicy acids and a penetrating finish. You may expect this to develop further in the bottle over the next half decade or longer.

700 cases; 14.4%; $35 (Red Mountain)

DeLille 2020 Chaleur Blanc

Fresh and vibrant, loaded with citrus rind and flesh, juice and acid. Orange, papaya and pineapple move this into a tropical mix. So good now it's hard to imagine it improving. But it probably will.

14% (Columbia Valley)

DeLille 2020 Le Dessein Red

Formerly marketed as Métier, this GSM blend is a meaty, serious red with a lovely mix of meaty, savory and fruit-driven flavors. Blueberries, black cherries, cassis, strawberry leaf and a touch of mineral all combine and lead through a powerful finish. Boushey, Stone Tree and Ciel du Cheval vineyards contributed the fruit, with the overall blend beautifully handled.

1400 cases; 14.5%; $45 (Columbia Valley)

DeLille 2019 Minuit Red

This is 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, aromatic and expressive with savory herbs and spicy red fruits. If there were any new barrels involved they don't speak up; it's the fruit and earthy herbs that propel this wine. Most of the flavor is up front, and it fades fairly quickly into a drying finish.

1400 cases; 14.1%; $60 (Columbia Valley)

DeLille 2019 Le Colosse Merlot

Sourced from the Boushey, DuBrul and Harrison Hill Vineyards, this exceptional Merlot speaks to all the strengths of these top Yakima Valley sites. It's spicy and firm, veined with peppery herbs and built upon savory strawberry fruit. There's a pleasing brambly character, perfect balance and fine-tuned tannins. This has the right structure to age, and could easily go another 15 years or longer.

14.2%; $65 (Yakima Valley)

DeLille 2019 Chaleur Estate Red

The flagship wine from this iconic estate is principally old vine Cabernet Sauvignon from Ciel du Cheval, along with Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot. It's backed with Klipsun vineyard Merlot and aged in 100% new French oak, creating a powerful Bordeaux blend packed with a rich mix of berries, cherries and black currants. Tannins are velvety smooth, with lush grace notes of cinnamon and ground coffee. The finish has a satiny feel, extended length, and the overall balance to age beautifully over the next 15 years. Previously featured as a wine For the Cellar.

600 cases; 14.3%; $90 (Red Mountain)

DeLille 2019 Harrison Hill Red

This is a special site and one of the oldest producing vineyards in the state. It's the cornerstone vineyard of the tiny Snipes Mountain AVA, with some vines approaching their seventh decade. The blend here is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. The wine displays old vine delicacy and precision, with lighter red fruits wrapped in nuanced notes of tobacco, dried leaves and forest undergrowth. Though aged in 100% new French oak, the barrel management was spot on and the oak does not overtake or obliterate the more elegant flavors of this special wine.

300 cases; 13.5%; $110 (Snipes Mountain) 

JM Cellars 2019 Margaret's Vineyard Malbec

Pure Malbec is always an interesting wine, with broad, somewhat diffuse flavors that deftly mingle wild berries, bramble and peppery herbs. Even at this relatively elevated alcohol this wine carries many subtle details, with herbs and earth and bramble. It fades gently in perfect balance.

217 cases; 14.8%; $55 (Walla Walla)

JM Cellars 2018 Margaret's Vineyard Estate Red

This Bordeaux blend is principally Cabernet Sauvignon, from a vineyard planted about a decade ago on the Oregon side of the valley. It's a wine that combines the grace and the power of Walla Walla fruit, perfectly ripened and set against firm tannins. Touches of graphite, baking spices and lemon pepper animate the finish.

649 cases; 14.5%; $45 (Walla Walla)

JM Cellars 2019 Margaret's Vineyard Cabernet Franc

The blend includes 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, a nice match-up of brother grapes. Black cherry and cassis, firm but ripe tannins, streaks of coffee and tobacco, all in perfect balance. This is a most enjoyable expression of a single Walla Walla vineyard producing exemplary Bordeaux grapes.

224 cases; 14.8%; $50 (Walla Walla)

Lenné Estate 2019 LeNez Pinot Noir

Certainly among the best vintages to date for LeNez (the nose), this is more substantial and shows more depth and muscle than in the past. Ripe purple and black fruits are supported with crisp acids and set against firm, ripe and flavorful tannins. This catches hold quickly and lingers a long time in the back of the palate, with details of chocolate, baking spices and peanut butter.

250 cases; 14.4%; $40 (Yamhill-Carlton) 

Lenné Estate 2018 Sad Jack 777 Pinot Noir

This is a barrel selection of Dijon 777 clone material. It combines ripe berries and cherries with polished tannins and light touches of barrel toast and spices. It's well-rounded, complete and medium-bodied. Enjoy now and over the next five or six years.

226 cases; 14%; $55 (Yamhill-Carlton)

Walter Scott 2020 Bois-Moi Chardonnay

This new, affordable cuvée blends fruit from a half dozen vineyards, including all the high-scoring featured sites in previous single vineyard releases. It's a screaming deal, a delicious wine, loaded with seamless flavors of green fruits, citrus, lemon verbena, beeswax and honeysuckle. The natural acids bring a lemon lollipop tang that resonates through the finish.

13%; $28 (Willamette Valley)

Walter Scott 2020 Cuvée Anne Chardonnay

Compounded of grapes from Freedom Hill and Seven Springs, this was fermented and aged in two thirds new French oak puncheons. The flavors of barrel toast shine through in the aromas and inform the overall palate impression. It drinks like a much more expensive wine, with a definite French Burgundy profile, lush acids and complex flavors of citrus, notably oranges. Put this in the cellar and try again after 2025.

308 cases; 13%; $40 (Willamette Valley)

Walter Scott 2020 Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay

This single-vineyard select gets the rock star 100% new French oak treatment. Freedom Hill is one of the finest sites in the Willamette Valley, with ancient seabed soils and a sheltered location in the shadow of the Coast Range. The tongue-tickling palate is refreshed with underlying oyster shell minerality, tart citrus acidity, and lingering flavors of lemon, pineapple and tangerine fruit. The barrel aging adds light touches of caramel and toast. Drink 2025 to 2035.

90 cases; 13%; $65 (Mount Pisgah)

I am including my notes on the Walter Scott Chardonnays although I just got the disappointing news that they are already sold out. As Founding Partner Erica Landon explains:  "We released Bois-Moi last September and the others in the spring, but didn’t really do an official release as they were in such small quantities due to the drastic decisions we made after the 2020 fires. Once we understood that there was significant impact from the fires, we began micro ferments on all of the red vineyards we work with. We had to get them completely dry before tasting them and sending them off to the lab to test for compounds. We had three red grape blocks that were scheduled to pick before we were able to taste through the micro ferments, and we couldn’t call off the pick without knowing what we were dealing with. The day these vineyards were delivered to the winery we tasted through the micro ferments and found significant impact from the fires in our blocks and made the hard decision not to pick any more red grapes. The three blocks of red grapes on the crush pad we pressed into rosé (Justice, Freedom Hill and Arlyn Gamay). We then called each grower to call off the pick and split the cost of farming for the year with each of them and helped connect them with producers who were buying fruit. We moved forward and picked all the white grapes, made some significant changes in our pressing cycles and were very selective with lees. We were happy with the resulting wines, however we did see some smoke impact about 5 months after ML was complete. At that time we bulked out almost half of the wine and kept the very best to bottle as Walter Scott. We made Bois-Moi Chardonnay, Bois-Moi Rose, Cuvée Anne Chardonnay, Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay and X Saxa Aligote in very small quantities. It was a tough vintage to say the least. These wines sold through pretty quickly and we are now sold out of them."

The good news is that 2021 was a great vintage and Erica has confirmed that the first of those wines will be released this fall. I am really looking forward to tasting them! – PG

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NOTE:  The wines I recommend have been tasted over many hours and days in peer groups and are selected for excellence. I have chosen to eliminate numerical scores from this website. Only exceptional wines are shown, no negative reviews. Non-digital publications face long delays between the time wines are tasted and reviews actually appear in print. My notes are posted immediately with links to the winery website, so you may purchase them directly from the producer before they are sold out. I take no commission, accept no advertising, and charge no fees for wines reviewed on this website. Please contact me at paulgwine@me.com with your feedback and suggestions for future posts.

Coming next week:  I’ll be testing a variety of wine glasses to see which does best with red wines.

Heads Up:  In the coming weeks and months I am planning do a focus on Cabernet Franc, Syrah, GSM blends and other Rhone reds and blends later in the fall. I am also planning a detailed look at the wines from the McMinnville AVA. Please send current and upcoming wines from either category no later than the end of September (but please wait until the current heat wave has subsided). Shipping information is published on this website or text me at paulgwine@me.com. I am always open to suggestions for future topics, so send me your thoughts at any convenient time. Wineries seeking a full profile on this website please write me with specific proposals and we'll put our heads together.

Thank you for your support! – Paul Gregutt