McKinlay, Pinot Noir
Staff Pick

McKinlay, Pinot Noir - 2021

Item # 25420 750 mL

A classic Pinot Noir from Oregon. Filled with currant and summer cherry aromas that follow through on the palate, silky tannins, and balanced acidity. This Pinot is meant for the dinner table or the cellar. The vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley are rich in volcanic soils, and were farmed for cherries, apples, and nuts until 1989. Today, Pinot Noir is densely planted and the production of this tiny winery remains small. By focusing on vine health and using hands-on labor, McKinlay produces exquisite Burgundian-styled Pinot Noir year after year.

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Color
Red
Vintage
Country
USA
Region
Sub-Region
Grape Variety
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Staff Pick Notes

Oh Oregon! You are America's Pinot home; however, too frequently they end up over ripe, over fruited and sadly oaked- eons away from your original Burgundy model. And the gorgeous and artisanal Pinots carry a justifiably elevated price tag. I was so happy to find (and taste… and buy!) McKinlay Pinot, from a family with over a hundred years experience of farming in Oregon’s agricultural Eden. Since 1995, they have been Pinot specialists; their red currant fresh wine would bring a tear to the eye of a crusty Bourguignon vigneron. This is a holiday dinner party wine; a wine for gifting and a wine for selfishly keeping. It is especially a wine for the parents who bought into the whole “Freedom Fries” debacle, though you wave a flag every Bastille Day. (I speak from experience) And I stress, while perfect for turkey, it works all year round.

- EP

Pairing Advice

Grilled Pizzas with Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta The complementary flavors in this pairing include the earthiness of the wine matched with the earthiness of the mushrooms and cured meat. The acidity that is inherent to Pinot Noir cuts right through the richness of the pancetta, butter, and oil, leaving you refreshed and ready for more. And the medium body of the Pinot Noir will perfectly match a dish like this one that is not super light like a salad or a simple fish dish, but not heavy like something fatty and braised either.

About the Producer

McKinlay Vineyards Newberg, Willamette Valley, Oregon USA The Kinne family have been well-established in Oregon’s Willamette Valley since the early 1900s. George Angus McKinlay, a minister, dry-farmed cherries, apples, prunes and nuts on well drained volcanic soils on east facing slopes in the Valley’s Eola Hills. Rain in winter was welcome, while spring frost was the greatest hazard. Long...

Read more about McKinlay Vineyards

Glossary

Pinot Noir

The Burgundy region of northeastern France is the historic home of the Pinot Noir grape, and is the source of the world’s greatest examples. Here one finds renditions of Pinot Noir that deliver power with finesse and grace, wines that have unimaginable depth of flavor, yet are perfectly balanced and ephemeral in the mouth - in short, wines that deliver all that Pinot Noir has to offer. Terroir, the concept that wines from a specific region have unique and identifiable traits, is intricately...

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Willamette Valley

Perhaps the most familiar wine producing region in Oregon, the Willamette Valley is actually a group of distinct AVA's (American Viticultural Areas). This varied area is home to approximately two thirds of Oregon's wineries. Bounded roughly by the cities of Portland in the north and Eugene in the south, the near-idyllic wine growing region is cradled between the Cascade Mountain Range on its east side and the Coastal Range to the west, and produces some of America's most sublime expressions of...

Read more about Willamette Valley

Oregon

The largest wine region in Oregon is the Willamette Valley, lying between the cities of Portland and Eugene and home to most of Oregon’s wineries. As it does not have one homogeneous climate, it has been broken up into several different AVAs. In the best of them, the perfect amounts of wind, rain, sun exposure, and altitude combine to give Pinot Noir the warm days and cool nights it needs in order to thrive. Combine that with good drainage and poor soils, and you’ve got the perfect environment...

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