2021 Amity Vineyards Bass Hill Pinot Noir
Tart cherry, cranberry, cinnamon stick
BASS HILL VINEYARD
Bass Hill sits at roughly 600ft elevation just outside of the Van Duzer Corridor in the McMinnville sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley. This eight-acre vineyard’s position is on a south-facing slope in ancient marine sediment soils which creates the right conditions for the growth of world-class Pinot Noir. The 115, Pommard, and Wadenswil clones of Pinot Noir each offer their own unique contributions to the blend. Dry-farmed and own-rooted, these grapes truly provide a sense of place. With naturally low-yields and small berries we are able to craft wines that have powerful tannins and concentration along with a brilliant backbone of acidity creating focus and tension. A truly special spot and one of our favorite vineyards that we farm. We take a hands-off approach to make these wines and do not fine or filter them in order to allow full expression of the site. Each year we select a handful of our favorite barrels from Bass Hill to produce a vineyard designate wine that represents the best of the vintage.
The 2021 growing season began with a relatively mild winter followed by a spring that yielded near-average rainfall punctuated by a spell of early season warmth in mid-April. This burst of sunshine lead to buds bursting one to two weeks earlier than average. Then came a peak of unseasonably hot days in early May, a valley of cool toward the end of the month, and another bump of heat in early June. After these temperature swings, much of the state experienced a late rain event right around bloom, contributing to another vintage of what turned out to be below-average yields (though certainly an improvement over the record low yields of 2020). Late June brought the most memorable weather event of the vintage in the form of a “heat dome” over the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia breaking records for three straight 100+ degree days. This unprecedented heat came at a time that ultimately did not significantly affect established vineyards, though it did result in young vine losses for those who were either unlucky or unprepared
For much of the growing season temperatures were above average, with the distinct and ideal turn of temperatures cooling off during the harvest season of August-October, allowing the moderate crop to comfortably achieve complex fresh fruit restrained and focused by retained acidity.
Vineyard Sources: Bass Hill
Cellar Treatment: 100% Barrel Aged in Neutral French Oak
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: Dry
PH:
3.21
TA
7.6 g/L