From the site at the southern edge of the Eola-Amity Hills associated with Ken Wright, who has a long-term lease on it, the Bethel Heights 2010 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard is dominated by sour cherry and rhubarb, for another bright, juicy take on this grape, but nut oils and multi-boned meat stock add depth and savor that leads to a finish that carries just a touch of tannic roughness. Look for 4-6 years of satisfaction here, I’d guess.
Ben Casteel returned home in 2005 from a stage in Burgundy and a five year stint at Rex Hill to work a crush alongside his father and founding winemaker Terry; after which, he took over that job. Cousin Mimi Casteel – whose background is horticulture and forest ecology – acts as both general manager and viticulturalist. This site northwest of Salem, whose oldest block dates to the Casteels’ original 1977 and 1979 plantings, is known for consistently delivering fine Pinots, although the Casteels also source somewhat beyond its bounds and are serious about white grapes – theirs and those of neighbors – as well, even if with mixed success. The team here is beginning to favor a certain percentage of whole clusters and stems in Pinot depending on vintage, though fermentation is usually still induced by inoculation.
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