La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. La Crema is an American family-owned winery founded in 1979, with the original name La Crema Viera, meaning "the best of the vineyard." Through careful selection of vineyards, the company produces high-quality wines focusing on cool-climate appellations in California and, most recently, in Oregon. The original headquarters are in the Russian River Valley, California. The Pinot Noir grapes are selected and hand-picked from vineyards located in the Willamette Valley, Oregon's premier wine region. After a short cold maceration, fermentation takes place in open tanks and the finished wine then rests for 6 months in French oak barrels (20% new), before bottling. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a delicate and elegant red that reveals an intense aromatic profile on the nose, with notes of violet, raspberry, blueberry, and blood orange followed by spicy hints. On the palate, the wine is broad, complex, and soft with fine and smooth tannins and a long finish that recalls notes of cedar. In food pairings, it is extremely versatile. It pairs well with a roasted rack of lamb, Indian chicken recipes, pan-fried salmon, and hearty lentil soups.