2016 BRITTAN VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR THE PUNCHEON MCMINNVILLE

Each vintage, Robert Brittan ferments small lots of Pinot noir from each of our single blocks in open-top “puncheons,” custom-built 500L 

French oak barrels standing on end with one of their heads removed.  The final cuvée is meticulously assembled from these lots, producing a complex and intriguing wine of great depth, complexity and longevity. 

VINTAGE NOTES

2016 was the third vintage in a row in the Willamette Valley where flowering started earlier than normal, and the weather remained warm 

throughout the growing season. After a warm summer, the last ten days of the growing season gave us beautiful days in the low 70’s, 

making for an easy and unhurried harvest. The grapes exhibited ripe flavors, but with more restraint and elegance as we get better and 

better at handling warmer growing conditions.

TASTING NOTES

The 2016 Puncheon Pinot Noir expresses notes of blueberry, raspberry, herbal blackberry and dried cherry alongside white pepper, baking 

spice, blood orange zest and fennel.  This complex, savory wine is beautifully balanced with firm, bright acidity and an elegance and 

roundness on the palate. Ripe fruits and a complex earthiness linger in the long finish.