2021 Kelley Fox Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Willamette Valley

On the lighter side of medium true-red with blue overtones, this Maresh is captivating. The light plays all over it, and it is both utterly transparent yet impenetrable as always. When the bottle is just opened and poured into the glass, the nose begins with soft minerals and the classic Maresh Hood strawberries that are worthy of king’s treasure. There is a tiny bit of spice, too, perhaps from it being 100% whole cluster. As in past bottlings, once the wine is in the glass for a few minutes, there is a Pacific northwest ocean and rain-freshness and purity that makes me fall in love with Oregon for the millionth time since I moved here over 28 years ago. Still very young, there is a pleasing acidity appropriate for a serious, long-game Pinot. This Maresh bottling comes from not only my beloved Long Rows (40%) and Old Block (40%) in which I do the biodynamic sprays and canopy management personally, but also Block 1 (20%), farmed by Jim Maresh Senior, who is now over 90 years old and still farming the beautiful land that he and his late wife, Loie, planted together in 1970. My first Maresh Vineyard bottling in 2007 came entirely from Block 1. All of these blocks are self-rooted and were planted in 1970. The total production was seven barrels. This is a queen of a wine with exquisite, silky texture and an unforgettable finish.