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Teutonic Wine Company Pinot Noir

Variety

100% Pinot Noir Pommard Clone (cloned from Pinot Noir in Pommard Cote de Beaune, Burgundy)

Region

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Vineyard

Multiple at high elevation

Soil Type

Volcanic soil, marine sediments, loess

Farming

Dry farmed, organically farmed, old, and located in truly cool (temperature) growing sites. Minimal intervention, absolutely no pestisides/herbisides.

Fermentation & Élevage

Fermented with indigenous yeast in neutral barrels. Minimal additions in the cellar, no additives other than SO2.

Aging Potential

Drink now or age up to 5 years

Tasting Profile

Light garnet color with layers of flavor: forest floor, black fig, smoked meat, campfire, blueberry, raspberry, currant, slight mushroom.

Food Pairing

Lightly smoked chicken, duck confit, mushroom pasta dishes with full-flavored cheese, hamburgers, or meaty fish.

Background

Teutonic Wine Company was founded by Barnaby and Olga Tuttle in 2005. While these wines are inspired by the wines of the Middle-Mosel Valley in Germany and Alsace in France, they are a celebration of Oregon. Barnaby and Olga work exclusively with cool-climate growing sites and are focused on thoughtful, quality farming.

In the cellar, they embrace a minimalist intervention philosophy and ferment strictly with indigenous yeast, native to each vineyard. Barnaby and Olga stared Teutonic Wine Company with no formal grape growing, winemaking experience, or financial backing. They learned while doing and Teutonic started as a true bootstrap operation. Now, with more than 15 years of experience under their belts, these two are making characterful wines with a strong point of view from impeccably farmed vineyards.

After Covid-19 left many Portland musicians out of work, Teutonic Wine Company brought some into their winery—and discovered a few had a real knack for winemaking. Today, Teutonic takes a community-oriented approach to labor and strives to be a leader in equitable practices in Portland.

The wines can be summed up by: Old & Cold, High & Dry, Wood & Wild- Old vine and cold climate, High elevation and Dry farmed, Neutral oak and Wild fermentation.

Willamette Valley, Oregon, with its cool climate and diverse soil types, makes it an ideal region for Pinot Noir to thrive. Pinot Noir is a tempermental, thin-skinned grape, that is difficult to cultivate. It needs to thrive in cooler climates with well-draining soil. (If you've wondered why Pinot Noir tends to be more expensive than other red wine grapes, this is a reason why.)