“Fullerton crafts some excellent Pinot Noirs.” - Owen Bargreen

Owen spitting straight truth. And. AHEM. Wine Spies procures some excellent deals, would you not say?

With it’s “full body” and “lush, fruit filling” and “sweet tannins” as JD said, this had us swooning. Well worth its hefty $70 release price, about the going rate for any good to great Willamette Pinot these days. But at $27 for a dreamy, 94-pointer, pedigreed Pinot like this!

In all honesty, we had NO IDEA who Fullerton was before we tasted and fell for this beauty. Back to Bargreen for the lowdown: “A relatively new Willamette Valley winery, Fullerton Wines was founded in 2012 by Eric and Susanne Fullerton. Head winemaker Alex Fullerton heads the 4,500-case production winery, crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He has a longstanding industry history, formerly working for Penner-Ash, as well as Drylands in New Zealand, Alex began making his own wine out of his garage in 2011.”

Boy, are we glad he did. If anyone who starts in a garage made it this far, unicorns would roam the planet. My neighbor has been struggling with his garage wine since 2009, and guess who has to be the bearer of bad news every year? From someone who’s been evaluating wines for decades, he’s not doing the “garagiste” term any favors, let’s just say. Where were we?

Oh, yes, great wine is not just about great winemaking chops; the source matters just as much!

Sokol Blasser, Andrew Rich, Patricia Green, King Estate, Averæn, Bergström are some of the other prominent labels you’ll see labeled with Croft Vineyard. The Certified Organic site is located west of Salem on southeast-facing slopes that sit at 400 feet in elevation on a bed of Bellpine soils. Pinot Noirs from Croft consistently boast a bouquet of blueberry and strawberry aromas, framed by a rich mouthfeel and soft, chewy tannins. Just like this prime example that with the 7 years since harvest, has evolved into a silkier profile, with the still vibrant fruit layered just above the earthy and spicy tones of classic complexity. This is a prime example of top-notch single terroir Willamette Pinot Noir, sophisticated from head to toe.

Croft is such a distinctive site that it became one of the 10 vineyards that carved out their own AVA, becoming the latest addition to the short list of Willamette Valley’s precious appellations. In an article celebrating the announcement just 4 years ago, Decanter wrote that “Oregon wine fans officially have a new ‘appellation’ to explore after US authorities approved the state’s latest American Viticultural Area, with a focus on Pinot Noir… Mount Pisgah was formed 65 million years ago as a sea floor volcano, and the new AVA is known for its ‘marine sedimentary’ soil.”

Wish we had 65 million more years to wax poetic about this Pinot discovery “with lush fruit filling the palate” per Jeb and help you decide how much to grab before it’s gone.

For the upcoming grill season, and at this price, a case? Or two?

94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Coming from what is now the Mount Pisgah AVA, the 2019 Pinot Noir Croft Vineyard sees about a third of its fruit being whole-cluster fermented. It pours a deep ruby hue and is ripe with black raspberry fruit, violets, and fresh sage. Full-bodied, with lush fruit filling the palate, it remains light on its feet, with sweet tannins and a silky mouthfeel. It’s long on the palate as well, with a wonderfully refreshing, well-managed feel. Drink 2023-2033.”