{"title":"Brittan","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery great winery has a gestalt - a presence greater than the sum of its parts. What makes up the gestalt of Oregon's wine producers? Some come to wine via high tech - some, like Robert Brittan, come via California's finest wineries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrittan Vineyards' gestalt is the sum of Robert Brittan's wide ranging experience. Robert spent 16 years as Winemaker and Estate Manager for Stags' Leap Winery in Napa. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert's signature style, as he describes it: \"the essence of the wine is its structure. It must have an entrance, a midpalate, and a finish of length. It must be complete. No doughnut holes, flat or missing flavors.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert's Brittan Vineyards Pinot noirs are a gestalt of experience and viewpoint, adding up to more than their parts. The gestalt of Brittan Vineyards is still in progress and following its evolution is a delicious experience. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy the Move to Oregon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert had a long-time interest in Pinot noir and wanted to make a change. With family roots in Oregon and a strong interest in starting a winery, Robert and wife Ellen moved to Oregon in 2004 and bought their vineyard site. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe site has 128 acres of rocky hillside on a base of basalt and ancient volcanic soils. Of the roughly 18 acres of existing vines, over fifty percent of them have been removed and replanted. They currently harvest grapes from twenty acres of Pinot noir and one acre of Syrah. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2006, the unique soil coupled with Robert's understanding and love of Pinot noir varietals yielded their first two wines: the 2006 \"Basalt Block\" Pinot noir and \"Gestalt Block\" Pinot noir - named for the specific blocks of vines that were chosen for the wines. Their second vintage, the 2007, earned rankings of #12 (Basalt Block) and #27 (Gestalt Block) by Portland Monthly in their October 2009 article entitled \"Top 30 Wines Made in Oregon.\" In 2011, the 2009 Pinots received Wine Advocate scores of 92 and 93 points.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLove of the Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile growing grapes and making wine is definitely a top priority, Robert's love of the land goes far beyond viticulture. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of this new venture is the Brittan's commitment to wildlife habitat restoration. \u003c\/p\u003e\nIn his journal Robert says, \"walking and working a property on a daily basis gives you a connection to the land that cannot be felt from behind a desk. Whatever the reasons, I know that we are going to spend the rest of our lives making this 128-acre site a better place for the wildlife and native vegetation to live and thrive. As a result, it will bring a great deal of joy and peace to our lives, which I truly believe translates into the wines we produce from this site.\"\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"brittan-vineyards-gestalt-block-pinot-noir","title":"Brittan Vineyards Gestalt Block Pinot Noir 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2019 vintage notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98 points The Wine Advocate:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"The 2019 Pinot Noir Gestalt Block is a stunning Pinot Noir that was reticent and wound in an earlier tasting but has blossomed into a kaleidoscopic beauty. Its perfume is heavenly and changes with each return to the glass: violet and graphite give way to red cherry and pomegranate preserves, which in turn segues to nuances of tobacco leaves, bitter orange and woodsmoke. The palate is equally compelling, its deep core of fruit streaked with touches of iron and haunting floral perfume. It has a frame of powdery tannins, focused acidity and a very long, latent finish with a detailed fan of earthy accents. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind and will be long-lived.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brittan","offers":[{"title":"Regular Price","offer_id":5116542977,"sku":"","price":68.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Build a Case","offer_id":7771111041,"sku":"","price":62.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5679\/files\/NV-Gestalt-Front-1.jpg?v=1693511196"},{"product_id":"brittan-vineyards-chardonnay","title":"Brittan Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe've loved every vintage of Chardonnay Robert Brittan has produced since he moved to the Willamette Valley. Made from all estate fruit, this Chardonnay delivers a generous nose of lemon merengue pie right down to that perfectly flaky crust. A full and balanced mid-palate rings with Meyer lemon and custard. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2021 vintage notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97 points The Wine Advocate:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"The 2021 Chardonnay Estate from Brittan Vineyards is a star in the Willamette Valley's Chardonnay portfolio. It has pure, deep aromas that balance generous fruit—baked apple and quince—with savory undertones of almonds, fresh bread and graham cracker. The medium-bodied palate is luxurious and satiny with concentrated, perfumed flavors and youthful yet classy oak spice. It has focused, shimmery acidity and a tremendously long finish streaked with touches of matchstick. It will be long-lived in the cellar and deserves several more years in the bottle to unwind.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brittan","offers":[{"title":"Regular Price","offer_id":5117674817,"sku":null,"price":47.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Build a Case","offer_id":7771070337,"sku":null,"price":43.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5679\/files\/NV-Est-Chardonnay-Front-1.jpg?v=1693510993"},{"product_id":"brittan-vineyards-cygnus-block-pinot-noir","title":"Brittan Vineyards Cygnus Block Pinot Noir 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBold and evocative, a classic Brittan Pinot noir. Violets and licorice spice pop on the nose before an initial burst of fresh red fruits. Then a deep-dive to blueberry jam, transitioning to blackberries picked right from the vine, hanging on remarkably long through the creamy, lightly savory finish.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e-Marcus\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2019 vintage notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97 points The Wine Advocate:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"The 2019 Pinot Noir Cygnus Block offers tremendous aromatic definition and layering: bursts of lavender, bergamot and botanicals give way to a core of mixed berry preserves, and each return to the glass brings a new alluring fragrance. Its generosity is echoed on the palate, which is packed with floral fruit. It has a support of grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity and a fantastically detailed, energetic finish. It's a beautiful Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that embodies power and grace.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h6\u003e","brand":"Brittan","offers":[{"title":"Regular Price","offer_id":107675779085,"sku":null,"price":64.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Build a Case","offer_id":107675811853,"sku":null,"price":58.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5679\/files\/NV-Cygnus-Front-1.jpg?v=1693511399"},{"product_id":"brittan-vineyards-estate-pinot-noir","title":"Brittan Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir 2023","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is showing beautifully out of the gate. A dark fruited nose of raspberry, blackberry and black currant is accented by dried herbs and barrel spice. Classically Brittan brambly dark fruited intensity joins tobacco, fennel, five-spice and a hint of coffee, making for delightful complexity. The whole thing coasts on a rounded, fleshy texture yet with excellent energy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Brittan Estate Vineyard lies just 12 miles southwest of McMinnville, tucked into the foothills of the Coast Range. The original 18 acres were planted in 2001, but due to the challenging nature of this site and limited topsoil, only eight acres survived. Since 2004 when Robert and Ellen purchased the vineyard, it has been an ongoing rehabilitation project: replanting, retraining, and learning the unique landscape that has become Brittan Vineyard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e2022 was a challenging but ultimately rewarding vintage. A cool, wet spring and late bud break left the Willamette Valley vulnerable to frost events in April. Brittan’s site is a little later than most, so the buds on their were just beginning to push when the frost hit. The Pinot noir and Syrah blocks, while not unscathed by the frost, fared much better than the lower elevation Chardonnay blocks. Late season sun, warmth, and a particularly long rain-free spell in October allowed the grapes to finish ripening–an ideal end to the growing season.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Brittan","offers":[{"title":"Regular Price","offer_id":43134015471867,"sku":null,"price":46.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Build a Case","offer_id":43134015504635,"sku":null,"price":42.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5679\/products\/NV-Est-PN-Front-1.jpg?v=1654893923"},{"product_id":"brittan-vineyards-heritage-block-pinot-noir-2021","title":"Brittan Vineyards Heritage Block Pinot Noir 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe nose of the 2021 Heritage Block is full of big dark and red fruits, including black cherry and cassis. There’s nice richness here, with the typical tobacco and sage muted on the nose but present on the palate. Bramble, spice and rosemary augment the delightful tension on the palate. Drink now through 2036.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlanted to Calera, Mt. Eden, Swan, Pommard, and Wädenswil clone selections, the \"heritage\" clones of Pinot Noir in Oregon and California.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h6\u003e","brand":"Brittan","offers":[{"title":"Regular Price","offer_id":46437269897467,"sku":null,"price":68.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Build a Case","offer_id":46437269930235,"sku":null,"price":62.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5679\/files\/NV-Heritage-Front-1.jpg?v=1724350570"}],"url":"https:\/\/northwest-wine.com\/collections\/brittan\/pinot-noir.oembed","provider":"Avalon Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}