2011 Angel Vine Primitivo Columbia Valley

My series bringing you some of the best wines from Oregon, not surprisingly, has brought you many great examples of pinot noir. Most recently, I shared these great pinots with you - 2011 J. Christopher Dundee Hills Cuvée Pinot Noir produced & bottled by Loosen Christopher Wines and the 2011 Janus Pinot Noir by Brooks Wines.

In addition to great pinot noir, there are also some really well-made, more full-bodied reds coming from Oregon. One great example came from a fellow Penn State alumnus - the 2011 The Hellion Proprietary Red Blend by Angel Vine.

Today, we're headed back to Oregon to enjoy another full-bodied red from owner and winemaker at Angel Vine, Ed Fus:

2011 Primitivo Columbia Valley by Angel Vine (Carlton, Oregon). 

The fruit for this wine came from the Coyote Canyon Vineyard and Stonetree Vineyard. After arriving separately at the winery, the fruit was hand-sorted, destemmed and placed into 1/2 ton open-top fermenters. The grapes were allowed to soak and then ambient yeast was introduced to begin fermentation. There was also inoculations of yeast to introduce diversity to the vats. The cap was punched down by hand at least once daily until the fermentation proceeded to dryness. 

The wine was aged in a combination of French and Hungarian oak barrels. Of the 19 barrels selected for the blend, 1 was new and Hungarian, 4 were in their 2nd or 3rd use, and 14 were on their 4th (or more) use. The wine comes in at a deceptively hefty 15.5% ABV.

Here it is in the glass:

A different look:

The wine showed a dark ruby color. Blackberry, cassis, leather and oak all arrived on the nose. Blackberry, cassis, mossy earth, currants and oak comprised the palate. The wine showed great structure and length. A winner through and through, this wine shows that reds other than just pinot noir are being made in Oregon on a world-class scale.

The wine can be purchased for a bargain price of $20* at the winery or directly from the winery's website.

I've got more for you from Angel Vine and Penn State winemaker, Ed Fus. Stay tuned!

~NE

*Sample provided for review.

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